There can be no greater pleasure than judging  Deerhounds, and this was no ordinary show either; it was the Deerhound Club  Show. I felt most privileged to be judging. The most obliging of hounds, they  genuinely seem to want to please. Whenever I judge this breed I keep thinking  to myself that I must have a Deerhound before I get too old, and this time I  felt this urge stronger than ever before. There were 82 dogs entered, but I had  quite a few absentees, more so in the bitches. We were blessed with good weather;  at times a bit too hot and sunny, which I know Deerhounds do not really like.  As a result, some were a bit lazy and didn't want to get moving with much  animation or energy. I was pleased with the overall quality - a few loose  fronts, some flat feet and ringed tails but no major issues. I am sure this  breed is in very good hands with its devoted following. Someone said they  should be called "earhounds" - when I bent down to check shoulder placement my  ring ear got thoroughly washed!! I had a lovely day.

PD(6, 2) 1 and BP,  Peach's Kilbourne Nico. 9 mths old, shapely puppy in good form, good length of  head, correctly proportioned with excellent bone, legs and feet, harsh jacket,  calm and steady showman, easy mover, great potential, sired by CC winner. 2 Stabb  &Taylor's Greyhawks Romanie Kalo. 10 mths, bit of a restless soul, but he  is only a baby, good head, excellent coat, strong body of good depth, quite  focused once he got into grear when moving. 3 Phillips' Harropine Prince Of  Tides At Ladygrove.

JD(5, 1) 1 Helps' Beardswood Quinlan. 17 mths old,  excellent type and size, typical head, clean neckline, shaggy coat, well  carried tail, firm body and topline, covering plenty of ground going round,  just a tad close behind going away, well handled and conditioned. 2 Peach's  Greyflax Taylor Made For Kilbourne. 16 mths, good outline and proportions, most  attractive head, excellent coat and condition, good body, sympathetically  handled, shade close behind and would like a bit more extension. 3 Williams'  Greyflax Pie In The Sky.

YD(1) 1 Hawkins' Kwaricott Corelli. 20 mths,  masculine hound who moved with a long stride, dignified showman, excellent  bone, strong body, firm anad fit with good muscletone, kind, soft expression,  full of goodwill, well handled, standing just a little slack in front feet here  but he should win classes much bigger than this!

SBD (2) 1 Stabb  &Taylor's Laird Of Summerisle. 2 yrs plus, would prefer a kinder eye, full  of energy and moved with animation but needs to channel this into more  co-ordination, good bone and depth of body. 2 Williams' Greyflax Pie In The  Sky. 16 mths, just so lazy today and tended to pace, which made movement quite  difficult to assess, good length of head, in hard condition, well coated, not  settled in front movement, throwing his legs about.

PGD(8, 2) 1 and RCC,  Morton &Morgan's Cotherstone Shot And Steel. 2 yrs old, good head, dark  intelligent eyes, very good expression, clean outline, well proportioned, moved  very well with plenty of reach and drive, harsh coat, very fit, at one with his  handler, looked good when competing for the RCC and fully deserved the small  green card. 2 Peach's Kilbourne Warhol. 2 yrs old, quality head and expression,  strong looking hound who was sound and workmanlike, excellent coat, body and  condition, well handled. 3 Churchhill's Lealla Liath.

LD(7, 2) 1 Adams'  Ardneish Lohengrin. 4 yrs, put his best foot forward to win this class, moved  well, showed with quiet dignity, good outline, excellent coat and condition,  well muscled. 2 Peach's Against All Odds To Kilbourne. Coming up 3, and should  have won this class, had he got himself motivated to move properly, but his  performance was lazy! Masculine head, well placed shoulders, well bodied, good  coat and condition. 3 Owen &Brodie's Wolfscastle Draig.

OD(7, 3)  Nice even class. 1 and CC, Peach's Kilbourne Hector To Oelmuhle. I liked when  he first came in and he did everything right both standing and moving. His  handler had him looking impressive every time I glanced in his direction. Good  head, clean well presented coat and good texture, strong, muscular neck, held  his topline on the move which was effortless and easy. 2 Hawkins' Kwaricott  Asclepius. 5 yrs, good head and eye, has a masculine presence about him, broad  flat bone, firm body, handled to best advantage. 3 Barret's Ch Stranwith  Symphony.

CD (1) 1 Hawkins' Kwaricott Corelli.

VD (1) 1 Girling's  Pyefleet Quilliam. Nearly 8, good old boy with still quite a spring in his  step, no mistaking him for anything but a positive male, good bone and  substance, has retained quite a good figure, excellent body and neckline, bit  lazy but he was on his own, so not much incentive to get gaiting round the  ring.

