BEST OF BREED : BARBER COXON Rose Darque at D'Arisca Dog CC :  CALLOW Ch Garthorne Top Gear Res Dog CC : BLACKBURN Tythe Gordon Brown at Stargang Bitch CC : COXON Rose Darque at D'Arisca Res Bitch CC : BLACKBURN BENNETT Stargang Lotus Elite Best Puppy : BLACKBURN Tythe Gordon Brown at Stargang Minor Puppy Dog (5 Entries) Abs: 1 1st: BLACKBURN Tythe Gordon Brown at Stargang 2nd: SALISBURY Willowheath Just William 3rd: CALLOW Garthorne Dyson Res: MUGGLETON Mosiarto Mister Big VHC: Puppy Dog (3 Entries) Abs: 0 1st: ROBERTS Denver Darling Echo Falls 2nd: WILLIAMS Cwmdarhian Gran Torino 3rd: MEAD Minimead Mysta O'Riley Res: GORMAN Dayjaris Im Your Man VHC: Junior Dog (6 Entries) Abs: 2 1st: WORTON Cwmdarhian Little Monty 2nd: COXON D'Arisca Due Diligence 3rd: REED Deercroft Double Dare Res: CREE Portalutra Morans Melrose VHC: Post Graduate Dog (5 Entries) Abs: 2 1st: METCALFE-BILGIN Metadale Super Sid 2nd: Withheld 3rd: Withheld Res: PATERSON Corrieknowe Cassini VHC: CREE Portalutra Morans Melrose Limit Dog (4 Entries) Abs: 0 1st:  SHUTT Black Passion of Donnadoon 2nd: WINCHURCH Brianolf Malachite 3rd: KENT Barratini Jeeves at Lokmadi JW Res: ORTON Scalamor Solomons Seal ShCM VHC: Open Dog (7 Entries) Abs: 0 1st: CALLOW Ch Garthorne Top Gear 2nd: HERRINGTON Kathington Coeur De Lion 3rd: ROBERTS Ch Denver Midnight Sun Res: MORTLOCK Siouxline Magnus at Hertsmerry VHC: SOMERVILLE Peaselye Perrywinkle Minor Puppy Bitch (13 Entries) Abs: 1 1st: BLACKHAM Deepsleep Diva 2nd: RUSSELL Russteck Fairy Cake 3rd: ANDISON & PEEL Clentry Tiger Lily Res: REED Celtic Oath for Deercroft VHC: MEAD Mosiarto Naughty But Nice by Minimead Puppy Bitch (11 Entries) Abs: 1 1st: COXON D'Arisca Sybilla 2nd: LEE Pyknikspring Ruby Surprize 3rd: MUGGLETON Mosiarto Beautiful Belle Res: ROBERTS Denver Darling Misty Blue VHC: ORTON Scalamor Belle Heather Junior Bitch (7 Entries) Abs: 1 1st:  WILLIAMS Cwmdarhian Mizz Lucy Lou 2nd: COXON D'Arisca Dark and Delicious 3rd: WHITELAW & PEEL Blairadam Eve Res:  GORMAN Gordax Kurrant Newz VHC: DIMMOCK & DONALD Bronia Carabella Post Graduate Bitch (11 Entries) Abs: 2 1st: COXON Rose Darque at D'Arisca 2nd: WILLIAMS Cwmdarhian Red Hot Gossip 3rd: MELBOURNE Metadale Lady Eleanor of Melriding Res: SALISBURY Barratini Analisa at Brocklewood VHC: SHUTT Touch the Dream of Donnadoon Limit Bitch (10 Entries) Abs: 1 1st: BLACKBURN BENNETT Stargang Lotus Elite 2nd: WILLIAMS Celtichills Hot Chocolate at Cwmdarhian 3rd: DUNN Bronia Golly Miss Molly at Ashridge Res: WEIR D'Arisca Define the Design in Ambreglo VHC: SHUTT Metadale Fabulous Florence for Donnadoon Open Bitch (10 Entries) Abs: 2 1st: COXON US/Can/ Ch Grandgables Tickle My Fancy 2nd: COXON Ch D'Arisca Golden Delicious 3rd: BLACKBURN BENNETT Shardagang Illusion Res: HUNT Ch Carpaccio Royal Parade JW VHC: ROWELL Emmajesk Amelia JW ShCM

