CRUFTS 1998 BEARDED COLLIE BITCHES

Judge Jo Pickford.

All judges long for this day to come around, to have the honour of officiating at Crufts. From the day that 'letter' drops through the door up till the Big Day, anticipation at the quality of the dogs for you to go over is exciting. then with an entry of 192 bitches, it was so disappointing that in the first 5 classes I only had 6 0r 7 that I thought worthy of being shown at Championship level, and only after those classes did the quality with quantity improve.

I have to say that it is becoming the accepted 'norm' that straight shoulders are correct, that poor pigment is acceptable and that trimming of feet is a must and in a few cases full coat sculpture is necessary. Muscle tone has almost gone out of the window, remember this is essentially a working dog in show condition, not a show dog who couldn't even round-up a flock of cuddly toys.

Where have the conscientious breeders gone, all too often inferior bitches are being bred from, bitches who would not even win at a sanction show are taken to well known stud dogs whose ownders no longer seem to care if the lines are suitable or not, the whole idea of breeding is to improve on the breed, not to produce a greater quantity of inferior beardies. Yes we might have headed the working group with 364 animals, but in reality we should have had perhaps half that number. Please be honest with yourself in future, if your dog is not worthy of being bred from, then don't breed from it.

On the plus side, I was more than delighted with my placed dogs and all of the winners I feel have a rosy future, and in the Mid. Limit and Open classes a lot of excellent animals had to go cardless. I would like to thank everyone for their entry, I had a wonderful day albeit very tiring. What a pleasant surprise to have Mrs. Willison's (Bothkennar Beardies) daughter Wendy and her husband Jim at the ringside cheering me on.

Puppy Bitch (16)

1. Nunley's Custom Maid for Brenriga. This little girl has all the qualities of both her sire Ch. Brenriga Double Take and her dam Ch. Diotima Grace Darling. I fully expect her to go far, she is such a sweetie, with a very feminine head and expression with a nice dark eye, good shoulders, correct ribcage, level topline and nice hind angulation. Had a preference to bounce rather than walk, but when she settled down, she had a lovely free flowing movement. BEST PUPPY.

2. Bett's Pipadene Postscript. Baby in baby coat, but good texture coming through, full of animation, which is nice to see, good head and sweet expression, nice body shap sound in movement.

3. Pedder's Osmart She's Silver Slippers. Pretty blue, almost silver, as her name suggests, pale eye to tone with coat, good harsh texture, well presented, good overall shape, pleasing to the eye, sound movement. These three made up a nice trio of babies.

Junior Bitch (28)

1.Tomlinson's Coalacre First Lady. Nice fitting jacket on this harsh coated baby, sweet head and expression, good reach of neck, well laid shoulders, nice ribcage good level topline, angulation good in hindquarters. Sound movever both fore and aft.

2.Hard's Runival Loch Ba. Although different coat colour, very similar in all other aspects as winner, just not the same free movement as 1.

3.Robinson's Charncroft Copper Promise. Another nice baby with good coat texture, and body shape, nice head and pigment, not too over awed with the occasion.

Yearling Bitch (30)

1.Spurrier's Woodacre Wynter Star at Geliland. Very much in the style of her sire Ch. Geliland Star of the Screen. She has a lot of ring presence and was superbly handled, still short of coat but very harsh in texture. Sweet head and expression, nice reach of neck, well laid shoulders, correct ribcage, level topline, nice hindquarters with a good driving action. Would expect her to go far.

2. Paton's Claudalla Clara Barley. Nice feminine girl, good body shape with enquiring expression, this one I liked very much, but not quite as sound on the move as the winner.

3. Stevens' Whistbrae Rula. Presentation could have been better with this very nicely made little girl, full of personality. I would imagine is fun to live with, well put together and well muscled, movement good when settled down.

Under Graduate Bitch (30)

1. Canty's Hamble Highlight of Bargemon. What a gorgeous 2 year old this girl is, very much in junior coat still, but what a show girl. She has all the qualities to go far if nothing drastic happens. Very pleasing to go over, nice haed and expression well laid shoulders, good topline and nice sound movement.

2. Aughey's Aughenaird Bonnie Jean. A very nice dark slate girl, old fashioned in coat but correct, in nice hard condition, beautiful dark eye, good neck, well laid shoulders with correct ribcage, nice hindquarters, lovely movement.

3. Molly's Silviana Bookbinders' Girl. This pretty girl made up a nice trio, she has a nice feminine head with sweet expression, well laid shoulders, good topline, nice hind angulation, sound mover.

