My thanks to the committee for inviting me to judge their show and to the exhibitors for a wonderful entry. I was a little disappointed in the older bitch classes at the absentees, but I had some lovely quality hounds to assess and was very pleased with my main winners.
Just a small comment to some - with all the products on the market, please don't forget your dogs teeth!
Puppy D 4 (1): 1st Edgar's Imptech Aragon. Nice, substantial 8 months baby showing good promise. Has a nice head, good bite and well held ears. Well boned with rise over loin. Needs to settle in topline and control tail on the move. Nice outline on stand. Good reach of neck into reasonable shoulder. 2nd Dawson's Cleaseac Cee Americana of Shalico. Heavier all through than 1st. Good bone but not the length of leg and balance. Movement ok but not the extension of 1st. Good eye and pigment. Needs time. 3rd Penny's Clanlily Dark Emperor.
Junior Dog 8 (4): 1st Amoo's Sade Porryk. Well presented red brindle dog with good ring presence for age. Lovely head with well held ears and good bite. Balanced outline with good depth, width all through and forechest. Good shoulder construction, well boned forelegs of good length onto tight well padded feet. Well ribbed, good topline with rise over loin. In hard muscle tone which showed in his superb, easy, active movement, never putting a foot wrong. Impressive for one so young. Expertly handled to make it look so easy! Best Dog and Best In Show. 2nd Painter's Driftcot Volante. Another very nice youngster coming along well. Good head and neck into lovely sweeping outline. Good bone and feet. Moved quite well. Needs time to mature but a nice prospect for the future. 3rd Broughton's Montisacre Maestoso.
Yearling Dog 3 (1): 1st Pask's Baronglen The Jaywalker. Large framed youngster who will take time to grow into himself. Different type to BD but one I have watched with interest before. Lovely masculine head and a good harsh coat. Stands over a vast amount of ground on long, well boned legs. Reasonable shoulder placement, well held topline with rise over loin. Still a little loose on the move as one would expect for such a large boy, but with good extension. Should be a real stallion hound with maturity. Reserve Best Dog and Reserve Best In Show. 2nd Peek's Milkwood's My Guy. Gr/br with a pleasing head and soft expression. Good neck into well laid shoulder. Good depth and ribbing. Moved true but carries tail a bit high at times which can spoil outline.
Novice Dog 4 (1): 1st Broughton's Montisacre Maestoso. 3rd in junior. Tall, substantial red male, masculine head with lovely, dark pigment. Could have more lay-back of shoulder and topline starts a bit far forward. Still a lot of maturing to do. Good tight feet, needs to drop into himself. 2nd Kiely's Stegill Gladiator Guy. Smaller dog with good ear carriage and feet. Outline spoilt as flew tail on move. 3rd Lewandowska's Ravensbeech Jonah
Graduate Dog 3(1): 1st Simpson's Shanimarle Algenon. Typical head into long neck which flows into good shoulders. Well off for bone. Houndy outline. Needs more width and curves behind. Another with a happy tail which detracts on the move. 2nd Kiely's Stegill Gladiator Guy. 2nd in Novice.
Post Graduate Dog 1: 1st McHugh's Anstyarna Ruada to Madiamoy. Wheaten with masculine head and nice dark pigment. Deep chest with correct ribbing. Well boned straight front. Neck looking a little stuffy. Good rear angulation and width. Moving quite true with good stride.
Limit Dog 3 (2): 1st Neal's Cahmega Mahloo. Stood alone but deserved his class. Nice head with dark eye and pigment and a lovely expression. Plenty of depth to chest. Well ribbed back but today carrying a little too much weight! Well off for bone. Strong neck into good shoulder. Good hindquarters with plenty of curve and width. Just falls away a little over croup, but overall a very nice hound. Moves true.
Open Dog 2: 1st Goodall's Driftcot Ottowa. Mature dog, well presented. Good length of neck into a reasonable shoulder. Topline falls slightly behind withers. Nice tuck up, fair croup into very curvy rear quarters with width. Good profile movement and well handled. Would just prefer more of him. 2nd Millars Declan of Atheralls at Ladestar. Substantial dark male with a lovely head, eye and expression. Workmanlike hound who is balanced fore and aft with good bone. Moved true but a little unenthusiastically. Possibly a little less dinner might get him going.
Veteran Dog 3: 1st Lefley's Hibeck Mickey Rooney at Nicsar. 8 yrs. Still looking well and enjoying his outing. Unexaggerated dog with good bone but would like, again, more of him in size. Moving well for age and still holding his topline. 2nd Millar's Ladestar Quadreaux Torrance. 7 yr old who unfortunately was not happy with the new floor. Looked well stacked. Lovely type with houndy outline. Good length to neck, nice construction and rise over loin. 3rd Painter's Solstrand Reingold at Bonheddig.
