East Anglian Whippet Club

East Anglian Whippet Club Championship Show

13/07/14

Whippet Dogs;

I was delighted to be invited to judge whippet dogs at this East Anglian Whippet Club/Joint Whippet Clubs weekend event. The atmosphere was wonderful and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, both socially and competitively. A tremendous amount of work for the officers and committee of the club, but a superb turnout.

It was warm indoors and I think a few of the dogs were also a little tired from the previous day’s showing. Some dogs looked lovely when standing and when moving in profile, but were very disappointing coming and going, so they were less successful than they might otherwise have been. A few overshot mouths were a surprise, but most dogs were presented in good condition. Judy and Alison, my stewards, were super efficient and kept everything moving smoothly forward, for which I thank them!

The first 3 classes had some top quality youngsters. Some very bright futures and tough competitions ahead for them all! It will be exciting to watch their progress.

Minor Puppy Dog (17 - 4 Abs)

1st Wayman’s Speymalt Northern Star

Fawn and white. What a super baby! Just six months old and full of quality. Well balanced. Lovely head and ears, good neck, and front. Good depth for his age. Good topline. Nice feet. Moved with easy front extension and soundness behind, (each time his brain and his legs coordinated themselves). Still has to work on his ‘composure’ but I could see enough and his quality couldn’t be denied.

2nd Wilton-Clark’s Shalfleet All That Jazz

Brindle and white. Another top drawer baby. Shorter coupled than 1st. Loved his head, eye and expression. Long neck with excellent shoulders and upper arm. Good spring of pastern. Excellent feet. Good rear quarters. Moved with real drive from the rear. Just slightly preferred the winner’s topline. Would happily have taken either of them home!

3rd Waller’s Collooney Flukey Lukey

Fawn with white trim. More mature than 1st & 2nd and a little taller but with plenty to like about him. Lovely head shape, well set ears. Straight front and good bone. Good shoulder angulation. Nice topline. Strong well angulated rear quarters. Needs to drop a little through his chest. Moved very soundly. Should also have a bright future! In great condition.

Puppy Dog (13 - 0 Abs)

1st Russell’s Glantam Going My Way

Fawn with white trim. Lovely long lines on this boy. Attractive head and expression. Good neck and fill in, in front. Good shoulders and upper arm. Nice feet and pasterns. Good length to loin. Smooth flowing topline. Well angulated rear quarters. Broad thighs. Once he stopped leaning into the handler he moved with excellent reach and drive. Nice size. Very bright future.

2nd Coulter & Fletcher’s Collooney Swings Both Ways

Red brindle with white trim. Super boy, a little taller and with a shade more length than 1st. Lovely lean masculine head with good expression and ear carriage. Long neck, nicely set into well laid back shoulders. Excellent feet. Good length of loin, lovely topline, which he keeps on the move. Beautiful curvy underline. Good depth of chest. Moved soundly coming and going, his profile action is effortless - a joy to watch. In super condition.

3rd Webber’s Dark Wing

Black with white trim. I really liked this boy who was so unlucky to meet 1st & 2nd on their form today. A little longer through the rib and loin than either of them, he nonetheless has a lovely racy shape to him. Good neck and shoulders. Good fill in to his front. Correct bone. Lovely underline, still needs a little more finish on his depth of chest. Excellent movement and very sound once he got into his stride, beautifully presented, in gleaming condition.

Junior Dog (13 - 0 Abs)

1st & BPD Dillon’s Lorbri Billy No Mates

Red fawn with white trim. Absolutely stunning puppy! A couple of years back I wrote this about his sire – “Fawn and white who exudes quality and breed type. Correct shaped skull and eye, which gave him a lovely masculine expression with no trace of coarseness. Moderate neck let into good, well laid shoulders. Good depth of chest, and spring of rib, good fill in, in front. Good length and arch to loin. Excellent topline and a curvy underline with good tuck up. Well balanced rear quarters and well let down hocks, which he used to his advantage on the move. I loved his low reachy front action, rear drive and soundness”. Instead of repeating myself I will just make this comment – ditto!! Pretty much everything I said about his sire applies to this lad too. He looked like he could move all day, it was simply effortless! Would take him home in an instant! Loved him!

