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Open Show, January 28th, 2001

Judge: John Sharpe (Pines)

(Click here to go straight to the Judge's Report)

BIS Fearnhead Apollo at Baronglen and Res. BIS & BOS Kilrein Jewel

Best Puppy in Show: Brachan Killie Crankie

Veteran Dog winner Hibeck Hardy and Best Veteran Brachan Solitaire

Judge's Report

Firstly, I should like to thank the Committee & members of the Society for giving me the honour and pleasure of judging this most excellently organised show, with such a friendly atmosphere. All my decisions were accepted in good part, with applause for all the winners. A few general observations - not all the hounds were as clean or well presented as they might have been; it is worth making the effort, because, if the decision is marginal, presentation will count. Although there were a few flat feet, high tails and flat ears, the hounds as a whole were much more evenly good than I remember 25 years ago, when I first became involved. Also, a couple of points do need watching: bites need to be carefully monitored & there were more soft coats than I care for.

PuppyD (7) 1. Nicholls & Crawshaw's Cefni Jan Joseph. Actually quite a clear winner here & not just in his behaviour. He has a good head coming, with a strong neck going into the best shoulders in the class. He is quite balanced with a good topline for his age, a reasonable bend of stifle and he moved with freedom but without exaggeration. Hopefully he will tighten up with maturity. A promising puppy; 2 Catlow's Laoiseach Fearghus. A dark puppy with a lovely head and melting expression, but doesn't have the lay of shoulder of the winner. His topline needs to settle on the move & I would prefer stronger hindquarters - but maturity, with a bit more bodying up, could make him a contender. JuniorD (1) 1 Brooks' Ballyphelan Blazer at Brooksbourne. Standing alone but a very worthy winner nevertheless. He is a big, powerful dog with a strong head & a lovely dark eye & that crest on his neck that typifies the real stallion hound. He has an adequate shoulder & good depth of chest. Super coat, strong hindquarters that he uses well on the move. I hope he gains a greater spring of rib on maturity, when I look forward to seeing him again. Special YearlingD (5) 1 Pain's Ravensbeech Sulla. A really fine looking dog. Super head, good neck, good shoulder, super outline, maybe a touch more loin than ideal but good strong quarters, excellent coat, super movement, very well presented, very close up for Best Dog; 2 Windsor's Sakaza Radarc Cu. A big grey brindle with a kind head & expression. He is a bit upright in shoulder but he has a really good depth of chest. Again a touch long in the loin & he could do with a bit more muscling on his hindquarters. He moved truly. MaidenD (3) 1 Griffin's Kilrein Jaeger. A nicely balanced, if rather unkempt, grey brindle dog. My notes say "reasonable everything" & that is how he seemed to me to be, without exaggeration or, to be honest, star quality. I would say, though, he has very little to be critical about either; 2 Knapp's Hannikins Hustings. Enormously solid cream dog. Strong head & heavy bone, he is quite well balanced overall, but he moved very sluggishly. A very powerful looking hound, but far too heavy. NoviceD (6) 1 K. Jaeger; 2 H. Hustings PostGradD (7) 1 Dawson's Shalico Clousseau. A very tall grey brindle dog. I would prefer him a little longer to give a better balance, but he has a good male head & an especially strong neck, lovely deep chest, reasonable shoulders & a nice sweep to his stifles. He moved well; 2 Hollies's Culingas Driving Force. I have to say I preferred the overall type of him to the winner, but he was a touch off in movement on the day. He is a good workmanlike hound, with good ear carriage, but a bit upright in shoulder. LimitD (5) 1 Tebbutt's Clonmagara Kyras Caredig. A lovely dog to look at, light grey brindle with a good male neck, head & nice ear carriage. He is well balanced overall with very powerful hindquarters which he used well when moving, although he did move a bit wide in front. His coat is a little soft; 2 White's Sakaza Seabac. Close up to the winner here, another nice dog but contrasting in that he moved rather closely in front. Also his topline didn't have the quality of his opponent, so he just lost out. OpenD (6) 1 Pask's Fearnhead Apollo at Baronglen. To be absolutely honest, when the dogs first entered the ring, I expected to place the second dog first in this class, but the power and presence exuded by this rangy, very male wheaten dog, coupled with his unmatchable movement won him the day, BIS; 2 Lefley's Hibeck Mickey Rooney at Nicsar. A more compact grey brindle, not quite the shoulder or movement of the winner, but I really liked his presence, masculinity & overall balance, not the biggest but he moved well. Althogether a thoroughly nice dog. VeteranD (2) 1 Briggs' Hibeck Hardy. 8½ years young, as his attempts on the Veteran bitch in the challenge indicated, & still in fine fettle. He has a good strong head & front, with a super depth of chest. His hindquarters hadn't quite stood the test of time as well as the rest of him, but the round of applause was well merited.
