Skye Terrier Crufts 2010 Judge's Critique

Skye	Crufts 2010 Judge's Critique
Breed Notes - Constant Update KC Breed Standard Archive Archive 10 Results and Critiques Crufts 10 Judge	SKYE CRUFTS 2010 Skye Terrier Judge(s): MR R M CROSS BEST OF BREED CH SALENA BLACK SHADOW Dog Owner: MRS S BREEZE BEST PUPPY KNOWLESPRING DAREDEVIL DAN WITH MITSUI Dog Owner: MS M ROBSON DOG CHALLENGE CERTIFICATE CH SALENA BLACK SHADOW Dog Owner: MRS S BREEZE BITCH CHALLENGE CERTIFICATE CH AZRAKHAN CAPERCAILLIE SH CM Bitch Owner: MS A MACQUEEN RESERVE DOG CHALLENGE CERTIFICATE GLORFINDEL BASIL BRUSH SHCM Dog Owner: MRS C A PARKER RESERVE BITCH CHALLENGE CERTIFICATE SALENA SHE'S THE ONE Bitch Owner: MRS S BREEZE SKYE JUDGE CRUFTS 10 Skye Terriers My thanks to the committee for the invitation & their hospitality. I was thrilled to be asked to judge at Crufts & looked forward to it with great anticipation. I was really disappointed that the show management felt it necessary to start judging at 8.30am – it felt more like going back to work than going to judge at the world’s greatest dog show. The reason given was that there were three breeds in the ring with 156 dogs in total, 6 more than the cut-off of 150. Time restrictions were clearly stated in the pre-show paperwork – in at 8.30am out by 11.30am. Why should this be – surely with another few rings, & only two breeds to a ring, this pressure on judges could be avoided. It is no fun for the exhibitors with coated breeds either as their preparation time is cut quite considerably. However, having said that, presentation in almost all was first class & if only some of the handling had been as good, some placings could have been different. I was extremely pleased with my main winners & delighted to watch my BOB take G4 later in the day. He looked absolutely stunning in the big ring & such a good ambassador for our endangered breed, what better advertising can you get. VD (2,1) 1 Garland-Collins’ Ch Buidh Steamy Windows, beautifully coated 10 year old who really belies his years, in such beautiful condition & with a lovely outline I retained him in the final challenge for the CC & reserve. A very well balanced skull & foreface with a lovely, kindly eye & well set ears with good furnishings, a good neck running into a good set of shoulders, excellent rib to loin ratio & still well muscled quarters, moved very soundly & in perfect accord with his handler, he epitomises the longevity of our breed & is a real credit to his owner. PD (3) 1 Robson’s Knowlespring Daredevil Dan with Mitsui, really elegant cream youngster of just on 11 months with a beautiful outline & balance of length to height, good strong well balanced skull & foreface with nice dark eye, correct scissor bite & well set nicely feathered ears, good neck running into a lovely front assembly with good bone & this heads up a very good rib, nice short loin & subsequently a lovely level topline, good muscling in his quarters for his age & when he puts his mind to it moves very steadily, in beautiful condition & was well handled, he was much more mature & settled than the puppy bitch in the challenge & I was pleased to award him BP; 2 Miller’s Feorlig Arfur Sixpence, at 13 months this young man just looks his age with his shiny black coat just starting to show making him look a bit leggy at the moment. No doubt he will settle in as he grows on. Nice head with a shade more between the ears than I would like – but he does use them well. Lovely neck & a nice front with good rib behind, his topline was a little variable at times & his movement a bit erratic but his young handler got the best she could out of him; 3 King’s Little Lone Piper for Celticbridge, 11 months grey baby who, like 2, is lacking coat at the moment & this gives him also the ‘leggy’ look. Nice head & balanced foreface with good bite, ears are a good shape & he uses them well though could be closer set. Nice neck running into a neat front assembly with good bone & neat feet, good ribcage, well muscled for his age. His movement was like 2 a bit erratic at times. JD (2) 1 Harrison’s Papplewick Knockando for Trenson, attractive young man just out of puppy, lovely cream coat of good texture & well set ears with lovely black points, good strong head for his age with dark eye & a good bite, good neck with nice run in to a good front with lovely bone for his age, his ribcage is well extended at this point in time with a nice short loin giving a level topline both standing & on the move, he has good muscling for his age & he moves very well for his handler who puts him down in beautiful condition, a real credit & one I will be interested to see how he develops as he has lots of potential; 2 Miller’s Feorlig Arfur Sixpence. PGD (6,1) 1 Heeps’ Azrakhan Mr Buttons, top size dark grey male with a lovely topline & beautifully presented coat, he is a big boy all over with a nicely balanced head, strong foreface, a lovely dark eye & scissor bite, well furnished ears that he uses well & a lovely neck & shoulder placement, good length of rib so his topline never varies, level all the time, his muscling also is first class & he moves round the ring with ease & in perfect accord with his handler, but he is a big boy; 2 Downes’ Tsuki Freedom Star, cream with black points, his head lacks a bit in the foreface for me but he has a nice dark eye & good bite. Reasonably strong neck running into a fairly good front assembly with plenty of bone in the front legs. His coat is a shade soft to the touch & this takes away from his overall appearance. Moved well enough both ends for his handler; 3 King’s Celticbridge North Wind, cream with quite a nice balanced body shape, rather lacking in coat though what there was felt of good quality, he has a balanced skull & foreface with dark eye & good bite. His front assembly was a shade wide at elbow & as a result his topline was not always positive. Moved well enough for his owner though not with a lot of enthusiasm. LD (4) 1 Parker’s Glorfindel Basil Brush, the look of this dog reminded me of some of our own ch dogs from the past though none of these appear in the pedigree. Such an elegant & strong head with a lovely eye, beautifully fringed ears & a correct scissor bite, elegant neck & very smooth run in to a well laid set of shoulders with plenty of bone & good feet, lovely depth & length of rib & neat short loin, he has the most beautiful coat of lovely silver shadings & this was presented to perfection, extremely well muscled in his quarters & moves with great ease & determination. So much my type of Skye I was delighted to be able to award him the RCC & hope that these elusive CCs will follow as he is so worthy of his title; 2 Samuel’s Skyelander Wee Man Of Storr, beautifully proportioned drop-eared grey now in his 3rd year & maturing nicely, very well balance skull & foreface with a really lovely dark eye & a good scissor bite, lovely neck & a very good front assembly with plenty of bone & substance, his rib has lovely length & depth & his topline never varied all the time he was in the ring – spot on level. His muscling is very good & he moves with drive & purpose & is in super coat & condition & a real credit to his owner; 3 Harrison’s Knowlespring Jailhouse Roc for Trenson, quality cream, very well balanced skull & foreface with nice dark eye & a good scissor bite. Would like his earset to be closer & his lovely feathering means that they lie rather wide. Nice neck & well laid shoulders with good bone & substance, ribcage is long & strong, holds his topline well both standing & on the move, in excellent coat, so well presented, well muscled & covered the ground easily & in good accord with his handler, a lovely exhibit in good hard condition & so well handled. Not so low to ground as the second in the class. OD (7,1) 1 Breeze’s Ch Salena Black Shadow, oozing elegance, this young man swept into the ring & commanded attention, I could hardly take my eyes off him, his most beautiful Skye Terrier outline is highlighted on the move with his free striding positive gait, so expertly handled & put down to perfection, where does one start? He has a lovely strong masculine head with a soft dark eye, beautifully fringed ears & a lovely correct scissor bite, such an elegant neck, with a perfect run-in to a most beautiful front assembly, with correct bone & good feet, behind this his rib & loin are so strong & firm his topline never falters & thus presents such a beautiful picture on the move, really well muscled quarters & lovely low hocks. I was delighted to award him the CC & BOB & so thrilled when he was placed G4. If my memory serves me correctly the last time a Skye was placed in the Terrier group at Crufts was in 1992 when Ch Jebusa Miranda at Mariquita actually won the group. So congratulations are surely due to the breeder/exhibitor on quite an achievement & on the great publicity generated for our endangered breed; 2 Marshall’s Ch The Black Touch Of Morningsky at Glorfindel, top quality Skye, a shade larger than 1 but all in proportion, his dark grey coat is of excellent texture & he was put down, like the winner, to perfection, strong, masculine skull & foreface with dark eye, good bite & beautifully fringed ears that he uses well, lovely neck with smooth run-in to a very good lay of shoulder with excellent bone & substance, lovely long ribcage with good depth & strength through the loin meant a level topline both standing & on the move, sound mover both