NWA Championship Show
6th May 2013
DOG CRITIQUE
This venue (Kennel Club Building, Stoneleigh) provokes some opposing opinions. For me it is ideal. It has enough space, the ground is flat, even, solid & our uncertain weather has no effect on the proceedings. The ring was set up to perfection which allowed the dogs to go through their paces without interference. It was an experience to talk about our Whippet preferences with my co-judge, the very well known Espen Engh.
As usual I am always looking for that special combination that I believe our breed must have to meet my interpretation of the Standard. They must be able to meet the racing/coursing requirements which means that must be proportioned to accelerate & manoeuvre quickly, be athletic, conditioned with firm muscle development in the right places, being supported with enough bone without being heavy or cloddy.
They are bred to do a job but we have no way of seeing this performance so we have to look for pointers. Athletic, muscular covering, in filled/heart-lung room front, ribbed well back, strong in a curved topline ‘over’ the loin with defined muscular powerful first & second thighs. With an adequate bend of stifle, hocks set well down with metatarsals set at right angles to the ground. For show we want a forward reaching purposeful gait at a brisk walking pace indicating a long reaching, freedom of movement with the minimum of effort & deviation from true.
Most had the requisite layback of shoulder but many lacked sufficient return of upper arm, were pronounced & wide at the withers. Therefore compromising the cushioning requirement of a coursing dog who has to run over uneven ground, twisting & turning at speed.
Mouths were better than previous judging – only one significantly overshot youngster. A few had teeth not set square & some lacked depth of underjaw.
Everyone cannot win their class as there is little to separate exhibits. Class wins & top honours are decided on only the smallest of margins & personal preferences. There is little to separate 1st to VHC & on other days, with other judges’ preference & maturity with the puppies, there will certainly be some reversals. The quality of the current exhibits in the puppy classes was extremely pleasing & there is going to be some interesting competition in the next year or so to see who can reach their crown.
VETERAN (4) 1 Holland’s Ch Elmanash Major General, this started the day off with a really tough decision between these two worthy chs of very similar type & in the final line-up they would certainly be near the top of the list. Both in superb condition & do not look 7 years, this dog hits you straight away with his Whippet type, good for size, profile shape in superb condition, moves very accurately with drive in both profile & end on, excellent profile shape, front assembly, rear angles, a great example; 2 Russell’s Ch Juneric Midnight Mischief, another worthy ch & the same remarks apply as 1, real classy Whippet type. Very close decision, was 1’s more positive forward reach that was the deciding factor; 3 Hoddinott’s Bantam Cock.
MINOR PUPPY (19) 1 Allen’s Zoraden Vanilla Latte, what a brilliant class of young males headed by a classy young mid-fawn dog with a definite future, great type, proportions & a quality about him that may take him to the ultimate achievement. Still immature as one would want, excellent development for age, must not grow much more, what puts him in front of the rest is the correct front assembly, positioning of topline (over the loin), scope & strength of body general proportions balance no exaggerations, accurate, good reach, effortless & controlled movement. Not quite as perfect in the challenge with different handler. BPD; 2 Mixides’ Railfield Rainicon in Yialousa, another classy pale fawn dog with a future if he goes the right way, very similar attributes to 1, did nothing wrong & very close up. Just flattened out in his topline in profile; 3 Sykes’ Nevedith Woofa Wizard of Veredon.
PUPPY (9) 1 Dufty & Morland’s Triken Can’t Stop Dreaming, another very well made pale fawn lightly brindled youngster, real elegant, quality youngster of very pleasing type, size, shape, mature in body, his condition, coat & skin were the finest you will ever see, very classy flow of neck into his withers, great front angulation & return of upper arm, excellent body length, stood over the ground maintaining his topline over the loin, correct rearend proportions & angles, just a very correct puppy, must have a bright future; 2 Head & Larson’s Plumcreek Forecaster at Demerlay, dark brindle, not as mature as 1, leaner in body, less bodied up in profile, good for size, leaner head, elegant & shapely, all curves, moved well in glimpses, good reach & drive. Will be definite improvement with maturity, headstrong at present but a very promising puppy for the future; 3 Mason’s Aphrael What A Kafuffle.
