Darlington Dog Show Society Ltd

Critique Irish Wolfhounds Darlington 2026

Junior Dog (1)

1st: Extraordinary Enar Of Cubadel At Malinkey 

At 16 months, this dog is still very youthful in his balance and outline, having grown up on legs and now needs to settle into his angulations. He has a well shaped head with pleasing length. Ears could be better. Excellent expression. Long neck. Needs to develop in front angulation and forechest. Reasonable topline standing, but tends to roach on the move. Moderate angulation behind. Coat under development. He needs to stabilize in his movement both ends. 

Post Graduate Dog (3,1)

1st: Rixymanor Major

A strong, masculine, quite majestic dog of very pleasing proportions. He is deep and capacious in his body. Strong, masculine head with a pleasing skull, reasonable ears. Strong neck, well set into a good front, quite well angulated. Deep and capacious chest. Some arch of loin. He tends to fall away more than ideal over the crop which becomes more apparent on the move, and he could extend better in hind movement. Otherwise sound. Excellent coat quality.  

2nd: Bribiba's Highland Prince Of Critaylor 

A very young looking dog, rather upright both ends. Pleasing head and expression. Good ears. Moderate neck. Would like more angulation both ends and a firmer topline. Kept this outline and balance on the move .

Limit Dog (5,1)

1st: Bellanaguna Fingal Boy

 Type-wise with something in hand the best of these dogs. He still looks young for his four years old, but has very pleasing proportions and is shapely in his body. Attractive head with good length. Pleasing expression. Good ears. Long neck, well set. Pleasing front with layback of upper arm and some forechest. Correct dept and width of chest. Well angulated behind. He is definitely not in his best coat and has been stripped down quite recently, but it is somewhat better than what it looks form a distance and there is some harshness to it. Kept his outline and balance on the move and moved quite true coming and going, if sometimes having to take some extra steps in the corners. CC.

2nd: Hydebeck Tyme To Love At Graefyn Jw 

A big strong, imposing dog, very tall and masculine. He has a very pleasing head, masculine with excellent length to it and lovely head planes. Well shaped ears, if not small. Good neck. I would prefer more angulation both ends and more shape to his topline, but he kept himself up quite well on the move. Excellent coat quality. Reasonable mover. 

3rd: Bonaforte's Zippity Do

Open Dog (1)

1st: Ch Fidelio Della Bassa Pavese Caredig

Attractive young dog, yet to reach his very best. He is sighthound like and still strong. Well shaped head, eyes could be darker. Reasonable ears. Good rise of neck, well set. Pleasing topline with arch of loin. Moderately angulated behind. In a good coat. Moved quite well in front, hind action could be more positive and rather proud of his tail. ResCC.

Puppy Bitch (1)

1st: Withheld

2nd: Bivarddi Moon Walker

A very feminine bitch, normally developed for her d\eight months. Refined head with pleasing planes. Lovely expression and temperament. Good ears. Her bite is not acceptable at this age. Quite long neck. Very moderately angulated both ends. Normal depth and width for her age. Good coat quality. Moved medium well from all angles. 

Junior Bitch (3

1st: Excellent Ezra Of Cubadel

A tall bitch, very houndy. I appreciated her type and outline. Typical head with length, excellent profile. Very good rose ears. Long nek, well set. Moderately angulated in her upper arm. Shapely and curvy in her body, covering very good ground. Wel angulated behind. Racy both standing and moving. Very sound in movement coming and going and very well extended from the side as well, at all times carrying herself with pride. ResCC.

2nd: Honoris Caredig Della Bassa Pavese

Another very attractive bitch, scoring in femininity. Not quite as houndy as the winner, but still excellent in most way. Pleasing head, eyes could be darker. Strong and well set neck. Moderately angulated in upper arm as well, and will need to develop some more forechest with age. Otherwise deep and capacious body. Excellent coat quality. Another very sound and well extended mover. Happy to have these two in one class, basically the only class with competition.

3rd: Aquila De La Constellation D'irka Avec Critaylor 

Post Graduate Bitch (2)

1st: Cairnstorm Lullaby JW 

A bitch of medium size, feminine. She has a pleasing head with very good length to it. Rose shaped ears. Medium neck. Deep and capacious body. Very good coat. Could do with some more angulation both ends, but it balanced out and she moved well, especially from the side. 

2nd: Malinkey's Acacia

Quite an elegant bitch with a bit of Deerhound look about her. Long head, not the best expression. Stong neck. Very moderately angulated both ends. In plenty of coat of just acceptable structure. Nedds to stabilize in movement going away. Reasonable from the side. 

Open Bitch (2)

1st: Hydebeck Dream To Love JW 

An instantly attractive bitch from the top drawer, tall and upstanding and covering an ideal amount of ground. Excellent proportions and excels in combining substance with quality. Excellent head and expression. Long neck. Well angulated in front with a good forecehst. Could be slightly stronger in topline both standing and moving, but still has an arch of loin. There is plenty of class and brood bitch quality about her. Very good coat quality. Sound mover from all angles. A comfortable winner today of the CC & BOB.

2nd: Malinkey's Angelica

A bitch who is just enough up on legs, but covers a lot of ground with her body standing. She needs to be more accessible in her temperament. Quite pleasing head. Reasonable ears. Deep chest. Not in the best coat on the day. Her lack of confidence showed up in movement as well, but when she stood well, she put very good weight over her front legs and has that going for her. Still no match for the winner. 

Espen Engh (Norway), judge