MINIATURE SMOOTH HAIRED

Many thanks to the club for giving me a second opportunity to judge here, and to the exhibitors for their lovely entry. With very few exceptions males were disappointing, very few had correct front angulation, and movement was all over the place, and this could only be partly blamed on the flooring. Bitches were much better, especially the top 3 classes. I do like to see some ground clearance and there were one or two young bitches who were much too low to ground. Heads are a problem, some lovely houndy heads were present but seemed to be associated with poor fronts, I only found a few mouth problems, but lots of small teeth and although most teeth were very clean, there was one notable exception. There were some overweight exhibits but all present were in good condition and I treated this as I would any other fault. MPD (5) First two stood away, several tummy tapped and loins were too long 1. Blackburn's Tythe Gordon Brown at Stargang, choc/tan, sound with substance, compact, good angulation, nice shape when he let me see it, and until we hit Open dog the best hind movement here. Not always at one with handler, BP, RCC, RBPIS 2. Salisbury's Willowheath Just William, very elegant and fine all through at this stage, a little too long for me. 3. Jamieson's Djeata Midnight Sun PD (5) Hind movement and toplines a problem here 1. Roberts' Denver Darling Echo Falls, shaded red, best front construction in class 2. Williams' Cwmdarhian Gran Torino, preferred his overall shape on the move but failed in front to winner, these two held their toplines on the move 3. Mead's Minimead Mysta O'Riley JD (6,1) Poor class with bad movement prevalent and two dogs overweight 1. Worton's Cwmdarhian Little Monty, best front movement in class and soundest behind, very proud of his tail 2. Coxon's D'arisca Due Diligence, lovely shape standing but hated this floor 3. Reed's Deercroft Doubledare JW PGD (5,2) 1. Metadale Super Sid, sound, compact, well constructed, free moving honest dog, stood out here but in the challenge did not hold his shape on the move 2nd and 3rd were withheld as in all honesty I could not qualify these dogs for Crufts, I did award 4th and 5th, which I know is against KC Regs, but the 5th placed dog had already been given a VHC in Junior, and I could think of no reason why a dog that was 5th in Junior could not be 5th in PG, and the Veteran who was 4th was a better mini smooth than him, although neither were championship show quality, the veteran showing his age and the youngster being much too long with a poor topline. This class demonstrated just how useful a Grading system would be, and how difficult it is to withhold prizes in a class for lack of merit. LD (4) 1. Shutt's Black Passion of Donadoon, lovely b/t with best front in class, well balanced and short coupled, would look better in profile if not strung up so much 2. Winchurch's Brianolf Malachite, this red was a little apprehensive today but a very good shape and sounder moving than 3. Kent's Barratini Jeeves at Lokmadi, better ground clearance than rest of class OD (7) 1. Callow's Ch Garthorne Top Gear, CC, might have been a closer decision with 2nd on a different surface, but this dog really stood out in the challenge, very true moving, pleasing compact shape, good angulation, masculine head, not over long in loin, sound, active and holding his outline well on the move. Beaten for BOB by a bitch I lost my heart to. 2. Herrington's Kathington Coeur de Lion, very nice dog, lovely outline standing, preferred his front to winner but did not like the floor and appeared stilted behind, seriously considered for RCC but lost out to puppy on hind movement today. 3. Roberts' Ch Denver Midnight Sun MPB (13,1) Although hindquarters were much better than in dogs, I was very disappointed with front construction in this class 1. Blackham's Deersleep Diva, pleasing small b/t who held her shape well in profile movement 2. Russell's Russtek Fairy Cake, very sound and a lovely shape with good substance but losing her topline on the move today 3. Andison and Peel's Clentry Tiger Lily PB (11,3) Very difficult class to judge, different types but much more to like and much better fronts, the first five could easily change places 1. Coxon's D'Arisca Sybilla, BPB, very nice for size and shape if carrying too much weight at present, sound and moved very well here but preferred dog puppy's hind movement again when it came to BP, best for ground clearance 2. Lee's Pyknikspring Ruby Surprise, very promising bitch, really came into her own on the move, preferred not to stand but deserved her place on her construction 3. Muggleton's Mosiarto Beautiful Belle JB (7,2) 1. Williams' Cwmdarhian Mizz Lucy Lou, red with a slight tendency to lose her topline moving (would prefer to se her on looser lead) but a lovely shape and very sound, preferred her substance and ground clearance to 2. Coxon's D'Arisca Dark and Delicious, b/t, different shape but best topline in class, again very sound, preferred her bone and substance to 3. Whitelaw and Peel's Blairadam Eve PGB (11,2) 1. Coxon's Rose Darque at D'Arisca. CC and BOB she came, saw and conquered, definitely the one I would take home, I loved this young brindle, sound, elegant, balanced, her lovely shape on the table held on the floor, good front and hind angulation leading to steady movement with extension and drive, looked like she could move all day and she nearly had to! 2. Williams' Cwmdarhian Red Hot Gossip, close up and definitely considered for the RCC, this is a quality shaded red with good angulation, very workmanlike and a touch less showy than the winner, just moving a shade close in front. 3. Melbourne's Metadale Lady Eleanor of Melriding LB (10,1) Mixed class, the first 3 scored on soundness 1. Blackburn-Bennet's Stargang Lotus Elite, RCC, another brindle bitch, and so similar, just possibly a size bigger all through – not a fault, again good angulation both ends leading to very sound steady movement which she could maintain, just did not appear as finished as the CC winner in the challenge 2. Williams' Celtichills Hot Chocolate at Cwmdarhian, impressive chocolate with correct outline again held on move, just failed in underline to winner 3. Mitchell's Bronia Golly Miss Molly at Ashridge OB (10,2) This was a really good class, the first 5 bitches were CC quality, and the results were really down to personal preference. 1. Coxon's Ch, Am Ch, Can Ch Grandgables Tickle My Fancy , another beautiful brindle bitch, g-dam of the previous 2 class winners! Super shape, elegant with substance, her hind quarters are copy book, holds her shape on the move, the more she moved in this class the better she went, excellent temperament in evidence as she had never met her handler before. 2. Coxon's Ch D'Arisca Golden Delicious, another lovely bitch, just splitting hairs with winner, I felt on the day she was slightly heavier in front on the move, but again holding her shape 3. Blackburn-Bennet's Shardagang Illusion, very close up to first two, just not moving out as well behind as her construction would imply she could on this floor. After the last 3 bitch classes I was really looking forward to the bitch challenge, this was a real hair-splitter and any one of the three brindles deserved the CC, in the end I just felt the PG winner was slightly more compact and finished, and the Limit winner was more relaxed behind in the challenge than the Open winner, on a different floor surface I think she would have given them a run for their money. Thank you so much for bringing them, I loved all three.

Lesley Patton