CRUFTS 10.3.22 COLLIES (ROUGH) BITCHES CRITIQUE

It was such an honour to receive the invitation for this prestigious appointment, especially following both my parents. Those who know me know that I come from a 100-year-plus family background in the breed. Coupled with my career in education I have a passion for promoting this most beautiful of breeds – the only one with the words “Appears as a dog of great beauty” as the very first words of the Breed Standard.

This Standard is SO important as it has not changed much in my entire lifetime, and the main points have remained the same since the first one was written in 1881. Thus, I was looking for a bitch who was well balanced, appeared to be capable of working and was absolutely sound. If she had a beautiful head with the desirable flat skull and slight but perceptible stop, then that would be the icing on the cake.

As a judge at this most public of shows I felt it was my duty to the public perception of the breed to uphold the Breed Standard above all else – fashions, types and trends. They come and go – but the Breed Standard remains the same. Sadly, our breed is currently not well-perceived by the pet buying general public. The KC Registrations show this with the dramatic fall from 6000 plus a year to 600, in less than 30 years. The evidence is clear.

The pet buying public used to love “Lassie”, and the easily-groomed dogs of the 1960s and 70s were perfect for them. However, the over-coated unsound animals that dominated the show scene thereafter destroyed the public confidence – the repeat puppy owners chose another breed and our numbers dropped. If we want to stop these numbers dropping further into vulnerable levels, then judges MUST uphold the Breed Standard above all else. Thanks must go to my hard-working stewards and to the exhibitors for their entries and their sartorial endeavours. I found 2 major issues in the entry this year – dirty teeth and obesity.

Veteran (12, 1)
1 st : Flower’s SERENLAS OBSESSION. 8 ½ year old shaded sable in wonderful coat, sparklingly presented. Her construction was perfectly balanced fore and aft, enabling her to move with forward reach and rear drive. To be picky I would have preferred her to be in firmer body condition, which would have helped firm up her top-line on the move – but she was more on her toes and moved out better in the Challenge than she did in the class. Her head was well balanced, with excellently-carried ears and a lovely dark eye and sweet expression, but I would like a little more moulding of foreface and skull. In the Challenge she dominated the ring and could not be denied her crowning CC. Congratulations!
2 nd : Burrows CH TIGANLEA TINKERBELL AT REVDVICKI. This bitch had the head qualities the winner lacked, but was lacking in the coat, presentation and overall balance of the winner. She had a beautiful quality balanced head with a melting expression. I would prefer better shoulder angulation, which limited her forward reach on the move, but she was in well-muscled body condition.
3 rd : Cook & Watkins ANIESH FOREVER BLUE WITH WHATACOO. This beautifully coloured and marked b/m was just coming into new fresh coat, and won this place on her fitness and soundness.

Minor Puppy (4,0)
This was my favourite class of the day – a good omen for the future.
1 st : White’s MEJOLA MAIN EVENT. Almost 9 month s/w with so much to offer that she stood out in this class of top quality minor puppies. Her overall balance, condition and correct conformation and angulation were a joy to behold. Then she added a head with such refinement already – moulded foreface, flat skull, clean through the cheeks, no ugly depth or breadth in back skull and a slight but perceptible stop. Plus perfect ears and a beautiful obliquely-set dark eye giving such an intelligent and knowing expression for such a baby. Then she moved, and it all came together wonderfully. She shone in the challenge and I was delighted to award her the RCC, BPB and she topped it off with BPIB. What a start! One to watch.
2 nd : Walker, Walker & Ritchie’s STARLENGA NINA SIMONE. A beautifully coloured elegant and feminine b/m with a gorgeous head, eye and expression. Just a little steep in upper arm at the moment, which affected her forward reach on the move. Such a lot to like about her.
3 rd ; Wray-Ramsden’s TAKHISIS MIDSUMMER DAWN. This elegant s/w won this placing on her soundness, as I preferred the more finished and moulded head of the Reserve. However, this young lady moved with power and bounce as well as reach and drive.

Puppy (5, 1)
1 st : Randall’s LADNAR IZADORABLE Immaculately presented, beautifully coloured b/m. I have not seen her for a few months and she has really started to grow into herself. Her head is of a shorter type, but it was balanced and her ears were in constant use. She was well handled and well-muscled. Once again, just lacking in that shoulder angulation which limited her forward reach, but she is still growing and developing very nicely indeed.
2 nd : Growcott’s LILLYWAY LEMON BREEZE. Jet black tri of a shorter style, but really well presented and well balanced in head. Her lovely dark eye and alert ears gave her a sweet expression. She was correctly angulated fore and aft, just needed a little more length in back and a bit of weight off to enhance her elegance. She moved soundly.
3 rd Skalin’s SKABONA BECAUSE I’M WORTH IT. This b/m was almost too elegant – such lovely angulation but just a little too much length in back. She needs to fill out in head and body, but time is on her side.

Junior (10, 3) 1
st : Jones & Blackburn’s ERJON EBONY JEWELS. I loved the attitude of this young tri – standing four-square on a long lead, demanding to be noticed. I would prefer her head to be cleaner through the cheeks, but her dark eye and alert ears gave her a lovely expression. She was in excellent muscle, but just at the teenage coat stage. She floated around the ring on a loose lead. Wonderful to see.
2 nd : Perrott’s GATAJ ONE MOMENT IN TIME. This s/w was also in her summer coat, but her elegant confirmation was there for all to see. She had a well-balanced and moulded head with a lovely expression. She was fit and moved soundly. Just lacking the finish of the winner.
3 rd : Burrows’ COLOUR MY WORLD VON DER ISCHLERBAHN ST REVDVICKI (ARAF) (IMP AUS). I found this tri a little square in outline, but I liked her well-balanced and moulded head. She used herself well and had a keen expression. She moved well behind, but lacked forward reach which caused her to crab slightly on the move.

