The London Collie Club Championship Show 06/06/2025
Collies (Smooth)

I wish to thank London Collie Club for inviting me to judge at this show.  London Collie Club has always been very special to me.  The late great Frank Mitchell was The Secretary when this club gave me my very first Open Show appointment in June 1984 and that day I had an entry of 44 with no absentees.  In June 1989 London Collie gave me my first ever CC appointment and I had an amazing entry of 85 dogs with 9 absent.  Having judged my wonderful breed many times since I have watched the breed deteriorate in numbers and quality.  Today’s entry 41 years on from my first appointment had an entry of 26 with 3 absentees but showed me that although the breed is currently numerically small, the overall quality is improving and I was delighted with my entry today.

JD (1)  1  Atherton’s  Blamorder The Con Is On at Casiat  Ultra smart tri.  Lovely breed type.  Super outline.  Very handsome, lovely head, eye and expression, good neck set into well angulated shoulders.  Front developing well, lovely topline, well ribbed, strong rear.  Moved well on tight, well knuckled feet.

PGD (1)  Howard, Howard & Fort’s  Shulune Imperial Inkheart With Casatentola  Loved the head on this handsome well coloured b/m lad.  Well balanced, lovely outline, deep chest, well ribbed, good rear. Moved okay, but would prefer a better lay of shoulder and tighter feet. Shown in lovely condition.

LD (2)  1  Roger’s  Blamorder Mischief Maker With Jerdoni  This s/w appeals for his correct typical outline.  Handsome head, with lovely dark well shaped eye.  Lovely lengthy of neck, good front and shoulder.  Well ribbed, strong rear.  Feet and front movement need to tighten.  2  Warren & Lusty’s  Coldelee Jupiter Rises With Blamorder JW  Smart tri of nice type.  Nice outline but would prefer a slightly better shoulder.  Lovely head, eye, ears and neck, good topline, well ribbed, deep chest, strong correct rear.  Moved okay on lovely tight feet.

OD (3,1)  1  Hayward’s  Wynelee Double Trouble At Foxearth   Occasionally when judging, if one is very lucky, one comes across an exhibit who oozes real quality and style.  This incredibly handsome masculine s/w lad is one such exhibit. At 18 months of age there is nothing I would alter and was delighted to award him the CC & BOB in a quality entry.  There is no doubt that this lad will get even better with maturity. He is so well balanced, super head, lovely reach of neck, good front and the best shoulder out of the entire entry.  Well ribbed, great top-line, strong correctly angulated rear, good feet and bone.  Coat of correct texture and movement couldn’t be faulted with great reach in front and power at rear. One I will remember for a long time.CC, BOB  2  Wensley’s  Ch Constella Hazy Cosmic Jive JW  well balanced tri who presents a lovely typical outline.  Lovely head, eye and expression, good neck and front, correct topline, deep chest, well ribbed, strong rear. I would prefer a better lay of shoulder and tighter feet.  Well presented.

VD (4,1)  1  Smith’s  Ch/Multi Ch Winter Is Coming To Tentola I have long admired this superb b/m lad.  For me he represents what a quality smooth male should look like.  So well balanced with substance.  Super head, eye and expression.  Lovely arched neck set into correctly angulated shoulders, great front, ribs, topline and strong well muscled rear. I would prefer tighter front feet and today he moved wide at rear and these were the deciding factors, so this outstanding lad had to be content with RCC  2  Lusty’s  Ch/Am Gr Ch/Can GCH Cardross Red Dirt Road To Blamorder VW  This incredibly handsome s/w lad is a real conundrum for me.  If one looks at each individual part they cannot be faulted.  Super well balanced head, nicely shaped eye, lovely ears, good arched neck, wonderful angulated shoulder, good chest, well sprung ribs, tight well knuckled feet, super rear, correct topline. But putting these parts together produces an impressive well constructed, eye catching male but not the typical smooth collie I am looking for.  He is oversized and open coated but because of his construction moves well.  3  Blamorder Bring Him Home

JB (2) 1  Benton & Bemkelmans’  Blamorder Double Or Quits Of Oakestelle  This stunning b/m, just over 12 months of age, stole my heart the moment she walked into the ring.  So well balanced and wonderful colour.  Beautiful head, sweetest of expressions, lovely arched neck, super front and shoulder.  Correct topline, well ribbed, lovely rear.  Moved truly with good reach in front and power behind.  A real beauty CC, RBOB  2  Geddes’  Texforrier The Whole Shebang At Ingledene (IMP FIN)  Very smart, pretty tri .  Well balanced.  Presents a lovely typical outline.  Super head, dark well shaped eye, lovely arched neck set into well angulated shoulders, good front and ribs, nice topline, correct rear.  Moved soundly.  Well presented.

PGB (1)  1 Morgan’s  Lizoni Que Sera Se  Nicely constructed tri of good type.  Pretty head, dark well shaped eye, good ears.  Lovely length of neck, good shoulder and front.  Correct topline and rear.  Has a tendency to stand wide at rear.  Moved well but rather loose in pastern. 

LB (5)  1  Lusty’s  Blamorder Dare To Dream  This well balanced lady topped this very mixed class of tri-colours with ease.  Beautiful classic outline.  Nice head, eye and expression, lovely neck, correctly angulated shoulder, good front and topline.  Well ribbed and strong rear.  Shown in lovely condition.  Moved truly on good legs and tight feet.   2  Trundley & Palmer’s  Nuuk Saarskali Bila Kaifa Juniperwood (IMP CZE) Very pretty .  Feminine yet workmanlike construction.  Excelled in shoulder angulation and placement.  Super front, chest, ribs and topline.  Strong well muscled rear.  Moved soundly.  Shown in lovely condition.  3  Rodgers’  Blamorder High Brow TAF

OB (4,1)  1  French’s  Int/Bel/Fr/Nl/Lux/Ger Ch Indigo Aura Agree To Disagree with Breckamore (IMP LTU)  Very smart tri lady with lovely typical outline. Lovely head, dark well shaped eye, correct ears, nice neck, front and shoulder.  Lovely topline, well ribbed back, strong rear, good legs and tight feet.  Moved smoothly.  Presented in first class order.  RBCC  2  Holmes & Lusty’s  Ch Blamorder Makers Mark JW  I initially thought this very pretty s/w would be the class winner.  So typey with lovely outline.  Super head and expression, good arched neck, lovely topline, deep chest, well ribbed and correct rear.  Not the shoulder angulation of winner and this became apparent on the move as front movement was all over the place, which cost her dearly.  3  Richardson’s  Koczkodan Sweet Dreams Of Lizoni

VB(4,1)  1  Caulfield’s  Blamorder Marvellousness With Constella  headed a difficult class.  Nice head, neat eye and well carried ears on this well balanced tri. Lovely topline, good neck, front and shoulder.  Well ribbed, correct rear, moved okay.  2  Cowling’s  Koczkodan Serenjity VW  Pretty tri.  Nice head, eye and ears, good neck and front.  Lovely topline and strong well muscled rear.  Moved okay.  Shown in lovely condition.  3  Trundley’s  Juniperwood My Dream deserves a mention here as she is so well constructed and typical and would probably have won the class had she had been carrying less weight and moving with more enthusiasm.

JUDGE:  Mike Vincent