Houndshow Championship Show 2021

Congratulations to the whole Houndshow team who managed to stage this successful event against all the odds in the wake of see-sawing and unpredictable pandemic regulations which must have increased their workload tenfold. I was a replacement judge for Mr Rui Oliveira of Portugal who was unable to fulfil his appointment due to travel restrictions. Let’s hope he gets the opportunity to judge this variety in the UK again before too long. It had been seven years since I last awarded CCs in Min Wires & today no dogs were weighed. We were subjected to blistering summer heat, which was naturally beyond everyone’s control, but there is no question that some exhibits coped better than others. I must confess I was slightly anxious in the run-up to the show at the prospect of judging very young dogs who had not had any or many ringcraft opportunities due to the enforced lockdown, so I opted to wear a clear plastic face shield which in the event seemed to work well. In fact, all exhibits across all the age groups displayed excellent temperament which is a great credit to you as breeders & owners. Of course, when judging, one must look at the overall picture & in some cases exhibits which appealed standing did not make quite the same impression on the move & vice versa. My main winners pleased me very much indeed & had the breed hallmarks I was looking for including the proud head carriage, as well as the functional build, size & proportions necessary to ensure working ability. I hope I may be forgiven for mentioning that you need to pay more attention to forehand construction. I saw a number of exhibits with upright shoulder blades, some with overangulated upper arms trying very hard to compensate for this. Overall, I enjoyed judging this entry very much & after 16 months away from dog shows, the sight of perky Min Wire Dachshunds bustling around a grass ring was the tonic which was needed after the dreary days of lockdown. I know at least one handler was badly affected by the heat but I was pleased to learn later that the effects were not long-lasting. Heatstroke is a very real danger so it is essential that we act quickly to protect our dogs as well as ourselves when the weather is unforgiving.

MPD (1): 1 BP, Thorn Andrews’ Drakesleat Gud Day Sunshine, 8 months, very promising youngster, loved his masculine outlook, head of good length, lovely eye & expression, strong jaw, very good angulation, well bodied for his age, good ribbing & short loin, very good harsh coat, stepped out well, in the challenge for BP he came out the winner due to his excellent parallel movement out & back.

 PD (1 entry, 1 absent).

JD (1): 1 RCC, Ergis’ Captain Tom of Siouxline, 16 months, very typical dog, so pleasing to go over, long head with good expression, well boned, good forehand, deep chest, coat of nice harsh texture, good angulation at both ends, very positive mover out & back, just pipped at the post by his more polished sire in the challenge where he won a very creditable RCC, his first green card with many more to come I feel quite sure.

 YD (1): 1 Storton’s Dereheath Major Tom, appealing dog of very good type & balance, pleasing head & expression, medium eye, upper arm could be slightly longer, very good harsh coat texture, slightly sluggish gaiting in the extreme heat, very good size.

SBD (0).

PGD (0).

LD (5, 2): 1 Grant’s Pennywave Percy at Granhoward, quite an appealing type, head OK, forehand angulation good but could have more turn of stifle & more width through his front. Won this class on overall type. 2 Smith’s Alncroft Ivan Inkling, well handled dog, needs more width through his front, very deep chest, held topline well on the move. 3 Stewart & Tomsett’s Dajean Starstruck.

 OD (4): 1 CC, Thorn Andrews & Billinghurst’s Drakesleat Kumquat May, top quality dog of well balanced proportions, beautiful head, eye & expression, excellent forehand with well shaped keel & elbows fitting nicely, deep chest, very good coat texture, pulled out all the stops in the challenge to claim the CC, his third, plus his crown. He is the sire of both RCC littermates as well as the BP, so it is good to know his positive qualities are already being capitalised upon. 2 Russell’s Ch Russteck The Bruce, well balanced dog, lovely head & eye, nice arch to neck, good forehand with well fitting elbows, good length of ribbing, short loin, harsh coat, positive mover, I brought him back in to challenge for the RCC where he was very close up. Liked him a lot. 3 Mills-Jones’ Carlita Sunrise JW.

 VD (1): 1 BVD Corner’s Holrik Mister Mischief, 12 years, a senior gentleman naturally carrying a bit of surplus weight just like some of us, quite fine in head, loved his happy & alert outlook, upper arm could be a shade longer, went round the ring like a youngster holding his topline well as he went.