Yearling (8, 1)
1 st : Hawkins and Foy’s BELDONES MAGICAL BLISS. This s/w had a really lovely top-quality, well-balanced head with super moulding of foreface and a flat skull, excellent dark eye and correct ear set, giving her a beautiful expression. Her confirmation was well-balanced also, and she was well-muscled and moved soundly. I would prefer less coat, which obscured her elegance for me. However, her overall quality could not be denied.
2 nd : Tabbarrini’s FARM TALE BY INCANTAMONTE. This young Italian s/w was a fantastic mover, but was sadly not in coat at the moment. Her head was delightful – well-balanced and moulded with excellent ears and a feminine expression.
3 rd : GATAJ ONE MOMENT IN TIME.

Post Graduate (12, 2)
1 st : Dahne’s IZZY AUS DEMORANKEGARTEN. I liked this tri’s expression very much – I have always found tricolours have the hardest time with expression, as their eye needs to be so dark and well placed and shaped for it to work well – something that sables and blues can get away with more. Anyway, this girl’s stunning expression grabbed me from the moment I first saw her. She was also extremely fit and moved so soundly. I would have preferred her coat to be better presented.
2 nd : Yule’s INGLEDENE NITE ‘N’ GALE. This tri had the beautiful presentation and coat condition the winner lacked, but her head lacked the refinement and exquisite expression of the winner. She was well constructed and moved soundly.
3 rd : Whitaker’s SILUTO OVER THE BLUE MOON. This b/m was beautifully coloured, so well presented with the cleanest teeth. She was fit and sound. Her head was well-balanced but her light ears just spoiled her expression for me.

Mid Limit (7, 1)
1 st : Flower’s SERENLAS HEAVEN IN BLU. This b/m was in lovely coat and condition, well presented, giving a lovely outline in the stand. Her feminine head gave a good expression, with well-set eyes and well-placed ears, correct stop and parallel planes. No depth or breadth in back skull. She moved soundly, but her top-line was affected by an extra kilo of body weight.
2 nd : Cooper’s LILITH NAR SULE OF KELEKONA. This 2 y/o shaded s/w lacked the maturity and finish of the winner, but her overall balance and soundness could not be overlooked. Her level top-line on the move was a joy to behold.
3 rd : Whitaker’s SILUTO MISTERIOUS GIRL. This well-balanced tri had a shorter head type, but still an excellent dark eye and alert ears and fantastic clean teeth again. She was carrying a little too much weight, but moved soundly.

Limit (12, 4)
1 st : Lockyer’s GATAJ GIRL’S BEST FRIEND. This s/w’s overall quality shone in this class. She was beautifully put down. Well-balanced all through with a quality finish to her head. Again, I would like a kilo less, as it affected her top- line, but she moved soundly.
2 nd : IZZY AUS DEMORANKEGARTEN.
3 rd : Vogan’s LENOSANN BLACK CHERRY. This elegant, fit, jet black tri moved so soundly with such a level top-line. She was just lacking the finish of the winners. I liked her balanced, feminine head, but I would prefer more underjaw.

Open (9. 4)
1 st : Skalin’s LT CH SKABONA SNOW QUEEN. This elegant b/m was beautifully coloured, and well-marked on her non-show side – and was handled to emphasise that. She had a truly feminine and well-balanced and moulded head, without a trace of depth or coarseness. I loved her angulation, powerful neck and well-developed wither. She moved effortlessly around the big ring. In the challenge I just felt she lacked the finishing touch of length of coat to enhance her outline.
2 nd : Bardos’s CH/HUN CH TIGANLEA MAKE GOOD TIME. A beautifully presented s/w with a lot of quality, but too much coat which obscured her elegance for me. Her foreface was so well-moulded and I liked her eye, but her back skull was quite broad, which caused her ears to be wide set. Her rear angulation and movement was excellent, but I found her a touch short in upper arm which limited her forward reach.
3 rd : Lockyer’s CH TAKHISIS HOPE AND DREAMS WITH GATAJ. This richly-coloured s/w was sadly in her summer clothes. She was from a shorter mould, but was well-balanced all through, with a beautiful head, eye and melting expression. She moved soundly, but was a little too heavy for me.

Good Citizen Dog Scheme (4,0)
1 st : Rose’s UFFSPRING ULTRAVOX. Well-schooled tri in excellent coat and body condition. Very happy temperament and made a super picture with her smart handler. She moved very soundly. I would like a little more filling of foreface.
2 nd : Boyle’s MONSOLANA MADAM BLUES OVER BARRENCLOUGH SHCM (IMP RUS) This b/m had a most lovely, feminine head type, with such a sweet expression. I found her to be carrying too much weight, which affected her movement.
3 rd : Boyle’s MONSOLANA BUTTERFLY BLUE OVER BARRENCLOUGH JW SHCM (IMP RUS). I liked this b/m’s head type quality, feminine head and expression. However, she could have been cleaner and she was a little uncollected on the move.

MIRANDA BLAKE (JUDGE)