ends he covered the ground with ease & in perfect accord with his handler. In the challenge the breed type of Basil Brush, though bred by the same owner, just swung the balance in his favour for me; 3 Samuel’s Glorfindel Son Of Angus, this young man has matured very nicely since I last judged him, head is well proportioned with a kindly dark eye & a good scissor bite, good neck that runs nicely in to good shoulders with plenty of bone in the front legs, good rib to loin balance & was always level in the topline standing & on the move, very good muscling in his quarters & moved positively both ends going round. Just standing a bit taller than those above. GCD (1) 1 Downes’ Tsuki Freedom Star. VB (4,2) 1 MacQueen’s Ch Acheo Achiltibuie, belying her 9 years, this glamorous bitch is not as long as I would like but could not be denied her place here. Very attractive head with nice dark eye & good bite, lovely fringed ears fronting up a nice neck with good flow into her front assembly that has plenty of bone & substance, nice depth of rib & a strong loin for her years, beautiful coat of good texture, so well presented & moved like a 2 year old round the ring; 2 Woodhead’s Knowlespring She Knows, just 3 months younger that 1, this is a quality cream bitch with good head proportions, lovely eye & a good scissor bite, lovely neck & a very good front assembly gives her a balanced outline though lacking a bit of coat at the moment (due to fairly recent maternal duties – being the mother of BP & his sisters) it is of good quality. Good muscletone, in excellent hard condition, moving soundly both ends, she did everything asked of her by her handler. PB (4) Due to the outside pressures regarding timing, I was not able to give as much time to the puppies as I would have liked. Though while it is always important to make allowances for puppy behaviour I felt that so little training at all had been done that the totally unsettled movement could not be overlooked in this class. These puppies will change places many times during the ensuing months depending on the amount of work their owners put in. 1 King’s Celticbridge Northern Star, so typical of her old Rhosneigr breeding this young lady presents a lovely outline with lowness to ground & level topline, typical head of her breeding with lovely dark eye & a good scissor bite, good neck & front assembly with nice bone & enough substance for her age, very good ribcage for her age & is also very well muscled in the rear, she moved by far the most steadily in the class & was more in accord with her handler than were the others; 2 Proud’s Knowlespring Dream To Walk To Dolphaz, make no mistake this is a quality silver bitch with such a bright future ahead of her if the work is put in. She possesses the most endearing head & expression with a lovely eye & a good bite, her neck flows into a really true front with lovely bone, really good ribcage & short loin, coat is coming in nicely, well enough muscled for her age but would not settle to the job of moving. It was really frustrating but I have said it all in the preamble to the class; 3 Woodhead’s Knowlespring Dream Cream, litter sister to 2 & many of the same remarks apply, she too has a very nice head with a lovely expression, a good neck & a lovely front assembly. I thought she was not so well developed in rib & the balance of length to height was a little more in the loin. Her coat also is of good quality, good quarters with muscle – so there was no excuse for the erratic movement – more training please. JB (5) 1 C Northern Star; 2 Marshall’s Glorfindel Lucretia, attractive & feminine black youngster just out of puppy with a gleaming black coat of good texture coming in, she has a sweet nicely balanced head with lovely dark eye, good bite & nicely set ears, good tubular body & short loin heads up a nice set of quarters, moved well for her handler though just a shade tight at the back, this should settle as she matures & then she should fill the eye. These two no doubt will change places in the coming months as each matures, though today Northern Star was more the finished picture – it will be interesting to watch the different stages of development of these unrelated bloodlines; 3 Olding & Munroe’s Papplewick Glenlossie, another baby just out of puppy with an attractive silver coat coming in nicely, sweet head with dark eye, nicely set ears & good scissor bite, flowing neck into a good shoulder placement sets up a good length of rib giving a level topline, quite well muscled for her age & moves steadily though a shade tight at the back. Not quite the balance of length to height of 1 & 2. PGB (3) 1 Garland-Collins’ Bhuidh Motholeli, what a lovely size of bitch this dark grey