KC Breed Standard

Border Union 15 Judge

WEST HIGHLAND WHITE BORDER UNION 15

Judge(s): MR ROBERT HILL (OLTON)

DCC KINGSVIEW WARWICK (MRS J COLEY)
RDCC CH TOMLYNDON EAGER ERNEST JW (MR I, MRS F & MR T WEST)
BCC SWIFDON STORMY DAYS (MRS C M MORTON)
RBCC ARMADALE'S ROSEBUD FOR KARAMYND (IMP NLD) (MRS J A GRIFFITHS)
BOB KINGSVIEW WARWICK (MRS J COLEY)
BP BURNEZE GEORDIE GIRL (MISS M & MRS A BURNS)
WEST HIGHLAND WHITE JUDGE BORDER UNION 15

West Highland White Terriers

This is many people’s favourite show because of the beauty of the surrounding countryside. It was therefore a pleasure to judge my first breed at this lovely event.

The pleasure was compounded because I found the exhibits to be in fine fettle compared to when I judged them in 2013 as there were very few dentition problems such as very small & misplaced teeth which I did find the last time.

I will not be mentioning mouths individually in this report so you can take it that all winners had the correct bite. The KC now insist that a Breed Health Monitoring Form is submitted by each judge & in the case of our breed the teeth & the skin are areas of particular concern. No one has ever shown a dog under me with a skin problem & in 40 years of showing this breed I can only remember seeing one exhibit which from the ringside looked to have skin irritation. I am in no way denying that skin problems exist in the breed it is just that they are unlikely ever to be exhibited at shows & so I am not sure of the pre eminence of skin as an issue on the Monitoring Form.

Now to my winners starting with the very handsome BOB Coley’s Ch Kingsview Warwick gaining his fourth CC & G3 on the day. He is of such a good sound type which would have been recognised by breeders back in the 70s & 80s & even before that. Nothing is exaggerated. His head fits the Standard as I see it with a keen dark eye, a good stop differentiating skull & foreface, nicely built up under the eyes giving the required deep set of the eye which completes the expression. He has a lovely neck of the correct length merging into well angled & laid back shoulders. His chest is deep & the coupling short enough to allow good rear drive. He moves correctly with a straight front & extending forelegs whilst his hind legs are tucked well in under his body as called for in the standard & helps to produce the required rear drive. RDCC was West’s Ch Tomlyndon Eager Ernest, another worthy champion with many of the attributes of the CC winner. He is a heavier set dog with extraordinary muscle. He moves slightly wider at the rear than the winner & I preferred the more refined look of Warwick which came from structure rather than from presentation.

BCC, Morton’s Swifdon Stormy Days, who I thought looked a real pair with the dog when the two CC winners did their lap of honour around the ring. Type is so important but sometimes when judging it can be elusive so I was pleased to see that Stormy Days was also a non-exaggerated bitch with clean lines. Her head was lovely with the correct expression & that so essential dark piercing eye. The skull offered a good hand width & the muzzle was in proportion. Her neck & shoulders were very pleasing as was her cobby body. She moved with drive & my notes say ‘my type to a T’. She has four RCCs & I hope that today will give her the push she needs to complete her title. RBCC was Griffiths’ Armadales Rosebud for Karamynd, winning from the Junior class, this very stylish youngster shows great promise. She has good skull & jaw conformation & her overall expression is full of West Highland character. She moves around the ring with confidence beyond her years & the quality of her movement is a clear indication of her sound overall conformation. The maturity of Stormy Days gave her the edge over Rosebud. BP was the now well known puppy group winner Burns’ Burneze Geordie Girl, she is such a showgirl that it is difficult to take your eyes off her. She has the presence of a fully mature bitch who literally eats the ring as she moves around, something which she did in the group earning her top spot. She has a very pleasing head which needs to mature to complete the picture. Super neck & shoulders, compact body which forms a square balancing length & height. She moves so beautifully fore & aft & demonstrates the required drive when viewed from the side. It is hard to imagine a youngster who would be a happier showdog.

MPD (1)

1 Purchon’s Lindenka I’m Dexter, strong headed youngster with overall very pleasing bone. He has well laid shoulders & short coupling. Very harsh jacket so no furnishings as yet to complete the picture. In the challenge for BPD he came up against the winner of

PD (1)

1 Burns’ Burneze Purely Belta, 11 months old & the litter brother to the BP. He has a very attractive outline when stacked & he holds onto this when moving. Very strong quarters which means he drives very well from the rear. He has an excellent coat. I would have liked a stronger muzzle but forgave him as he is still a puppy. His exuberance on the move much like his litter sister gave him the edge over Dexter.

