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Judge's Critique - Dogs

The Bearded Collie Club Championship Show - 6th December 2003

I was honoured to judge dogs at the Bearded Collie Club Championship Show on December 6th in Hereford.  Thank you to my Stewards, who kept the pot boiling all day.

A good entry of males with the usual mix of good, bad and indifferent.  My final line-up proved that quality animals are around, but in the minority I’m afraid.  A staggering 75% had short ribs – this must be addressed quickly.

In this working breed correct construction is paramount if the dog is to be capable of doing a day’s work.  Short ribs are not deep enough, and heart and lungs are thus short of space.  This is not rocket science, but so clearly stated in the Breed Standard.  Common sense must say that if the breed is to stay a healthy working dog, more attention must be paid to correct construction.  Look at the origin of the breed and then you should understand why the dog should fit the blue print.

Many people have worked hard for many generations to keep this lovely breed as it should be – remember that today’s owner/breeders are only the caretakers and the object of the exercise is to leave the breed as good as, or better, than when they came in.  The next generation does need to inherit a dog resembling the Breed Standard.

More attention must go to heads and mouths.  Long narrow noses leave little room for ‘large white teeth’.  Long narrow noses usually go with narrow back-skulls.  The Breed Standard says; Skull broad, flat and square, etc. 

However, there were many descent dogs who oozed breed type.  Lovely quality dogs who moved effortlessly around, and presented a very pleasing picture.

Minor Puppy

  1. Cornthwaite’s Braddabrook Jive.  Very nice balanced puppy who was sound and in good coat.  Very good shoulders.
  2. Atkins/Charles’ Coalacre Cruisin’.  Not as advanced as 1, but a good headed puppy.  Another with correct shoulders.  Moved OK and needs a lot of time.
  3. Murphy’s Calston Master Jake.  Old fashioned type.  Good head and OK throughout.  Sound mover.

Puppy

  1. Morrant’s Elemark’s Jubilo.  Biggish pup.  Very good shoulders and hind quarters.  Correct length of rib and balanced head.  Needs to broaden both ends.  Moved OK, but apprehensive of the floor, which did not improve in his further six classes, which resulted in him eventually being beaten by another puppy.
  2. Emmingham’s Willowmead Perfect Class.  Lovely type, good all through.  Moved soundly but without enthusiasm, luckily this improved in his other classes.
  3. Bedford’s Willowmead Master Class.  Litter sibling to 2.  Lovely dark eye and expression.  Head needs to strengthen, but a nice pup.  Moved very well

Special Veteran

  1. Wilding’s Ch Bendale Love Me Do Nearly 9 years brown in splendid coat. Good length of neck going into well laid shoulder, covered the ground with ease.
  2. Kevis’ Arranbourne Mystic Cloves 8 year old dark slate that excels in eye colour and pigment. Good shoulder placement. Moved well.
  3. Moorhouse’s Barkly Bagatelle of Willowmead 9 year slate. Well muscled. Covered the ground well.

Special Vintage

  1. Farrar’s Odderwood Graptolite.  The star of the show!  All three dogs were in good shape and looked well.  This is a long lasting breed and these dogs showed this to be true.  The winner was fleet footed and could go all day; in fact he had to, but his excellent construction and good sound joints, combined with his fitness and muscle tone, carried him to the CC and made him a worthy Champion.  Well done, BOS.
  2. Brooks & Grundy’s CH Braddabrook Botzaris At Fraglestone.  Top quality dog that I have admired over a long period.  Performed excellently, but could not compete with 1 today.  101⁄2 years.
  3. Holmes’ Edenborough The World Over.  12 years.  Completed a good trio.

Junior

  1. Buchanan-Hislop’s Ciopar Celtic Razzle’s Boy.  Stunning 17 months dog.  Has everything in the right places.  Excellent mover, covering plenty of ground.  Very fit and well muscled.  Coat not at its best, but he is a junior and had obviously carried a very big coat.  Sadly, was not the same dog in the challenge, where he looked tired and fed-up!  No doubt he had travelled a long way and enough was enough.
  2. Karet’s Catsun Wraine Stops Play.  Taller dog, but good breed type.  Good shoulders and hind quarters, and correct rib.  Balanced head and sound scopey mover.  His only hiccup was meeting the first dog.
  3. Burscough’s Kilfinan Blue Moon.  Quality puppy.  Smaller than the first two, but so very correct.  Excellent angles and fit and sound.  Very good mover, but erratic.  Improved in later classes.

