It was a pleasure to judge at the Hound Association & they were blessed with good weather. I understand that some exhibitors were unhappy about the amount of movement I requested – anyone who has ever shown under me knows I judge on the move, & in deference to the weather conditions I moved your dogs much less than I would normally. The ‘five times around the ring’ I was reported to have required refers to 1½ times around at the start, up & down & once around individually, & 1½ times around at the end, with possibly 1 more circuit if I was trying to decide between two dogs. In a small ring, I did not think that was excessive, & most of the dogs did not appear to be flagging at all. My BCC winner had to move the most without a break – her class, the bitch challenge & then BOB, but she was able to cross the showground to a breed club show where she went on to BIS.

I found the breed split in two – more compact types with correct proportions, who tended in the main to be the best movers, & larger, longer types who tended to be upright in shoulder with short upper arms, very deep ribbing, though rather narrow all through, & lacking rear drive. I did find a few problems with tails – fused vertebrae rather than kinks, but good dentition.

PD (2) These two pups were rather large for me, I hope they do not grow on. Not much to choose between them at this stage – the winner scored on temperament & topline, while the second moved very soundly behind. 1 Garlick’s Ranglewood McNab; 2 Hughes’ Rossann Lets Go Riley. JD (3) 1 Paget & Carroll’s Bronia Big Bang at Marvale, lovely sized dog & so sound & free, good head, ear & eye. Well constructed front & hind end, in the challenge where I thought he would be a very strong contender he appeared immature – which is not a fault at this age; 2 Street & Toft’s Ranglewood Lawsonia, very good hindquarters & hind movement on this larger & longer dog, preferred shape & balance of winner; 3 Dimon’s Labbadax Inspiration for Dimerlin. BD (1) 1 L Inspiration for D, big shaded red who did seem affected by the heat, good head, eye & ear, very typical, good front but would prefer a little more hind angulation. PGD (5) 1 Marks’ Labbadax Higher Than Hope, scored here on size & ground covering movement, good angulation both ends but tendency to sink behind when stood; 2 Negus’ Tarramist Iron Man, very sound dog with good angulation, but rather too much of him for me; 3 Brearley’s Labbadax Eyecatchin Shadow at Xanadax. LD (7) Best class so far, two shaded reds had me splitting hairs, both good for size, shape & balance & especially sound hind movement, good heads, necks & fronts, neither was too deep in ribbing & both had good ribbing:loin ratio. Seriously considered second for the RCC. 1 McNaughton’s Cedavoch The Alchemist, very masculine & has a really free, ground covering stride which won him the CC & BOB. Stood foursquare without exaggeration; 2 Dare & Guy’s Darsoms Zimbro, very close up & seriously considered for RCC, preferred eye of winner; 3 Marks, Johnson & Weston’s Africandawns Night Hawk. OD (7) Another good class but rather varied in type, first two were light reds of correct size, well balanced & moved really well, though both had a tendency to sink behind when stacked which cost them the highest awards today. The third though longer cast & lighter in build had excellent ribbing & was an excellent mover, would just prefer a flatter coat. 1 Roberts’ Swansford Warrador, all dog, with everything in the right place, good proportions, good ribbing, short loin & good quarters, lovely eye & expression which gained him the RCC; 2 Mitchell’s Ch Bronia Mr Pepys, very similar but not the coat today, felt the winner was better in front; 3 Dabrowska’s Multi Ch Morricone Hokus Pokus. VD (5) 1 Dare’s Bronia Salvador of Darsoms, difficult to believe he is a veteran, won on his excellent front, topline & movement, just lacked the verve of the younger dogs in the challenge. BV; 2 Marks’ Ch Brynalyn Royal Warrior via Labbadax, another unlikely veteran, good proportions, sound mover, but tends to sink behind when stacked; 3 Geeson & Geiser’s Am Ch Insights Captain Clutch, just lacking in coat today.

PB (7) The first three in this class stood away, & have the correct ratio of length to height. 1 McNaughton’s Cedavoch Circe, lovely head, eye & expression, good neck, shoulders & ribbing, very sound rear & moved beautifully, won BP on outline & movement, good to see her make the cut for BPIS; 2 Geeson’s Abydachs One Night Only, similar make & shape with less coat & giving away a lot in age, very promising & moved really well; 3 Mitchell’s Bronia Precious Legacy, similar make & shape, not moving as well behind as first two, & not holding outline on the move. JB (3) Good class, three correct sized shaded reds. 1 Garlick’s Ranglewood Laurel, all of a piece, well developed front & moved really well with good front extension; 2 Mitchell’s Bronia Atalanta, giving away a lot in age & coat, another excellent mover once she got going; 3 Fossett’s Africandawns Night Lover for Brysdax. PGB (4,1) Another class of three quality bitches, little to choose between the first two, which are the correct size & well balanced. 1 Clarke’s Tekalhaus Million To One, this girl is better on the move than stacked, & the more she went the better she looked, covering lots of ground, in glorious coat, good ribbing & hindquarters, scored on outline in the challenge. RCC; 2 Dare’s Darsoms Zyanara, this was the only exhibit I knew, no secret I like her when she lived in Ireland, I do prefer her head, neck & shoulder, everything in the right place but she came towards me a little wide in front & the more she moved today, the more reluctant she looked; 3 Nightingale & Thomas’ Whartona Megan Mayhem at Rodima. LB (4) 1 Dare’s Darsoms Zangel, gave me a real headache, stunningly beautiful bitch, excellent construction but an extremely reluctant mover today; 2 Paskins’ Kindeace Rita Ora, very sound bitch who holds her outline on the move, not the front & ribbing of the first; 3 Negus’ Tarramist Krug Rose. OB (5) 1 Dare’s Ch Swansford Nigella Darsoms, really fell for this bitch who is a beautiful size & shape, everything in the right place, correct proportions, excellent ribbing & so feminine, & in this class & the challenge she moved like a dream. CC, for BOB I was not sure that it was her or her handler who had got fed up, but she threw the towel in while the dog just got better; 2 McNaughton’s Ch Cedavoch Kismet, another lovely moving bitch from this kennel, again correct proportions, has a little more coat, is fuller in ribcage & not quite as feminine as the winner or RCC winner; 3 Geeson’s Abydachs Giving Off Sparks. VB (2,1) 1 Garlick’s Ch Ranglewood Genista, nice size with good ribbing & short loin, good if somewhat reluctant mover, very good topline.