JD (1)

1 Noyce’s Armadales Son Of A Gun at Maxula, seemingly a day of siblings as this young man is the litter brother of the RCC winning bitch. He has excellent bone & is well muscled for a 16 month old. A very typical head with well placed ears & eyes giving a lovely expression. His coat is a joy & very well presented. Moves with drive fore & aft, should have a bright future.

PGD (7,1a)

1 Carlin & Gillott’s Lizandtcris Line Me Up;

2 Pearson’s Winoski Man Friday two very typical dogs both of a very good type. Strong bone, lovely harsh white coats, short coupling. Good straight fronts on both. Heads were very similar, both well structured with good width across the skull. Just preferred the movement on Line Me Up though this is not to say that Man Friday does not move very well too;

3 Purchon’s Lindenka Chesterman.

LD (2)

1 Pearson’s Winoski Mr Chips, well presented dog with excellent coat & correct shoulder placement giving a lovely run in. He is strong in head with all the head features needed to give a true West Highland look. Sound on the move;

2 Bartley’s Davot Chief Whip Atelib, quite a nice head & expression. He could do with losing a little weight to improve the picture. He has a reasonable coat but the main problem is the shoulder placement which is somewhat upright. He also moves a little wide behind.

OD (5)

What a sight when I looked up from completing the notes on the Limit Dogs. What turned out to be 4 champions & a first rate 5th dog. Probably the most interesting & difficult class I have ever had to judge.

1 Coley’s Ch Kingsview Warwick. CC, BOB & G3;

2 West’s Tomlyndon Eager Ernest. RCC;

3 Hughes’ Ch Brychdyn Diamond Geezer.

VD (3,2)

1 Tullis’ Drumsheugh True Grit & 2 Stock’s Lindenka Baxter, two mature gentlemen having a day out. As shown on the day, the winner looked a class above the runner up. He had a much more pleasing neck & shoulders & so moved around the ring much more freely.

MPB (2)

Two very nice youngsters with pleasing outlines but very different temperaments.

1 Carlin & Gillott’s Lizandycris Thistle Do Nicely, virtually out of MP & with lots of ring confidence. Lovely neck & shoulders, pleasing head & moving with drive which won her the class over

2 Purchon’s Lindenka Apple Krumble, she is very much a baby though her head in particular shows much promise filling your hand when examined across the skull. She too has good shoulders & moves well though much more slowly than the winner.

PB (2)

1 B Geordie Girl. BP;

2 Smith’s Faymar Tartan Fling, very sound bitch, correct head & good dark eye. Presents a very pleasing outline both standing & on the move. Unlucky to meet the winner who is in such fine form but am sure her day will come.

JB (1)

1 A Rosebud for K. RCC.

NB (4)

1 Strand & Hands’ Crinan Carousel, such a typical West Highland, lovely size, no exaggerations, correct head well balanced between skull & foreface, ears very well set. Neck & shoulders very pleasing & a delight to watch on the move;

2 Burns’ Burneze Diamond Diva, yet another litter mate of Geordie Girl. She is taller than her sister & more rangy. I would like a stronger head given her extra size in order to be in balance. Very good neck & shoulders & moves with drive though tends to carry her tail somewhat gaily;

3 Windram’s Carlola Showgirl.

PGB (2,1)

1 Crozier’s Carshairn Caol-Ila, the owner came for advice after the judging as this is her first West Highland. Unfortunately she is slightly overweight & this spoils what might be a pleasing outline. She needs to be hand stripped in order to make the most of what is a good coat but it has gone curly through being clippered. However, we all need a first to practice on! She has no major faults & so standing alone was still able to claim her prize.

LB (6,1)

Some good quality bitches in this class.

1 Lancaster’s Clanestar Cloud Chaser, all round very sound. Correct head, lovely dark eye, quality neck & shoulders. Deep ribcage & short coupling. Holds everything together on the move;

2 Jenkinson’s Highcross Charmer, the whitest of white harsh coats very well presented. Lovely outline, correct head & neck & shoulders. Moves well as to be expected with her conformation but the movement of the winner was classier;

3 Smith’s Lingbeck Playing The Lady.

OB (3)

1 S Stormy Days. CC; 2 Hands’ Crinan Calista, pleasing bitch of the correct type & size. Head well balanced, neck & shoulders as wanted in the breed. She moves well but carries her tail oddly;

3 Coley’s Karamynd So What at Kingsview.

VB 1 L Leading Lady;

2 C Caol-Ila.

ROBERT HILL

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