CRUFTS 2022

Miniature Wire Haired

Judge - Mrs Joanne Blackburn Bennett

Good Citizen Dog Scheme Bitch (8 Entries) Abs: 2
1st: STEPHENSON Bothlyn Indigo Blue at Wistex
2nd: GILKES Birichino Belfray

I would like to thank the Crufts committee for inviting me to judge and most of all to the exhibitors who, for the most part, accepted my decisions sportingly. I was exceptionally pleased with all of my main winners, with some very difficult decisions at the top, but to find two of my top awards from veteran I was particularly impressed with. I found my CC & RCC winners in both sexes to be total ambassadors for the breed with no exaggerations, soundness of movement and great temperament. My veteran BOB winner I later found to be either the sire or grand sire of a large proportion of my winners proving he is making an impression not just in the show ring but, more importantly, in the breed itself.

 Veteran Dog

1^st: Rose’s Ch Ridanflight Ricardo – Nearly 9 and a half year old wild boar male. What a stallion of a dog. Beautiful head & eye and kind expression, lengthy neck, clean well placed shoulders, good feet & bone, correct front, good spring of rib and short loin. Totally balanced, well angulated for and aft, standing true at all times. Super on the move, good striding and driving movement with powerful parallel movement covering the ground with ease and at one with his owner. Great temperament. CC & BOB.

2^nd: Jones’ Ch Bimini Starstruck – 7.5 yr old son of the winner and very much of the same attributes. Just preferred his fathers head and front but a well worthy champion.

3^rd: Hayward’s Ch Foxearth Fiddler On The Roof – A red boy that I’ve always loved at 11 years old. Classic head & eye with super pigmentation, super bone, well made throughout just showing his age and had to take third place to others in great form.

Minor Puppy Dog

1^st: Jones’ Kimbleholme Sudoku – ok head, good neck, spring of rib, kept a good topline on the move. Moved ok.

2^nd: Flowers & Smith’s Bingobongo’s Mr Bond – very immature red pin wire boy. Nice head & eye, good front, not keeping his topline as well as 1 on the move.

Puppy Dog

1^st: Kent’s Alncroft All Round Lokmadi – Smart wild boar male, well presented and handled, sweet head and expression, good bone and nice short hocks. Very balanced and moved soundly. BPD.

2^nd: Kirkwood’s Beetlejuice Vitoraz at Heldon (Imp Cze) – Red of different type to 1. These two could easily change places on a different day. Today he looked rather rangey and full in coat which detracted from his outline, especially on the move. Beautiful head & expression, well made and moved well.

Junior Dog

1^st: Stewart’s Martinks Once Bitten – Smart little dog, nice head but would prefer slightly smaller eye, stood and moved true. A very happy boy who really showed his socks off.

2^nd: Corner’s Carcorn Fabulous Frank – super head & eye, ok front, moved well, preferred the upper arm of winner.

3^rd: Lloyd’s Ravensbeech Pot Luck

Yearling Dog

1^st: Ergis’ Ch Captain Tom of Siouxline – Really looks a picture standing, presented to perfection and sympathetically handled. Lovely expression and kind eye, well put together front, good bone, good length of ribbing, moves soundly.

2^nd: Stewart’s Moonbroch Squire of Gothos - Good head & expression, not the coat of winner, tight shoulders, moves soundly and well angulated hindquarters.

3^rd: Stewart’s Martinks Once Bitten

Post Graduate

1^st: Reilly’s Phyvars Winston – Upstanding wild boar male by my BOB winner. Really took my eye on the move. Lovely head & expression and good length of neck, well put together front, good ribbing, well angulated and balanced. True mover. Unfortunately decided to play up in the challenge.

2^nd: Rose & Bellini’s Queenlord Nineleven Caribbean Reef (Imp Ita) – Pin wire red male. Correct head & dark eye, good length of neck, good bone, excellent ribbing, unfortunately was rather giddy on the move today but a sound dog throughout.

3^rd: Crossman & Kennedy’s Moonshe Bumble Bee – B&T dog, well made but unfortunately really not enjoying it today.

Limit Dog

1^st: Pain’s Ravensbeech Buccleugh – Very smart dog, good head but would like it a little more masculine, reachy neck, well angulated fore and aft, fabulous outline standing and moving with plenty of drive on the move.

2^nd: Salisbury’s Pennywave Nosey Parker at Brocklewood – Well presented and handled. Lovely houndy head and good length of neck, tight shoulders but not the upper arm of winner. Stood and moved true but also preferred the hind drive of 1.

3^rd: Morrison’s Russteck All Eyes On Me – nice well made dog just didn’t match the outline on the move of 1 & 2.

Open Dog

Excellent class of top quality.

1^st: Saletti’s Lux del Palatino Chacco Blue Ew 2021 – Larger wild boar male, fabulous head, neck and depth of body. Good forehand, well angulated quarters, ultra sound coming and going and kept a good outline. A little full in coat today but an excellent dog, RCC.

2^nd: Busta’s No Time To Lose Vitoraz – Looked a picture standing and thought he would be my winner. Fabulous head & eye, well constructed throughout, good outline, but a little erratic in his hind movement which cost him the class.

3^rd: Kirkwood-Emery’s Ch Helydon Laird Loki JW – another worthy champion male and could maybe swap places with 1 & 2 on another day.

