Merseyside Gundog Club

The Merseyside Gundog Club Open Show 10/11/2024

I enjoyed my morning at the Merseyside Gundog Club Open Show. It’s a long time since I was a gundog exhibitor, but I do have fond memories of exhibiting here in the late 1960’s when the shows were at the YMCA in Bootle and the Alexander Hall in Crosby. Although not a numerically large entry there was some high quality across all my breeds.

Retriever (Chesapeake Bay)

Best Of Breed

299 - Glaneils Count On Me (Mr S A & Mrs C L Broomfield)

Reserve Best of Breed

300 - Glaneils Daydream Believer (Mrs C & Mr S & Mrs M & Mr J Broomfield & Broomfield & Mahon-Hunns & Newton)

Limit

Entries: 1 Absentees: 0

1st Place

300 - Glaneils Daydream Believer (Mrs C & Mr S & Mrs M & Mr J Broomfield & Broomfield & Mahon-Hunns & Newton). Reserve Best of Breed. Nicely proportioned head with good sized nostrils, clean neck and good shoulders. Strong bone. Good depth and breadth of chest. Good quality coat and she impresses in profile both standing and moving.

Open

Entries: 2 Absentees: 0

1st Place

299 - Glaneils Count On Me (Mr S A & Mrs C L Broomfield). Best Of Breed. Masculine and workmanlike and he made the most of his chances here. Particularly good coat with a slightly oily feel. Pleasing head and kind expression. Excellent bone, legs and nicely knuckled feet. Well bodied with good tailset and typical topline. Moved out well with an easy fluid action and this effortless action just gave him the edge today.

2nd Place

302 - Sh Ch Chesepi Waco (Mr D N Rigby). A well balanced dog with a lovely character. Masculine head with good breadth of skull, neat ears and well placed eyes. Very good forehand with pleasing feet and good bone. Quality coat and strong, well-muscled hindquarters. The ring wasn’t really big enough for him to get into his stride but he is a soundly made handsome retriever.

Retriever (Curly Coated)

Best Of Breed

305 - Ravenho Tallow Tango at Pattonia (Miss F M & Mrs P Valentine)

Reserve Best of Breed

303 - Firecurl Redwing (Mr D R Disley)

Junior

Entries: 1 Absentees: 0

1st Place

303 - Firecurl Redwing (Mr D R Disley). Reserve Best of Breed. A smart, typical youngster with an attractive head and kind, feminine expression. Decent forehand, good spring of rib and depth of chest and firm topline. Good coat and I was particularly impressed with her hind action where some drive was evident.

Open

Entries: 1 Absentees: 0

1st Place

305 - Ravenho Tallow Tango at Pattonia (Miss F M & Mrs P Valentine). Best Of Breed. A handsome, mature, upstanding dog, very pleasing to handle as he is well made all through with good bone, legs and feet. Strong well ribbed body and good depth of brisket. Moderate hind angulation. Quality coat. Again, the ring wasn’t quite big enough for him but he did enough on the move to satisfy me for Best of Breed.

Brittany

Best Of Breed

306 - Sh Ch Highclare Only One avec Tailliside (ai) JW (Miss F Cook)

Reserve Best of Breed

311 - Minama Unforgettable at Stonesview (IKC) (Miss J & Mr G & Mrs M Nicholls)

Junior

Entries: 2 Absentees: 1

1st Place

311 - Minama Unforgettable at Stonesview (IKC) (Miss J & Mr G & Mrs M Nicholls). Reserve Best of Breed. Very pleasing masculine head with a keen, intelligent expression. Clean, moderate neck. Good shoulders, legs and feet. Pleasing depth of brisket and breadth of chest. Sound and free moving with a very typical stride.

Post Graduate

Entries: 4 Absentees: 0

1st Place

309 - Rochus Take Action (Mr M & Mrs H Jones). Pleasing for both balance and type and shown in good condition and muscle tone. Dark, expressive eye. Well ribbed with some strength over the loins. Moved well with a typical, short stride.

2nd Place

312 - Ravenna Noisette avec Meadowline (Miss L Thompson). Presents a lovely overall picture as she too is well balanced and soundly made. Feminine with a good body and decent ribbing. Moved soundly but side wind at times.

