2018 Champ Show Judge's Critique
2018 Championship Show - Judges Critique
Judge: Ms Gay Robertson
Moonlake Whippets (UK)
Whippet Club of Queensland 9th Championship Show
Friday 10th August 2018
An immaculate showground proved a beautiful setting for the quality entry at the Whippet Club of Queensland 9th Championship Show on Friday August 10, 2018. My first overall impression was of free moving, unexaggerated whippets with clean shoulders, very few having the bulky, straight, short bladed shoulders that have disfigured so many UK whippets in recent years. Nearly all exhibits had an adequate spring of pastern - another essential too often lacking in their UK cousins. I am not going to criticise individual dogs - I am sure their owners are only too aware of their shortcomings - but I think Australian breeders need to ensure that short upper arms do not become the norm, whether straight or with some of the desired angulation. I did not penalise them where I found them unless they were affecting movement, either in shortening the stride or worse, producing the goose stepping effect, often allied to tied elbows, or if it was a case of splitting two exhibits for placing. Tails were often also on the short side and I was surprised that exhibitors called attention to this by shaving them so they became harsh to the touch and also shortened them further, cutting off the hair at the end. A running dog needs a good strong tail for balance and steering. The fashion for longer whippets can lead to weak loins and incorrect toplines: standing over more and more ground does not always give the desirable balance and a few otherwise lovely dogs were just a little bit too long to be functional. What really made my day was that in many classes, I was able to judge to type so I hope it became apparent that I was looking for unexaggerated whippets of excellent breed type and moderate size that looked as if they could gallop and had first class attributes to pass on to subsequent generations. The fact that my Best Dog and Reserve Best Bitch are both 8 years old is a tribute both to outstanding kennel management and to the durable qualities of top class specimens of our breed. Thank you for bringing so many lovely exhibits to this show.
I have never before judged baby puppies and found it a bit of a challenge (I have four month old puppies at home and am not at all sure whether they will be show puppies in a couple of months’ time). Even at six months, the only parts of a whippet that are fully grown are the feet and tail so how they will eventually come together is anybody’s guess. For the record, on the day, I liked:
BABY PUPPY DOG
1st Shaw’s Shawthing Ragtime Jazz -Sable fawn with white trim. Nearly 5 months and with a maturity of topline, good bone. Good length of neck Pleasing flat shoulder and return of upper arm although a bit well muscled here, correct spring of pastern and not overdone behind, deep brisket for age and standing well over his ground, a very promising puppy.
2nd Reichert’s Shalique Shine a Light on Me - Brindle particolour, good length of back, preferred the shoulder of 1, a bit overawed by the occasion, attractive head, slightly wayward ears - expect they will settle down, neck flows well into body, good topline for one so young, correct moderate hind assembly.
3rd Ozrhode Kennels’ Ozrhode Celtic Tribal Power - Fawn full of life which one hopes will mature into ring presence, slightly overstretched by his handler which flattened his topline. Attractive head and expression, good length of neck, needs to strengthen behind.
MINOR PUPPY DOG (3)
1st Youngberg’s Chakrata Hoodlum Intha Park - Pale fawn parti, lovely quality, good depth of brisket, attractive eye, neck flows into shoulders, topline not always held, a promising puppy standing over plenty of ground.
2nd Slingsby’s Blakriva Wild Oats - Another shaded fawn parti, lovely size for his age, good bone, good topline and not overdone behind, well balanced, movement perhaps not so mature as 1, promising puppy
3rd Inglis’ Pressage Parker - Quality fawn with w trim, lovely coat and skin, good depth of brisket, attractive eye, neck goes smoothly into shoulders, topline rather spoiled by being overstretched on the stack, straightening his stifle and making it difficult for him to stand in a balanced way.
PUPPY DOG (4)
1st Slingsby’s Blakriva Way Too Cool - (litter brother to 2 in MPD) Mostly white with shaded fawn head good ears, remarks on 2 above apply, nice bone for his size, free moving in profile
2nd Greenwood’s Piaffe De Kooning - Very attractively marked light fawn brindle, well bodied and nice size for age, neck flows smoothly into shoulders, attractive expression, good feet, preferred the hind assembly of 1.
3rd Delaney’s Alltalk Silversmith - Fawn with white trim, well laid shoulder, good feet, quality bone. Although a month older, looked very immature in this company.
JUNIOR DOG (1)
1st Buchanan’s Doyen All the Rivers Run - Black masked brindle standing alone. Elegant, racy type, up to size.