PB(5, 1) 1 Ellse's Kilbourne Unity. 10 mths, best of outlines,  well proportioned, attractive head, kind eyes giving nice expression, good  neck, topline and body, showed quite well, handled to best advantage when posed  and on the go round. Tad lazy behind. 2 Davis' Kilbourne Nimble. 9 mths, litter  sister to BP and presented a good outline when moving, just a bit collapsible  when posed, kind expression, good bone, body and coat. First and second by  Hector, the CC winner today. 3 Cartmell's Brylach Over The Broomstick With  Cusidh.

JB(5) 1 Helps' Beardswood Quintessence. 17 mths, litter sister  to JD winner, charming bitch in excellent form and coat, good head and eye,  totally relaxed, willing showgirl who moved quite effortlessly, clean neckline,  firm body, held her topline on the move, harsh jacket. I liked her very much.  RCC. 2 Bailey's Greyflax Just Peachy. 16 mths, lovely head, kind, soft  expression, good body and bone, moved really well, steady showgirl, clean, well  presented coat, just a bit flat across the top on the move. 3 Brodie's  Wolfscastle Oona.

YB(2) 1 CC and BOB, Peach's Kilbourne Teliah. 20 mths  old, beautiful, all quality young Deerhound of excellent type and size, so  sound and true in movement, out, back and around the ring, couldn't and didn't  put a foot wrong. At only 20 mths, hasn't reached full potential yet but she  ticked all the boxes for me today. I really fell for her big time! Good head  and expression, intelligent showgirl, lovely bone and feet, shapely body, used  her neck to advantage, firm body and topline, great stride, worked well with  her handler. 2 Hawkins' Kwaricott Charisma. Also 20 mths, litter sister to  Corelli, but not as good as her brother in front movement. Kind expression,  good bone and depth of body, very fit, well presented and handled, moved with  good drive behind.

BB(2) 1 Seymour-Jackson's Cassacre Aelfrida Of  Ghiltan. 2 yrs old, standing a bit careless in front and her front isn't her  best feature, moved with plenty of gusto, excellent coat texture, good neckline  and body. 2 Stabb &Taylor's Greyhawks Romanie Khan. 4 yrs plus, not quite  relaxed when posed, feminine head, quite a good topline, moved ok but just not  giving of her best, failed in front movement.

PGB(11, 6) Quite a few  absentees here. 1 Mansell &Duddell's Canerikie Coco Clarissa. 2 yrs,  attractive head with kind expression, good profile which she kept on the move, lovely  coat, easy and effortless when moving, excellent body and depth, steady  showgirl, well handled. 2 Rose's Hyndsight Summer Breeze. 2 yrs, well  proportioned with good outline, quality head, soft expression, well placed  shoulders, moved and showed well, a little slack in feet. 3 Cooper's Aureole At  Chapeltower.

LB(10, 1)Interesting class if quite mixed. 1 Morgan's  Ladygrove Calamity Jane At Amiro. 5 yrs old, lovely neck and shoulders, most  typical head, kind eyes and expression, feminine outlook, no exaggerations,  well balanced with good bone and feet, in excellent coat and condition, well  muscled, easy mover. In the challenge tired a little, but she worked hard to  hold off competition in this class. 2 Bond's Stainlonan Bellis At Regalflight  NAFTAF. Workmanlike bitch of nearly 3, strong body, well proportioned with good  depth and topline, harsh jacket, moved and showed ok. 3 Taylor's Kilbourne  Baccarat To Ormanstar.

OB(5, 1) This was the most difficult class of the  day for me. It was by now quite warm. I kept moving them but there was not much  enthusiasm there. I found it hard to decide on my placings. 1 Taylor  &Peach's Ch Brackenland Tan At Kilbourne. This 4 yr old was very patient  and tolerant with my lengthy deliberations, beautiful silhouette standing which ultimately won her the class. Feminine and self confident, pleasing head, clean  neckline, good depth of body, harsh jacket, with handlers encouragement moved ok if not at full stretch. In the challenge she could not quite match the two  younger contenders on the move. Excellent type, a very worthy champion. 2  Adams' Ardneish Pantalaimon. 3 yrs, good length of head, kind expression,  nicely proportioned, good topline and quarters, showed quite well. 3 Helps'  Rosslyn Pippa Of Beardswood.

CB(2, 1) 1 K Charisma.

  Liz Cartledge