Firstly I have to say thank you to my fellow Deerhound devotees for giving me such a wonderful entry and allowing me the privilege of going over your lovely hounds.  Thanks are also due to my fabulous stewards.;I have to say the quality in some of the classes took my breath away! ;Some lovely exhibits went card less and I had to make some very difficult decisions.  I was looking for a well constructed and sound moving Deerhound with type. I was amazed to find out after judging that my CC,s / BOB , RCC and OB winners were related, also that I had awarded a CC to the dam of my winning bitch some years ago so “Type” played more of a role than I had every imagined.

Toplines have improved somewhat but there are still too many with a rise over the back and not the loin, this really does need attention as the rise is the hinge/spring allowing forward propulsion of the back end through the front  at gallop.; A rise over the back lifts the whole back end causing steep stifles, high hocks, lack of drive from hip to hock and steep croups. In a working hound this would in time cause injury and poor performance. Feet were also an issue with too many flat splayed feet with poor cushions, again in a working, galloping hound this would cause “knocked up” toes, cut ligaments etc etc., this did affect some of my decisions and we need to work to improve this fault it’s a bad one. Tails have improved so much, not one high ring tail in sight, eye colour also generally very good, I did not find one bad mouth and temperament was lovely. To end , there were some wonderful hounds with super bone, substance, type and movement. 

Class 1188 Minor Puppy Dog
2 (0)

1st Mr M J & Mrs G M Peach Kilbourne Pascoe

Lovely  6.5 month old super bone, substance, masculine head with lovely neck into layback of shoulder.  Has lovely type and a super temperament, moved well for one so young

2nd Miss H Jansons Gadhar Torr Rigs O’Barley to Nixophel

7 month old dog puppy and looked it, not as mature as one. Sweetest of heads, nice folded ears nice topline. Hard to assess movement as he is at the raw leggy stage would love to see him again when older.

Class 1189  Puppy Dog

3 (0)

1st Mr K & Miss Z Owen & Brodie Luckhurst Nebo to Wolfcastle

9 month old attractive dog puppy.  Lovely type, nice head with good eye colour into a correct neck placing, which sloped into good shoulder and return of upper arm allowing fore chest, good stifle and width to second thigh very balanced in length to height moved out really well for one so young, lovely jacket good feet which scored in his placing one to watch.  Best Puppy Dog just beaten by the puppy Bitch for Best Puppy on maturity

2nd Mr J & Mrs E Faircloth Beardswood Ripley For Calbraidh

10 month old dog puppy.  Lovely bone, substance, good ribbing and spring, masculine, good width behind when moving but very raw needs time to fill out slightly steep in croup at this stage.

3rd Miss H Hansons Gadhar Torr Rigs O’Barley To Nixophel NAF

Class 1190 Junior Dog   

2 (0)

1st  Mr S & Mrs D Merrick Pedlarspath Secret Star

Tall dark masculine dog, an attractive hound.  Good bone, correct feet, masculine head, balanced in length to height with the correct topline, underline good with fall away and good ribbing and spring.  Moved well but needs time to mature and tighten up.

2nd D & C Merrick and Keeling Pedlarspath Shaman

Litter brother to one and much of the same comments apply, just thought his brother had more maturity on the day, both still raw and need time to forfil their potential

Class 1191 Post Graduate Dog

7 (3)

1st Miss T & Mr R Stabb & Taylor Greyhawks Romanie Kalo

Young dog hound, Stunning in head with a lovely dark eye, masculine, strong jaw, aquiline nose, correct neck placing sloping into a good shoulder placement, lovely return to the upper arm hence fore chest, correct length to forearm nice slope to pastern, best of feet, super ribbing with spring good length from hip to hock, well muscled, nice strong rudder, good textured jacket, moved powerfully with real drive, short in loin when standing but extends when moving.  In the challenge he moved with such purpose and drive  that I forgave this as no hound is perfect  and whilst I would like more length in loin his other attributes cancelled that out,  I was delighted to award him a well deserved  RCC.

 2nd Mrs A & Miss S L Harrington & Finnett Hyndsight Tempest

Lovely head with gentle expression, rose ears well folded, correct neck placement sloping into a nice shoulder, good length to foreleg with slope to pastern, good spring of rib and depth of brisket, longer cast than one but slightly steep in croup moved well  can only improve with maturity.