JUNIOR (10) 1 Mixides’ Citycroft Star Gazing over Yialousa, very pleasing fawn beginning to mature the right way now, stands over the ground well showing a balanced & proportioned outline, balanced masculine head, long elegant tapering neck, correct front angulations & proportions, good body depth to elbow, showed a curvy, elegant refined profile with correct underline & topline, correct well portioned rear angles, correctly muscled all over, moved out well & accurately. When reaching full maturity should start to trouble the best; 2 Holt Barnesmore Tiger Of Gold, very pleasing r/br who has matured & strengthened well into his frame, very similar in type to 1, elegant, long elegant neck correctly flowing into the withers, correct curves in underline & topline, correct proportioned profile shape, no exaggerations, strong in body & musculature, correct well portioned rear angles. Moved well, not quite the reach of 1; 3 Dillon’s Collooney Fantastic Mr Fox
YEARLING (11) 1 Brown’s Hichrisar Midnight Raider, dark brindle of neat size, mature well covered & muscled, good proportions, long elegant neck flowed neatly into shoulder, correct front angulation, body depth to elbow, correctly proportioned rear angles, strode out well with some drive & cadence; 2 Hambling’s Chaseover Bet You Dare, brindle with white trim, strong & curvy, good front proportions, layback of shoulder & return of upper arm, when stacked does not allow himself to stand out over the ground behind which spoils his particularly pleasing & correctly angled front assembly, tall enough, moved out with drive & purpose showing an improved profile shape; 3 Holland’s Elmanash Majors Gold.
NOVICE (7) 1 P Forcaster at D; 2 R Rainicon in Y; 3 A What A Kafuffle.
UNDER GRADUATE (3) 1 C Star Gazing over Y; 2 Shepherd’s Nattah In Sync with Oxana, brindle with white trim, well covered male with good front proportions, layback of shoulder & return of upper arm. Would prefer more bend of stifle behind, does not allow himself to stand out freely in front & behind which spoils his profile, moved moderately well; 3 Maradike’s Make It Your Own for Marlbank.
SPECIAL BEGINNERS (6) 1 Harding’s Kierpark Bohemian Rhapsody, r/br, particularly pleasing size, refined masculine head, strong tapering neck into well laid & clean shoulders, balanced front angulation with good return of upper arm, proportions of body & bone, well covered muscular & fit. Little short in rear angles which spoils his rear assembly; 2 C Fantastic Mr Fox, pale fawn of pleasing size & proportions, well covered strong & muscular. Topline a bit forward, appears to be uncooperative in the show stand which does not help. Moved fairly accurately end on & could be moved with a bit more pace to see if he would stride out more; 3 Saxby’s Nattah Knight Gawaine with Sandspring.
POST GRADUATE (17) 1 Beckett-Bradshaw’s Collooney Horn Knee Harry at Hutaka, lightly marked pale brindle, particularly pleasing to go over, excellent for size, neat masculine head, elegant tapering neck which flows well into the withers, well placed clean shoulder placement with correct front assembly angles & proportions, body strong & ribbed well back, slight topline over the loin, correctly muscular angled rear assembly metatarsals vertical to the ground. Showing immaturity when against the higher class winners at this point in time, moves accurately end on & in profile; 2 Wayman’s Cobyco Chasing Stars at Scarletfair, f/w parti with quite some degree of elegance, masculine refined head, very elegant long strong neck flows into neat well placed shoulder placement, front assembly well placed with good return of upper arm, clean correct bone with well sprung pasterns, excellent depth of body running into firm underline & topline which is a bit accentuated. Moved well in profile & end on; 3 Grisoli & Bowyer’s Loroli Jump To The Beat.
LIMIT (20) 1 Halbert’s Benzfreya Major Drummer, pale brindle, excellent type & proportions throughout, elegant, long-strong tapering neck into absolutely correct front angles, lay of shoulder & return of upper arm, pleasing front width & infill with correct bone to the ground, strong masculine body with depth to elbow, correct spring & length of ribbing, together with a sweeping underline with a firm correctly positioned topline, my type of male, would not want him any taller, moved very accurately end on & in profile with reach, purpose, drive, finished off his rear stride cleanly & enthusiasm showing the underside of his feet, this final factor won him the CC; 2 Dillon’s Collooney Billy The Whizz, fawn approaching full maturity, pleasing throughout & similar profile to 1, just lacked the refinement & detail, it’s small variations & on personal preferences that placings are decided. Moved well & accurately end on & in profile, bit more enthusiasm would have helped; 3 Snelgrove’s Huntinghill Jazztastic.
OPEN (11) 1 Wilton-Clark’s Ch Shalfleet Simply A Lord, very flashy brindle with white trim, have seen him many times & this is the first time I have been over him, was not disappointed, pleasing for size with real masculine & fit profile shape, excellent length, depth of body & correct underline, one of the cleanest & correct lay of shoulder & is an example to all, moved well from front & in profile, it is on small margins & personal preferences that decisions are made. RCC; 2 Ritchie & Ritchie-Smith’s Demerlay Vanilla Sky over Gwendariff, pale f/w trim, fully mature & well constructed male with very good proportions, long elegant neck, very pleasing front assembly, lay of shoulder, depth of body, topline, underline with a strong & powerful rear assembly used on the move. A dog I really like but at this level there are high prices to be paid for small margins & is a little taller than the top competition on show; 3 Raghammer’s Ch Adagio Crowdstopper.
