| The last Dandie Man, active with working Dandies (special thanks to Janet Roslyn for her help)
A tribute to "Happy" Alf Rhodes 12th Oct. 1922 - 6th Nov.2003 Mr. Alf Rhodes, known as "Happy" Rhodes by his friends, affix Nephi, President and longstanding member and supporter of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club, and my dear penpal for over 7 years, died in Hospital after being very ill over the last couple of years. Alf was the last man going to ground with Dandies. He has kept various breeds of terriers for over fifty years. For the majority of those years, the terriers, which include Lakelands, Paterdales, Jack Russels, Sealyhams, Fox Terriers and latterly, Dandie Dinmonts, were regularly worked to fox. In 1996 he gave a talk and demontration about the training of terriers to work to fox to be successful. Janet Roslyn wrote in the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Magazine of 1998 that after the talk and the 'practical' an invitation was extended to anyone interested in working terriers to join in on a Sunday outing. There were no volonteers!!!! Over the last years he was no longer active in working terriers, his knowledge and expertise in this sport was superb. When "Happy" was in the Coldstream Guards, he was on duty in London on the Queen's Coronation day. He judged Crufts in 1995 and liked the Dandie in a natural shape, he was the only elected President to die whilst in office.When visiting him some years ago he gave me an extraordinary present - his over 50 years old dog whistle, attached to his keyring, a present for the first time being a judge for Jack Russels at Penistone Show in 1951, I was very impressed and still am by his guesture. Alf will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Ineke ter Heersche |