3rd Mr A F & Mrs J Schanning Ling   Beardswood Quiver

Class 1192  Limit Dog

6 (0)

A difficult class for me as a couple of hounds were pacing

1st Mr M J & Mrs G M Peach Kilbourne Nico

Dark upstanding male at just 17 months.  Super masculine head with a lovely temperament, good substance and bone, nice neck into adequate shoulder, scored in his profile movement and type, he covers a lot of ground and moved soundly.  Can only improve with maturity.

2nd Mr D & Mrs S Hawkins Kwaricott Corelli

Loved the honesty of this hound, super bone substance great shoulder, return of upper arm and fore chest, excellent ribbing with spring and depth giving plenty of heart and lung room, good length from hip to well let down hock, width to thigh second thigh strong rudder moved out powerfully workmanlike 1 just scored in head and topline.

3rd A & J Morton & Morgan Cotherstone Shot and Steel

Class 1193  Open Dog

7 (0)

1st  Mrs G Pink  Romanie Rye at Greyhawks

Mature six year old hound, took my eye the moment he came in the ring and one I have admired for a while.  Then the trepidation, will he be as good to go over and judge Because you can never really tell ringside? he was  Superb head, aquiline nose, good eye colour and shape,  wonderful neck and shoulder  placement, lovely return to his upper arm, correct length of forearm with slope to pastern into the best set of feet I found today tight with good cushion. Wonderful topline with nice rise over the loin allowing a lovely sweep over the croup and hindquarters, underline spot on, no herring gut here.  Super ribbing, crisp jacket, length to height ratio just so balanced moved out so honestly with great front extension and lovely wide powerful drive to the rear. Parallel in movement   He blew me away, hard to fault and ranks with one of the finest Dog hounds I have seen since being in the Breed. Delighted to award him the CC and Best of Breed which I believe now gives him his well deserved crown.

2nd Mr R Gilllie Dorrator Gethen

Mature male another one I have admired for a very long time totally honest with no form of exaggeration Correct head lovely neck flowing into a super shoulder placement nice return to upper arm lovely bone substance super rear end lovely drive from hip to hock with width of thigh and second thigh, lots of freedom in his hock joint when moving he really drives out from here super in type, unlucky to meet one today and when challenging for the RCC he lacked the lustre on the move that he had earlier a really good quality deerhound that I feel sure will have his day.

3rd K Barret Ch Stranwith Symphony

Class 1194 Good Citizen D

1st Mrs L B Seymour-Jackson Ghiltan Hero

A great name for a super hound such a beautiful expression and head, gentle nature really wonderful good citizen for the breed and very pleased to award him a first. In this lovely class.

Class 1195 Minor Puppy Bitch

4 (0)

1st Miss S & Mr H Finnett & Heathcote Hyndsight Runin Down a Dream

What a cracker! Just six months Sweetest of feminine heads lovely topline good width to thigh lovely dark crisp jacket and the widest of back ends when moving away good feet, such a well natured youngster with oodles of promise.

2nd Mrs SJ & Mrs G M Taylor & Peach  Kilbourne Pandora To Talorpeche

Classic head, lovely neck super in bone substance nice length lovely crisp jacket moved very well for one so young

3rd Mr J A Wiggan Lodhainn Bennbeheula

Class 1196 Puppy Bitch

6 (0)  A lovely class of promising youngsters

1st Mr J & Mrs A P Friend & Redmond Shagiead Lady Sea With Greybrows

11 month old, Lovely head into a strong neck that flowed into a good shoulder placement, Nice topline shorter cast than others but very balanced, nice ribbing with spring well let down hocks really powered out on the move with good width behind nice crisp jacket lovely type Good feet very promising BEST PUPPY.

2nd Mr M J & Mrs G M Peach Nimloth Brook For Kilbourne

Feminine head strong neck super substance and bone slightly longer cast than one, good thigh second thigh nice dark crisp jacket lovely type moved well for one so young.

3rd Mrs H B & Dr S A F Helps Beardswood Rona

Class 1197 Junior Bitch

5 (3)

1st Mrs H B & Dr S A F Helps Beardswood Rhymi

10months Feminine head with lovely expression nice neck into adequate shoulder lovely substance and bone nice spring of rib good textured jacket nice width on the back end when moving away.

