|
I should like to thank everyone - committee, exhibitors, my excellent stewards and all concerned - for a most interesting and enjoyable day’s judging. The setting was lovely and the fine weather not too extreme.
There were some excellent hounds on view, not only from GB but also from France, the Netherlands and Germany. I think it was great, and bodes well for the breed, to find such top quality youngsters in both sexes. Puppy and Yearling classes were really strong.
Of the positives, there were many. The condition of the hounds was almost universally excellent. There were many shapes with different degrees of curves and angles, but few if any to regard as unacceptable for function. Movement was either good or acceptable. Most had enough reach and kept their shape. Temperament throughout was excellent, often reserved, but just so calm. Teeth, which are something of a problem in many Irish Wolfhounds in size and alignment, were excellent good here, right through the entry, all with correct scissor bites. This is a surprise to find in almost any breed.
Few negatives. There was a good number of softish and sparse coats in the entry. Some of the entry rather lacked substance.
I was delighted with my winning BIS bitch, and with my Best Dog, but that wonderful Best Puppy Bitch just kept filling my eye from every angle, demanding that Reserve BIS.
Puppy Dog (2,1 absent)
1 Roel’s Carlisle Pinehurst. Just 6 months Very typical, nice outline with good length of leg, good head nicely tapering with strong foreface, good bend of pastern, good depth of body carried back, nice bone, good feet, balanced hq, harsh black coat developing, moved well when settled. A lot to like.
Junior Dog (2,1)
1 Janson’s Nixophel Carnelian Red. Tall, very leggy hound, head fair, lacking some lip pigmentation, good reach of neck into quite upright shoulder, just enough bone, needs to drop into his frame, well bodied with good arch over loin, balanced quarters, moved soundly up and down covering ground nicely.
Yearling Dog (7,1) Good to see a strong class of young males.
1 Peach’s Kilbourne Strike. Very well balanced confident hound, substantial, excellent head, strong neck into good shoulder, elbows well under, lovely shape over loin & croup, wide balanced quarters, good hard coat, sound free mover.
2 Finnett & Heathcote’s Hyndsight Pilgrim. Shapely hound if not the complete balance of 1, shallower in brisket as yet, nicely leggy, good head & neck, nice flow of topline into broad croup, moved well.
3 Peach’s Toibraid Solo Venture to Kilbourne. Another balanced male. Nice length of back, good bone. Fair head, a little wide skull, overall well put together, moved soundly with nice scope.
Special Beginners Novice Dog (3,0)
1 Wilce Quinton/Quinton’s Hyndsight Skirl. Strongly made with good width between the elbows & behind, good depth of body carried back, coat rather soft & lacking head furnishings, moved OK
2 Samway’s Erpigham Magnus Cassacre. Plain head with stop & fine in muzzle, Rather unsettled today, upright in upper arm, light in body, moved soundly though inclined to pace.
3 Tan & Whittle’s Pyefleet Victor Two. Very tall male. Rather narrow & lightly built thoughout. Good head plains. Nicely proportioned length to height. Put down in rather light condition.
Undergraduate Dog (5,1)
1 Vinen’s Mac-Cherub de Triple Bois. Standout winner in rather mixed class. Lovely type & balance. Well made thoughout. Lovely head & eye. Good reach of neck into shapely sweep of topline into long nicely sloped croup. Low hocks. Movement easy & sound.
2 Minton’s Clanardwood Summer Hawk. Quite lightly built light grey. Coat softish, Rather fine in head. Movement quite sound, a little wayward in front.
3 Duke’s Clanardwood Sunsailor. Plain dog rather lacking typical shape, flat topline, quite nice head but could do with tidying. Sound on the move.
Post Graduate Dog (5,1)
1 Help’s Beardswood Torran. Well boned substantial male, good outline, very good reach of neck and nice sweep to topline. Nice width thoughout. Good front angulation, pigmentation lacking a little in lips, moved soundly with good length of stride, well muscled.