2nd Smith’s Collooney Sea Eagle at Lorbri

Brindle with white trim. Handsome, masculine boy. Quality throughout. Good underjaw, well set fine ears. Good neck going into well laid shoulders and excellent return of upper arm. Good forechest and spring of rib but still needs to finish through his depth. Curvy underline. Correct loin. Broad well-angulated rear quarters. He moved with lovely profile front action and used his rear quarters well underneath his body for propulsion. Very sound. I see from the catalogue that the owners of this dog bred the class winner - wow!

3rd Foster & Gallagher Koppelwell Silver Phantom

Fawn with white trim. This lad had a great deal to like about him and was reserve in the strong puppy class. Well made all through. Lovely head and expression. Long neck let into correct shoulder placement. Excellent upper arm and good spring to his pasterns. Good feet. Nice size and very typey. Excellent rear angulation which he used on the move. Very sound, lovely profile action. Needs to finish through his topline to complete the picture. Lovely boy!

Yearling Dog (10 - 1 Abs)

1st Hooper’s Torbers Peaceful Warrior

Brindle Particolour. Beautifully balanced, handsome with elegance and grace. This boy was new to me. He has a lovely outline. Beautiful head and ear carriage. Long neck. Correct front angulation, excellent fill in, good bone and springy pasterns. Superb underline and topline. Good length through the loin. Broad thighs. Stood over his ground. Lovely flowing front action with drive from behind. Sound as they come! Where has he been hiding??

2nd Howgate’s Palmik Live To Tell JW

Fawn with white trim. Shorter coupled dog than 1st with very slightly better depth. He was in no way disgraced to come 2nd in this class. Good head and expression with good ears, he is a real boy of a nice size. Well balanced, with excellent front and rear angulation. Sound mover with good reach and drive. Excellent muscle, coat and skin. Perfectly presented and handled to show off the best of him.

3rd Candler’s Maidenbower Mardi Gras

Fawn with white trim. Built on more similar lines to 1st than to 2nd Good sound front assembly. Excellent spring of rib and depth of chest. Correct loin. Super topline with plenty of length. Good rear angulation. Sound as a bell coming and going with lovely low front action. Would just have liked to see him a little more animated on the move.

Novice Dog (15 - 7 Abs)

1st Wayman’s Speymalt Northern Star

2nd Webber’s Dark Wing

3rd Picolo & Robinson’s Kaymark Shotgun Paddy

Fawn brindle with white trim. Up against some really strong competition in the MPD class, this boy had to leave that class unplaced. Quite shapely all through. Attractive head and expression, good neck and well laid shoulder. Curvy topline and good underline with correct depth. Strong thighs. A little erratic on the move, but I saw enough quality to take him into 3rd place.

Graduate Dog (13 - 2 Abs)

1st Whitaker-Crosby’s Mulcair May Contain Nutz JW

Lightly brindled fawn. Elegant, well balanced boy with a super correct topline. Good shoulder placement and return of upper arm. Well filled in front. Good spring of rib. Correct bone. Curvy underline and strong rear quarters. Nice feet. Moved very sound and with good reach in front.

2nd Pirie’s Bosmere Blueberry Ripple at Limasfault JW ShCM

Fawn brindle with white trim. One I have judged before. He has matured into his earlier promise and his quality won him an easy second. Masculine, without being coarse. Well balanced front and rear angulation. Good forechest, deep well sprung rib. Excellent topline combined with correct length of loin. Good pasterns. Moved with drive and good reach. Sound as a bell.

3rd Harding-Waite & Waite’s Drakesoak Allofa Twist With Calderleth

Dark brindle with white trim. I have admired this boy from the ringside. Handsome and masculine with no trace of coarseness. Good underjaw, low set ears. Good neck going into well placed shoulders and upper arm. Good underline and tuck up. Correct length of loin. Broad well angulated rear quarters. Good pasterns and feet. Would like a shade more depth of chest to complete the picture. Moved soundly and with low front action. Well handled and presented.

Post-Graduate Dog (20 - 3 Abs)

1st Home & Fisher-Home’s Jasarat Jenesis

Fawn. This is one of those dogs that are so easy to overlook in favour of those with more ‘splash and dash’. However, once you get hands on him, his qualities come to the fore and you discover a really honest, balanced, sound whippet. No exaggerations here! A masculine head, with correct ears. Long neck set into the best of shoulders. Lovely straight front with correct bone. Good pasterns and feet, strong nails. Good spring of rib and excellent depth. Strong, broad rear quarters. Sound as a pound and with an easy low front action. Super topline that he kept on the move and so won him this class.

