Cheshire Agricultural Society

What a fabulous, well-run show. Thank you to my amazing stewards on the day and to the Club for their wonderful hospitality. Thank you to the exhibitors for bringing their dogs along for me to assess. I thought all the dogs coped so well with the heat. A lovely day. Thank you.

Border Collies.

Unfortunately a number of absentees and quite a variety of types.

Limit Dog (1,0)

1st Rhodes’ Locheil Rock Shore. Quite nice for size. Skull is fairly broad. Eyes oval in shape and set wide enough apart. Ears ok for set. Head is typical in overall shape and proportions. Neck a tad short and a bit overly long in body compared to length of leg. Deep chest with enough width. Balanced in angles. Firm in topline. Tail lacks upward swirl. Moves soundly, but perhaps not in the typical manner of the breed. Well presented.

Open Dog (4,1)

1st: Webb’s Borderbrook Fire and Flame ShCEx. This boy is an obvious showman and very attentive to his handler. Nice overall shape and proportions. Head is ok for breadth and balance of skull to muzzle and ideal in stop. Eyes are oval in shape and set wide apart. Keen expression. Ears ok for set. Neck is long enough, but I would prefer slightly more arch to enhance an elegant outline. Moderate angulation fore and aft. Good bone. Deep chest. Just long enough in body. Sightly sloping pasterns. Low set, firm hocks. Strong thighs. Tail for me is a tad high set and he can carry it slightly too high on the move at times which rather spoils the overall outline. Sound on the move, but I would prefer a more stealthy action. Excellent condition and very well handled. BD.

2nd:Longhurst’s Simmovon Charm Writer at Spotarton JW. Masculine head with reasonably typical expression. Balanced head with enough width and ok for stop. Eyes oval in shape. I think a slightly darker shade of brown would have enhanced his expression. Ears set wide. Neck medium in length, would prefer slightly more arch. Balanced in angles. Body proportions ok. Deep chest. Firm loins. Not quite the outline and elegance I was looking for. Sound enough on the move. Well handled.

3rd: Barratt’s Pendleway Time Lord

Junior Bitch (1,0)

1st: Austin & Zolakova’s Hysteps That’ll Do. This young lady has many attributes. Her head markings take a bit of looking through and hands on to get a real feel and proper assessment. It is well balanced with correct skull to muzzle and shape. Could benefit from more stop. Slightly unpigmented eye rim. Eyes are good for shape and set. Ears are well set. She could perhaps be slightly more feminine for my preference. Ok for bone. Very nicely constructed and proportioned. Deep chest. Tail is set and carried well with that typical upward swirl. Lovely movement – and importantly for me, moved in the typical style of the breed. Needs to mature on. Well-handled and presented. RBB

Post Graduate Bitch (4,2)

1st Austin & Zolakova’s Hysteps That’ll Do

2nd: Surridge’s 5,3). Very refined and light in bone for me. Head is feminine and well balanced. Eyes appear small and set rather obliquely. Ears are wide set. Excellent in proportions. Neck medium in length. Angles are too upright but are well balanced giving her a very sound trot around the ring. Tail is set too high and lacks the upward swirl. Well presented.

Limit Bitch (5,3)

1st: Lea’s Calareto All My Loving JW. One I have judged before. This bitch has lots to like. Very feminine, well-balanced head with very typical expression. Wide enough in skull and not ‘cheeky’ in any way. Correct degree of stop. Eyes are wide set and oval in shape. Ears are wide set and carried well. Neck is medium length with enough arch. Well laid shoulders and good return of upper arm. Nice bone for size. Deep chest. Broad, muscular loins. Slightly sloping pasterns. Firm topline. Would prefer slightly more turn of stifle and definition at the hock and a more gentle, elegant slope of croup and slightly lower tail set. Tail has the typical upward swirl. Low set, firm hocks and muscular thighs. Great coat. Looked in pristine condition and was very muscular. Very sound, free mover and typical style for the breed. BB, BOB.

2nd: Small’s Tobermoray Godrevy Beach JW. A little heavy all through for me. Balanced skull to muzzle. Enough stop. Eyes oval in shape and quite nice expression. Ears set a little close together. Quite nice proportions. Moderate, well-balanced angulation. Firm topline. Slightly sloping pasterns and low set hocks. Moves soundly in profile, but rather close behind.