MIKE HOWGATE
As usual I am always looking for that special combination that I believe our breed must have to meet my interpretation of the Standard. They must be able to meet the racing/coursing requirements which means that must be proportioned to accelerate & manoeuvre quickly, be athletic, conditioned with firm muscle development in the right places, being supported with enough bone without being heavy or cloddy.
They are bred to do a job but we have no way of seeing this performance so we have to look for pointers. Athletic, muscular covering, in filled/heart-lung room front, ribbed well back, strong in a curved topline ‘over’ the loin with defined muscular powerful first & second thighs. With an adequate bend of stifle, hocks set well down with metatarsals set at right angles to the ground. For show we want a forward reaching purposeful gait at a brisk walking pace indicating a long reaching, freedom of movement with the minimum of effort & deviation from true.
Most had the requisite layback of shoulder but many lacked sufficient return of upper arm, were pronounced & wide at the withers. Therefore compromising the cushioning requirement of a coursing dog who has to run over uneven ground, twisting & turning at speed.
Mouths were better than previous judging – only one significantly overshot youngster. A few had teeth not set square & some lacked depth of underjaw.
Everyone cannot win their class as there is little to separate exhibits. Class wins & top honours are decided on only the smallest of margins & personal preferences. There is little to separate 1st to VHC & on other days, with other judges’ preference & maturity with the puppies, there will certainly be some reversals. The quality of the current exhibits in the puppy classes was extremely pleasing & there is going to be some interesting competition in the next year or so to see who can reach their crown.
VETERAN (4) 1 Holland’s Ch Elmanash Major General, this started the day off with a really tough decision between these two worthy chs of very similar type & in the final line-up they would certainly be near the top of the list. Both in superb condition & do not look 7 years, this dog hits you straight away with his Whippet type, good for size, profile shape in superb condition, moves very accurately with drive in both profile & end on, excellent profile shape, front assembly, rear angles, a great example; 2 Russell’s Ch Juneric Midnight Mischief, another worthy ch & the same remarks apply as 1, real classy Whippet type. Very close decision, was 1’s more positive forward reach that was the deciding factor; 3 Hoddinott’s Bantam Cock.
MINOR PUPPY (19) 1 Allen’s Zoraden Vanilla Latte, what a brilliant class of young males headed by a classy young mid-fawn dog with a definite future, great type, proportions & a quality about him that may take him to the ultimate achievement. Still immature as one would want, excellent development for age, must not grow much more, what puts him in front of the rest is the correct front assembly, positioning of topline (over the loin), scope & strength of body general proportions balance no exaggerations, accurate, good reach, effortless & controlled movement. Not quite as perfect in the challenge with different handler. BPD; 2 Mixides’ Railfield Rainicon in Yialousa, another classy pale fawn dog with a future if he goes the right way, very similar attributes to 1, did nothing wrong & very close up. Just flattened out in his topline in profile; 3 Sykes’ Nevedith Woofa Wizard of Veredon.
PUPPY (9) 1 Dufty & Morland’s Triken Can’t Stop Dreaming, another very well made pale fawn lightly brindled youngster, real elegant, quality youngster of very pleasing type, size, shape, mature in body, his condition, coat & skin were the finest you will ever see, very classy flow of neck into his withers, great front angulation & return of upper arm, excellent body length, stood over the ground maintaining his topline over the loin, correct rearend proportions & angles, just a very correct puppy, must have a bright future; 2 Head & Larson’s Plumcreek Forecaster at Demerlay, dark brindle, not as mature as 1, leaner in body, less bodied up in profile, good for size, leaner head, elegant & shapely, all curves, moved well in glimpses, good reach & drive. Will be definite improvement with maturity, headstrong at present but a very promising puppy for the future; 3 Mason’s Aphrael What A Kafuffle.
