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CITY OF BIRMINGHAM - 2023
COLLIE ROUGH
My records show this is the 31st occasion that I have awarded CCs to Rough Collies, the lovely breed I have dedicated my life to, I won my 1st CC in 1964, my first home bred Champion was born in 1966 and I was passed by our Kennel Club to award CCs in 1970. Since then I have been responsible for champions in all three colours and both sexes, these dogs have won Puppy Groups, Puppy Stakes, Junior Stakes, Champion Stakes, Veteran Stakes, Pastoral Groups plus Best in Show. In addition to judging in the UK I have officiated in almost every country in the world and judged the greatest dog show in the world ‘Crufts’ a total of 30 times including Collies in 1989, 3 Groups and Best in Show in 2016, a great honour. Over the years I have been fortunate to have seen and judged some outstanding Collies, I shall never forget the Open Dog class at Crufts in 1989! I just wish that calibre of quality was here today. By today’s standards this was considered a good entry, today I found quality very low, yes there were some good ones but they were few and far between. I urge today’s exhibitors to take a long hard look at what you are showing and have another hard look if it is good enough. Years ago I said to someone do you wish to win with Collies that can win in today’s climate or do you want to win with Collies that are correct and have quality and dignity, I got the right answer. Many exhibitors today were in poor coat condition, no excuse for this, first of all you breed for coat, then feed for coat, then cultivate the coat and lastly present it for a show, anyone can do it, it’s not rocket science, sorry to be so negative about the breed I love but this is how I saw them.
VD 2(0) 1. Cronk’s Ch. Chelborn Story Teller. Lovely tri I have always admired, quality head with lovely dark eyes, super coat and condition, decent mover, tails can still be a problem at times, well deserved, BV. 2. Steven’s Cariadhaf Crazy Dream. This s/w is very fine in foreface and lacks chin, good clean teeth, coat texture poor, decent mover.
MPD 3(1) Two very different babies here.
1. Blake’s Corydon Christopher. Lovely shape and outline to this golden boy, head needs more stop, good eye and ears, lovely neck, correct coat, close behind, very raw.
2. Hassock’s Camanna Cellmate. Totally different as he is very forward for body and coat, lovely bone too, admired his expression, goes close behind and somewhat proud of his tail on the day.
PD 2(0) 1. Hassock’s Camanna Cellmate. Repeat. 2. Ross’ Siluto Blue Wizzard. B/m, colour needs to clear, decent shape, long fine head with good ears, good neck, very erratic on the move.
JD 2(1) Withheld - I had no option but to withhold on this dog as he would not let me handle him.
YD 3(0) 1. Cronk’s Chelborn’s Gambling List. This tri has a touch of class about him, head has too much stop but eye and expression are lovely, super coat and presentation, good mover, would like a more shapely outline. 2. Holmes/Lusty’s Blamorder Gold Plated. Sh/s/w, good outline, good mover, head lacks a little in quality and expression not good. 3. Corben’s Wisewyn All The Time In The World via Caprioara (imp).
GD 3(1) 1. White’s Phreelancer Phederal Agent at Mejola. Nice neck and outline on this tri, lacks a little in head quality and needs chin, good ears, good mover, coat not in best condition and tail carriage poor. 2. Bolt/Hollywood’s Amalie A Chance to Shine. S/w with nice type of head and lovely expression, good ears, too boxy in shape, ultra short tail, poor feet and movement.
PGD 3(0) 1. Welsh’s Thistlewing Smoky Quarts. This Sh/s/w has a true Collie outline with a good neck and correct coat, typy head with good ears, expression could be better, good mover. 2. Blaikie’s Kourika You. Tri with a very nice head and eye and good ears, not the shape or outline of the winner and hind movement and tail not good. 3. Phillips’ Essanjay Against All Odds.
LD 10(1) Biggest class of the day with 9 present. 1. Milligan/Marley’s Alfsden He Lives In You. Beautifully presented blue of lovely colour, admired his head with correct top, flat skull and chin, lovely eye and expression too, strong neck, good bone and feet, lovely body, balance and coat, best mover in the class, won DCC, his 2nd I was told, well done. 2. Fuller’s Hanvale Arthur Shelby with Damos. Golden s/w, has a touch of quality, well presented and in good coat, good neck and outline, good mover, needs to show better. 3. May’s Camanna Careerchanging for Maqueeba.
