A decent entry overall. I was surprised to find a number of incorrect bites & several exhibits with missing incisors, please watch mouths when considering your breeding programme. A few were carrying far too much weight & lacked muscletone, so sadly fell apart on the move. Nails on several were very long, resulting in splayed feet & collapsed, slack pasterns. I was a little dismayed to find some with very greasy, dirty coats – my hands were filthy. This is a very ‘low maintenance’ breed presentation-wise, & a little extra effort could have altered some placings. 

On a more positive note, temperament on the whole was excellent – & I was delighted with my principal winners.

PD (3) 1 Maskell’s Clentry Monster Mash at Brownbank, b/t, houndy boy. Well off for bone with a super head & eye. Smart in outline & a steady, but correct mover. His very young handler showed him so well, it was a joy to watch. BPD; 2 Andison & Peel’s Excellmagic Wonderful Way, a brindle boy of completely different type to 1. Super head & reach of neck, much light in frame than 1 as one would expect from a European dog, so therefore more active on the move. Just not quite so settled in topline today; 3 Bethel’s Sobhalisham Prezent President. JD (2) 1 Stringfellow’s Sontag Silvan Sorcerer; 2 Burke & Manston’s Africandawns Runner Man. BD 1 C Monster Mash at B; 2 S Silvan Sorcerer. PGD (2) 1 CC, Higgins’ Leveliss Saucy Sailor, super smart b/t dog who stands out from the crowd. Super head, eye & expression. Lovely reach of neck with correct front, tight elbows, super feet & short nails. Not a dog of terrific length, but with super spring & length of rib & short, strong loin with well angulated quarters. He moved with drive & extension, put down to the minute in clean, hard condition.  An easy CC winner for me, sure to cruise to his title; 2 Linacre’s Rosenket Rigoletto, b/t boy of different type, being finer all through. Feet not his fortune, moved soundly but lack the drive of 1. LD (4) 1 Cox, Cobo & Fellows’ Ralines Dark Knight, absolutely sound b/t dog of lovely type. Correct head & tidy front. Tight elbows & well ribbed. Decent hind angulation, which enables him to move with drive. Presented beautifully, could just carry a bit less condition for me; 2 Bethel’s Hampdach Take It To The Limit with Dovestream, shaded red dog of decent type. Nicely constructed all through, not glamorous but sound as a bell. Moved soundly & handled to advantage; 3 Graham’s Gameron Simply Red. OD (7) 1 RCC, Norton’s Matzell Man Of The Match, red boy of lovely type, typical of this kennel. Houndy, yet still elegant. Last judged him as a puppy & I still like him, would like a shade less of him perhaps, but nonetheless a super male with so much to commend him. Beautifully presented & handled; 2 Hunt’s Ch Cwmdarham Hogan’s Hero at Carpaccio, really sound & upstanding b/t dog of quality. So well made & correct all through. Sound mover, just not the drive of 1 here. Well presented; 3 MacDonald’s Multi Ch Bensarka Phoenix Sun. VD (2) 1 MacDonald’s Carpaccio Black Out at Bensarka, b/t dog of 9 years. Super make & shape in excellent condition. Moved out soundly with a firm topline; 2 Rosenket Heir Apparent at Andax, choc dog of the same age as 1 but not carrying his years as lightly & rather reluctant to move out.

PB (2) 1 Joy’s Morailsa Druids Secret Wish, exquisite b/t bitch of lovely type with a happy, confident temperament. Super head with dark eye of correct shape, good reach of neck & correct shoulders with decent layback, well ribbed up & decent hindquarters. Moved out with drive & extension. One to watch. BP; 2 Hone’s Oxondachs Enchanted, shaded red bitch of different type. Very raw & completely overawed here. Could use some more body & a bit more training. JB (6,1) 1 Lovick-Gibbs’ Roleta The Lewis Goodbye, elegant shaded red bitch. Pleasing head & textbook front. Well ribbed & well angulated rear. Absolutely sound in all departments, cracking mover who would have strode out more given the choice. Super girl; 2 Hone’s Oxondachs Bon Bon, b/t bitch, raw but of super type. Another elegant one with similar construction to 1. Most pleasing on the move, with a firm topline – confident & happy showgirl; 3 Joy’s Morailsa Druids Secret Wish. BB (1) 1 O Enchanted. PGB (4,1) 1 Bethel’s Hampdach One Way Or Another, elegant b/t bitch with a classic outline, so neat & tidy all through & presented in lovely, clean, hard condition. A little hesitant but moved really well to take this class with some to spare. Very promising; 2 O Bon Bon. LB (3) 1 CC, Rawson’s Rosenket Queen Of Hearts, stunning choc bitch with the whole package, breed type, elegance & soundness, she has it all. Classic Dachshund head, super reach of neck. Well placed shoulders with correct layback, super spring & depth of rib & short, strong loin. Well angulated rear which she used on the move, getting her hocks under her and powering around the ring. A very happy showgirl with a delightful temperament, pleased to award her the CC & hope she gains her crown soon; 2 Lovick Gibbs’ Gameron In Kahoots with Roleta, dark, shaded red bitch with super pigment. Smaller & more compact than 1, but with much to commend her. Soundly constructed all through, but not as typy or elegant as 1. Moved really well, keeping a firm topline; 3 Burke & Manston’s Bonavoir Testa Rossa. OB 1 RCC, Seago & Gibbard’s Ch Amlida Evora, well schooled b/t bitch who really appealed. She is so correct all through she is impossible to overlook, nothing overdone or exaggerated, just everything in the right place & where it should be. Moved with drive, keeping a correct topline. Pleased to award her the RCC; 2 Norton’s Ch Matzell Maid In Time, glamorous shaded red bitch I last judged as a raw baby. Pleased to see she has fulfilled all her early promise. Difficult to fault, she is typical of this longstanding, successful kennel. Super on the move; 3 Turner’s Marictur Moulin Rouge. VB (1) 1 Turner’s Marictur Uptown Madam, 9 year old bitch, put down to the mint in sparkling form. Well made all through, & in hard condition – which could put some of the younger exhibits to shame! Clearly not a girl to rest on her laurels!