Collie Association
Championship Show
November 2023

It was an honour to judge the bitches at Collie Association Championship show on 26th November 2023. Thank you to Secretary Sheila Telford and the committee for the invite. Thank you, Chris and Marina, my trusty stewards for keeping us all organised. My job wouldn't have been as smooth without your help.

I was delighted to see my main winners take top honours. Thank you to my co-judge Mr Frank Kane and the Referee/best-in-show judge Mrs P Wilkinson for appreciating their quality as much as I did.

 

VETERAN

 

  1. JEMSPARK MAID IN SECRET - I have always liked her qualities from the ringside,  and up close, she doesn't disappoint. She's got the typical charm of a Rough Collie and still looks great for her age. Her head is clean with the correct length, and a lovely rounded muzzle,  with dark eyes and ears which are set correctly and used to her advantage.  Her overall proportions are as desired,  with a good neck and length of back. While her movement may have been slightly affected by the unfriendly floor conditions—showing a bit of closeness in the back and looseness in the front—this didn't overshadow her overall excellence. Overall, a lovely girl who fits the Collie standard well and was well presented and handled nicely. Thank you for bringing her.

 

MINOR PUPPY

  1. BELDONES VELVET EYES

Caught my eye with her pleasing overall shape and strong bones.  Her head has a nice length with a well-moulded muzzle, dark eyes set correctly and neat ears. I would prefer a softer expression to enhance her charm but I think she will gain more femininity as her head matures. She moved well and stood and showed to advantage. Will watch her development with interest over the coming months.

  1. ELSHAJO LOVES GIFT

 

This pretty sable boasts a delightful head length, correct ear carriage, and a pleasingly dark eye of the right size and shape. Her overall outline is well-balanced, featuring a good length of neck and back. Unfortunately, her movement was erratic on the floor, but despite this, she showed promise for one so young. It will be interesting to observe her development and movement on different surfaces as she matures

PUPPY

 

  1. SKABONA IF I SAW YOU IN HEAVEN

In my opinion, this puppy presents a delightful image, adhering to the rough collie breed standard. She has a well-balanced overall shape with correct proportions, a wedge-shaped full muzzle, neat ears which she used to her advantage, and the required positioned dark eyes of the desired shape. She moves with freedom and soundness. Her coat is a lovely clear silvery blue and her presentation on the day was perfect. Although she didn't quite have the sweetness of expression I was looking for how could I not appreciate her overall conformation and adherence to the breed standard?  I am sure she will have a very bright future in the show ring. I was honoured to award her BPB.

  1. GATAJ ALL THAT SPARKLES

On first impression, I thought that this puppy would be my winner but on closer inspection, I felt she couldn't match the winner’s overall curb appeal. She possessed an appealing structure, featuring sufficient neck length and back. Her head displayed a pleasing length, complemented by well-carried ears, a rounded muzzle, and dark almond-shaped eyes. My preference would lean towards a more pronounced underjaw, a touch more feminine, and a sweeter expression. Despite this, she moved gracefully and was presented immaculately and handled well.

 

JUNIOR

 

  1. GATAJ TIME AFTER TIME AT RAHLISS

A lovely feminine bitch with the sweetest of expressions.  Good proportions with the correct length of back and neck. Correct dark eyes and neat ears. She was moved by an assistant and was a bit erratic looking for her owner but never the less did enough to win the class.

  1. BRILYN SHOWS THE DIFFERENCE

 

I appreciated her general conformation and breed type. She exhibited a good head length, proper ear placement, and good bone. However, I would like a sweeter eye and expression. Not confident about the floor so appeared to move very close on the back. Well presented and handled.

 

YEARLING

  1. TREMARO KIND OF MAGIC

 

A very nice type and one of the few who had good front angulation. Good proportions with the correct length of neck and back. Loved her head and expression and her overall femininity and sweetness of expression.  Well presented and moved very well. 

  1. DELFLUVIA BLUE RAINE FOR PAULARA

 

Loved her femininity and that sweet expression was just breathtaking. Her overall shape and balance pleased me, and when she settled and showcased it all, she truly caught my eye, making me take a deep breath.  The clear silvery blue coat was simply stunning, even under the less-than-flattering lighting. While a bit unsettled on the move, I can envision her truly shining in outdoor shows. My only wish? That she was a bit bigger, but she's undeniably a gem.

NOVICE

  1. SILUTO BLUEBERRY MIST

Blue merle with a well-proportioned structure and a rounded muzzle. Features a correct eye placement, though slightly wider in the back skull. The ears are on the light side, impacting the overall expression.  Moved soundly around the ring.

 

  1. TREMARO CAST A SPELL

Presented in good condition, this sable bitch boasts a commendable length of head. The placement of her eyes and ears is satisfactory, contributing to a sweet expression. However, I must express my confusion with her movement today. I am unclear if the challenging floor conditions were the culprit as the floor surface affected many, but her feet seemed quite unsettled, with movement that appeared incorrect, although I couldn't precisely pinpoint the issue.