PuppyB (9) 1 MacLeod's Brachan Killie Crankie. As with the dogs, there was quite a difference between the exhibits here. The winner is a big upstanding puppy of really nice type. She has a pretty head & expression & a good lay of shoulder. She is well balanced with strong hindquarters, but perhaps a touch wide in front at present. 2 Noke's Pilgrims Peak Adella. Another lovely big bitch, she ran the winner close but a bursa spoilt her front movement. Also she didn't have quite the strength of hindquarters. Otherwise she is a very promising youngster. JuniorB (13) The biggest class of the day & the one with most promise; several good youngsters with a lot to like about them. 1 Lees' Ballyphelan Blackberry of Monarawn. A very smart & well presented grey brindle bitch, with a lovely overall shape. Very pretty head & expression, nice shoulders, a good topline and well turned hindquarters. She moved well, although I hope her tail carriage becomes less with age. Her front feet turn out a bit right now but should improve when she matures; 2 Simpson's Balekemili Evening Star Over Cagasa. An altogether houndier bitch, rangy but not quite so feminine as the winner. She moved with considerable power & has good shoulders, topline & hindquarters. Special YearlingB (5) 1 Smith's Ballyphelan Bridget. Another difficult class with some good entries. The winner is a lovely bitch, very well proportioned, with a pretty head. She had good shoulder placement, is well blessed with a good topline, a nice rise over the loin. She is slightly straight in hindquarters but moved with much drive; 2 Redfern's Rainster Niagh. Another well proportioned bitch, again an attractive head, good front & rear, with good movement. She just didn't have the presence or presentation of the winner. Maiden B (3) 1 Moore's Amarach Alannah. Nicely put together dark grey brindle. She won this class on maturity over the Puppy bitch winner, who has time on her side. An attractive head & expression, reasonable shoulder, maybe a little long in loin, but has nice hindquarters which she used to advantage; 2 B Killie Crankie. NoviceB (7) 1 Catlow's Zarameg Florinda at Laoiseach. A nice houndy bitch. I would like a little more bone, but she has a good overall shape. Not the most enthusiastic mover, but certainly sound & steady. 2 Lefley's Hibeck Cher at Nicsar. Rather a square bitch, I would like a bit more length to her & her shoulders were a bit steep, but she has a very pretty head with a lovely kind expression. She didn't move as well as the winner, even if she was a bit quicker. PostgraduateB 1 Griffin's Kilrein Jewel. Well named, this bitch is a jewel, masked by a less than tidy presentation. A pretty head, good shoulders, good chest, well ribbed back with a correct length of loin. Properly angled hindquarters, good coarse coat. She moved well & very soundly, altogether a very good bitch, even if her feet are a bit flat. Best Bitch. 2 Smith's Uella Ceri. Rather cobbier than the winner, but with a wonderful deep chest - very much my type of bitch but an inch more length of leg would have made her really top class. Two very good bitches. Limit B (10) Crawshaw's Cefni Magi Ann. One I have seen several times, usually from further down the line & always liked. She is a powerful houndy bitch, but still feminine and moved with real drive and purpose. She is a good overall shape, with strong forehand & rear. She has a good head & a strong neck & ran Jewel very close for Best Bitch; 2 White's Sakaza Shannon. Another very curvy bitch, not quite the strength of the winner, but very well balanced. Again an attractive head & good shoulder, a nice topline & tuck up. I felt very fortunate to have such good hounds to go over. Open B (10) 1 Smith's Uella Cinnamon. Yet another lovely bitch, well balanced with a good head & kind expression. She has good depth of chest & a good ribcage, which extends back properly. She has good curves & uses them well in movement; 2 Marriner's Roxy's Babe. Reserve in Junior. A nice type of hound, she needs a bit more experience & perhaps a bit more tidying up. She has an attractive head, good shoulders, a good topline and is well angulated fore & aft, with good movement. Veteran B (3) 1 MacLeod's Brachan Solitaire. One I have known since a pup & is now a splendid 8 years & in fine form. Super head & expression, good shoulders, good overall balance, she moved with more enthusiasm than some of the youngsters & this scored over the Veteran dog. A credit to her owners.

John R. Sharpe

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