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I would like to thank the committee for inviting me to judge and to the stewards for their expert and attentive assistance. The hospitality and friendliness of the exhibitors at the after show picnic was most welcome and much appreciated.
Puppy (0,0)
Junior (2,1)
1 Finnett and Heathcote’s Hyndsight in Your Dreams. 18 month old bitch with a dark crisp harsh coat. Lovely head, ears well set on, with a super far away expression. Neck of good length and strength. Upper arm a little upright but with good straight legs of decent bone going into nicely sloped pasterns ending in good feet. A well-proportioned bitch showing depth with a pleasing top line and shapely croup with a correctly placed tail, nice tuck up, well bent stifle, low hocks and moved well.
Novice (3,0)
1 Woolf’s Greyflax Perfect Day. 4.5 year old bitch with a full light grey coat which looked super in the breeze. Nice head, small ears held well, and with a dark eye and gentle expression. Good reach of neck flowing into an unexaggerated top line and long nicely curved croup. I liked the front on this bitch along with the deep chest and good bone. In profile she was well balanced and of correct proportion. Although had good parallel movement coming and going was slightly closer behind than 2.
2 Towle’s Packway Grey Gables. 20 month old light grey bitch and still very much a youngster with her coat not yet mature. A long dog, covering a lot of ground standing. Not quite as good a top line or tuck up as 1. Lovely head with a darkish eye and good strong neck. Good rear quarters with plenty of bone and well bent stifles. This hound is still young and should deepen and improve with age.
3 Tan and Whittle’s Pyefleet Victor Two
Graduate (11,4)
Everard’s Packway Lonesome Dove. 5 year old large dark grey dog in full coat, very masculine without being coarse and had a lot of ring presence. Lovely head and expression with a dark eye, ears well set on and held folded back. Good long powerful neck with mane. Deep chest, good fill of fore chest, shoulder blade well laid back. Forequarters balanced with the rear quarters, showing a nicely bent stifle and good length of thigh. Plenty of substance in this dog. Moved round the ring with verve and a good long stride. BoB
2 Finnett and Heathcote’s Hyndsight Time Space. Litter brother to the junior bitch winner and in many ways similar although with a better shoulder placement. He also had a super head and expression and a better top line than 1 but was very fidgety on the day. Lost out to the enthusiasm and movement of 1.
3 Taylor’s Saint Valentene Lilly
Open Dog (4,2)
1 Girling’s Pyefleet Tarka. 4 year old grey dog shown in full coat and super condition: a very sound chap with plenty of bone. Lovely head with good ears and dark eye with far away expression. A very strong neck with plenty of length. Top line was correct with a well arched loin and shapely croup and a suitable tuck up to match. Good depth of chest with well sprung rib. Shoulders well laid and straight fore leg balanced with good hindquarters. Moved with plenty of reach in profile and was true coming and going. Preferred the overall outline compared to 2, especially the lower set hocks. RBoB
2 Taylor’s Hoddingrey Peregrine. 4.5 year old dog. Slightly longer than 1, covering a lot of ground when stacked, not as substantial but had presence nonetheless. Masculine head with good long strong neck. Again, nice to see a good coat especially round the neck (it is always disappointing to see the results of too much stripping out). Good unexaggerated top line and tuck up but croup slightly steeper than 1. Shoulders well laid and foreleg straight complementing a powerful hindquarter. Moved well in profile and seemed to enjoy himself.
Open Bitch (6,5)
1 Gilhooly’s Freyja at Nobys. 9.5 year old light grey bitch in splendid condition. A long and well proportioned lady who still had the power to seduce. Feminine head with a lovely expression and a dark eye accentuated by dark rims. Ears folded neatly whilst on the move. A powerful neck of good length. A lovely top line falling away into a shapely croup with good tail set although I would prefer more of a tuck up. Shoulders well laid and forelegs nice and straight with good bone. The hindquarters showed plenty of width with nicely bent stifle and low hocks. In profile moved with plenty of reach and was true coming and going.
Duncan Robertson (Chuilinn) |
