Firstly may I thank the committee for this prestigious appointment, and my stewards for their sterling work. To the exhibitors, many thanks for your entries. I was looking for a sound, typy mini wire with an excellent temperament, perfect mouth and good outline on the move. Unfortunately in males this was not easy to find. I am not a mouth fanatic by any means, but I was quite shocked at the number of exhibits with missing and misplace dteeth. All had scissor bites, but this is not enough. The worst fault is lower canines running up into the top palate, and this I will not forgive, as it is detrimental to the dog. Some males were unacceptably thin, and again this was heavily penalised. I found it impossible to judge to type in males and compromises had to be made. Elbows were very bad, short ribs were normal. Upright shoulders with short upperarms have always been a problem. I think feet are very important in any hound, but espacially in a digging breed. Sadly, many had flat open and soft feet with long, untidy nails. On the plus side I thought coats were generally better than the last time I judged, and temperaments were not bad. Sorry to be so critical, but this is my own breed and I am sad to see it in a poor state. Having said all that, there were some exciting exhibits. Vet (2,1) 1 Kugow and Holt’s Brialind Lilly Lace at Waldmeister. 7 year old brindle. Gave her a Res CC in her youth and was pleased to see she can still move well, holding a level topline. Good head and eye. Coat, feet and bone all good. SpO under 10lbs (4,1) 1 Kemp’s Metcroft Some Like It Hot at Vossmead. Neat compact red bitch with harsh jacket. Still carrying plenty of body at under 10lbs. Shade short in rib and sternum, but movement better than 2. 2 Way’s Sudasam Titfertat. Very small b/t bitch. Topline held well. Head could be stronger, better elbows than 3. 3 Way’s Sudasam Topat N Tails. MPD (12,2) 1 and Best Puppy Dog, Barney’s Verrami Birn Toffring. B/T of exactly the type I was looking for. Head and eye good. Well off for bone. Good feet. Level topline. On the day his lower canines were only just budding, had they been fully developed would have won the CC. Movement more collected than 2. 2 Blackburn’s Kanix Hugo to Stargang. Another exciting puppy, but made in a larger mould. Harsh brindle coat. Very masculine head and well off for bone. 3 Moores’ Danvichar Bergamot. PD (2) 1 Angear’s Ridgegrove Cloth Cap. Well presented mature brindle of 9 months old. Good forechest, level topline. Good muscle tone. 2 Brechin and Herbert’s Kanix Gordon. Liked the head on this harsh coated brindle. Needs to strengthen in topline and hind movement. JD (7) 1 Smith’s Dunns Pitts Supa Smiff. Excellent harsh red brindle coat. Good size and so well covered. Prominent forechest. Best of shoulders and well angled rear. Lovely feet and bone. Wouldn’t approach me on the return from moving, but stood his ground when touched on the floor in the final assessment. His reluctance cost him going further. 2 Thorn-Andrews’ Drakesleat Otto Bahn. Rangier brindle at the teenage stage. Super head, mouth and forechest. Shade straight behind and so not driving as he might. 3 Newbury’s Bretarrah Ruff N Ready for Dalegarth. PGD (5,2) 1 Dunstall’s Metcroft Dressed to Thrill. A little overdressed on the day as his coatwas on the blow, and this caused him to look stuffy in the neck. Head a shade round in skull. Old fashioned type, moved better than 2. 2 Punter’s Welcumen Denzil. Harsh coat and neat elbows. Expression a little harsh for me and not concentrating on the move - his mind on girls perhaps?3 Rathbone’s Brialind Galahad. LD (6,1) 1 and Res CC, Kanix Duncan. Good coat, excellent mouth. Liked his head, eye and expression. Feet and bone good. Moved well. Beat 2 on more outgoing temperament, but lost to CC winner on length. 2 Hassall and McLeod’s Janjac Costa Packit. Liked his type and good all through. Just wish he would ‘let himself go’ and sparkle more. Liked him very much. 3 Morris’ Varrami Straight Ahead to Bretarrah. OD (2) 1 and CC, Gorton-Baker’s Axters Bindaree Von Kotch. If I had been asked about this dog before the show, I would have said ‘no way!’, because a fortnight before he looked like a bottle brush. What a difference a new hair-do makes! His brindle coat is still not his fortune, but he was very tidy and his other virtues outweighed this on this showing. Lovely head, eye and expression. Perfect mouth. Good neck, level topline at all times. Superb temperament and moved soundly back and front. Made up on the day - well done. 2 Newbury’s Dalegarth Likely Lad. Excellent coat and forechest. Level topline. Not as outgoing as the winner and not such positive movement. MPB (8,1) 1 CC, Best of Breed, Best Puppy and Best Puppy in Show, Hutching’s Molloney Zena Ghost. Wow! Dark brindle of 7 months. Excellent type. Lovely outline standing and on the move. Lovely feet, bone and front. Balanced, level topline. She must have a sparkling future. She was confident enough on the day, and will surely grow in confidence as she gets older. Good luck and enjoy her. 2 Marston-Teal’s Lordscairnie Love Actually. Unlucky to have the Best of Breed in your class! Pleasing little bitch, a shade fine throughout. Nothing wrong and should do some winning. 3 Page’s Samlane Malandra. PB (7,2) 1 Oram’s Janjac Moschino at Rosswell. Close between 1st and 2nd, but this b/t had the better coat. Good head, mouth, elbow and topline. The dog is fine but the handler needs more confidence. 2 Smith’s Dunns Pitts Toodle Oo. Loved her type. Best of mouths. Keep working on her coat, she is worth it. 3 Hardy’s Kushwin Collage. JB (13) 1 and Res CC, Thorn-Andrews’ Ch Drakesleat Lettuce Owt. Lovely type. Good head, eye and expression. Good mouth and shoulder. Really liked her, lost to the puppy on topline in the final run off. 2 Kugow and Holt’s Waldmeister Liberty. Completely different type to the winner, being higher on the leg. However, wonderful mouth, excellent coat and powerful driving movement, with rock hard muscle tone won her this place. 3 Presnail’s Taree Ermedale. PGB (11,2) 1 Minshull’s Brytonian Catrin. Liked the head, coat and movement on this brindle. Excellent mouth and temperament. Beat 2 on topline on the move. 2 Presnail’s Taree Campbell’s Creek. Super type. Very dark brindle with a wonderful expression. When she firms in topline will be hard to fault. 3 Morris and Collins’ Bretarrah Allegretto. LB (12,4) Very strong class with quality all through. McLeod and Formstone’s Veni Vidi Vici Janjac. B/T and dam of the Puppy Bitch winner. Superb coat, topline and temperament. Good forechest, neck and shoulder. Movement very good back and front.2 Wilberg’s Stargang Picket Line at Kanix. I much admire this brindle bitch who has an ideal front assembly, good head and mouth and harsh coat. Her delightful temperament meant that she was throwing her rear around on the move through her wagging tail, and in this company her untidy rear action cost her the class. 3 Punter’s Welcumen Black Hat. OB (11,4) 1 Molloney Orakel. Masked red brindle whose coat needed to come out, but it was very harsh. Good head and forechest. Perfect mouth. Good layback of shoulder and kept topline on the move. Very sound. 2 Thorn-Andrews’ Dunns Pitts Kwite Kute Drakesleat. Super type and balance. Good mouth and bone. Unfortunately pulled away on the move which spoilt the picture. 3 Blackburn’s Ch Stargang Karaoke Queen.

Mandy M Dance