| Border | Crufts 2009 Judge's Critique |
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Crufts 09 JJudge
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BORDER CRUFTS 09 BORDER TERRIER Judge(s): Mr S P Dean BORDER JUDGE CRUFTS 09 Border Terriers A demanding day with 247 entered, my sincere thanks to all who entered & showed patience when decisions needed time. Also my gratitude goes to our ring stewards who were simply outstandingly efficient. I was very proud of the CC line-ups & thought the BOB looked superb in the group. What was encouraging was there were many dogs down the line that would not have been out of place there & splitting hairs became a routine technique in several classes to find class winners. Reflecting on the day leaves some lasting impressions. There is no doubt the breed has made great advances in head conformation. Good otter heads with strength in muzzle & strong teeth were very much in evidence. Ears by & large are good but with a trend towards largeness & heaviness which we must reverse. It is very difficult to change the ear shape so embedding any coarseness now must be of concern. Movement too has improved over the years largely driven by progress on stifle angulation but let’s not go too far here as some excess is creeping in. Shoulders still need attention with many severely lacking lay back & of more concern some foreleg assemblies are placed too far forward so forechests are vanishing. This produces flashiness but it is wrong. Coats & pelts were generally good & the majority were capable of being spanned. Flat feet were in evidence perhaps driven by a tough winter & lack of exercise but remember this is a sporting breed & needs fitness to be fully appreciated. As a result many nice dogs lost out because of a lack of muscle or flat feet. We have a healthy breed & this was supported by those in the veteran classes & with an 8 year old winning BOB perhaps this is proof enough. VD (8) 1 Jackson’s Ch Rossula Magic Borderer Clipstone, an outstanding 8 years dog in perfect condition, he stood away from others in class. He set the benchmark for the day & although some came very close none bettered his type & construction. A typical Border head & expression, moderate reach of neck, good topline, moved out with reach & drive, coat neat, harsh & dense. Narrowly built with fore & hind action entirely co-ordinated & true on the move, well ribbed back & readily spannable. CC & BOB, thought he did the breed credit in the group; 2 Lowry’s Ch Ravenside Mystiko, another typical Border, unlucky to meet 1 in such excellent form. Similar head & expression with slightly more stop, showed strength in loin, coat & pelt but preferred the fitness & drive of 1; 3 Rumsam’s Ch Wilderscot Toffee, completed a trio of very good veteran dogs. Typical throughout & nicely built. Slightly heavy in body & deeper in chest than winners. Good topline & correct tail, nicely ribbed, moved soundly. PD (9,2a) 1 Roderick’s Barterhound Twister, mature 12 month old of correct size, good otter head & neat, correctly set ears, narrow with straight front, moderate length of neck & excellent topline, moved out with reach & drive, length of leg without being over stated, coat in good form contributing to typical thick pelt, liked his outline which he kept on the move. Considered for higher honours but maturity was a deciding factor but his day is surely close; 2 Girling’s Benattivo Basilio, another attractive youngster, nearly 11 months b/t, similar to 1 in structure & quality. Slightly larger but lacked the maturity to better, slightly heavier in ear than 1. Good coat & pelt, well made throughout, attractive on the move. Preferred narrowness & maturity of 1. Close to 1; 3 Hunt’s Ethlencoral Pip of Ottaswell, another quality 11 months, built on narrow lines with typical otter head & expression, good topline & moved out well. Front action needs to tighten. Another who will compete well when mature. Close up to 2. JD (14,2) Excellent class with close decisions for places. 1 Gilpin’s Otterbobs Riggindale, liked the head, neat ears, strength of muzzle & overall maturity & conformation of 1, excellent harsh double coat & thick pelt, good shoulders, narrow front with evident forechest, good reach of neck, hindquarters OK, moved out very well; 2 Docwra’s Bandicoot Double O Seven, another nice dog in good order, of high quality with typical head. Preferred neater ears of 1. Good coat & flowing topline, neat correctly set tail. Moved well but with less drive than 1. Close up; 3 Southam’s Conundrum’s Blue Legend, smartly presented b/t, typical all round with an excellent head. Larger ears but pleasing overall shape & correct size but just preferred front of 2. Sound on the move. Close decision. YD (15,5) Disappointing class, with several over-sized dogs. 1 Baird’s Dowgri Daredevil, correct size, head OK, slightly large eye, good topline & moved OK; 2 Johnson’s Eltonfurze Pickle, good strong head, neat ears, strong muzzle, deeper stop than 1. Coat not at its best. Well angulated & forechest evident, moved OK; 3 Morton Shaw’s Fehmarn Reap The Harvest, broad skull, short muzzle. Preferred neat ears of 2. Good coat & pelt. Preferred size & front of 2. GD (12,1) 1 B Twister, stood out in this class; 2 McDougald’s Dandyhow Zat, typical Border, smart & upstanding, good head & expression with strong muzzle, nice tight feet, harsh jacket & short carrot tail, pleasing outline overall; 3 Anscombe’s Tufterslodge Walnut at Orangebox, longer cast dog with width in skull & good dark eye. Would prefer more substance & drive behind. PGD (12,1) Size decided the places but 1 stood out in class. 