2 Lewis’s Luckhurst Paisley. Another well balanced, a little straighter in front & behind than 1. Exc coat, nice head, strong neck, strong loin, nice width throughout, movement Ok, a little loose in pastern.
3 Stuart & Holt’s Ollandsheart Abraham. Soundly made but would like a longer leg & more reach of neck.
Limit Dog (3,0)
1 Girling’s Pyefleet Timothy. Well put together hound, nice proportions, a little plain in head, good shoulder, elbows well under, firm topline with enough arch over loin, moved soundly & easily.
2 Everard’s Packway Lonesome Dove. Tall hound, close up to 1, little bit fine in muzzle, good neck into good shoulder, nice depth and length, distinct arch over loin into nice length of croup, moving soundly, a little wayward in front.
3 Baumann’s Packway Loxley Norton .
Open Dog (11,3)
1 Vinen’s Infidele-et-Sarrasin du Triple Bois. Lovely rangey type in shape & proportions. Long, strong neck into good lay of shoulder, nice depth of body carried well back, balanced curves over topline down to low hocks, relaxed easy ground covering movement. Best Dog.
2 Finnett & Heathcote’s Ch Hindsight Desperado. Upstanding, very well made & strong all through, quite nice head, good forehand. Deep body, broad firm loin into long wide croup, muscled quarters, super sound mover covering a lot of ground. Just preferred the houndy aspect of 1. Res Best Dog.
3 Vinen’s Jesus-L’Enfant Dieu du Triple Bois. Nice tall hound, rather plain in head, balanced reach of neck, good front plenty of daylight under him, good length hip to hock. Slightly cow hocked on the move.
Veteran Dog (4,2)
1 Baumann’s Ch Regalflight Tarloch. Eight year old, very tall, well made throughout,, nicely leggy, good head and eye, lovely croup & tailset. Moved with grace holding shape very well, in excellent condition.
2 Buswell’s Glenmorlich Hold the Dream. 9 year old in great shape, pleasing overall proportions, rather fine in head, nice depth & width throughout, moving soundly.
Puppy Bitch (5,0)
1 Barter’s Serenity in the Silence. Wonderful type, extremely well balanced at two days off her first birthday, super coat, beautiful head with long, strong tapering muzzle, tightly folded ears, nicely angulated front, good bone & feet, nice depth of body for age, lovely width to moderately angulated quarters, free mover holding her lovely shape. Res BIS.
2 Peach’s Kilbourne Rosa Bud. Well made, nicely leggy proportions, fair head on elegant neck, moderate balanced angulations fore & aft, enough depth of body, sound mover.
3 Halliday’s Kilbourne Clara Peggotty. Overall rather well balanced, would like more shape to topline, in good condition, super coat, nice typical head well furnished, good length of leg.
Junior Bitch (7,5)
1 Taylor’s Ormanstar Fast Cat Betty. Very striking in type, black, feminine & elegant, beautiful head carried proudly, strong muzzle, lovely tight folded ear, enough width & depth carried well back, good bone & feet, firm muscular quarters, held nice shape going around.
2 Peach’s Ormanstar Queen of Hearts at Kilbourne. Strongly made, of good substance, good head, nice length of topline, would like little more arch to loin, good bone, nice tail, not quite the flowing lines of 1.
3 Jansons’ Nixophel Crystal Rose. More finely built, moderate curves throughout, nice shape over loin, v sound in movement, not quite the distinct type of 1 & 2.
Yearling Bitch (3,0). Sorry - recorder failed for this class, and first place in the next, but going by memory, and photos -
1 Wilce Quinton & Quinton’s Kilbourne Marie Claire at Kirjojax. Upstanding bitch with moderate balanced angulations, nice substance, a little flat in topline, good bone & tight feet.
2 Llewellyn’s Kilbourne Mistress Martha at Matahari. Another balanced bitch. Nice amount of leg. Just enough body. Good bone & angle at pastern. Moved out well with white toes emphasising long stride.