is, with her lovely outline & lowness to ground, well balanced skull & foreface with nicely set ears, dark eye & good bite, nice neck & a good front assembly with a nice long ribcage following on, her topline is excellent all the time, both standing & in accord with her handler on the move, she covers the ground well. Felt in the challenge she was getting a bit bored & was drawing into herself & so spoiled her outline. A very nice bitch nevertheless; 2 Downes’ Jeraro S’wonderful of Tsuki, grey bitch standing a good bit higher on the leg than 1 & not presenting such a well balanced outline. She has however a nice skull with dark eye & good bite. well fringed ears & a nice neck with a good run-in to a neat front assembly, reasonable ribcage with a good coat covering & nice muscletone in well set quarters, moving steadily both ends, she looked more the finished picture than; 3 Viles’ Juniper Girl, pretty headed young lady with nice kindly eye & a good scissor bite. Lacking a bit of ear fringing & a little short of coat in places. Nice front & good rib, well muscled quarters allowing steady movement both ends. I felt she looked a bit higher in the leg & not so finished due to lack of coat. LB (8,2) 1 Robson’s Lynaire She’s No Lady with Mitsui, probably one of the smallest bitches in the ring this 5 year old bitch has a really gleaming black coat, lovely texture & in pristine condition, sweet head with a lovely dark eye, good scissor bite & neat, well set ears, lovely neck flowing into a correct front assembly with just the right amount of bone for her size, good rib & is very well muscled in her nicely turned quarters, moved very precisely both ends & does everything her handler asks. If only she was a shade longer in balance I am sure she could be in contention for top honours; 2 Krcal’s Skyeomania’s Imogen, this drop-eared bitch is a lovely size, so neat & elegant, very good front assembly with a lovely neck to match, her rib & loin ratio is really good & she is well muscled in a nice set of well turned quarters, lovely dark eye & a good scissor bite, sound steady mover both ends she was always in perfect accord with her handler. I would like a shade more in skull & foreface to balance the body then like 1 she would surely be another for the top drawer; 3 Samuel’s Skyelander Midnight Dream, taller bitch than those above but very well proportioned throughout. This silver has a well balanced skull & foreface with dark eye & a good scissor bite, her well set ears head up a nice neck, good run-in to nice front assembly with good bone & substance, good quality coat & nice level topline both standing & on the move, well muscled quarters give a positive gait both fore & aft & she is so well handled & in lovely condition, nice exhibit. OB (8,1) I was spoiled for choice in this class & size played a major part in my decisions. I did appreciate the quality of the bigger bitches but the Standard asks for 10 inches. I remember the old saying that a good big one should never stand above an equally good small one. 1 MacQueen’s Ch Azrakhan Capercaillie, extremely elegant grey bitch just coming up 4 years & really looking her best, classical head with really well set ears so beautifully furnished, well balanced feminine skull & foreface with nice dark eye & lovely scissor bite, such a lovely neck & dead level topline both standing & on the move, she really fills the eye the minute she comes into the ring, she is so very hard to fault with her excellent rib to loin balance & strong quarters, she moves, no glides, round the ring & today did everything her handler asked of her. A really beautiful bitch & I was delighted to award her the CC; 2 Breeze’s Salena She’s The One, many of the same attributes apply to this bitch also, she has such a degree of elegance & excellent topline that never faltered, well balanced feminine skull & foreface with all the correct bits, ears, eyes & mouth, graceful neck running into a lovely front assembly with a good length of rib & short loin following on, like 1 she just glided round the ring both in the class & in the challenge & could not be denied the RCC. I hope her qualifying CC comes soon. Just preferred the head of Capercaillie; 3 Barraclough’s Ch/Sw Ch Skyeotts Amnesix Skye High Miracle at Wemoway, very impressive black bitch with a lovely shining full length coat with just a shade of wave, beautiful drop-eared head with dark eye & correct scissor bite, her rib is excellent & with a nice short loin, topline is spot on both standing & on the move, which she does with ease & in total accord with her handler. Just a shade bigger than 1 & 2 but an excellent exhibit nonetheless. GCB (1) 1 S Midnight Dream; 2 Juniper Girl. BOB CROSS Go To Top Of Page

