First Place in Open - Dog, Judge: Mrs Wendy Mooney (Chesterton)
Thank you to my stewards, Hayley and Malcolm and to all the exhibitors who endured the heat and accepted my decisions sportingly, on what must have been one of the hottest days of the year. Overall the quality of the entry was good with some lovely dogs. Mouths, tails and size were generally good. Coats varied (as they always do) in both quality and the stage of growth. There were a number of pelts that could have been thicker and loose which was disappointing as this is mentioned in the standard and important from a working point of view. I was surprised and disappointed to see evidence of scissorwork on some coats and grooming was not always done to the dog’s best advantage – this does not affect the ability to work but this is a dog show and presentation therefore does count to a degree when placing the dogs. Compared to the last time I judged, I felt that size had improved and in most cases the dogs today were closer to the standard.
Quality grizzle and tan in excellent coat and with a thick pelt. Narrow throughout with a good length of rib. Excellent front. Super otter head with large strong teeth and jaw. Loved his overall balance and shape. He moved with purpose despite the heat of the day. Excellent tail and tailset. No exaggerations, he looked the part so I was delighted to award him the CC and BOB. A well-deserved winner today, he was on top form.