First Place in Junior - Bitch, Judge: Ms Tina Jones (Otterholme)
My sincere thanks to the committee for the kind invitation to judge at my first club show, I enjoyed the day immensely. Thank you to my efficient stewards Tina Morgan, Rachel Larner and Wendy Mooney, show manager for keeping things running so smoothly.
My thanks must go to the exhibitors for bringing along their dogs today, and the sporting acceptance of my decisions.
I did note some untypical heads, which for me lacked for me the characterising feature of the breed, I found such heads to be somewhat exaggerated with too much stop, not the ‘moderately’ broad skull I was looking for.
On the whole, I found mouths were good, a couple of level bites, and one or two with misaligned teeth, but it was pleasing to find big strong teeth in most exhibits.
I was very pleased with my class winners; some decisions were very close especially in the bitch classes. In both sexes there were some promising youngsters coming through which can only auger well for the breed.
Grizzle bitch, who on handling, I got to fully appreciate her qualities. She very much appealed for size and balance, lovely typical head with flat skull, which was most feminine, narrow throughout and easily spanned. A little hesitant at times on the move, but when she got going, she moved out well and had the edge here on rear movement, presented in super tweedy coat, with superb texture with a loose thick pelt.