OD 6(2) 1. Grainger’s Ch. Samhaven Ballahanna Banjo. Nice to get my hands on this well known s/w, very different in type to my CC winner and what I usually go for but he has quality and lots of it, very pleasing head with lovely expression, good ears used all the time, lovely coat and condition, presents a pleasing picture on the stack and sound on the move, RDCC. 2. Bluck’s Phreelancer Chill Phactor for Elshajo. Very masculine, darker coloured b/m with lovely bone and good neck, so very well made with a good outline, has a decent head with good ears, lovely coat, close behind. 3. Geddes’ Ingledene Fantasy of Blue.
SBB 2(0) 1. Lyall’s Santaloly’s Sky Amidalas. S/w, in super coat and condition and beautifully presented, lovely neck and outline, good mover, nice type of head, ears needing attention, BSpB. 2. Rodwell’s Ladnar Yours Truly at Pomnenka. Lovely coloured b/m of 7 months, very raw and movement very erratic at present.
VB 3(0) 1. Lyall’s Santaloly’s Sky Amidalas. Repeat. 2. McDade’s Beldones Sweet Illusion with Lyndale. Very pleasing for type, decent outline, decent mover, lovely coat, teeth need attention. 3. Steven’s Cariadhaf Cookies and Cream for Cambrogan.
MPB 8(4) 1. Cronk’s Skabona If I Saw You In Heaven for Chelborn. Very pretty, lovely head and eye, super ears and expression, good neck and so lovely in balance and outline, lovely coat and presentation, good mover too, not at one with her new handler and in the challenge wouldn’t perform at all, a pity. 2. Radford-House/Durrant’s Didek Moon River through Fivejays. Nice type of tri with a lovely body and coat, handler must learn to show her better, movement very erratic. 3. Rodwell’s Ladnar Yours Truly at Pomnenka.
PB 1(0) 1. McCarte’s Roughrigg Red Lagertha. Beautifully schooled s/w shown in lovely well presented coat and beautiful condition, very pleasing in head type with good ears and expression, could be that bit more shapely in her outline but minimal, very sound mover who never stopped showing, BP and did very well in the Puppy Group, well done.
JB 5(4) 1. Howard’s Serenlas Angel of Casatentola. Tri with a lovely jet black coat, nice type of head with lovely ears, expression could improve, lovely body shape, movement and tail very erratic, BJ being the only one.
YB 3(1) 1. Cronk’s Chelborn Gambler’s Wish. Liked the head on this s/w very much, nice eye, good ears and decent neck, lovely body and well textured coat beautifully presented, could be that bit more shapely in overall outline, sound behind, erratic in front.
PGB 7(3) 1. White’s Mejola Main Event JW. I liked this s/w a great deal, all flat skull, good ears, correct stop and a chin, super shape and firm top-line, one of the better movers too, not in the condition to take top awards today. 2. Welsh’s Thistlewing Magic Lady. This s/w is also a good Collie, shown in lovely coat but carrying too much weight, pleasing head but ears tip too much and spoil the appeal, good neck and outline, sound mover, tail can spoil at times. 3. Radford-House/Durrant’s Ingledene Midnite Skye with Fivejays.
LB 10(3) 1. Foy/Hawkins’ Beldones Magical Bliss. Quality s/w with lovely eye and expression, decent neck, decent outline, decent mover, coat just on the blow so lost her bloom. 2. Tame’s Riverside Song Xtra Sweet at Rahlissa (imp ROM). S/w in beautiful coat and condition and so well presented, quality in head but ears could be tighter, lovely expression, nice neck, good bone, very good back end, careless in front. 3. Patman/Grainger’s Samhaven Sound Effects.
OB 14(7) Two cracking bitches headed this class. 1. Newman’s Phreelancer Phaith Hill. Tricolour I have judged and admired before, liked her head with good stop, moulded foreface, flat skull and a chin, good ears used all the time, good neck, well constructed front, super body and outline, very good mover all ways, shown in full coat and beautifully presented, looked so good all the time, BCC & BOB. 2. Blake’s Corydon Clarissa. This golden s/w is so classic with such a beautiful head, foreface, chin, stop, ears on top and lovely eye and expression, so beautiful in neck and outline and so well constructed, she too is a super mover, a little unsettled at times and just coming into coat which just tipped the scales but I loved her, RBCC. 3. Geddes’ Ingledene Sno Wanda.
GCB 1(0) 1. Lyall’s Santaloly’s Sky Amidalas. Repeat.
Derek Smith