Teastas Mor was a certificate of

gameness Game or gameness is a quality of fighting dogs and working terriers that are selectively bred and conditioned from a very early age to develop traits of eagerness despite the threat of substantive injury. Dogs displaying this trait can also be ...

issued to a

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relativ ...

by the

Irish Kennel Club The Irish Kennel Club or IKC is an organization dedicated to supporting dog breeds and their owners. It maintains a register of purebred dogs in Ireland, issuing pedigree certificates, transfer of ownership certification and export licenses wh ...

. Strict Irish Kennel Club rules governed the Teastas Mor (certificate of gameness). It was considered that the discipline ensured contests between dog and

badger Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united ...

were fair. In the past, to become an Irish Kennel Club

terrier Terrier (from Latin ''terra'', 'earth') is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. Terrier breeds vary ...

champion, it was necessary for a terrier to be in possession of a Teastas Mor. Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier,

Irish Terrier The Irish Terrier ( gle, Brocaire Rua) is a dog breed from Ireland, one of many breeds of terrier. The Irish Terrier is considered one of the oldest terrier breeds. The Dublin dog show in 1873 was the first to provide a separate class for I ...

( Irish Red Terriers) and

Kerry Blue Terrier The Kerry Blue Terrier (also known as the Irish Blue Terrier) ( gle, An Brocaire Gorm) is a breed of dog. Originally bred to control vermin including rats, rabbits, badgers, foxes, otters and hares, over time the Kerry became a general working ...

(a.k.a. Irish Blue Terriers) were the principal breeds used. These continued until the kennel ceased to license trials in 1968.

Rules

1. The trials must be conducted strictly within the law and are restricted to dogs and bitches which have not already qualified for the Teastas Mor certificate. 2. a) A

veterinary surgeon Veterinary surgery is surgery performed on animals by veterinarians, whereby the procedures fall into three broad categories: orthopaedics (bones, joints, muscles), soft tissue surgery (skin, body cavities, cardiovascular system, GI/urogenital/ ...

must be in attendance at the trial. Under no circumstances may a trial take place without one, and his name and address must be recorded on the application for a licence and on the licence issued by the Kennel Club. 2. b) In the event of any serious injury occurring to any dog or badger, the animal at the discretion of the Veterinary Surgeon shall be humanely and expeditiously destroyed. 3. The trial of any dog must be in natural

sett A sett or set is a badger's den. It usually consists of a network of tunnels and numerous entrances. The largest setts are spacious enough to accommodate 15 or more animals with up to of tunnels and as many as 40 openings. Such elaborate setts ...

s. Under no circumstances may tests be carried out in artificial setts. A dog may not be tried more than twice in any trial. 4. Once a badger is "drawn" (pulled out of the ground), it must not be released or returned to the earth until the conclusion of the trials. 5. Badger in captivity shall not be used for tests or training. 6. Sounders (dogs making a particular sound which means "I have found it.") are expected to go to the ground with alacrity. When a sounder reports the presence of

game A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (su ...

with a "full and sustained tongue", a reasonable time shall be allowed before men with shovels begin to dig. If the sounder records persistently from one section of the sett, digging shall commence under the direction of the judges. 7. The badger shall be drawn by a strong terrier, with the assistance if necessary, and the size of the badger and underground conditions noted by the judges. 8. If a sett is apparently unoccupied, several terriers may be run through it and their eagerness to search noted. 9. With regards to strong terriers, the Teastas Mor is to be awarded to the terrier showing gameness in attacking badgers. Five minutes is the minimum period a terrier shall be in contact with the badger, except when the terrier draws the badger in less time. Each terrier shall be withdrawn as soon as possible after the five minutes have expired. The judges may direct that a terrier be again tried if, in their opinion, the first trial was for any reason an insufficient test. 10. Five minutes are to be allowed a terrier before being disqualified for failing to get in contact. 11. Barking shall be eliminated as much as possible and disqualification will follow barking after contact, provided that no terrier is disqualified for barking when in actual contact.

References

External links

Atlantic Wheatens
{{Dog sports Dog breeding Dog sports

Rules

See also

References

External links