Skye

Crufts 2010 Judge's Critique

Breed Notes - Constant Update

KC Breed Standard

Archive
Archive 10 Results and Critiques

Crufts 10 Judge

SKYE CRUFTS 2010

Skye Terrier

Judge(s): MR R M CROSS

BEST OF BREED CH SALENA BLACK SHADOW Dog Owner: MRS S BREEZE
BEST PUPPY KNOWLESPRING DAREDEVIL DAN WITH MITSUI Dog Owner: MS M ROBSON
DOG CHALLENGE CERTIFICATE CH SALENA BLACK SHADOW Dog Owner: MRS S BREEZE
BITCH CHALLENGE CERTIFICATE CH AZRAKHAN CAPERCAILLIE SH CM Bitch Owner: MS A MACQUEEN
RESERVE DOG CHALLENGE CERTIFICATE GLORFINDEL BASIL BRUSH SHCM Dog Owner: MRS C A PARKER
RESERVE BITCH CHALLENGE CERTIFICATE SALENA SHE'S THE ONE Bitch Owner: MRS S BREEZE

SKYE JUDGE CRUFTS 10

Skye Terriers

My thanks to the committee for the invitation & their hospitality. I was thrilled to be asked to judge at Crufts & looked forward to it with great anticipation. I was really disappointed that the show management felt it necessary to start judging at 8.30am – it felt more like going back to work than going to judge at the world’s greatest dog show. The reason given was that there were three breeds in the ring with 156 dogs in total, 6 more than the cut-off of 150. Time restrictions were clearly stated in the pre-show paperwork – in at 8.30am out by 11.30am. Why should this be – surely with another few rings, & only two breeds to a ring, this pressure on judges could be avoided. It is no fun for the exhibitors with coated breeds either as their preparation time is cut quite considerably. However, having said that, presentation in almost all was first class & if only some of the handling had been as good, some placings could have been different. I was extremely pleased with my main winners & delighted to watch my BOB take G4 later in the day. He looked absolutely stunning in the big ring & such a good ambassador for our endangered breed, what better advertising can you get.

VD (2,1)

1 Garland-Collins’ Ch Buidh Steamy Windows, beautifully coated 10 year old who really belies his years, in such beautiful condition & with a lovely outline I retained him in the final challenge for the CC & reserve. A very well balanced skull & foreface with a lovely, kindly eye & well set ears with good furnishings, a good neck running into a good set of shoulders, excellent rib to loin ratio & still well muscled quarters, moved very soundly & in perfect accord with his handler, he epitomises the longevity of our breed & is a real credit to his owner.

PD (3)

1 Robson’s Knowlespring Daredevil Dan with Mitsui, really elegant cream youngster of just on 11 months with a beautiful outline & balance of length to height, good strong well balanced skull & foreface with nice dark eye, correct scissor bite & well set nicely feathered ears, good neck running into a lovely front assembly with good bone & this heads up a very good rib, nice short loin & subsequently a lovely level topline, good muscling in his quarters for his age & when he puts his mind to it moves very steadily, in beautiful condition & was well handled, he was much more mature & settled than the puppy bitch in the challenge & I was pleased to award him BP;

2 Miller’s Feorlig Arfur Sixpence, at 13 months this young man just looks his age with his shiny black coat just starting to show making him look a bit leggy at the moment. No doubt he will settle in as he grows on. Nice head with a shade more between the ears than I would like – but he does use them well. Lovely neck & a nice front with good rib behind, his topline was a little variable at times & his movement a bit erratic but his young handler got the best she could out of him;

3 King’s Little Lone Piper for Celticbridge, 11 months grey baby who, like 2, is lacking coat at the moment & this gives him also the ‘leggy’ look. Nice head & balanced foreface with good bite, ears are a good shape & he uses them well though could be closer set. Nice neck running into a neat front assembly with good bone & neat feet, good ribcage, well muscled for his age. His movement was like 2 a bit erratic at times.