Puppy bitch 8 (1): 1st Pain's Ravensbeech Brittanica . Very raw 8mths baby. Plenty of leg length, bone and curves for age. Pretty head with dark eye and well held ears. Good bite. No furnishings yet but they will come. Houndy outline with good muscle. Came into her own on the move with well held topline and good extension. Lovely crisp coat starting to come on. Best Puppy. 2nd Crawshaw's Cefni Meri Hws. Caught my eye when she entered the ring but impossible to assess on movement at present. Plenty of substance and flowing lines. Good rear with plenty of width all through and a tail that just kept on wagging. Nice tight feet and good bone. Impressive when stood, just needs to calm down on the move. 3 Simpson's Ravensbeech Tallahasse.
Junior Bitch 11 (2): 1st in the best class of the day. Amoo's Sade Jynx. Litter sister to BIS which couldn't be mistaken! Like "two peas in a pod." More elegant, as you would expect from a bitch, and not quite so mature yet in body as her brother. But what a lovely prospect! All the same comments apply, again very well constructed and muscled. Gorgeous head and expression and her movement and front extension was a joy to watch.Think when older she will challenge her brother for top spot. Best Bitch. 2nd Tebbutt's Caredig Hegarty. Lovely, substantial bitch with good front and plenty of forechest. Another with a lovely head, gentle expression and well held ears. Great outline with good depth of chest and sweeping hindquarters. Harsh coat. Good mover but would prefer more length of leg. 3rd MacLeod's Brachan Busted Khia.
Yearling Bitch 6(3): 1st Peek's Milkwood's Mama Mia. Well balanced bitch of good type. Lovely head. Still very immature but moving out well with a strong, well muscled curvy rear end. Very elegant young lady who is well constructed. Topline a little flat at present when stood but will improve when she drops into herself. Well presented and handled. One to watch with interest. 2nd Court's Milkwood's Be My Baby. All these 3 litter sisters, this one is a bit more mature. Better in topline at present. Moved ok in profile.Nails and feet need attention. 3rd Parson's Milkwood's Good Golly Miss Molly.
Novice Bitch 10 (3): 1st Pain's Ravensbeech Cimarron. Another very raw baby. Houndy head with dark eye and well held ears. Good reach of neck into reasonable front assembly and depth with forechest. Curvy hindquaters which were well muscled for age, this showed when she moved, good extension to stride. 2nd Macleod's Brachen Busted Khia. 3rd in junior. Long, houndy head with good ear carriage. Very good front and lay of shoulder. Well ribbed. Wide hindquarters that were well muscled. Harsh coat. Powerful bitch looking good in profile 3rd Goodall's Driftcot Mercedes
Graduate Bitch 4 (1): 1st Tebbutt's Caredig Hegarty. 2nd in junior. 2nd Macleod's Brachan Sheene. Dark, substantial, workmanlike bitch. Excellent front construction with good depth of chest, forechest and well ribbed. Strong and well muscled with a good topline. Wonderful harsh coat. Moved soundly. 3rd Peek's Milkwood's Me Myself.
Post Graduate Bitch 3 (2): 1st Wilkinson's Hunacres Kantata. Cream with appealing head, dark eyes and pigment and good ear carriage. Good forehand with plenty of rear angulation. Well held topline. Lovely harsh coat. Well presented.
Limit Bitch 6 (5): 1st Burt-Hughes' Seplecur Jezebel by Windspray. Great ring presence. Substantial bitch with a lovely head and gentle expression. Best small rosed ears of the day. Good bite. She has a lovely reach of neck which flows into a good front with plenty of width and forechest. Well ribbed back with nice rise over loin. Very well muscled which showed in her movement. Lovely young bitch who was unlucky to meet her kennel mate in the challenge.
Open Bitch 7 (5): 1st Sheppard's Grifemy Dark Enchantress for Goldswift. Feminine head with gentle expression, well held ears. Good bite. Nice front but could be a little more laid back. Good depth of chest and ribbed back. Well angulated hindquarters with low hock. Feet could be tighter. Moved and handled well. 2nd Wilkinson's Hunacres Karoline. Nice head with dark eye. Good rise over loin into sweeping quarters. Needs more leg length. Moved ok in profile. Well presented.
Veteran Bitch 5 (4): 1st Burt-Hughes Windspray Firebird. An old favourite of mine who I always admired, overshadowed in the past by her well known brother, today was her day! It bought a lump to the throat when she strode into the ring showing many of the youngsters how to move and belying her years. A solid workmanlike bitch, she has a lovely front construction, good bone and well padded feet. Good head with expression softened with age. Neck flows into a good topline with rise over loin. Still got her tuck-up. Wonderful crisp coat, well turned out. A lovely bitch and a great credit to the breed. Best Veteran and Reserve Best Bitch
Judge Jackie Morris (Amarach)