 MPB (4, 1): 1 Davies’ Nostalgia Gilovam at Stardax, 8 months, quite an appealing baby, attractive feminine head & expression, good angulation at both ends, stepped out well while holding her shape, good width through her front which won her this class. 2 Sexton’s Molloney Noodle Not A Doodle, 8 months, appealing type, still carrying a little bit of puppy fat, strong jaw, very good coat texture, held her topline well, good carriage of head & tail, outgoing temperament, active mover. 3 Storton’s Dereheath Livia.

PB (4, 1): 1 BPB, West’s Archidax Hocus Pocus, 9 months, well made puppy who made an immediate impression, very showy & alert, attractive head & expression, movement a shade narrow at this stage but she is a promising prospect, held her shape very well on the move. 2 Rose’s Kavacanne Love Of My Life, 9 months, nice type, very attractive & feminine outlook, jaw could be a shade stronger, good coat texture, well balanced angulation, not quite as together on the move as first but had quite a good length of stride. 3 Thompson’s Irenidae Sea Pink.

JB (5, 1): 1 RCC, Merry & Selby’s Olivia Belle for Merryline, 16 months well balanced bitch, this one grew on me as the day progressed, loved her quality yet workmanlike outlook & excellent long neck & shoulder blade, very good topline both standing & moving, coped with the searing heat better than most in the challenge which resulted in her running off with her first green card with hopefully more to come. 2 Stewart & Tomsett’s Dajean Pinochios Star, 12 months, appealing youngster, good eye & expression, well angled forehand, would prefer slightly more width when gaiting out & back, good harsh coat texture, stepped out well. 3 McCowliff & Winfrow’s Sadira Magda.

YB (5): 1 Blackburn’s Stargang Witches Shadow, well made bitch of very good type, quite robust, pleasing long head with strong jaw & good expression, well boned, excellent feet, good ribbing, won this class on her overall type & balance. 2 Rankine’s Fallowmill Pumpkin Pie, appealing type, head OK, good angulation, held her topline well on the move, better size than first but could not match her for out & back movement, harsh coat, better head carriage than those placed behind her. 3 Davies’ Oniasid Treacle Tart at Stardax.

 SBB (1): 1 BSB, Corner’s Gragareth Girl at Carcorn, alert & showy bitch, good head shape, carrying slightly too much flesh, shoulder blade of quite good length but upper arm could be longer & better angulated, movement could be more positive, good turn of stifle.

PGB (8): 1 Mills’ Middleton Hunt at Oniasid, very fit bitch with good muscle tone, head of good length, good strength of jaw, well angled forehand, held her topline on the move, good head & tail carriage, harsh coat texture, sound mover. 2 Kirkwood-Emery’s Helydon Nifty Nairn JW, feminine bitch, plenty of ground clearance, attractive head, eye & expression, harsh coat, covered the ground well but just preferred the better turn of stifle of first, happy temperament. 3 Thompson’s Charansco Back To Black.

 LB (5): 1 Jones’ Bimini Chasing Moonbeams, appealing type, not feeling the heat as much as others in this class, attractive head, good forehand, attractive outline which she maintained nicely on the move, well fitted jacket. 2 Blackburn’s Stargang Minnesota, pleasing type, finer in head than first, very good head carriage, good neck & shoulder, excelled in topline, held her shape well on the move. 3 Thorn Andrews’ Drakesleat Drop Dead Gorjus.

OB (2): 1 CC & BOB, Thorn Andrews’ Ch Drakesleat Too Gud To Be True, slightly misnamed as there is nothing deceptive about this one, an absolute picture of moderation, everything about her flows & nothing jars, outstanding head & expression, super forehand with well shaped keel & textbook angulation, nice snug elbows without being too tight, well balanced body, loved her harsh coat, moved well both out & back & around, she is the dam of the BP winner so she is an asset in more ways than one as she is passing on her many virtues to future generations, she & the DCC winner were bred in the same kennel & made a very handsome pair in the challenge for BOB where I simply could not resist the understated beauty of this bitch who totally filled my eye. 2 Mills-Jones, Williams & Moes’ Imp Cobra Lily Vitoraz, head OK, body quite well balanced, good angulation, front could be slightly firmer, coat rather long & could be harsher, held her shape quite well on the move, slightly long in loin, carried herself well.

VB (1): 1 BV, Price’s Samlane Belleza JW, very alert, happy & showy 7 years bitch, presented quite a good outline, good length of neck, head OK, would prefer slightly better return of upper arm, stepped out well, in the challenge for BV she came out the winner due to her better length of stride. G