JUNIOR (10) 1 Mixides’ Citycroft Star Gazing over Yialousa, very pleasing fawn beginning to mature the right way now, stands over the ground well showing a balanced & proportioned outline, balanced masculine head, long elegant tapering neck, correct front angulations & proportions, good body depth to elbow, showed a curvy, elegant refined profile with correct underline & topline, correct well portioned rear angles, correctly muscled all over, moved out well & accurately. When reaching full maturity should start to trouble the best; 2 Holt Barnesmore Tiger Of Gold, very pleasing r/br who has matured & strengthened well into his frame, very similar in type to 1, elegant, long elegant neck correctly flowing into the withers, correct curves in underline & topline, correct proportioned profile shape, no exaggerations, strong in body & musculature, correct well portioned rear angles. Moved well, not quite the reach of 1; 3 Dillon’s Collooney Fantastic Mr Fox
YEARLING (11) 1 Brown’s Hichrisar Midnight Raider, dark brindle of neat size, mature well covered & muscled, good proportions, long elegant neck flowed neatly into shoulder, correct front angulation, body depth to elbow, correctly proportioned rear angles, strode out well with some drive & cadence; 2 Hambling’s Chaseover Bet You Dare, brindle with white trim, strong & curvy, good front proportions, layback of shoulder & return of upper arm, when stacked does not allow himself to stand out over the ground behind which spoils his particularly pleasing & correctly angled front assembly, tall enough, moved out with drive & purpose showing an improved profile shape; 3 Holland’s Elmanash Majors Gold.
NOVICE (7) 1 P Forcaster at D; 2 R Rainicon in Y; 3 A What A Kafuffle.
UNDER GRADUATE (3) 1 C Star Gazing over Y; 2 Shepherd’s Nattah In Sync with Oxana, brindle with white trim, well covered male with good front proportions, layback of shoulder & return of upper arm. Would prefer more bend of stifle behind, does not allow himself to stand out freely in front & behind which spoils his profile, moved moderately well; 3 Maradike’s Make It Your Own for Marlbank.
SPECIAL BEGINNERS (6) 1 Harding’s Kierpark Bohemian Rhapsody, r/br, particularly pleasing size, refined masculine head, strong tapering neck into well laid & clean shoulders, balanced front angulation with good return of upper arm, proportions of body & bone, well covered muscular & fit. Little short in rear angles which spoils his rear assembly; 2 C Fantastic Mr Fox, pale fawn of pleasing size & proportions, well covered strong & muscular. Topline a bit forward, appears to be uncooperative in the show stand which does not help. Moved fairly accurately end on & could be moved with a bit more pace to see if he would stride out more; 3 Saxby’s Nattah Knight Gawaine with Sandspring.
POST GRADUATE (17) 1 Beckett-Bradshaw’s Collooney Horn Knee Harry at Hutaka, lightly marked pale brindle, particularly pleasing to go over, excellent for size, neat masculine head, elegant tapering neck which flows well into the withers, well placed clean shoulder placement with correct front assembly angles & proportions, body strong & ribbed well back, slight topline over the loin, correctly muscular angled rear assembly metatarsals vertical to the ground. Showing immaturity when against the higher class winners at this point in time, moves accurately end on & in profile; 2 Wayman’s Cobyco Chasing Stars at Scarletfair, f/w parti with quite some degree of elegance, masculine refined head, very elegant long strong neck flows into neat well placed shoulder placement, front assembly well placed with good return of upper arm, clean correct bone with well sprung pasterns, excellent depth of body running into firm underline & topline which is a bit accentuated. Moved well in profile & end on; 3 Grisoli & Bowyer’s Loroli Jump To The Beat.
LIMIT (20) 1 Halbert’s Benzfreya Major Drummer, pale brindle, excellent type & proportions throughout, elegant, long-strong tapering neck into absolutely correct front angles, lay of shoulder & return of upper arm, pleasing front width & infill with correct bone to the ground, strong masculine body with depth to elbow, correct spring & length of ribbing, together with a sweeping underline with a firm correctly positioned topline, my type of male, would not want him any taller, moved very accurately end on & in profile with reach, purpose, drive, finished off his rear stride cleanly & enthusiasm showing the underside of his feet, this final factor won him the CC; 2 Dillon’s Collooney Billy The Whizz, fawn approaching full maturity, pleasing throughout & similar profile to 1, just lacked the refinement & detail, it’s small variations & on personal preferences that placings are decided. Moved well & accurately end on & in profile, bit more enthusiasm would have helped; 3 Snelgrove’s Huntinghill Jazztastic.
OPEN (11) 1 Wilton-Clark’s Ch Shalfleet Simply A Lord, very flashy brindle with white trim, have seen him many times & this is the first time I have been over him, was not disappointed, pleasing for size with real masculine & fit profile shape, excellent length, depth of body & correct underline, one of the cleanest & correct lay of shoulder & is an example to all, moved well from front & in profile, it is on small margins & personal preferences that decisions are made. RCC; 2 Ritchie & Ritchie-Smith’s Demerlay Vanilla Sky over Gwendariff, pale f/w trim, fully mature & well constructed male with very good proportions, long elegant neck, very pleasing front assembly, lay of shoulder, depth of body, topline, underline with a strong & powerful rear assembly used on the move. A dog I really like but at this level there are high prices to be paid for small margins & is a little taller than the top competition on show; 3 Raghammer’s Ch Adagio Crowdstopper.
