I would like to express my appreciation to the Officers and Committee for giving me the opportunity to judge at this prestigious show on it’s 160th Anniversary and to express my thanks to my hardworking stewards who were going to have a long day. Not least, I’d like to say thank you to my exhibitors for entrusting me with such a splendid assembly of hounds to go over. In particular the classes from post graduate and above, were really competitive with quality deerhounds, involving me having to arrive at some close decisions,
SPEC. BEG. DOG (1)
1. Winstanley. Leonard From The Shadows. Stood alone. A promising yearling, with a classic head shape and lovely dark eyes. Good overall conformation. At the moment his movement lacks certainty, just needs time to mature and realise his potential.
M P D (1)
1. Nuttall. Flaxside A Will to Live. Stood alone. An enchanting dark coated baby. Just over 6 months old, already showing signs of his hard coat beginning to break through. Well boned, of good length and promising conformation. By no means overwhelmed by his appearance in the show ring, and quite rightly for one so young, is interested in everything and would much prefer to investigate it all than play statues
P D (1)
1. Peach. Kilbourne Merak. BPD. Stood alone. A well grown young man, of almost a year old. With dark eyes, neat ears and attractive face furnishings. Head well set on to a strong neck. Strongly boned and of good length with well knuckled feet, nicely bent stifles and low set hocks. Correct topline and fallaway
J D (3. 1 A)
1. Taylor. Ormanstar Gabriel Norman. Attractive head. Correct slope of pasterns and compact feet. Coat hardening up nicely. Good breadth of hip. At the moment has a tendency to present with a slightly over exaggerated topline but this should settle in time. Moved out well with both reach and drive.
2. Aston. Balgaled Artan. A strong and masculine lad, in full hard coat. Dark eyes, neat ears and attractive face. Well laid shoulders. Good bend of stifle, neat feet and low set hocks A strong and well muscled back end. Today I was slightly surprised when his rear action didn’t quite come up to that of the winner. On another occasion they could well change places
P G D (2, 1A)
Winstanley. Leonard From The Shadows. Stood alone.
L D (5, 1A) A quality entry.
- Peach . Tiobraid Solo Venture To Kilbourne. CC. A mature male in full coat. A typical, attractive head and expression, with dark eyes and attractive face furnishings. Strong neck flowing nicely over the withers into well laid shoulders. Good length and great depth of chest with plenty of heart room. Well muscled hips, low set hocks and a good second thigh. Moved confidently and with purpose.
- Hyndsight Pilgrim. Finnett & Heathcote.. Relatively speaking, a marginally lighter cast of hound than the winner. In hard coat. Neat ears.and strong neck. Would prefer a little more fore-chest. Of a good length with broad and well muscled hips, low set hocks and neat well knuckled feet.
- Killoeter Tam Dubh. Cummings. A quality and pleasing well made hound of substance.
O D (7, 1A). A closely fought class.
- Helps. Beardswood Torran. RCC. A fit and well presented mature hound of excellent type, with a crisp coat. Attractive head set beautifully onto a strong neck which flowed down across the withers into well laid shoulders. Well dropped brisket, good length and tuck-up and an excellent topline flowing beautifully into the fallaway across well muscled hips. The best action in this class.
- Constantine. Ch Kaleginy The Forester Sh. CM. A handsome, mature and well presented hound in full coat. A textbook deerhound head, with attractive face furnishings, a gentle expression, dark eyes and small neat ears. A strong neck, well laid shoulders, just the right slope of pastern a good bend of stifle and neat feet. Correct topline flowing smoothly into the fallaway with broad well muscled hips and low set hocks. Didn’t quite match the action of the winner on this particular day, at a different meeting they could change places.
- Ch Hyndsight Desperado. Finnett & Heathcote
SPEC BEG BITCH (1)
1. Nuttal. Luckhurst Pani. Stood alone. An enchanting and feminine three and a half year old, in full mid grey coat. Well shaped head with a gentle expression, and fine face furnishings. Well sprung ribs with great depth of brisket giving plenty of heart room, easing smoothly into a neat tuck up. Of good length, and correct top line leading into broad and well muscled hips.
M P B (3, 1A)
- Owen & Brodie. Wolfscastle Soul Sister. BPB, BP. A sweet face with attractive face furnishings and beautiful neat ears. Already beginning to body up nicely, Good length of neck. Correct bend of stifle and nice low set hocks. Topline flowing easily into her croup, and hips beginning to muscle up rather nicely. The better mover of the two.
