A Brief History of the American Russell Terrier Club
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The American Russell Terrier Club, Inc. “ARTC” aka English
Jack Russell Terrier Club** was founded in 1995 being the first
breed club in the U.S. to exclusively register the 10” to 12”
Jack Russell Terrier (now Russell Terrier) maintaining it as a
separate breed from the Parson Russell Terrier/JRTCA Jack
Russell Terrier. The organization of the club began in 1994
which took a year to complete. JoAnn Stoll was the founder with
the help of Nora Davis, Jerry English, Dee Dee Polzin, Caren
Mohill-Smith, Linda Niotus, Pam Metts Boyer, and Denny Mounce.
With her extensive background in the working Jack Russell
Terrier, Pam Metts Boyer was instrumental in the writing of the
first standard published in 1995 for the breed by our club,
originally the English Rustler's Terrier Club. The name was
officially changed in June of 1996 to the English Jack Russell
Terrier Club.
The popularity of the breed grew with other breed clubs
following suit. The English Jack Russell Terrier Club of
America was founded in December of 1996 by Jacquie Abbott and as
of 2002 was still issuing registration certificates. However, we
are unclear at this time if the registry is still going. The
English Jack Russell Terrier Club Alliance was founded in 1999
by Laurel Foster. Michael and Avril Black who are retired
officers of our club resigned July 30, 2002 to establish the
Russell Terrier Foundation Club in 2003. The Russell Terrier
Foundation Club is a licensed UKC club and the parent club for
the American Rare Breed Association. And in January of 2006 the
Blacks also founded the American Russell Terrier Foundation
Club. Offspring from the Foundation sires and dams from the ARTC
owned by our members went forward into the additional registries
who followed the direction of the ARTC to develop the breed.
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Peer Gynt a pre war working Fox Terrier type remains a reference
in type for not only the old working Sealyhams but the Jack Russell
Terrier. Captain Jocelyn M. Lucas M. C. author of “Hunt and Working
Terriers” published in 1931 refers to Peer Gynt as being correct in
type for the working Jack Russell Terrier. The Bedale Hunt,
Hambledon, South Durham, South Herford, South Oxfordshire, South
Staffordshire, Waterford, Ireland, Worcestershire, Pembrokeshire,
Carmarthen, Wye Valley and Tiarks to name a few English hunts used
the Fox Terrier x Sealyham cross for work. The cross of the Fox
Terrier with the old working Sealyhams used by many hunts of that
period gave the Jack Russell improved working heads, improved coats
for protection, and a smaller working terrier shorter on leg handy
for earth work. The Reverend John Russell himself preferred the wire
coated terriers less the smooth coats have bull blood.
The ARTC has hosted
terrier trials
since 1995 being very active in promotion of the
working aspects of the breed. Our members have shown actively in
the UKC show venue since 2002 with too many Champions
to list. Our members hosted the first Russell Terrier Specialty in
Utah in 2002 with Carleen Farrington judging. And the second
Speciality in Longmont Colorado in 2003, with the world renown
terrier man Paul Ross officiating as Judge. We established the first
health registry
for the Russell Terrier in 2004 to encourage health testing and
established the “Paws
for Thought” rescue in 2000. We have encouraged education for
the improvement of the breed with great emphasis on sound health. We
have hosted microchipping clinics, CGC tests, various seminars on
hunting, Russell Terrier structure, racing seminars, Agility
classes, Pet Expos booths, Meet the Breed booths and much more.
We have encouraged the versatility of the breed and rewarded it
with special recognition seeing no limits to what these little
terriers can do. We have terriers in our registry who compete in
agility, go to ground and racing. We have “go to ground”
certificates issued as far back as 1995 as well as recorded race
winners. Grand Champion Quest of JRS #1 Top Ten 2004, qualified
for the Purina Dog Challenge. We have come a long way in ten short
years and we have many challenges ahead of us. I believe Geoff R.
Worrall stated it best, “ That golden thread is the pure joy in
sporting pursuits and admiration for that gallant little
gentleman---the hunt and working terrier".
The ARTC and its members have been fortunate enough to share the
journey of the breed we all love to its ultimate goal. We remain
dedicated to the working Russell Terrier with the breed type to show
and work and will continue to serve the breed.
On October 9, 2007, the American Kennel Club designated the
American Russell Terrier Club Parent Club for the Russell Terrier.
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