MIKE HOWGATE
BITCH CRITIQUE
I felt honoured to be invited to judge the bitches at the National Whippet Association. This show was just what dog show should be about; evaluation of breeding stock. With a large & presumably representative entry & above all with three generation pedigrees of all entries in the catalogue, NWA offered a unique opportunity to study just where the breed is right now in the UK & even more importantly where the different qualities come from. The NWA show is thus a valuable tool for all serious breeders,This being my sixth Whippet club ch show in the UK, over the years I have enjoyed the opportunity to follow the breed closely & believe I am able to make comparisons with the past, In my opinion whippet bitches have never been better than what they are right now in the UK. I was happy to find a large number of bitches who excelled in that essential combination of substance with elegance, ideal proportions with grace of outline, retaining their lovely curves on the move. Most classes were very strong & a joy to judge, & the limit class was one of the best class of Whippets I have ever seen, most impressive!
I am happy to say that in my opinion side movement has improved a lot in recent years. This is to me an essential aspect of the breed. I did however find plenty of room for improvement in movement coming & going, so perhaps the improved side movement has come with a price.
Who would just a few years ago have thought that it would be possible for mainstream American Whippets to blend in & win in the UK? It sure has happened now. Here the winner of the puppy class was bred by one of the leading US breeders & the winner of the veteran class by another. I see this as a testimony to how international the breed has become & that clever breeders are using the whole world as their source of inspiration & genetic material. It was a pleasure co-judging the finals with Mike Howgate, & the referee was not required.
MINOR PUPPY (18) Lovely class. 1 Collooney Whoopee Do Dora, well developed brindle with white trim, of lovely type & overall appearance, combining substance with elegance, powerful head, yet with quality, excellent forechest & depth for a young bitch, excellent angulation both ends, smooth, curvy & balanced topline, generous hindquarters, moved very well indeed from the side & from behind, one to watch for the near future. BP; 2 Collooney Adorabubble Babe, brindle with white trim, not unlike 1 in many ways, but at this time slightly lower on legs, lovely body shape with excellent length of loin & wonderful sweeping curves, very typical, feminine head with excellent expression, long neck, well angulated hindquarters, in superb muscular condition, moved very well from the side with drive & suppleness, but needs to stabilise a bit in front with maturity; 3 Marimay Cleopatra.
PUPPY (9) 1 Plumcreek Go Forth Yankee Girl to Sejoda, very eyecatching br/w of very attractive type & quality, Well shaped head & lovely expression, excelled in body proportions & curvy, flowing lines with length of loin, long, strong & well arched neck. Not the most moderate of Whippets, she will take some time to stabilise, especially in movement as seen from behind, but moved with excellent balance & pleasing extension from the side; 2 Jodana Avoca, very well made quality bitch with an attractive silhouette, even if not as generous in outline as 1, very pleasing head, moderate & balanced angulation both ends, curvy outline, the best mover in the class, sound coming & going, easy & well balanced from the side; 3 Almakaela’s Irish Mist.
JUNIOR (14) 1 Collooney Eye Candy, instantly attractive w/r/f, long-cast with excellent overall quality & type, highly typical head, beautiful expression & a curvy, smooth outline, standing she looked excessively angulated behind, but she defied that by moving soundly coming & going & well enough from the side when concentrating on the task; 2 Pasharif Pay It Again, well made, sound & well balanced bitch with attractive proportions, w/f, lovely feminine head, long, well set & well arched neck, moderately angulated in front, attractive curvy topline & underline, well angulated behind, a parallel mover coming & going, moved reasonably well from the side; 3 Plumcreek Go Forth Yankee Girl to Sejoda.
YEARLING (11) 1 Shalfleet Sugar Frosting, feminine w/br of excellent size & very sound, beautiful head, excellent ears used to her advantage, deep chest, well angulated in both ends. For my preference she could be somewhat more generous in her body proportions & tended to fall off in her outline. Outmoved her competition, especially in suppleness & drive from the side & soundness in front; 2 Derohan Beyond Desire, elegant bitch of very attractive type & overall high quality, beautiful head, excellent neck & forechest, attractive body curves & proportions, moved efficiently & with balance from the side, but tended to crab coming & going; 3 Elmanash Arabella.