JD (2)

1 Harrison’s Papplewick Knockando for Trenson, attractive young man just out of puppy, lovely cream coat of good texture & well set ears with lovely black points, good strong head for his age with dark eye & a good bite, good neck with nice run in to a good front with lovely bone for his age, his ribcage is well extended at this point in time with a nice short loin giving a level topline both standing & on the move, he has good muscling for his age & he moves very well for his handler who puts him down in beautiful condition, a real credit & one I will be interested to see how he develops as he has lots of potential;

2 Miller’s Feorlig Arfur Sixpence.

PGD (6,1)

1 Heeps’ Azrakhan Mr Buttons, top size dark grey male with a lovely topline & beautifully presented coat, he is a big boy all over with a nicely balanced head, strong foreface, a lovely dark eye & scissor bite, well furnished ears that he uses well & a lovely neck & shoulder placement, good length of rib so his topline never varies, level all the time, his muscling also is first class & he moves round the ring with ease & in perfect accord with his handler, but he is a big boy;

2 Downes’ Tsuki Freedom Star, cream with black points, his head lacks a bit in the foreface for me but he has a nice dark eye & good bite. Reasonably strong neck running into a fairly good front assembly with plenty of bone in the front legs. His coat is a shade soft to the touch & this takes away from his overall appearance. Moved well enough both ends for his handler;

3 King’s Celticbridge North Wind, cream with quite a nice balanced body shape, rather lacking in coat though what there was felt of good quality, he has a balanced skull & foreface with dark eye & good bite. His front assembly was a shade wide at elbow & as a result his topline was not always positive. Moved well enough for his owner though not with a lot of enthusiasm.

LD (4)

1 Parker’s Glorfindel Basil Brush, the look of this dog reminded me of some of our own ch dogs from the past though none of these appear in the pedigree. Such an elegant & strong head with a lovely eye, beautifully fringed ears & a correct scissor bite, elegant neck & very smooth run in to a well laid set of shoulders with plenty of bone & good feet, lovely depth & length of rib & neat short loin, he has the most beautiful coat of lovely silver shadings & this was presented to perfection, extremely well muscled in his quarters & moves with great ease & determination. So much my type of Skye I was delighted to be able to award him the RCC & hope that these elusive CCs will follow as he is so worthy of his title;

2 Samuel’s Skyelander Wee Man Of Storr, beautifully proportioned drop-eared grey now in his 3rd year & maturing nicely, very well balance skull & foreface with a really lovely dark eye & a good scissor bite, lovely neck & a very good front assembly with plenty of bone & substance, his rib has lovely length & depth & his topline never varied all the time he was in the ring – spot on level. His muscling is very good & he moves with drive & purpose & is in super coat & condition & a real credit to his owner;

3 Harrison’s Knowlespring Jailhouse Roc for Trenson, quality cream, very well balanced skull & foreface with nice dark eye & a good scissor bite. Would like his earset to be closer & his lovely feathering means that they lie rather wide. Nice neck & well laid shoulders with good bone & substance, ribcage is long & strong, holds his topline well both standing & on the move, in excellent coat, so well presented, well muscled & covered the ground easily & in good accord with his handler, a lovely exhibit in good hard condition & so well handled. Not so low to ground as the second in the class.

OD (7,1)

1 Breeze’s Ch Salena Black Shadow, oozing elegance, this young man swept into the ring & commanded attention, I could hardly take my eyes off him, his most beautiful Skye Terrier outline is highlighted on the move with his free striding positive gait, so expertly handled & put down to perfection, where does one start? He has a lovely strong masculine head with a soft dark eye, beautifully fringed ears & a lovely correct scissor bite, such an elegant neck, with a perfect run-in to a most beautiful front assembly, with correct bone & good feet, behind this his rib & loin are so strong & firm his topline never falters & thus presents such a beautiful picture on the move, really well muscled quarters & lovely low hocks. I was delighted to award him the CC & BOB & so thrilled when he was placed G4. If my memory serves me correctly the last time a Skye was placed in the Terrier group at Crufts was in 1992 when Ch Jebusa Miranda at Mariquita actually won the group. So congratulations are surely due to the breeder/exhibitor on quite an achievement & on the great publicity generated for our endangered breed;