2nd Martin’s Collooney Move On Up

Pale fawn brindle. I really loved this boy’s head, ears and expression! Quality youngster. Very similar to 1st, but with stripes and all the above descriptions apply to him too! Good fill in front, excellent bone. Presented in tiptop coat and condition. Moved very well, with long raking strides. Just flattened his topline a shade on the move and so made my choice a little easier.

3rd Morris, Waddell & Service’s Khabaraytime Hello Crosscop

Red brindle and white. Sadly this dog didn’t stay to be critiqued but from memory: Nice size. Lovely head and expression. Good neck, well laid shoulders. Straight front. Good feet. Moved very well in profile.

Mid Limit Dog (12 - 2 Abs)

1st CC. & BIS Keenan, Smith & Mixides’ Citycroft Star Gazing Over Yialousa JW

Lovely class with some top dogs. This red dog with white trim was so beautifully balanced and oozed quality from every pore – he was just my cup of tea. Combining masculinity with length and elegance, his symmetry and outline are true whippet. The best of long necks let into correctly placed shoulders. Straight front with spring to the pasterns. Well ribbed back with strong correct loin. Broad thighs with just the right (correct) amount of angulation to produce a strong driving rear action, pushing from well under the body. His topline was superb and he carried it well on the move. His underline was beautifully curvy with correct tuck up. Coming and going his movement was so true and he had a lovely long-reaching profile front action. On form and giving his best, he didn’t put a foot wrong and just couldn’t be denied. Super boy and a worthy new champion (I discovered afterwards)!

I was delighted to watch him continue to shine and go BIS on the referee’s decision. Congratulations!

2nd Grisoli & Bowyer’s Loroli Jump To The Beat

Dark brindle with white trim. Another top quality male who should gain his title. Handsome masculine head, without being coarse. Beautifully made throughout, with a lovely underline, just a shade shorter coupled than 1st and with a broader neck. Good feet and nails. Beautifully presented. He was so sound on the move (coming and going) and had super profile action.

3rd Cutter & Lubin’s Wayhead Cellini For Chosovi JW

Fawn dog. Finer built than 1st & 2nd with no exaggerations, who was in no way disgraced to come 3rd in this class. Lovely head and ears. Good neck let into well laid shoulders. Well balanced and a nice size, with excellent front and rear angulation. Good topline although a trifle shorter coupled than 1st and 2nd. Good pasterns, legs and feet. A sound mover with good reach and drive. Excellent muscle, coat and skin. Certainly ‘fit for purpose’.

Limit Dog (16 - 5 Abs)

1st Harding-Waite & Waite’s Marleben Myracle Magician From Calderleth

Elegant fawn brindle and white dog. Handsome and masculine with no trace of coarseness. Quality and elegance throughout. Good underjaw, correct set fine ears. Long neck let into well laid shoulders. Good upper arm. Lovely depth of chest and spring of rib, with good underline and tuck up. Well filled in front. Correct loin. Broad well-angulated rear quarters. Good feet. He moved with a correct reaching front action and used his rear quarters well underneath his body for propulsion. So Sound. An honest dog whose day will come I’m sure. I considered him for top honours, but today he decided not to put his all into the challenge and so paid the price.

2nd Coulter’s Cyangrange Raphael at Collooney

These first 3 quality dogs could easily change places on another day. This pale fawn youngster had a lot to like about him too. Masculine and well balanced with a good shapely outline. Good head shape and correct eye. Moderate neck with well placed shoulders. Good depth of chest and spring of rib. Good straight front. Excellent rear angulation. Made very well, he put it all together and used it all on the move. He went so soundly and with excellent drive from his rear quarters. Lovely profile action.

3rd Dufty & Morland’s Triken Never Stop Dreaming

Pale Fawn Brindle. Honest dog with no exaggerations. Shorter coupled throughout than 1st and 2nd. Well angulated both in front and through the hindquarters. Well filled in front, masculine but of a nice size. Good bone and feet. He has type and quality in a package with no frills. Sound and true coming and going, and his profile movement had good extension and drive.