GRADUATE

  1. LYNWAY SUN BLOSSOM THROUGH GERIAN

 

What a delightful bitch, truly representative of the quality associated with these two kennels. Her exquisite eyes, neat ears, well-rounded muzzle, and correct stop come together to create the sweetest of expressions. She boasts correct body proportions, featuring a well-balanced neck and ample bone. Expertly presented and handled, at the time of judging his class she stood out as my CC winner. Yet, in the challenge, she faced tough competition from my eventual CC and Reserve CC winners, particularly in terms of movement. Nevertheless, she remains a lovely bitch that I would be more than pleased to have in my kennel. If given the choice to take one home, she would be my top pick.

  1. CHELBORN’S BETTING LIST FOR FIVEJAYS

Displaying a completely different head type compared to my winner, she, in my opinion, fell short in competing on expression. However, I found her overall shape and balance quite pleasing, featuring a good neck, correct length of back, a subtle rise over the loin, and proper rear angulation. Despite being very well presented, she appeared a bit unsettled, and this was reflected in her movement.

POST GRADUATE

 

  1. STARLENGA SHE’S ALL THAT FOR BELOREEN

I liked this young lady for her overall quality. She has a well-proportioned shape, and when you see her from the centre of the ring, her elegance stands out. She's got the right length of neck and back, providing the balance I was looking for, along with a slight rise of the loin and proper angulation at the back. Her silvery blue colour is bright and clear, and she was impeccably presented. Handling her head, you feel a clean wedge and a flat skull, and her eye shape is good. When she uses her ears, you see a lovely expression. She moved soundly, in the class but like some others, she couldn't quite match the main winner's movement in the challenge.

 

  1. RIVERSIDE SONG NEBRASKA AT AARONWELL(IMP ROM)

A charming tri-colour that was impeccably presented, standing and showing herself very well. She possessed a good length of neck and displayed overall balance. Her head is clean and smooth, featuring a rounded muzzle, correct stop, and neat ears. While she had nice dark eyes, a preference was for them to be more almond-shaped. Her movement was satisfactory, though she couldn't quite match the winner's front movement.

 

MID LIMT

  1. PAULARA LUCY IN THE SKY FOR ELSHAJO

 

I've long admired this glamorous tri-colour from the ringside, and going over her up close didn't disappoint. She checks off most of the boxes, and I'm confident that as she matures, her attributes will gain increasing recognition, earning her higher awards. She stands out as one of the very few today with noticeable muscle definition. Excellently presented, she moved with soundness, albeit a tad over-exuberant, causing her to lift her tail and slightly detract from her top line as she powered around the ring during the challenge.

 

  1. LYNMACK SWEET AMBER

Appearing older than her six years, the white colouring on her face contributed to this perception. Although slightly on the finer side for my preference, she possessed a pleasing eye and tidy ears correctly carried. Her overall shape was well-balanced, and her movement was decent. She stood and presented herself nicely, and her presentation was excellent.

 

LIMIT

 

  1. LADNAR INKSPOT

This stunning tri-colour was a captivating sight today. As I stood in the middle of the ring observing the class, her femininity and overall balance immediately caught my eye, and I was not disappointed upon closer inspection. Her head exudes femininity, adorned with dark eyes, neat ears, a correct stop, and a flat skull with ample moulding. Well-angled throughout, she moves with a blend of soundness, fluidity, and grace. Her seamless flow around the ring, in perfect sync with her handler, was a joy to witness. Awarding her the CC today was my pleasure. She was  Impeccably presented, I was delighted to learn that she had earned a CC from a highly respected judge at the same show a few years previously. I extend my best wishes to her as she pursues the crowning CC.

 

 

  1. BELDONES MAGICAL BLISS

While not as flashy as some others in the lineup, this bitch didn't immediately catch my attention with a "look at me" vibe from the centre of the ring. However, upon closer examination, I was captivated. Her head is a pleasure to handle—clean, smooth, featuring a lovely flat skull, and adorned with beautiful dark almond-shaped eyes correctly set. When she lifts her ears, she projects the sweetest and most feminine of expressions. Structurally, she is well put together, with proper length-to-height ratios, a subtle rise over the loin, a gently sloping croup, and sturdy, short hocks that contribute to rear drive in her movement. Her graceful flow around the ring made my decision between her and the CC winner a very close call. She certainly deserves her title, and I hope she is awarded it soon. RCC

 

OPEN

  1. CH HANVALE POLLY SHELBY

 

A worthy champion who needs no introduction from me. She has all of the attributes a judge looks for in a rough collie in bucketloads and when going over her I could appreciate how she has been so admired and done so well. In my opinion, she was carrying too much weight today which spoiled her topline and made her appear sluggish on the move. As always she was presented to perfection and kept her handler on her toes with her cheeky personality. Thank you for bringing her.

  1. GATAJ GOOD TIME GIRL

 

Another nice girl who gave it her all. Looked good and behaved like a pro. I liked her size, shape, and bone. Her head is the right length, with a flat skull, enough stop, neat ears, and a nice dark eye. But, to be honest, In terms of expression, I would have preferred a bit more femininity and sweetness. Despite the surface conditions, her movement was acceptable, and she certainly earned her placement in this class featuring a collection of delightful bitches.

 

Jayne Llewellyn

 

 

 

 

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