Special Yearling

  1. Pickup’s Bendale Time After Time.  Beautiful dog.  Strong balanced head with dark eye.  Correct all over.  Fit and muscled.  Pleasant temperament.  Very good mover.  Handler sympathetic to his dog.  Keep trying.
  2. Burfitt’s Breaksea Revolution.  Quality dog again, very well made with a strong head.  Good mover and well handled.
  3. Deering’s Tralynker One To Remember.  Smallish dog – hope he grows on and he is a very correct dog, and a super mover.

Maiden

  1. Kilfinan Blue Moon.  Handler change improved him.
  2. Willowmead Perfect Class.
  3. Rolleston’s Kelham Stormin’ Norman.  Reserve in Junior.  Nice youngster who needs time.

Novice

  1. Kilfinan Blue Moon.
  2. Willowmead Perfect Class.
  3. Kelham Stormin’ Norman.

Debutant

  1. Kilfinan Blue Moon.
  2. Kelham Stormin’ Norman.

Graduate

  1. Bendale Time After Time.
  2. Whitham’s Edenborough Lives On At Maxmorton.  Very typey dog.  Correctly made, but could have more muscle.  Sound mover, but could extend better to look really good.
  3. Wilding’s Bendale Special Times JW.  Bigger dog with good construction.  Very good mover, handled to advantage.

Post Graduate

  1. Glasspool’s Leamedo Weaver O’Dreams For Gildenmede JW.  Beautiful dog.  Very well angled at both ends.  Didn’t move as well as his construction said he should, but he is a very good, sound dog.
  2. Tennear’s Wilsons Maximillion Of Kirstancourt.  Another lovely correct dog who also was a very sound, free mover.  Well handled by a junior.
  3. Burtenshaw’s Pelido Ultimate Dream JW.  Completed a very good trio of quality dogs.  Shown too fat which made him roll.

Mid Limit

  1. Hines’ Diotima Sea Wolf At Ramsgrove JW.  Beautiful dog, immaculately presented.  Good both ends.  Balanced head with dark eye giving a good expression.  Moved soundly and well.
  2. Holmes’ Magedad Anakin Skywalker.  Very nice and correctly made.  Very good mover, however, he fidget and fussed and didn’t help himself, but his breed type gained him this place.
  3. Bedford’s Willowmead Simply An Angel.  Taller dog who isn’t finished yet.  Would like to see him stronger in some parts.  Moved well.

Limit

  1. Yeates’ Odderwood Glencoe.  A stunning dog from any angle.  Super to go over and very well presented.  Excellent reachy mover until he decided to slow down, but a quality dog from any angle.
  2. Littleboy’s Littlehaven Alan-A-Dale.  Workanlike very fit dog.  Lovely head and front.  Excellent mover.
  3. Magedad Anakin Skywalker.

Open

What a wonderful class.  To win here they had to be foot perfect.

  1. Peirson’s CH Kiltondale McAuley JW.  Well known dog who looked and went very well.  Beautifully presented and handled.
  2. Burscough’s Kilfinan Country Rover.  Correct dog who looked short courtesy of his profuse coat.  To go over he is super, and another fit, muscled dog who moved well.
  3. Lavine’s CH Yawden Absolute.  An old favourite of mine who is still as good as he was when younger.  Carrying too much weight today, which affected his usual flowing movement.

Special Open

  1. Wilding’s CH Bendale That’s My Boy JW.  Having judged him as a Junior I was interested to go over him as a mature dog.  He has improved and looked so good here.  Very sound mover.
  2. Willowmead Class Act JW
  3. Rawson’s Deedledee Honest Joe.  Went very well for his change of handler.  His name is correct, he is an honest dog.

 Pat Jones (Judge)

BIS was the Bitch, Ardensax Angelina.

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