Graduate Bitch (16)

1. Jay's Talraz Passion Fruit. Very much in the mould of her mother Talraz Tutti Frutti who I also like. Coat texture very good but not settled, showed to perfection, nice feminine head, good pigment, shoulders and topline, nicely agnulated in the rear, moved very soundly.

2. Mangnall & Burfitt's Breaksea Imagine. Nice head and expression, good construction all round, lovely topline, sound on the move, in mid coat at the moment, showed and handled well.

3. Tidmarsh's Tambora's Peggy Sue. Lovely dark brown girl, with nice eye colour, sweet expression, nice head and shoulders with good topline, moved very soundly. Free standing this girl at the moment does her no favours.

Post Graduate Bitch (23)

1. Brooks' Bryonyhill Fondant Fancy at Fraglestone. Have liked this one since she was a puppy and was pleased with what I found on going over her. Sweet expression, very feminine little girl, well blanced, with good shoulder placement and correct ribcage very sound on the move. Pleased to award her first place.

2. O'Connell's Atherleigh Airs'N Graces. Not as mature as the winner, but nice body shape, good coat texture, nice movement fore and aft.

3. Harry's Bellasara Bryson. Very nice girl to go over, in good condition, nice outline, coat texture with sound movement, correctly proportioned.

Mid Limit Bitch (19)

1. Cope's Coalacre Illusion. Very feminine girl of good proprtions and in excellent coat condition, not one I have seen before, very pleasing to go over, nicely angulated hindquarters gave her excellent drive, she was in consideration with the top honours on the day.

2. Newton's Silvabrae Savanna Sunset. Pretty brown girl, with most excellent coat condition, very pleasing head and eye, good shoulders, level topline, nicely constructed moved well in front, slightly erratic in hind movement.

3. Appleby's Natterjack's Just Perfect for Diotima. Pleasing slate girl with nice dark eye to tone with coat colour, good pigment, nice overall balance and smooth mover.

Limit Bitch (27)

1. (CC) Nicholls-Ward & Nicholls Bumbleridge Winter Wish. This delightful very dark slate girl headed an excellent class. I was pleased to award her her first CC. She has such good overall balance and ring presence, she took my eye from being a baby and I have watched her from the ringside on a few occasions and was not disappointed on going over her. She has an excellent coat for one so dark, with gorgeous dark eyes and an enchanting expression. Her movement free and faultless and handled to perfection. she certainly has plenty of style.

2. (Res. CC) Wilding's Bendale Love Me Do. A lovely complimentary reserve to the winner. What a gorgeous brown girl, showed to perfection, as I would expect from this handler, although I've never seen liver kept in the handlers' mouth before. Beautifully constructed with lovely movement, coat in excellent order, it was very difficult for me to decide between the two.

3. Bett's Pipadene Once Upon a Time. Yet another very well balanced brown, nice movement, lovely eye colour, good in shoulders, ribcage and topline. Three very nice animals.

Open Bitch (28)

1. White's Ch. Moonhill's Classy Business. Still classy at nearly seven years old this dark blue girl moved with drive round the ring, she actually appealed more to me on the move than when standing. Handled expertly as usual well worthy of her title.

2. Hudson's Barkly Prima Donna. This very dark slate girl appealed to me as soon as I went over her, lovely outline, well balanced and moved with drive, nice and free both fore and aft. Lovely coat texture and well presented, good dark eye with sweet expression, was very pleased to award her 2nd place in such a strong class.

3. Waldron's Ch. J'Aime De Chester at Snowmead. Beautiful brown girl, in excellent coat, very pleasing to go over. Good Eye colour toning with coat, nice level topline, well balanced. Nice hind driving action but her front movement let her down on the day.

Veteran Bitch (16)

None of these dogs should be classed as veterans - Beardies do not age until they are at least 10 years old. All the exhibits could have easily done a good days' work and still, no doubt, out walk their handlers.

1. Syzling's Potterdale Karisma of Maraval. Beautifully handled and presented, this dark slate girl moved round the ring with drive and determination and was a pleasure to go over.

2. Appleby's Ch. Diotima With Grace. Another slate of excellent construction very well balanced, good head and expression, strong movement, clearly out moved her handler today.

3. Buckley's Holtend Clemintina. Not is as good coat condition as the other two, but very well muscled and moved in a very workwoman like way round the ring, very pleasing outline.