London and Provincial Collie Club Open Show 24 February 2019

Smooth Collies.

Thank you to the Committee for giving me my first breed club appointment in this lovely breed. I was thrilled to see that the BIS judge gave BIS/BVIS and RBIS to my winning Smooth Collies.

Post Graduate D/B 1/0
1.Benton’s Oakestelle Artemis. 20 month old blue merle bitch, nice clear blue colour.  Clean,balanced head with rounded foreface and correctly tipped ears. Everything in proportion to give the desired expression.  Good angulation all round and sufficient body for age. She wanted to play on the move but I saw enough to make me think she will have that free, easy movement when she decides to concentrate. She won RBB and RBOB on her better front angulation. RBIS.

Open Dog 2/1
1.Benton & Wood’s Ch Vivaldi Oakestelle.  5 year old tri, all male. Another with a lovely clean head and good expression. Well ribbed , good topline, kept on the move. Well arched neck, moved well. BOS.

Open Bitch 4/1
1.Benton’s Ch Alopex Marionette of Oakestelle. 10 year old blue merle bitch I have judged before and I gave her BOB then too. She is showing her age slightly on her face and dentition but she still has a beautiful head and expression, brought about by the correct placement of stop, eyes and ears and is well angulated throughout. She showed her descendants how to move with that beautiful free, easy action. BOB/BVIB and I was so pleased to find she won BIS/BVIS.
2. Benton’s Venus de Milo. 5 year old blue merle, daughter of the winner. She has her mother’s lovely head and expression and is a very striking bitch. She is well bodied and moved well but did not have the reach of her mother. She, along with the whole entry, had lovely dense correct coats.
3. Benton & Bemelman’s Oakestelle Asteria. Tri bitch of 20 months, litter sister to the winner of PG, and many of the same remarks reply. She is well made but lacked maturity in this class. Moved well.

Judge  Brenda Piears