Good Citizen Dog Scheme Dog

1^st: Smith’s Alncroft Ivan Inkling – A smart little dog who was fabulously handled and presented by his young handler. Well constructed and moved soundly keeping a good outline.

Veteran Bitch

1^st: Barcella’s Ch Queenlord Skinny Love – A bitch I have always loved and she didn’t disappoint. Lovely head and expression, beautifully presented, sympathetically handled in complete unison with her owner, well constructed. Totally balanced standing and moving. Pushed hard for the top award but just showing a little bit more of her age now but couldn’t be denied the RCC in strong competition.

2^nd: Price’s Samlane Belleza JW – lovely veteran bitch. Unfortunate to meet winner on such good form. Well handled and moved well for her age.

3^rd: Stephenson’s Bothlyn Indigo Blue at Wistex – another bitch of nice quality who moved well.

Minor Puppy Bitch

1^st: Jones’ Bimini Sky Blue Pink – sweet 8 month old bitch puppy, well put together throughout. Lovely angles, moved well.

Puppy Bitch

Really lovely puppy bitch class. Splitting hairs between first 5 and even some unplaced.

1^st: Dance’s Emem Letty Bee Sunshine – A real honest little bitch who really excels on the move keeping a good topline and lovely striding and driving movement. Well put together front, hammy quarters and short hocks. BPIB and I believe a granddaughter of my BOB winner.

2^nd: Rose’s Ridanflight Renata – lovely red bitch puppy, just a fraction unsettled on the move today compared to 1. Sweet head & expression, excellent fore chest, good shoulders, well let down hind quarters, moved soundly.

3^rd: Rees’ Emem Sunday Sunshine for Ermewood – very stylish puppy, litter sister to winner but just didn’t make the most of herself today when her sister pulled out the stops.  

Junior Bitch

1^st: Howells’ Fallowmill Miss Range Rover – lovely old type, feminine head, lengthy neck, excellent forehand, good spring of rib, well angulated fore and aft, moved with drive.

2^nd: Russell’s Eyez The One Russteck – lovely type, well made throughout, 1^st just a little more positive on the move but still very sound.

3^rd: Sexton’s Molloney Noodle Not A Doodle – another beautiful bitch, not quite as good in shoulder as 1^st & 2^nd, but excellent coat, lengthy neck and kept a good outline.

Yearling Bitch

1^st: Russell & Graham’s Sheez Got It Russteck – excellent type, attractive head & expression, good length of neck, well angulated fore and aft, moved well with drive and very sound.

2^nd: Busta’s Mamma Mia Let Me Go Vitoraz – stunning bitch but was very unsettled standing and gave her handler a hard time. When she did move, she was very eye catching and moved with striding and driving action keeping a good topline.

3^rd: Merry & Selby & Vranch’s Ona Meli for Merryline – handled well, not quite as stylish as 1 and 2 but an honest bitch.

Post Graduate Bitch

1^st: Russell & Graham’s Sheez Got It Russteck – 1^st in previous class

2^nd: Mills’ Middleton Hunt at Oniasid – Red bitch that excelled on the move, beautiful head & expression, good length of neck, well made but a shame that she doesn’t give as much standing as she does moving but a lovely type.

3^rd: Merry & Selby’s Olivia Belle for Merryline – well made bitch with good construction just not as much my type as 1 & 2.

Limit Bitch

Another quality class with some good bitches unplaced.

1^st: Jones’ Bimini Chasing Moonbeams – Took my eye as soon as she walked into the ring. Totally feminine, excellent head & eye, clean neck & shoulders, carried herself beautifully and correctly angulated front and back without any exaggeration. Well constructed which you can see through her effortless ground covering movement which she stepped up a gear in the challenge. BCC, another granddaughter of my BOB winner, what a sire this dog has been!

2^nd: Fulton’s Bothlyn Penny from Heaven – Really eye catching bitch, very elegant and pressed hard. The best of front construction, lovely length of neck, super topline, good hindquarters which she used on the move. Just unfortunate to come up against 1 on such good form.  

3^rd: Barcella’s Queenlord My Theory of Everything – Different in type to 1 & 2 with more ground clearance, lovely expression and good length of neck, moved smartly and at 1 with her handler.

Open Bitch

1^st: Busta’s Unzip My File Vitoraz – Very eye catching bitch. Beautifully presented, looked a picture standing and didn’t disappoint to go over. Fabulous side profile movement. Unfortunately she wasn’t settled on the move in the challenge, pulling away from the lead which threw her movement, particularly coming and going. A shame as I loved her type and she could have pushed my main winners hard.

2^nd: Dance’s Ch Emem Summer Sunshine – a quality bitch who I have admired from outside the ring and wasn’t disappointed. Pushed hard for 1^st, a worthy champion.

3^rd: Jones’ Ch Bimini Blue Moon JW – A beautiful bitch, another worthy champion of excellent make and shape.

Good Citizen Dog Scheme Bitch

1^st: Stephenson’s Bothlyn Indigo Blue at Wistex – see 3^rd in VB.

2^nd: Gilkes’ Birichino Belfray – Handled well, moved ok, would benefit from a little more weight.

Judge: Joanne Blackburn-Bennett