INTERMEDIATE DOG (7, 1abs)
1st Shaw and Harris’ Ch Bonnymead Frozen in Time (AI) -
Well presented ultra quality fawn with white markings which did not do him any favours, attractive eye and neat ear, good length of neck into well laid shoulder with good return of upper arm. Good length of tail. Moved freely and smoothly round the ring
2nd Cleave’s Bundoon Summer Romance - Close decision between these two, 1 just having the edge on quality and front angulation. Slightly heavier blue fawn with good topline and underline, who scored over 1 in his stronger, more moderate hind assembly. Good depth of brisket and another nice long tail. Standing over a lot of ground, A very nice dog with an attractive personality.
3rd Mckernan’s Alarves Bring Your Huney Home - Another quality fawn with white trim, wouldn’t stand for notes, nice shoulder, well filled front, good depth of brisket, preferred the tuck-up of 2, showed well to earn his place in this class full of quality dogs.
AUSTRALIAN BRED DOG (8)
1st Cleave’s Ch Ridgesetter Rhythm of the Rain - Up to size brindle with white trim, well balanced dog with an attractive masculine head and typical whippet expression, moderate angulation fore and aft, good depth of brisket and tuck-up, good feet.
2nd Rule-Steele and Green’s Taejaan Hearts on Fire - Brindle white trim, excelled in movement but preferred the balance of 1, attractive type, good depth through the front, a quality whippet.
3rd McCrindle’s Ch Aslan Swede Patience Rewarded (AI) - Correctly sized gleaming black with white trim, functional make and shape, good depth of shoulder and brisket, moderate angulation fore and aft, a very sound, workmanlike, typical whippet.
OPEN DOG (7)
1st BD and BIS Maddox’s Illicium What a Show Off - I fell for this beautiful fawn dog as soon as he entered the ring. Not just for his type and quality but because he had that elusive and undefinable “grace”, so hard to find in male whippets these days. Well balanced with good bone down to the ground. Typical head and expression, long neck flows into well laid shoulder with return of upper arm, correct topline and underline, beautiful quarters, elegant sweep of stifle and strong well let down hocks. Accurate, effortless movement. I wish he were mine.
2nd and Res BD Mooney and Burn’s Ch Elmaro Hard Act to Follow - Another quality fawn dog, with movement second to none. Attractive masculine head and expression, good reach of neck, well ribbed back. Preferred the hind assembly of 1 but this is a very nice dog.
3rd Austen’s Ch Lysnagah Jameson - Upstanding pale fawn, another very free mover who really covered his ground, earning him this place in a strong class. Well placed shoulder and good return of upper arm, good depth of brisket, not the tuck up of 1 & 2, nice long tail.
VETERAN DOG (6, 2abs)
1st Barnwell’s Ch Jordeaux Summer Rain - 7 y o fawn, a little awkward on the stack but came into his own on the move. Neat ears, neck flowed into shoulders, well balanced and not overdone behind.
2nd Greenwood’s Ch Twyborn Flam Beau (IMP SWE) - Quality pale fawn brindle 8 y o, up to size, more length than 1 but could not match his movement. Good length of neck into well laid shoulder, well let down hocks, looked very nice on the stack.
3rd Fornasier’s Sup Ch Shenace Wyld About Ya (IMP NZ) - Smartly presented 9 yo brindle with white trim, an elegant little dog, moving well in profile.
BABY PUPPY BITCH (4)
1st Shaw’s Shawthing Itzall About Jazz - Pretty brindle with white trim, lovely neck with a little arch to it, pretty head, brisket down to elbows unusual at 5 months, clean shoulders and well filled front and good feet.
2nd Shaw’s Shawthing So Into Jazz - Brindle parti Litter sister to 1 and most of the above remarks apply, stronger hind assembly but I preferred the less prominent sternum of 1.
3rd Jenkins’ Jeulize Lady and the Tramp - 6 month old fawn of obvious quality, beginning to get curves in all the right places, good feet, more ring training would be to her advantage.
MINOR PUPPY BITCH (6, 1)
1st Hall and Curran’s Chakrata Polly Wheresya Dolly - White and fawn of attractive type, not always holding her topline, especially when overstretched behind but came together on the move, long, elegant neck, good depth of brisket, good feet and bone. Ears well held, pretty head.
2nd Inglis’ Pressage Pippa - Classic fawn in beautiful condition, alert and well balanced on good feet, slightly erratic movement cost her the 1st place. Good depth of brisket for her age, tail looks as if it will be long enough, attractive personality.
3rd Else and Halls’ Coolgully In A Split Second - Quality brindle with white trim, good type and temperament, just needs time to fill in front and generally mature, especially in second thigh, to become a really attractive bitch.
