 |
CRUFTS 2024 COLLIE ROUGH – DOGS
Nineteen years ago, I judged males here and awarded both the CC & RCC to an exhibitor, who today was my co-judge, and she did similar as she too awarded both the CC and RCC to the same owner! . Thank you, Viv Anderton, for sending through such a good example of the breed, and we mutually agreed on the bitch for BOB, as she was more settled and composed. Both BPIB and BVIB went to the males.
We, as a breed, should have progressed in both numbers and breed type during this period but on examination of the entry, I cannot see that we have. Numbers are falling and our once lovely breed is now in the “At Risk” category due to the falling registration figures and breed type is only being adhered to by a minority of breeders. The once regal and impressive collie male is being replaced by a smaller version, square in shape with a blocky head, which is deep through from top of skull to underjaw. Wide set ears, lack of neck, and poor movement just to mention a few failings I found on the day!
However, having sorted the “wheat from the chaff” and forgiven a few minor issues, I found the majority of my class winners to be more than adequate to gain their places and in a few classes, I was more than pleased with the type present. If we as a breed do not take our heads out of the sand then the Collie as we once knew it will be no longer.
VETERAN 17/6 – Some really lovely gentlemen graced this class with some old favourites having to settle for lower placings
1. Falletto – CH/INT/ITA CH /DK CH ONE EXTRAORDINARY BLU DI CAMBIANO, now just 10 years young, the years do not show on him. I have seen him in his prime and in slightly better coat than today but until today had never judged him. Thank you for bringing him. He still retains a lovely head, clean, well balanced with a good foreface. Flat skull, well set on neck of good length on good angulated shoulders. Ample bone, Excellent top-line, good quarters and tail well set of correct length. A joy to see this boy move and cover the ground with ease, BVD and with my co-judge we agreed he should be BVIB.
2. Stricker – INT CH/MULTI CH ERICK KNIGHT OF SHERBORNE H JCH,from Hungary and he is a tricolour boy of correct size and shape, appealed for his general outline and appearance. Pleasing head, well filled foreface, good ear set and carriage. Good neck and shoulders. Lovely top-line and has good bone and neat feet. Moved well in all directions and was , just denied his place by the elegance of the winner
3. White – CH MEJOLA FATE AND FORTUNE ShCEx, well-made boy to whom I have given a class to a few years back. Now, just in Veteran he still retains all those qualities. He is a good colour, and coat is of good texture. And well presented. Clean head, nice foreface but not quite the expression I was looking for. Good neck, going into well placed shoulders, good top line and body. Nice hind-quarters well muscled, ample bone and good feet.
MINOR PUPPY 2/0
1. Blaikie – KOURIKA THE GIGOLO, very mature blue , who is just a baby at this stage in his show career. He really needs to tighten up in rear movement as he has not yet learnt his craft. Pleasing head, good eye and ear set. Good neck, very well bodied for his age. Ample bone and substance good tail set. Happy temperament and loved his day out showing off.
2. Toogood – HANVALE RALPH LAUREN, a sable of completely different type and is lacking bone and substance at this stage. Acceptable head which needs to flatten in back skull and I would prefer a much tighter ear set. Another who would benefit from some serious road walking as he lacked muscle tone.
PUPPY 2/0
1. Lockyear – PRINCE OF SUNLIGHT THRILLED BY THE DIFFERENCE AT GATAJ, sable boy who took all in his stride, lovely outgoing temperament and he covered the ring easily. He just needs a little more moulding in his foreface to complete the picture but this should come. Good eye placement and pleasing expression. In super coat and condition and presented to advantage. In agreement with my co-judge we declared him BPIB.
2. Endres – FATHER’S SON IMMANUEL LE BONHEUR DE MAXXIME, from Germany and he did appear a little overawed at first but soon settled down to show off his virtues. Pleasing head, of good length, finer in make and shape to the winner and moved quite well. I would like to see a little more substance as he matures.
JUNIOR (9/1)
1. Hassock, CAMANNA CELLMATE, very heavily coated sable, carrying a little too much weight over the loin. Pleasing head and expression, well placed eye. I would prefer slightly tighter ear carriage. Good neck and shoulders, ample bone. Good depth of chest presented in super coat of good colour and condition, Moved quite well but not as freely as I would wish and he can, when not concentrating on the job in hand, raise his tail.
2. Collins – TRIBURLE THE JOKER, much finer in body and shape than winner, another in good coat of lovely texture. Pleasing head but not quite the ear set as for me they are just too wide set. Pleasing front assembly, nice depth of chest, Good neck and top-line, Moved very well.
3. Blake – OAKLEY IMAGINE DRAGONS AT CORYDON. A beautifully presented tri boy of the correct colour with no sable/grey shadings. His black is black. Pleasing expression, good neck, liked his depth of chest for his age. Lovely top-line and tail length, if only he were a shade bigger would have taken this class easily as he moved well in all directions.