3 Faircloth’s Chuilinn Lyriel at Calbraidh
Special Beginners Novice Bitch (3,1)
1 Halliday’s Kilbourne Clara Peggotty. Balanced bitch, lovely head profile with long deep muzzle, good length of neck into rather straight front, good depth & shape to topline & underline, moved ok with medium extension.
2 Seymour Jackson’s Kilbourne Lucy. Very nice in outline with length of leg, good bend of pastern, good feet, rather too narrow thoughout, moving close in front & behind, in profile has nice stride. Hopefully will develop more width.
Special Begginers Open Bitch (1)
1 Spring-Arnold’s Chuilinn Bellina. Good overall proportions, including length of leg. Rather plain in head with round eye. Medium reach of neck into fair forehand, rather flat in topline, a little high in hock, moved ok in profile, close coming and going. Would like rather more substance.
Undergraduate Bitch (2,0)
1 Girling’s Pyefleet Vita. Tall bitch with v nice proportions, fair head with long muzzle, little light in eye, medium reach of neck into good forehand, nice depth carried well back, arch over loin starts rather abrupt & forward, nice length hip to hock, very easy & free moving action in profile, true up and down.
2 Johnson’s Ormanstar Vixen, another sound bitch, nice head profile, fair shoulder, good arch over loin, rather long in loin, moved OK if rather close.
Post Graduate Bitch (8,4) Again no recording, This class from photo only
1 Taylor’s Minerva McGonagall of Ormanstar. Nice shape standing with moderate curves and angulation.
2 Wragg’s Neroche Juno. Typical head, long arched neck fitting nicely into shoulder. Good length to topline. Nice depth of body. Rather lacking in coat.
3 Stuart & Holt’s Ollandsheart Nancy.
Limit Bitch (6,1)
1 Finnett & Heathcote Hyndsight in your Dreams. Beautiful typical bitch, lovely overall proportions with nice length to height and all parts within in harmony, lovely feminine head on good reach of neck, nice moderate sweep to topline, well filled-in forehand with elbows nicely under, well padded tight feet, broad hq, good bone, plenty of muscle, moved out so easily with plenty of scope. Altogether a lovely picture from every angle. Best Bitch, Best in Show.
2 Lucas & Dargonne’s Packway Little Loxley. Balanced but not quite the flowing lines of 1, good head with strong foreface, firm topline, move well converging nicely up & down, workmanlike in the best sense.
3 Kermack & Help’s Bearswood Rona. Nice leggy bitch, fluent mover, upstanding with nice head, coat rather over-long and soft, would like a little more bone.
Open Bitch (12,1) Strong class with plenty of choice.
1 Helps & Dove’s Ch Foxcliffe Classic Liberty at Beadswood. V well balanced, substantial bitch with nice outline, nice length of back with v strong loin, good head on medium reach of neck, nice width between elbows, firm hindquarters with hocks set low, moved holding shape beautifully.
2 Bailey’s Greyflax Lady Sings the Blu’s. Leggy bitch excelling particularly in movement., one of the best movers of the day, lovely head, rather lightly built overall, good head on medium reach of neck.
3 Finnett & Heathcote’s Ch Hindsight Mandolin in Wind. Substantial, good head, would like a fraction more leg, a strong neck into good lay of shoulder, some forechest, nice depth of body carried back, muscular wide quarters, excellent hard coat.
Veteran Bitch (7,4)
1 Seymour-Jackson’s Cassacre Aelfrida of Ghiltan. Nicely balanced 8 year old. Nice head & neck, firm topline, good quarters, very fit, moved v smoothly, sound up and down.
2 Meer’s Hyndsight Ripley into Shagiead. Tall leggy bitch, good topline, nice length of head tapering muzzle, good front, nice width all through, would like rather more bone.
3 Lucas & Dargonne’s Glenmorlich None So Pretty for Packway. Good mouth. Nice lines, longish but strong topline. Nice breadth and length of croup. Feet a bit flat, fair bone, easy mover.
Tim Finney
|