- Nuttall. Flaxside Against All Odds. Only just in to puppy. Another attractive dark, but more feminine youngster. Perfectly reasonably for her tender age, just needs a little more time and practice in order to become settled and able to relax in this strange new environment, especially so when on the move. Will be interested to see how she progresses.
P B (2)
- Peach & Cannon. Kilbourne Etoile. Neat ears and lovely dark eyes. Well boned. Strong neck. Good bend of stifle and low set hocks. Good depth of chest and decent topline. Good side action and holds her topline on the move. The better mover of this class.
- Havercroft. Kilbourne Vega At Dragonsisle. Another promising youngster with a sweet face with soft expression, dark eyes, neat ears and attractive face furnishings. Hard coat beginning to develop nicely. Good length of neck leading down into well laid shoulders. Of appropriate length and substance. Hips developing nicely. Yet to develop the confidence of the winner when on the move.
J B (4, 1A)
- Bailey. Pearls A Singer. An attractive and shapely girl, in hard coat with substance in all the right places. Sweet expression. Dark eyes and neat ears. Strong neck leading smoothly into well laid shoulders. Well ribbed and a wonderful depth of brisket giving plenty of lung room. Well balanced between for and aft. Correct topline easing into a smooth fallaway across well muscled hips. with low set hocks. Moved out with reach and drive
- Shannon. Erewhon Firefly. A well grown dark coated 15 month old. Lovely dark eyes and a strong neck easing nicely down to the withers and over correctly constructed shoulders. Well sprung ribs and good depth of brisket and of excellent length. Today, didn’t manage to fully settle with her handler when on the move.
- Mckinnon. Claonaiglen Fynne..
P G B (9, 2A). A quality entry
- Wragg. Neroche Juno. RCC. An attractive and well proportioned 4 year old, who ticks all the boxes. Lovely head with a kind expression, dark eyes and the appropriate face furnishings. In full triple coat. Strong sweep of neck, correct shoulders and fore chest . Good length, with a great topline easing smoothly into the fallaway . Broad and well muscled hips, good second thigh, low set hocks and compact well knuckled feet. Moved with purpose.
- Taylor. Ormanstar Fast Cat Betty. An athletic looking two year old with a good head shape, dark eyes and small neat ears. Attractive dark hard coat. A strong neck, well bent stifles and neat feet. Good spring of ribs, already with a well dropped brisket and well muscled thighs
- Helps. Beardswood Ulyssa.
L B (8, 1A) Another fine class
- Barret. Stranwith Flora. A well proportioned (almost) four year old mid grey bitch in full correct coat. Combines femininity with athleticism, leaving one with no doubt that she is capable of doing the job. A fine example of a typical deerhound head and expression. Head well set onto a strong neck leading down to muscular shoulders with correct degree of lay-back. A great combination of a deep and well developed rib cage and length of loin, with broad well muscled hips, low set hocks and tidy feet.
- Lewis. Neroche Juniper to Luckhurst. A slightly more substantial well made bitch who challenged the winner closely. In full mid grey coat . Gentle and typical head and expression with dark eyes and small high set ears. Her lovely mane has a tendency to disguise her length of neck. Great depth and length of ribs, and of excellent overall length, well balanced between for and aft. Broad well muscled hips and low set hocks.
- Peach. Kilbourne Liberty.
O B (5, 2A) A quality class.
- Finnett & Heathcote. Hyndsight in Your Dreams. CC. BOB. An athletic three old, who without any loss of femininity, leaves one in no doubt that she could full fill the role for which the breed name implies. Shown in full , medium dark, hard coat. Good skull shape, gentle expression, dark eyes, small high set ears and the appropriate face furnishings. Strong neck, well muscled shoulders, straight broad flat boned legs, correct slope of pasterns and well knuckled feet. Great depth of brisket, and a good topline which flows smoothly and effortlessly into the fallaway. Broad and well muscled hips, good second thigh and low set hocks and well bent stifles. Moved consistently and effortlessly with reach and drive.
- Shannon. Erewhon Wanton Flame. An attractive, dark and well made bitch of length and substance in all the right places. I was quite surprised to discover that this was a six year old. I would never have guessed. Would have benefitted from being a bit more at ease with her handler when on the move,
- Bailey. Lady Sings The Blu’s.
CHRISTOPHER ARTHUR. Judge |