YEARLING (14/2)
What an interesting class, these boys, who could be the sires of the future were a mixed bunch of varying types
1. Blake – CORYDON THE BARON, lovely sable, groomed to perfection. I liked his head and expression. Pleasing foreface, good stop and ear carriage. Good neck and shoulders. Liked his overall outline and shape, one I would love to see as he matures. Moved easily with correct tail carriage
2. Lockyer, GATAJ TURN BACK TIME, lovely sable boy with a super expression. Slightly finer in body than winner. Pleasing head, and eye, his ear set is a little wider than I prefer but he took this place on his construction and movement,
3. Collins – TRIBURLE BLUEBOLERO, as his name suggests a blue . Head is slightly shorter than I prefer but has nice moulding and good eye placement. Well filled foreface but totally disinterested in the day. I would prefer a little more neck, but this leads to well placed shoulders and nice depth of chest. Good bone, neat feet. And moved quite well with good tail set.
POST GRADUATE (10/1)
I did not enjoy this class at all, as I found varying types and on first impressions was not at all impressed with the exhibits as many had glaring issues, however, following my initial examination the class went to:
1. Howard, Newton & Patterson – LADNAR DREAMCHASER, a blue whose colour is not his fortune, neither is his tail set and carriage. Pleasing head, nice eye and he used his ears well.
2. Dix – BARRENCLOUGH DIAMOND SKIES, sable of good size. Pleasing expression, perhaps deeper through from top of skull to jaw than I prefer. I would also prefer a better reach and length of neck. Moved well enough with correct tail carriage.
3. Chaplin – TAKHISIS LYSANDER, sable who left most of his wardrobe at home but he has a good head and eye, nice outline and moved quite well.
MID – LIMIT 13/2
1. Telford – BRILYN BORN TO RUN FOR GLENBOWDENE, one I have judged previously and can only say that time has improved this shaded sable boy. He has a lovely head, well moulded foreface, with no trace of coarseness, from muzzle to back skull, balanced with a well-placed stop. Loved his eye and expression, neat well placed and well used ears. Ample neck, with good angulation in shoulders. Good body and outline, Strong and muscular rear with a nice bend of stifle which allowed for free-flowing movement. Very positive both coming and going away with a good reach and length, in good well fitted coat of lovely colour, groomed and presented to perfection. Won this class with a bit to spare.
2. Brodie – SHANABURN COUNTRY ROAD, another very pleasing boy just coming to his best. Similar head pattern to winner, good foreface and well-placed stop. Good ear set and carriage. Liked his outline and neck. Good shoulder and nice feet. Moved easily
3. Pullin – BARRENCLOUGH DIAMOND DREAM AT MYJACKS, another sable of similar type. Pleasing head and eye. Good neck and shoulders. Nice outline and moved well in both directions.
LIMIT (14/3)
Very strong class and it needed something special to win and I found this in:
1. Blaikie – KOURIKA YOU’LL DO FOR ME. Upstanding tricolour who was my BPIB last time I judged. Then my notes said “a very aptly named tri boy of correct size. In full coat which fits him so well. Ample bone and substance. Pleasing head and well moulded foreface, good eye and ear carriage. Lovely outline and moved very well, hopefully a bright future awaits this boy as I seriously considered him for the RDCC”. I had no reason to alter this report other than to add, today, he has matured into a special boy who commanded my attention. Now in full bloom, his head and expression have only improved and he fully deserved not only this class but the CC. Thank you for bringing him back again.
2. Beadon – MARVALAN SPIRIT OF ROCK – another tricolour who pushed hard in this class and only lost out in head and expression. Groomed to perfection, his coat gleamed and his white was white. Very steady on the move. Lovely reach of neck, good shoulders and nice top-line. Strong quarters and hocks moved easily and showed well.
3. Lockyer – GATAJ OUT OF THE WOODS, a sable, slightly different type to those above him as he is smaller yet well proportioned. Good head and eye, I would like a tighter ear set. Presented well.
OPEN (18/7) This was a lovely class of mature boys, most of whom, on another day I would have probably placed higher than they received but in the end I was splitting hairs over places as some favourite of mine had to settle for lower cards.
1. Wall – DALIYHAA MASTER CRAFTSMAN, another correct coloured tricolour who certainly put up a show but had to settle for the RDCC as in the challenge he lacked the freedom and drive from his rear movement as it was not as fluid as the winner. Good balanced head, nice eye and expression. Good neck and shoulders. Nice body and outline, in super coat
2. Skalin – Int Ch SKABONA MIX’N MATCH, a new boy to me his owner/breeder coming from Sweden. Lovely head pattern with a well filled foreface, nice eye set and correctly placed ears which he used to advantage. Good depth of chest and ample bone. In lovely coat and condition, pushed winner hard for this place. A joy to see this dog move so easily and freely.
3. Grainger – CH SAMHAVEN BALLAHANA BANJO, one I have done very well in the past who was not disgraced standing here. This lad has the maturity of a proper collie. Clean, balanced head, good eye and expression and well placed well used ears. Lovely outline when both standing and moving.
GOOD CITIZENS 6/0
1 Reeder – CARRISTINA BLUEBELL WOOD, sable boy who had previously been in Yearling. Nice head and outline, moved quite well and showed easily
2 TAKHIS LYSANDER – previously in Post Graduate
3 Perrott – GATAJ LIGHTNING FLASH, young sable who performed well and had previously been in Yearling.
JUDGE: Carole A Smedley