2nd Dr R G & Mrs G Smith Nimloth Belthil

Lovely type Classic head nice flow of neck into a  good shoulder placement, feminine moved very well for her age I had thought she would be my class winner as I preferred  her type, but 1 just had that maturity and was wider on the back end when moving away but they will swop on another day.

Class 1198 Post Graduate Bitch

14 (1)

This had to be the most wonderful quality class of the day and my most difficult.

1st Mr A & Mrs V Lewis Greyhawks Romanie Rakli of Luckhurst

I gave this bitch a first in junior when I last judged, and my how she has matured, when I moved her she took my breath away such fluidity strength totally ground eating with just superb front extension width power and drive from behind, good feet! I agonized between my LB and this bitch for the CC, out of the 2 this is the one I would want to own, she was workmanlike had substance bone was totally true in her construction, her movement was an example to all, in type she took me back to the square at Ardkinglas not only could and should this bitch win for the owner in the ring she would without doubt throw a cracker put to the right dog.we all need bitches like this.  And as I said last time I judged her I would love to own her. A well deserved RCC, just gave away to the LB as she had a more overall look of femininity but such a hard decision for me.

2nd Mrs J Bond Regalflight Civet

Dark Bitch with most lovely head, super neck flowing into a good shoulder placement nice length to forearm with slope to pastern , lovely ribbing and spring plenty of heart lung room, super jacket crisp and correct , nice length from hip to hock and drove out well from this ,loved her substance and type very promising  unlucky to meet 1 today.

3rd Claonaiglen Buie

Class 1199  Limit Bitch

16 (2)

Superb quality class of bitches

1st Ms S & Mr T A Parsons & Mckinnon Claonaiglen Fionnelighe

Beautiful Head wistful expression, lovely neck flowing into a super shoulder placement and return to upper arm, correct length of foreleg and slope to pastern a really good front assembly, feet could be better but adequate, good topline with rise over the loin sweeping over  croup and  hindquarters super length from hip to  hocks nice width to thigh second thigh, good rudder crisp jacket Length to height ratio so balanced, moved out with  drive,  super front extension strength and width behind parallel in movement   not the bone or substance of my PGB, but a more feminine bitch and lovely in type so my final decision was to award this bitch a well deserved CC and found out later she is a daughter of my BOB, she should have a bright future she is a superb example.

2nd Miss S & Mr H Finnett & Heathcote Hyndsight Dreams Unwind

I really loved this bitch in type she looked as if she had stepped out of a Wardle painting, Dark feminine head but a little narrow, gentle expression correct set on of neck flowing into good shoulder , lovely forearm with nice flat bone super ribbing with spring and depth lovely substance, nice length to loin and well muscled, lovely crisp dark jacket, good length from hip to well let down hock moved out with drive shorter cast than one but balanced a really lovely quality bitch of excellent type. Unlucky to meet one and PGB winner.

3rd Mrs P Trotman Stainlonan Kulang of Penherald

Class 1200 Open Bitch

8 (2)

1st Mrs E Mooney   Rosslyn Quartet

18 month old bitch, Classic head with wistful expression and so feminine good set on of neck and flowed into a good shoulder placement adequate return to upper arm lovely length to forearm and slope to pastern good feet, lovely topline with nice rise over the loin sweeping into drooping quarters lovely low hocks length to height ratio very balanced moved so very well lovely width to rear end, excellent fluidity in hock joint a joy to see her move that coupled with her lovely type deserved her placing just lost out on maturity in the challenge.

2nd Mrs K Tresh Trentdale Glamis of  Lyndorthwin

Lovely head and expression super strong neck flowing into a correct shoulder placement good return to upper arm and nice length of forearm into good feet, super ribbing with spring and depth plenty of heart lung room good topline and fall away, shorter cast than one but balanced, more workmanlike than my winner but sound as a pound with the most superb width on the back end when moving away a strong girl and lovely example

3rd  Mrs A Morgan Ladygrove Calamity Jane at Amiro

Class 1201  Good Citizen Bitch

Mrs L B Seymour Jackson Cassacre Aelfrida of Ghiltan

Sweet feminine bitch beautiful expression with lovely face furnishings good bone substance  moved out very well and another super ambassador of the breed.

Betina Adams