Third Place in Open - Dog, Judge: Mrs Elizabeth Barrett (Howthwaite)
Thank you to the committee for inviting me to award my first set of CCs. Although my appointment was originally for 2020, it was worth the wait. Thank you to my stewards Doug and Sue for keeping me in line and the ring running smoothly. And most of all, thank you to all of the exhibitors for your entries and for allowing me to go over your dogs. I also want to thank anyone who made unsporting comments, for doing so out of my earshot.
As I would expect, the entry was on the whole very pleasing. Thankfully, I didn’t have many exaggerations, such as ultra short muzzles or over-angulated hindquarters. Unfortunately though, good fronts, and in particular clean, well laid, shoulders and good front angulation, were few and far between. Movement, with both good reach and drive and accuracy was hard to find, so I did find myself forgiving the odd wayward front legs on dogs that otherwise had good construction and an easy ground covering stride. I would rather see a dog a little loose and covering the ground than one very accurate that can only take a three inch stride. All dogs were entire. There were only a couple of less than perfect bites and an ever so slightly kinked tail. Only a select few had a good short carroty tail, and some were very long, something we need to look out for. A few, including some bitches, were big in the rib and far too heavy to pick up and quite a number had very little undercoat and thin pelts. I looked for good construction and movement, balance and no exaggeration. I found several dogs that I would happily award CCs to on another day and had the privilege of having to really nitpick, especially in the dog challenge.
A difficult class to judge all of a very different type but all having good qualities.