Open Bitch (4,2 & 1 withdrawn)

1st: Hargreaves’ Harbecca Call Me Madam. 11 years and amazing for age. Well-proportioned head with correct skull to muzzle and typical shape. Eyes oval in shape. Ears wide set. Neck is slightly arched. Well angulated fore and aft. Good bone. Deep chest and nice proportions of height to length. Firm topline. Excellent mover for age. Very well handled.

Briard

Puppy (3,2)

1st: Parry’s Stormymoon Vicar. I felt this was a very promising puppy. Coped well with the conditions and his first show I think? Head developing well with enough strength for age and showing good length. Nice strong underjaw. Large eyes which are well set. Good big black nose. Neck of good length. Well angulated fore and aft and nice bone for age. Great shape. Tail set and carriage good. Double dew claws present. When he settled, he displayed an easy, reachy gait. Coat developing well and reasonably dry to touch. BP.

Junior (3,2)

1st: Parry’s Stormymoon Vicar.

Limit (5.3)

1st: Fletcher, Fletcher, Rual Keogh’s Gilcoru Lavin D’Brie with Arrowflec. I felt this was a good honest bitch. Of a nice type with typical head. Reasonably long with skull and muzzle approx. equal in length. Muscular neck. Well angulated shoulders and enough return of upper arm. Deep chest. Good bone. Firm, level topline. Well angulated stifles and double dew claws present. Tail could perhaps be a tad longer with more of a typical upward hook. Just a tad heavy in body. Lovely sound reachy mover, despite the heat.

2nd: Parry’s Zweet Chilli Song Moravia Campanella at Stormymoon (Imp Cze). Quite a nice head for overall shape and balance. Typical expression. Large, horizontally placed eyes. Ears high set and not too close to the sides of the head. Neck medium in length. A little upright in shoulder and upper arm. Good bone. Maybe a tad square in outline. Moderate turn of stifles. Double dew claws present. Tail reaches to hocks. Coat ok for texture. Sound gait, but rather ‘paddling’ in front.

Open (4,2)

1st: Parry’s Ch Stormymoon Untamed Irish. Upstanding dog of good breed type. Well-proportioned head with enough length. Strong muzzle with good underjaw. Large, open eyes which are horizontally placed. Great expression. High set ears, set not too close to the sides of the head. Large black nose. Good length of neck with slight arch. Very well laid shoulders and good return of upper arm. Well boned. Deep chest. Ribs carried well back. Strong, level topline. Well angulated stifles. Good croup and well set tail. Tail reaches to the hocks and has somewhat of a typical upward hook. Double dew claws present. Coat texture ok and typical furnishings. Super flowing mover and as sound as they come. Very nice boy. BOB

2nd: Ledsham’s Touslefell I Have A Dream . A very workmanlike bitch who had many nice breed attributes. Feminine head with good length of skull and muzzle. Strong underjaw giving that desired strength of muzzle without being overdone. Muscular neck. More moderate angulation than 1st, and well balanced throughout. Firm topline. Could perhaps be just a tad longer in body. Deep chest. Well ribbed. Lovely dry coat of correct length. Double dew claws present. Overall, very rugged appearance but maintains femininity. Excellent mover. RBOB.

RBOB Stakes

It may have been a long wait, but what a totally fab class filled with quality. With upwards of 30 present. I made a shortlist of 11 and any would have been very worthy of the win. Thank you all for staying.

1st: Willetts Philoma The Professional. Giant Schnauzer. This dog caught my eye as soon as he entered the ring. What a beautiful outline and balance he has. Already at this age, he has a super masculine head with wonderful expression. Correct proportions of skull and muzzle and showing ideal width. Correct eyebrows and whiskers. Oval, dark and very expressive eyes. Correct ears for shape and set. Moderate length to neck with slight arch. Super angles for the breed. Ideal body displaying correct proportions. Well-muscled and fantastic condition. Well set tail. Coat developing well. Outstanding mover. Loved him. A super star in the making.

2nd: McLure’s Hightimbers Ticket To Dream At Kanukalos. Hovawart. A breed I very much admire and love judging, and this is a very nice one indeed. Powerful looking bitch. Moderately broad skull with correct proportions. Oval, medium dark eyes with typical expression. Triangular ears with gently rounded tips as the standard requires and are set medium high. Lovely to go over with super neck and angulation. Good breadth and depth of ribcage. Well set tail. Super coat and condition and another fantastic mover. Lover her.

3rd: Tarasinska’s Charlotte Wolf In Sheep’s Skin, Samoyed.