2 Marshall’s Ch The Black Touch Of Morningsky at Glorfindel, top quality Skye, a shade larger than 1 but all in proportion, his dark grey coat is of excellent texture & he was put down, like the winner, to perfection, strong, masculine skull & foreface with dark eye, good bite & beautifully fringed ears that he uses well, lovely neck with smooth run-in to a very good lay of shoulder with excellent bone & substance, lovely long ribcage with good depth & strength through the loin meant a level topline both standing & on the move, sound mover both ends he covered the ground with ease & in perfect accord with his handler. In the challenge the breed type of Basil Brush, though bred by the same owner, just swung the balance in his favour for me;

3 Samuel’s Glorfindel Son Of Angus, this young man has matured very nicely since I last judged him, head is well proportioned with a kindly dark eye & a good scissor bite, good neck that runs nicely in to good shoulders with plenty of bone in the front legs, good rib to loin balance & was always level in the topline standing & on the move, very good muscling in his quarters & moved positively both ends going round. Just standing a bit taller than those above. GCD (1) 1 Downes’ Tsuki Freedom Star.

VB (4,2)

1 MacQueen’s Ch Acheo Achiltibuie, belying her 9 years, this glamorous bitch is not as long as I would like but could not be denied her place here. Very attractive head with nice dark eye & good bite, lovely fringed ears fronting up a nice neck with good flow into her front assembly that has plenty of bone & substance, nice depth of rib & a strong loin for her years, beautiful coat of good texture, so well presented & moved like a 2 year old round the ring;

2 Woodhead’s Knowlespring She Knows, just 3 months younger that 1, this is a quality cream bitch with good head proportions, lovely eye & a good scissor bite, lovely neck & a very good front assembly gives her a balanced outline though lacking a bit of coat at the moment (due to fairly recent maternal duties – being the mother of BP & his sisters) it is of good quality. Good muscletone, in excellent hard condition, moving soundly both ends, she did everything asked of her by her handler.

PB (4)

Due to the outside pressures regarding timing, I was not able to give as much time to the puppies as I would have liked. Though while it is always important to make allowances for puppy behaviour I felt that so little training at all had been done that the totally unsettled movement could not be overlooked in this class. These puppies will change places many times during the ensuing months depending on the amount of work their owners put in.

1 King’s Celticbridge Northern Star, so typical of her old Rhosneigr breeding this young lady presents a lovely outline with lowness to ground & level topline, typical head of her breeding with lovely dark eye & a good scissor bite, good neck & front assembly with nice bone & enough substance for her age, very good ribcage for her age & is also very well muscled in the rear, she moved by far the most steadily in the class & was more in accord with her handler than were the others;

2 Proud’s Knowlespring Dream To Walk To Dolphaz, make no mistake this is a quality silver bitch with such a bright future ahead of her if the work is put in. She possesses the most endearing head & expression with a lovely eye & a good bite, her neck flows into a really true front with lovely bone, really good ribcage & short loin, coat is coming in nicely, well enough muscled for her age but would not settle to the job of moving. It was really frustrating but I have said it all in the preamble to the class;

3 Woodhead’s Knowlespring Dream Cream, litter sister to 2 & many of the same remarks apply, she too has a very nice head with a lovely expression, a good neck & a lovely front assembly. I thought she was not so well developed in rib & the balance of length to height was a little more in the loin. Her coat also is of good quality, good quarters with muscle – so there was no excuse for the erratic movement – more training please.

JB (5)

1 C Northern Star;

2 Marshall’s Glorfindel Lucretia, attractive & feminine black youngster just out of puppy with a gleaming black coat of good texture coming in, she has a sweet nicely balanced head with lovely dark eye, good bite & nicely set ears, good tubular body & short loin heads up a nice set of quarters, moved well for her handler though just a shade tight at the back, this should settle as she matures & then she should fill the eye. These two no doubt will change places in the coming months as each matures, though today Northern Star was more the finished picture – it will be interesting to watch the different stages of development of these unrelated bloodlines;

3 Olding & Munroe’s Papplewick Glenlossie, another baby just out of puppy with an attractive silver coat coming in nicely, sweet head with dark eye, nicely set ears & good scissor bite, flowing neck into a good shoulder placement sets up a good length of rib giving a level topline, quite well muscled for her age & moves steadily though a shade tight at the back. Not quite the balance of length to height of 1 & 2.