PUPPY BITCH (6, 3)
1st Reichert’s Debrignac Jeanne de Clisson - Old fashioned red brindle and white, true whippet type, well extended on the move with real drive behind. Fine ears, well laid shoulder into smooth topline with good tuck up, not overdone behind, functional feet standing over plenty of ground.
2nd Slingsby’s Blackriva Sweet Dreams - Pretty fawn and white, lovely size and substance for her 7 months, well balanced, obvious quality, neck flows smoothly into well laid shoulder, strong loin and quarters.
3rd Maddox’s Illicium Tell Me You Love Me - Rather tall, very quality pale fawn, excellent bone and feet, stacked with her head and neck pushed back so they were almost in line with her front legs which spoiled her outline and made her sternum overly prominent. Looked very nice on the move. Nice long tail.
INTERMEDIATE BITCH (9, 1)
1st Jenkins’ Jeulize Joyable - Classic fawn with white trim standing over plenty of ground, well ribbed back, neck flows smoothly into topline, good underline, looked a picture moving round the ring.
2nd Burn’s Gemridge Sweet Design - Pretty little fawn, well balanced and I preferred her angulation to 1 but she couldn’t match the winner for substance and bone, sometimes stacked to her advantage and sometimes not, moved well.
3rd McKernan’s Alarves BeautifulAmazingGrace - Pale fawn, long cast bitch, not overdone behind, well filled front, elegant curve from brisket to stifle, good width of thigh and length of tail. Not always co-operating with her handler.
AUSTRALIAN BRED BITCH (13, 2)
A fabulous class of beautiful whippets. Hair splitting came into play here so short upper arms, straight pasterns or less than straight, flowing movement moved down in the placings.
1st and BB Barnwell’s Ch Jordeaux Serene Illusion - Fawn and white classic bitch with lovely expression, fine ears, standing over plenty of ground, well filled front, good return of upper arm with front legs under the body, curvy underline, not overdone behind, hocks well let down. A quality bitch that is a credit to the breed.
2nd Green’s Warley de la Soul - Very elegant brindle and white shown with rather upright head carriage, fine ears, topline flows over strong loin, good hind assembly and length of tail, moved with drive.
3rd Maddox’s Illicium Im a Show Stopper - Hard to believe this beautiful fawn bitch is 8 years old, put down in immaculate condition, pretty, feminine head, beautifully balanced, good bone and feet, spring of pastern, to be hyper critical would prefer a less pronounced sternum and more relaxed tail but overall, an exquisite bitch.
OPEN BITCH1st Cleave’s Ch Ridgesetter Follow the Dream - Fawn with white trim, carrying a recent injury which did not affect her free, flowing movement in any way, stood like a rock, well filled front, lovely topline, good front fill, depth of brisket and tuck up.
2nd Elmaro Kennels’ Ch Elmaro Hey Little Girl - Pale fawn with white trim, a delightful character, reachy neck into well laid shoulder, good depth of brisket and a definite tuck up which some exhibits lacked. another that looked better on the move with her head at a more natural angle, classic whippet type.
3rd Austen’s Ch Lysnagah Tullamore Dew - Fawn with white trim, more substantial than first two, lovely topline, good bone and spring of pastern, strong loin, good length of tail. This whole class moved excellently but some let themselves down on the stack.
VETERAN BITCH (2)
1st and Res BB Cooney’s Ch Shalique Jee Nie In a Bottle - Another classic fawn of excellent make and shape, 8 y o, showing her socks off, fine ears, elegant long neck shown to advantage, well laid shoulder, flowing topline, strong quarters and second thigh, good spring of pastern. Lovely profile movement.
2nd Fornasier’s Sup Ch Isilwane Lie to Me - Smart brindle, also 8 and showing her socks off, fine ears, lovely typical whippet expression, good depth of brisket and length of loin, typical curvy underline, well presented.
NEUTER BITCH
1st Hall’s Neut Ch Calahorra Sun Lizard - Beautifully balanced, elegant, quality blue brindle standing over a lot of ground, still alert and interested after a long, hot day, moving smoothly and never losing her excellent topline, what a shame she hasn’t made a contribution to the breed with so much to offer.
2nd Casalaina’s Ch Shawthing Like the First Time - Brindle with white trim, more substantial than 1, similar long neck into good topline, good forequarters although would prefer a less prominent sternum, a powerful mover.
3rd Boyes’ Gemridge Cheap Thrills RN JC - Pretty little fawn with personality to spare, nice bone for her size, not quite the length of neck of the first two but good strong loin and quarters, moved well.