Collie Association
24.11.19
Rough collie bitches

Many thanks to the committee for the kind invitation to judge once again for them. The new secretary Sheila Telford and her team ran a super show, the hall looked looked lovely on arrival, very Christmassy!

This was the 30th occasion on which I have awarded CCs to the breed I have dedicated my life to - having been passed by the KC in 1970. I first judged at the CA in 1985 and awarded the DCC to Coldamar Wor Geordie, his first from Junior, in 2001 I judged bitches and awarded a first CC to Ingledene Late Nite Love, again from Junior.

The entries and quality were much higher in those days. Looking through the catalogue I observed that the copious amount of imports that seem so popular with you all these days have done little to improve today’s Collie, with on or two exceptions of course.

Always remember this is the country of origin and strive to breed Collies otjers can be proud of. Through the entry I found the most prevalent fault to be the lack of chin and underjaw, so many exhibits showing teeth when looking up at the judge. Without this you will not achieve the lovely fill and roundness of foreface so desirable.

Movement ranged from adequate to good, a spanking mover being the exception rather than the rule, which it should be in a working dog.

On the plus side coats and presentation were very good and the lack of ski-slope stops was a joy to behold.

Veteran (4,1) 1 Harrison’s Ch Cariadhaf Candy Kisses. Quality in head and eye, very pretty colour, good outline, lovely coat and condition, decent mover. BVIS.
2 Newton’s Fiorcara Sweet Rhapsody. Liked her head and type very much, showed in gleaming coat and lovely condition. Movement very slack behind.
3 Macdonald’s Rossavon Dream Come True.

Minor Puppy (11,3)
1 Edwards’ Elshajo Adored. Very glamorous golden sable, very pretty head with good ears and lovely eye and expression, would like a little more chin. Beautiful coat, condition and presentation. Best mover in the class, by the time it came to the challenge she was tired and just didn’t try - a pity.
2 McDade’s Lyndale Illusion of Love. Another golden sable with a touch of class about her. Nice type of head but could get her ears tighter, well constucted, decent mover.
3 Shipp’s Perfect Decision de Clos de Sea Wind.

Puppy (5)
1 Blaikie’s Kourika Krystal Ice. Blue merle who is beautifully marked but colour needs to clear a touch, very nice type of head with a good eye and lovely ears. Good neck and construction, wealth of well presented coat, moved well. Best Puppy Bitch.
2 Margett’s Lynmead Lemonade for Collingvale. Blue merle of poor colour, found her too fine all through and lacking chin and foreface, has a decent coat, good showgirl but movement not the best.
3 Spendelow’s Uffspring Undecided.

Junior (6,1)
1 Barron and Jenkins’ Tiganlea Twinkling Sapphire at Rannaleroch. Blue merle whose colour must clear. Decent head but skull needs to flatten and ears could be tighter. Good neck and decent outline, decent mover, not in her best coat.
2 Iley’s Arklethill Delilah at Ileyda, golded sable with a beautiful head and expression, so well moulded with super eye and ears. Good neck, lovely body, not in full coat and stands so badly behind, tail can spoil her outline on the move.
3 Margett’s Lynmead Lemonade for Collingvale.

Yearling (5,3)
1 Patman and Grainger’s Samhaven Sound Effects. Lovely type golden sable with a correct stop and good ears, decent neck and outline, lovely coat and condition. Decent, handler must learn to help her more.
2 Iley’s Call Me Dreamer in Blue for Ileyda della Verde Scozia, blue merle who is so well marked but colour must clear. Liked her head but ears could be tighter, decent mover, not in the best condition.

Novice (3,1) 1 Lockyer’s Pure Black Beauty de Clos de Seawind for Gataj. Very shapely tri with lovely balance to her outline, liked her head but ears tip a little too much/ Good neck, good coat, very disappointed with her movement.
2 Spendelow’s Uffspring Undecideed. She was third in Puppy, beautifully presented tri with a lovely expression, skull needs to flatten. Decent shape and lovely coat, hind movement very poor.

Graduate (8,2)
1 Mitchell and Jordan’s Sottlyme Qkissagram for Avonfair, golden sable shown in lovely coat and condition. Quality head with lovely eye and ears, but too much stop. Good neck and decent outline, super showgirl, decent mover.
2 McCarte’s Beldones Fun N Games at Roughrigg. Shaded sable with good foreface and chin and nice eye, ears could be tighter and needs more neck, lovely body and coat, decent mover.
3 Margett’s Lynmead Lemonade for Collingvale.

Post Graduate (13,6)
1 Walders’ Hanvale Polly Shelby, liked this very pretty golden sable a lot, lovely head with correct stop, chin and mouded foreface, lovely eye and expression and ears in the right place. Good neck and well constructed outline, lovely coat and and condition, very good mover, the consumate shorgirl. Res CC, well done.
2 Jones and Blackburn’s Erjon Esmay, well coated tricolour, head is typy but carries too much stop and ears could be tighter. Good conformation but tends to drop her topline at times. Decent mover.
3 Beaden and Arrowsmith’s Saganan Blue Diamond.

Mid Limit (9,2)
1 Edwards very glamorous golden sable, Top Less Golmania, so pretty in every way, lovely head with good eye and ears, could show a little better though. Lovely neck, good outline, lovely body, coat and condition. Good mover, would just like a little more of her all all over.
2 Walker and Ritchie’s Beldones Baby Think Twice at Starlenga. Beautifully coloured and marked merle, head is quite pleasing but ears could be higher. Little upright in front and needs more neck. Lovely body, coat and condition. Moves a touch close behind.
3 Margett’s Collingvale Chardonnay.

Limit (7)
1 Jones and Blackburn’s Erjon Exclusively Special, and special she is. Good coloured blue who excels in neck and outline. Good length of leg too,liked her head very much, long and refined with chin and lovely moulding, neat ears in the right place. Very sound on the move, fitted jacket in good order. Very close up in the final awards.
2 Newham’s Phreelancers Phaith Hill, liked this tri colour a lot too, well balanced head with super foreface and chin, nice eyes, good ears. Again a lovely neck nd outline, super bone yet feminine, fitted coat in lovely condition. Good moving - very close decision.
3 Shipp’s Gillyflower Della Buca Delle Fate.

Open (9,1)
1 Boyle’s Arklethill Helena. Quality golden sable shown in in full coat and condition and beautifully presented. Very feminine, head is refined with good foreface and stop, clean cheeks and flat skull, lovely eyes and good ears giving a most gentle expression. Decent neck, good body and topline, well balanced outline, on the move, she has such a good reach in front and a sound rear, won this class with a bit in hand. In the challenge, despite her handler’s best efforts to impede her, she pulled out all the stops herself and won a well deserved third CC, very well done, she looked lovely going round.
2 Hodge’s Jopium Love Heart. This shaded sable had the best underjaw, chin and foreface of the day. Pleasing eyes too, a little too much stop and ears could be much tighter. Decent neck, lovely body, found her a touch low on leg, a little over-coated but it was beautifully presented and movement not the best.
3 Walder’s Ch Beldones La Vita Bella for Hanvale.

Derek Smith