PGB (3)

1 Garland-Collins’ Bhuidh Motholeli, what a lovely size of bitch this dark grey is, with her lovely outline & lowness to ground, well balanced skull & foreface with nicely set ears, dark eye & good bite, nice neck & a good front assembly with a nice long ribcage following on, her topline is excellent all the time, both standing & in accord with her handler on the move, she covers the ground well. Felt in the challenge she was getting a bit bored & was drawing into herself & so spoiled her outline. A very nice bitch nevertheless;

2 Downes’ Jeraro S’wonderful of Tsuki, grey bitch standing a good bit higher on the leg than 1 & not presenting such a well balanced outline. She has however a nice skull with dark eye & good bite. well fringed ears & a nice neck with a good run-in to a neat front assembly, reasonable ribcage with a good coat covering & nice muscletone in well set quarters, moving steadily both ends, she looked more the finished picture than;

3 Viles’ Juniper Girl, pretty headed young lady with nice kindly eye & a good scissor bite. Lacking a bit of ear fringing & a little short of coat in places. Nice front & good rib, well muscled quarters allowing steady movement both ends. I felt she looked a bit higher in the leg & not so finished due to lack of coat.

LB (8,2)

1 Robson’s Lynaire She’s No Lady with Mitsui, probably one of the smallest bitches in the ring this 5 year old bitch has a really gleaming black coat, lovely texture & in pristine condition, sweet head with a lovely dark eye, good scissor bite & neat, well set ears, lovely neck flowing into a correct front assembly with just the right amount of bone for her size, good rib & is very well muscled in her nicely turned quarters, moved very precisely both ends & does everything her handler asks. If only she was a shade longer in balance I am sure she could be in contention for top honours;

2 Krcal’s Skyeomania’s Imogen, this drop-eared bitch is a lovely size, so neat & elegant, very good front assembly with a lovely neck to match, her rib & loin ratio is really good & she is well muscled in a nice set of well turned quarters, lovely dark eye & a good scissor bite, sound steady mover both ends she was always in perfect accord with her handler. I would like a shade more in skull & foreface to balance the body then like 1 she would surely be another for the top drawer;

3 Samuel’s Skyelander Midnight Dream, taller bitch than those above but very well proportioned throughout. This silver has a well balanced skull & foreface with dark eye & a good scissor bite, her well set ears head up a nice neck, good run-in to nice front assembly with good bone & substance, good quality coat & nice level topline both standing & on the move, well muscled quarters give a positive gait both fore & aft & she is so well handled & in lovely condition, nice exhibit.

OB (8,1)

I was spoiled for choice in this class & size played a major part in my decisions. I did appreciate the quality of the bigger bitches but the Standard asks for 10 inches. I remember the old saying that a good big one should never stand above an equally good small one.

1 MacQueen’s Ch Azrakhan Capercaillie, extremely elegant grey bitch just coming up 4 years & really looking her best, classical head with really well set ears so beautifully furnished, well balanced feminine skull & foreface with nice dark eye & lovely scissor bite, such a lovely neck & dead level topline both standing & on the move, she really fills the eye the minute she comes into the ring, she is so very hard to fault with her excellent rib to loin balance & strong quarters, she moves, no glides, round the ring & today did everything her handler asked of her. A really beautiful bitch & I was delighted to award her the CC;

2 Breeze’s Salena She’s The One, many of the same attributes apply to this bitch also, she has such a degree of elegance & excellent topline that never faltered, well balanced feminine skull & foreface with all the correct bits, ears, eyes & mouth, graceful neck running into a lovely front assembly with a good length of rib & short loin following on, like 1 she just glided round the ring both in the class & in the challenge & could not be denied the RCC. I hope her qualifying CC comes soon. Just preferred the head of Capercaillie;

3 Barraclough’s Ch/Sw Ch Skyeotts Amnesix Skye High Miracle at Wemoway, very impressive black bitch with a lovely shining full length coat with just a shade of wave, beautiful drop-eared head with dark eye & correct scissor bite, her rib is excellent & with a nice short loin, topline is spot on both standing & on the move, which she does with ease & in total accord with her handler. Just a shade bigger than 1 & 2 but an excellent exhibit nonetheless.

GCB (1)

1 S Midnight Dream;

2 Juniper Girl.

BOB CROSS

Go To Top Of Page