NOVICE (11) 1 C Whoopee Do Dora; 2 Tarward Willow, w/f, standing very firmly on her legs & feet, refined head. Could do with some more strength of foreface. Showed her neat ears to advantage, long & well arched neck, attractive body curves when standing. Tended to flatten out a bit in movement as puppies sometimes do, used her legs well on the move from all angles; 3 Barmoll Brulee.
UNDERGRADUATE (8) 1 Drakesoak Serendipity, lovely quality bitch, mainly bl/br with ideal proportions & beautiful curves in the right places, highly typical head & expression, moderate neck, well angulated both ends, excellent legs & feet, moved very well indeed from the side, keeping her lovely outline at all times. At times I would have liked her to put more weight on her front legs standing still, which I am sure could be corrected with training – it would definitely be worth the effort with such an excellent bitch; 2 Barmoll Brie, very sound & well balanced bitch, feminine & elegant, but I preferred the sheer quality of 1, very correct in her silhouette, kept her lovely outline & balance on the move, sound as a bell in movement from all angles, including parallel coming & going; 3 Malakands Magic Trick.
SPECIAL BEGINNERS (8) 1 Kierpark Don’t Stop Me Now, curvy bitch of excellent type & quality, very impressive on the move, strong neck of medium length, excellent forechest & depth of brisket, lovely underline that makes such a difference in a Whippet, well angulated behind, outstanding mover from the side, low, long reaching, energetic & supple, & combined this with pleasing movement coming & going, I liked her a lot; 2 Stormburst Wild Honey, lovely quality bitch of excellent type, a bit rangier than 1, excelled in elegance & grace of outline, lovely head, long neck, moderately angulated in front, excellent topline & underline, excellent mover coming & going, moved well from the side, but a little high behind in movement, but this did not spoil the impression of an overall excellent bitch; 3 Sheol Keep On Rocking.
POST GRADUATE (25) 1 Mulcair Mums The Word, high quality w/br, not small, but truly feminine, beautiful, classical head, long neck, sufficiently angulated in front, covers plenty of ground both standing & moving with her lovely curvy body, excellent, well balanced topline, well angulated behind, long, low, efficient & supple movement, sound coming & going, a really good bitch with the look of a brood bitch, has a sensible temperament, but could do with a bit more animation; 2 Barmoll Baroness, very well constructed, well proportioned & sound bitch with excellent curves & typically bright & alert, handled to perfection to get the very best out of her, including showing off her excellent ears, attractive neck, balanced angulation in front & behind, light on her feet, efficient & effortless on the move; 3 Linalkin Meadow Lark.
LIMIT (31) Outstanding class, at least ten of these bitches would be deserving of a ch title. 1 Collooney Ravishing Rita of Mulranny, simply outstanding bitch of ideal type, size, & proportions, combining elegance & substance to perfection, stands like a rock with her feet firmly planted on the ground, above all she has a look of a thoroughbred & quality written all over her, smooth as glass & nothing left to coincidence, stunning head & a lovely bright & alert expression coming from dark well, well shaped & placed eyes, excellent neck, well arched & smoothly set into body, just coming into her prime, lovely, curvy underline, balanced topline, outstanding mover from all angles, her qualities are so obvious & her imperfections so minor that she should appeal to most Whippet people everywhere. CC & BOB; 2 Demerlay Armabay Billie Jean, lovely, feminine fawn of superb type & quality, combining substance with elegance to perfection, lovely, classical head, but not quite the expression of 1, long, well set neck, excellent balanced angulation both ends, stunningly beautiful body curves, ideal balance, she looked like a piece of art, very well handled, moved outstandingly well from all angles, a wonderful bitch who could win in the best of competitions. RCC; 3 Turnstone Tiger Lily.
OPEN (16) Another very impressive class. 1 Ch Demerlay Regency Romance, lovely, instantly attractive bitch, not small & I would not like any more of her, but still feminine & very well constructed, excelled in angulation both ends & she certainly knows how to make use of her construction on the move, classical head with excellent skull, long & strong neck, lovely body curves. I could watch her move around the ring all day & I am sure she would not mind as she is so efficient & supple, a textbook lesson in Whippet movement; 2 Ch Huntinghill Jazzalicious, truly classical w/f, excelling in proportions & ideal combination of substance with elegance, beautiful head & expression, excellent balance & smooth flowing outline, teeming with quality & type, movement coming & going is faultless, nicely balanced from the side, at all times keeping her outline, but still not quite up to the agility of 1; 3 Ch Ardencote Justa Cracker, completed a trio of bitches that have all won under me before, it was a privilege to judge them together.