Open Dog (12 - 2 Abs)

This was the hardest class of the day to judge and if I could, a few more CC’s would have gone this way!

1st & Res CC & RBIS Dillon’s Collooney Billy The Whizz JW

This fawn dog is a personal favourite of mine (I gave him reserve CC from Junior previously) and I was delighted to have the opportunity to judge him again. He has matured into all of his promise. He is (still) beautifully balanced, well angulated throughout and an excellent example of good breed type. He moves with good propulsion from his well-angulated rear quarters and has a lovely effortless reaching extension in his front movement, which is what tipped the balance and won him this class. As sound as they come he continues to get better the more you ask of him. Sire of the BPD winner!

2nd Wilton-Clark’s Ch Shalfleet Simply A Lord

A super and worthy champion who needs no introduction from me. Not much to add to previous comments about him except the following: If you want to see classic whippet outline, look no further – you will find it here in this boy, along with many other qualities. Handsome masculine head, with a lovely expression. Fine ears. I love the way his neck is set on, into the best of shoulders, outstanding topline, curvy underline. Holds his shape beautifully on the move. In fantastic condition. An honour and a pleasure to go over him. Disappointed that I had to choose between 1st and 2nd!

3rd Wilkinson’s Ch Fletchgate Star Walker ShCM

Black. Slightly taller and built on more racy lines than both of the above but well boned. Masculine with super angulation all through. Great topline and very curvy underline. Straight front with good spring to his pasterns. Well filled in front. Good spring of rib and depth of chest. Broad well developed thighs. Lovely easy front action and drove well from the rear. Sound as they come.

Special Veteran Dog 7-9 years (8 - 2 Abs)

Nearly lost my fingers when one of the veterans mistook my dictaphone for another sausage!!

1st BVIS Russell’s Ch Willingwisp Star Trooper

Fawn and white. Attractive masculine dog who at 7 years old, and a worthy champion, cannot be considered to be out of the running just yet! Elegant and graceful, well balanced, - these are some of his qualities that continue to shine into ‘maturity’. He has a super head and expression with good fine ears. Good depth to his chest and spring of rib. Well filled in in his front. Good topline. In super condition, he moved with style and drive and I was delighted that my co-judge agreed with me so that we could award him Best Veteran in Show over a beautiful Veteran Bitch, who is a great favourite of mine. Without a doubt, a credit to his owner.

2nd Winkley-Balmer’s Ch Crosscop Brilliant That’s Me

 Brindle with white trim. A little heavier built than the winner, but still super quality. 8 years young and in lovely condition. Good angulation throughout. Moved with drive and was very sympathetically handled into an easy 2nd place. Well done!

3rd Ellis’ Ch Spinneyhill Rainmaker of Railfield

Fawn brindle. Masculine boy with a lovely topline and curvy underline. Good neck set into well laid shoulders. Good bone. Moved sound behind. Liked his outline. Good condition.

Special Veteran Dog 10 years + (3 - 2 Abs)

1st Pirie’s Ch Tazi Falcon at Limasfault JW

Fawn. Stood alone in this class and put on a great performance! Masculine head and expression and still wearing his good ears! Well balanced throughout, with tremendous depth. Good topline and super underline. No saggy belly here! His lovely shape and condition belied his 11 years! Moved very sound and still had plenty of gas left in the tank!! A credit to his owner!

Special Racing /Lure Coursing Dog (8 - 1 Abs)

1st Price’s Elmanash Majestic Gold Among Silkdance JW

Fawn dog. Very nicely made throughout. Balanced and typey. Good topline that he held on the move. Nice curvy underline. Good pasterns, feet and nails. Moved very well. Sound and with good extension in front.

2nd Saxby’s Nattah Knight Gawaine With Sandspring

Fawn brindle built on longer, taller lines than 1st. Masculine head and fine ears. Well balanced. Neck well set onto his body. Excellent 1st thigh with good rear angulation. Good topline. Moved well in profile.

3rd Clilverd’s Monelli Mississippi

Fawn brindle boy slightly finer through the head than 2nd. Nicely put together. Good neck let into well laid shoulders. Good spring of rib and correct depth of chest. Good topline. Broad thighs. Well let down hocks. Nice bone. Very shapely.

Judge Ann Beckett-Bradshaw (Hutaka)