3rd Place

308 - Rochus Sweet Pea (Mr M & Mrs H Jones)

Limit

Entries: 1 Absentees: 0

1st Place

307 - Rochus Tosca (Mr M Dennehey). Well balanced and very typical she presents a nice outline when standing. On the move she is sound with an easy action. Just needs a little more ring training and she will do well.

Open

Entries: 4 Absentees: 2

1st Place

306 - Sh Ch Highclare Only One avec Tailliside (ai) JW (Miss F Cook). Best Of Breed. Has a real stamp of quality. Lovely head and intelligent, gentle expression. Excellent forehand, moderate neck and good shoulders. Good depth of chest and well ribbed and short-coupled. Sound and very typical on the move.

2nd Place

307 - Rochus Tosca (Mr M Dennehey)

 Italian Spinone

Best Of Breed

316 - Sh Ch Inostricani Bell Ragazzo via Krismoor JW (Miss C J Littlemore).

Reserve Best of Breed

317 - Sh Ch Testaverde Back for Good at Paradeco (Mr J R & Mrs V A Thompson).

Open

Entries: 2 Absentees: 0

2 lovely dogs.

1st Place

316 - Sh Ch Inostricani Bell Ragazzo via Krismoor JW (Miss C J Littlemore). Grand head with a really pleasing expression, divergent planes. Strong, nicely arched neck. Good bone, legs and feet. Good breadth and depth of chest. Ribs extend well back. Typical topline. Moved soundly with a very fluid, easy action.

2nd Place

317 - Sh Ch Testaverde Back for Good at Paradeco (Mr J R & Mrs V A Thompson). Again, he is beautifully made with a masculine head and gentle expression. Well bodied with good ribbing and strongly muscled loin which gives his a pleasing topline. Moved out well.

Hungarian Vizsla

Best Of Breed

324 - Bournehouse Romeo (Mr R & Miss C Williams & Gillard)

Reserve Best of Breed

322 - Gunfield Phantom (Ms M Kiely)

Junior

Entries: 1 Absentees: 0

1st Place

318 - Glenbrows Reminiscent (Ms C Gammon). Attractive, feminine head and expression with lovely eyes. Nicely balanced and presents a nice picture when stacked. Good legs and feet. Just coming up to 13 months of age, she still needs to develop in rib and body to complete the picture.

Post Graduate

Entries: 3 Absentees: 2

1st Place

324 - Bournehouse Romeo (Mr R & Miss C Williams & Gillard). Best Of Breed. Stood alone but caught my attention immediately for type, quality and balance. He doesn’t disappoint on handling as he has a grand head with a lovely expression, soundly made all through and stands on tight, well knuckled feet. Really good mover both out and back.

Limit

Entries: 2 Absentees: 1

1st Place

323 - Kenzduo Deeply Dallas (Mrs J Malin). Handsome, masculine and well grown with a pleasing head and kind expression. Strong, clean neck and well-laid shoulders. Good body with ribs extending well back. Good profile action just a shade close going away from me.

Open

Entries: 2 Absentees: 1

1st Place

322 - Gunfield Phantom (Ms M Kiely). Reserve Best of Breed. Typey and well balanced and very impressive on the move with an easy action and good length of stride. Nicely proportioned head with good eyes and lovely dentition for an 8 year old. Not quite as clean over the neck and shoulders as the BOB winner but he is well ribbed with a good topline and well set tail.

 Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla

Best Of Breed

325 - Redrafi Pacha Galvikki (Mrs V A & Mrs G A Hope-Cliffe & Hope-Ellershaw)

Post Graduate

Entries: 1 Absentees: 0

1st Place

325 - Redrafi Pacha Galvikki (Mrs V A & Mrs G A Hope-Cliffe & Hope-Ellershaw). A good-looking bitch, alone here today but she could certainly hold her own against some opposition. Very pleasing expression, good nose pad. Nicely arched neck and good shoulders. Moderately angulated hindquarters with decent muscle tone. Moved soundly but she would have benefited from a bigger ring where she could have covered more ground.

Judge: Tom Mather