VETERAN (7) 1 Ch Sporting Field Winged Dove over Dumbriton, classical solid white with a porcelain quality that lights up the environment around her, beautiful head & expression, excellent small rose ears, long neck, moderate, balanced angulation both ends, lovely, classical outline which she has retained to perfection at her high age due to her excellent condition, moved very well indeed for age, I appreciated the opportunity to go over this historically important Whippet & was very pleased that she ended the day with BV; 2 Linalkin Blue Meadow, very attractive brindle in remarkable condition for her age, I would never have guessed that she was a veteran, strong head, questionable ears, excellent angulation both ends, optimal body curves, moved very soundly & efficiently from all angles; 3 Ardencote Diamond Lil.
ESPEN ENGH (Norway)
I am happy to say that in my opinion side movement has improved a lot in recent years. This is to me an essential aspect of the breed. I did however find plenty of room for improvement in movement coming & going, so perhaps the improved side movement has come with a price.
Who would just a few years ago have thought that it would be possible for mainstream American Whippets to blend in & win in the UK? It sure has happened now. Here the winner of the puppy class was bred by one of the leading US breeders & the winner of the veteran class by another. I see this as a testimony to how international the breed has become & that clever breeders are using the whole world as their source of inspiration & genetic material. It was a pleasure co-judging the finals with Mike Howgate, & the referee was not required.
MINOR PUPPY (18) Lovely class. 1 Collooney Whoopee Do Dora, well developed brindle with white trim, of lovely type & overall appearance, combining substance with elegance, powerful head, yet with quality, excellent forechest & depth for a young bitch, excellent angulation both ends, smooth, curvy & balanced topline, generous hindquarters, moved very well indeed from the side & from behind, one to watch for the near future. BP; 2 Collooney Adorabubble Babe, brindle with white trim, not unlike 1 in many ways, but at this time slightly lower on legs, lovely body shape with excellent length of loin & wonderful sweeping curves, very typical, feminine head with excellent expression, long neck, well angulated hindquarters, in superb muscular condition, moved very well from the side with drive & suppleness, but needs to stabilise a bit in front with maturity; 3 Marimay Cleopatra.
PUPPY (9) 1 Plumcreek Go Forth Yankee Girl to Sejoda, very eyecatching br/w of very attractive type & quality, Well shaped head & lovely expression, excelled in body proportions & curvy, flowing lines with length of loin, long, strong & well arched neck. Not the most moderate of Whippets, she will take some time to stabilise, especially in movement as seen from behind, but moved with excellent balance & pleasing extension from the side; 2 Jodana Avoca, very well made quality bitch with an attractive silhouette, even if not as generous in outline as 1, very pleasing head, moderate & balanced angulation both ends, curvy outline, the best mover in the class, sound coming & going, easy & well balanced from the side; 3 Almakaela’s Irish Mist.
JUNIOR (14) 1 Collooney Eye Candy, instantly attractive w/r/f, long-cast with excellent overall quality & type, highly typical head, beautiful expression & a curvy, smooth outline, standing she looked excessively angulated behind, but she defied that by moving soundly coming & going & well enough from the side when concentrating on the task; 2 Pasharif Pay It Again, well made, sound & well balanced bitch with attractive proportions, w/f, lovely feminine head, long, well set & well arched neck, moderately angulated in front, attractive curvy topline & underline, well angulated behind, a parallel mover coming & going, moved reasonably well from the side; 3 Plumcreek Go Forth Yankee Girl to Sejoda.
YEARLING (11) 1 Shalfleet Sugar Frosting, feminine w/br of excellent size & very sound, beautiful head, excellent ears used to her advantage, deep chest, well angulated in both ends. For my preference she could be somewhat more generous in her body proportions & tended to fall off in her outline. Outmoved her competition, especially in suppleness & drive from the side & soundness in front; 2 Derohan Beyond Desire, elegant bitch of very attractive type & overall high quality, beautiful head, excellent neck & forechest, attractive body curves & proportions, moved efficiently & with balance from the side, but tended to crab coming & going; 3 Elmanash Arabella.
NOVICE (11) 1 C Whoopee Do Dora; 2 Tarward Willow, w/f, standing very firmly on her legs & feet, refined head. Could do with some more strength of foreface. Showed her neat ears to advantage, long & well arched neck, attractive body curves when standing. Tended to flatten out a bit in movement as puppies sometimes do, used her legs well on the move from all angles; 3 Barmoll Brulee.
