My sincere thanks to the L&C Collie Club for their invitation to judge this show. Great to be back to our hobby with some signs of normality in this suitable, dog friendly and very useful venue for the occasion. My general overview of the entry and I guess the breed in general right now is the extreme variation of type which was not so defined in the past as being one way or the other. Type, then, had more stability and although there was variation, all were closer to a middle line. I feel this is a point needing to be considered to make the Collie breed ‘whole’ again.
MPD 1 Blake Corydon Krug, nicely balanced with excellent substance for age and in good coat of a dense black. Clean head and cheeks which overall is balanced, well filled about the muzzle leading quite straight through to a flat skull and well placed ears. Nicely set dark eyes giving a pleasing expression. Excellent neck and topline, well angulated with a good stance. Moved sound and easy with well carried tail. BPD. 2 Gregory And Mclarty Phreelancer Phinal Salute, sw with similar head pattern and flat skull, beautiful expression from dark almond shaped eyes and correct neat ears. Overall appears slightly square at present and needs to drop in angulation, in excellent condition and moved out soundly. 3 Lusty Blamorder The Hijacker.
PD 1 Milligan & Marley Alfsden He Lives In You, well coated, nicely marked and coloured bm, head masculine, quite strong but balanced, dark well placed eyes, defined stop and excellent ears, filled muzzle and flat, well filled skull, excellent neck and topline with substance all through, good angles, moved out with purpose keeping tail low. 2 Blake Demelewis Silver Spur At Corydon, another good quality male, leaner headed with well placed, fuller eyes, just not giving the expression as ears, although nicely placed have a heavier tip over. Excellent outline with good substance and body fitting coat which is well marked but darker colour. Moved out with a good stride. 3 Tipper Tiganlea Twist And Turn
JD 1 Hanson Jards Ring Presence, much bigger, substantial male in excellent coat and condition. Nicely balanced in head with many correct features being well filled in muzzle and skull with a slight stop rising to the flat skull and excellent ears, dark, well placed almond eyes complete the picture of a Collie. Strong and deep in body with fitting coat he moved out freely but needs stronger control to get the best from him. Long, well set tail, carried a bit too high at times. 2 Harvey Afterglow, Invocation plainer dog of medium size with lovely outline standing. Lean head, almond eyes which showed a lack of depth around rims in pigmentation colour, well set ears, good body and a new coat of deep mahogany coming through. Nicely angulated and moved with ease. 3 Boyle’s Monsolana Aspire To Inspire Over Barrenclough (IMP RUS) Naf,Taf
MD 1 C.Krug. 2 Growcott Lillyway Legacy, medium sized tric with dense black coat. Head shorter with deep stop and high skull, cobbier all through with good substance, moved ok.
ND 1 Demelewis Silver Spur At Corydon. 2 Dix Barrenclough Diamond Skies, leaner headed s/w good outline standing, head could be more masculine, well placed dark eyes, ears a shade heavy and wide. Good substance for size, moved ok. 3 Milligan Marley Alfsden Endless Night.
GD 1 Garside Demelewis Gang Leader. 2 Leese Essenjay Fields Of Gold 2yo. Stronger, heavier type and very overweight. Good head style, eyes dark but very full, good ears, harsh coat. Really needs to lose weight. 3 Brightmore Millubie Razzmatazz (Imp.serb).
PG 1 Gregory & Mclarty Phreelancer Phortunes Leap, medium sized s/w in excellent coat and condition but like so many today could lose a bit of weight to advantage. Very pleasing, balanced head presenting the features asked for in the standard, well placed, dark eyes which are just a shade full, excellent ears. Topline could have a fraction more length to it but is well angulated with good substance and moved freely. 2 Leslie Eden Of Phenomenon At Intermittent Lake (Imp. Slov), quite a pleasing dog unfortunate to meet 1. Head well balanced and of a lovely type, dark, well placed eyes and neat ears, good outline, well angulated and with free movement, rather between coats right now which took the edge off him. 3 Allsopp Aqualita Its A Miracle.
LD 1 Jones Brooklynson Black Diamond With Dancol tric, all male I have done well in past. Masc in appearance, balanced head with good fill to muzzle and skull, good proportions all through, well placed, dark, almond eyes, ears a shade wide. Excellent neck and topline with some length and clean lines enhanced by deepest black, harsh, body-fitting coat and good tail set and carriage, just a bit soft in movement going round. 2 Bluck Phreelancer Chill Phactor For Elshajo, very attractive bm, again all male in outlook. Balanced in head which has enough length, well placed stop, dark eyes give a good expression and neat, top of head ears are always alert. Full white collar enhances a good neck and his topline is firm, well angulated and with good substance, sound, free mover. New coat coming through is harsh and of a good, clear colour, just needs a little more time and maturity to reach his best. 3 Tipper Tiganlea Turning Blue.
OD 1 Cronk Int.ch.skabona The Gambler At Chelborn (Imp.SWE). I found this fully mature tric to be my surprise package of the day, masculine yet not overdone, sound, steady mover presented in excellent coat and condition. I found his head to be well balanced with correctly placed and sufficient stop, correctly placed dark eyes and neat ears gave a very pleasing expression. Excellent substance all through a firm, well ribbed body with good spring and depth and some length to back, good angles fore and aft with hocks well let down and standing firmly into the ground. I wished for a little more length to his tail but he carried it correctly. He went around with ease and balance CC BOB BIS. 2 Wall Ir.ch. Hawkfields Return To Sender To Joshren At Daliyhaa, another fully mature tric of a leaner style in super condition. Clean in head with correct parallel planes from muzzle through slight stop to skull. Correctly placed dark eyes, small, neat ears present a soft, appealing expression. Excellent balance in outline and angulation with good substance, body fitting coat of good colour and condition completes the picture. Moved soundly with ease and correct tail carriage, giving the impression of a fit, working dog. Res.CC. 3 Randall Ladnar Mustriharder.
VD 1 Ch. Tiganlea Too Good To Be Forgotten 8y.o. s/w in excellent form. Still retains quality and good fill of head, good expression, neat ears, lovely coat and condition, well made body with good angulation and moved sound and true. 2/ Clare Bluchip Solar Storm Of Skyeshelm, 10yo tric, very neat and well made, medium size, nicely balanced with well filled muzzle and skull (something I noted was missing in the majority today) ears just a shade wide, excellent body and good substance all through, moved easy and true. Great for his age. 3 Vogan Lenosann Midnight Rascal.
Edit........I would like to apologise to Mrs Garside for my omission of the critique on her dog at L&C where he won 1st in Grad dog....as follows :- 1/ Garside DENELEWIS GANG LEADER 21mths s/w Nicely balanced all through, good neck and topline, well angulated. Not in best coat right now but lots of promise for the future. Clean, balanced head of correct proportions, slight stop and good foreface, skull could be better filled. Moved out with a good stride and purpose.