UNDERGRADUATE (8) 1 Drakesoak Serendipity, lovely quality bitch, mainly bl/br with ideal proportions & beautiful curves in the right places, highly typical head & expression, moderate neck, well angulated both ends, excellent legs & feet, moved very well indeed from the side, keeping her lovely outline at all times. At times I would have liked her to put more weight on her front legs standing still, which I am sure could be corrected with training – it would definitely be worth the effort with such an excellent bitch; 2 Barmoll Brie, very sound & well balanced bitch, feminine & elegant, but I preferred the sheer quality of 1, very correct in her silhouette, kept her lovely outline & balance on the move, sound as a bell in movement from all angles, including parallel coming & going; 3 Malakands Magic Trick.
SPECIAL BEGINNERS (8) 1 Kierpark Don’t Stop Me Now, curvy bitch of excellent type & quality, very impressive on the move, strong neck of medium length, excellent forechest & depth of brisket, lovely underline that makes such a difference in a Whippet, well angulated behind, outstanding mover from the side, low, long reaching, energetic & supple, & combined this with pleasing movement coming & going, I liked her a lot; 2 Stormburst Wild Honey, lovely quality bitch of excellent type, a bit rangier than 1, excelled in elegance & grace of outline, lovely head, long neck, moderately angulated in front, excellent topline & underline, excellent mover coming & going, moved well from the side, but a little high behind in movement, but this did not spoil the impression of an overall excellent bitch; 3 Sheol Keep On Rocking.
POST GRADUATE (25) 1 Mulcair Mums The Word, high quality w/br, not small, but truly feminine, beautiful, classical head, long neck, sufficiently angulated in front, covers plenty of ground both standing & moving with her lovely curvy body, excellent, well balanced topline, well angulated behind, long, low, efficient & supple movement, sound coming & going, a really good bitch with the look of a brood bitch, has a sensible temperament, but could do with a bit more animation; 2 Barmoll Baroness, very well constructed, well proportioned & sound bitch with excellent curves & typically bright & alert, handled to perfection to get the very best out of her, including showing off her excellent ears, attractive neck, balanced angulation in front & behind, light on her feet, efficient & effortless on the move; 3 Linalkin Meadow Lark.
LIMIT (31) Outstanding class, at least ten of these bitches would be deserving of a ch title. 1 Collooney Ravishing Rita of Mulranny, simply outstanding bitch of ideal type, size, & proportions, combining elegance & substance to perfection, stands like a rock with her feet firmly planted on the ground, above all she has a look of a thoroughbred & quality written all over her, smooth as glass & nothing left to coincidence, stunning head & a lovely bright & alert expression coming from dark well, well shaped & placed eyes, excellent neck, well arched & smoothly set into body, just coming into her prime, lovely, curvy underline, balanced topline, outstanding mover from all angles, her qualities are so obvious & her imperfections so minor that she should appeal to most Whippet people everywhere. CC & BOB; 2 Demerlay Armabay Billie Jean, lovely, feminine fawn of superb type & quality, combining substance with elegance to perfection, lovely, classical head, but not quite the expression of 1, long, well set neck, excellent balanced angulation both ends, stunningly beautiful body curves, ideal balance, she looked like a piece of art, very well handled, moved outstandingly well from all angles, a wonderful bitch who could win in the best of competitions. RCC; 3 Turnstone Tiger Lily.
OPEN (16) Another very impressive class. 1 Ch Demerlay Regency Romance, lovely, instantly attractive bitch, not small & I would not like any more of her, but still feminine & very well constructed, excelled in angulation both ends & she certainly knows how to make use of her construction on the move, classical head with excellent skull, long & strong neck, lovely body curves. I could watch her move around the ring all day & I am sure she would not mind as she is so efficient & supple, a textbook lesson in Whippet movement; 2 Ch Huntinghill Jazzalicious, truly classical w/f, excelling in proportions & ideal combination of substance with elegance, beautiful head & expression, excellent balance & smooth flowing outline, teeming with quality & type, movement coming & going is faultless, nicely balanced from the side, at all times keeping her outline, but still not quite up to the agility of 1; 3 Ch Ardencote Justa Cracker, completed a trio of bitches that have all won under me before, it was a privilege to judge them together.
VETERAN (7) 1 Ch Sporting Field Winged Dove over Dumbriton, classical solid white with a porcelain quality that lights up the environment around her, beautiful head & expression, excellent small rose ears, long neck, moderate, balanced angulation both ends, lovely, classical outline which she has retained to perfection at her high age due to her excellent condition, moved very well indeed for age, I appreciated the opportunity to go over this historically important Whippet & was very pleased that she ended the day with BV; 2 Linalkin Blue Meadow, very attractive brindle in remarkable condition for her age, I would never have guessed that she was a veteran, strong head, questionable ears, excellent angulation both ends, optimal body curves, moved very soundly & efficiently from all angles; 3 Ardencote Diamond Lil.
ESPEN ENGH (Norway)