1 Moffatt & Zech’s Towden Storm Diver at Laurelton, liked his head & expression, strong muzzle, ears slightly heavy. Spannable, liked his strength in bone & overall good conformation, all translated into good movement. Coat harsh but nearing its end (needed a tidy). Correct tail, well deserve top spot here; 2 Pateman’s Lessien Dinx Boy Oberon, good strong skull, neat ears, strong muzzle, deep stop. Not the shoulders of 1 but good drive behind. Harsh dense coat on its way; 3 Freeman’s Bolt Tail Jebba, similar type to 1 in head & expression, good bone & maturity but preferred overall picture & conformation of 1 & 2. Harsh double jacket & thick pelt, just spannable & moved OK. MLD (11,2) Tough decision for top 3. 1 Girling’s Benattivo Rock Robin, good head & expression, neat ears, made well in shoulder & thus moved out with good reach, certainly lively to handle, correct size & length, well ribbed back. Lack of full coat was a factor in the challenge; 2 T Storm Diver at L, preferred the ribbing of 1; 3 Poulding’s Tufterslodge Whiz of Menavaur, another typical Border head & expression with deeper stop. Lighter eye than 1 & 2 & preferred angulation of winners but excellent harsh jacket & moved well. LD (13,1) Challenging class, top four all close up. 1 Clark’s Gameway Charles Dickens, typical Border with head & expression, neat ears, strength in muzzle & pleasing reach of neck, liked his strong teeth, excellent bone & his tight feet, flowing lines & finished with short carrot tail, a fit dog, overall pleasing conformation that consequently lets him move well. Would prefer ounce more drive behind, a factor in the challenge where he was strongly considered; 2 Fryer’s Irton Up Helly Aa, quality dog, similar all round to 1. Longer cast with typical head, preferred the ears of 1. Excellent harsh coat & thick pelt, well made shoulders & hindquarters but not happy on the move so did not show his best form; 3 Leslie & Bainbridge’s Risdene Tapenade, strongly built dog with broad skull, strong muzzle, good teeth & neat ears, in excellent coat with good conformation all round. Preferred the size of 1 & 2. Covers a lot of ground on the move. OD (17,6) High quality class with trio challenging for top spot. Several deserving went without. All had typical heads, short strong muzzles and correct expression, movement and coats decided most placings. 1 Thomas’ Ch Byrons Greengrass, on his toes, in fit condition, typical throughout with good coat & strong bone, liked his size & weight, well made in front & stylish hindquarters finished with carrot tail, set correctly, moved well. Came close in challenge & lost out to winner on showmanship & perfection of overall conformation. RCC; 2 Singh’s Ch Vandamere’s Secret Agent, well made dog, lost out on coat. Moves with economy & drive, pleasing head & neck, shoulders good & well ribbed back. Preferred hindquarters & tailset of 1; 3 Gilpin’s Ch Otterbobs Ninezergh, not happy, lost out on coat. Good to go over with strong head & muzzle. Not in the condition of 1 & 2. Seen him look much better but overall quality carried him this far. GCD (15) 1 Hollingsbee’s Ch Otterwood Amex, good head & strong muzzle, narrow front, not over stated, handy size & moves OK. Coat harsh but past its best; 2 E Pickle, similar dog with wide strong skull & short ample muzzle, neat ears. Heavier in body than 1 & wider in front. Handler made the most of her dog; 3 Bolt Tail Jebba, not the overall conformation of 1 & 2. VB (19,3) 1 Armstrong’s Ch Justrite Jinny, 8 year old in fine fettle, good head & earset, good sized narrowly built & moved out well, good shoulders & plenty of drive behind, good topline & tailset, still feminine despite her years. Preferred her size, excellent ribbing & overall quality; 2 Winder’s Appleside Elstar, close up & similar quality to 1, coat harsh & on its way, flowing topline into good tailset & shape with hindquarters built for plenty of drive. Close decision; 3 Fryer’s Irton The Darkening, carrying some excess. Sound & well made throughout, good head & neat ears with a harsh coat & thick pelt completing the overall picture. PB (17,3) High quality class of puppies, many good ones went without. 1 Lothian’s Lairehope Ruby Romance, close to 12 months, has good skull & short strong muzzle, neat ears, lovely reach of neck, well made shoulders matched by good hind angulation, nice tight feet, good bone all topped with good harsh thick jacket & pelt, moved soundly & with drive. Against the dog pup just preferred her coat & topline. BP; 2 Hand’s Lutrabeck Liberty, racy lines & comments for 1 largely apply here, liked her head & expression & her bone & femininity. Needs to tighten on the move but has good drive. Coat not at best but good thick pelt. Close up to 1; 3 Girling’s Benattivo Rosina, another quality pup with good head & conformation, good on the move. Less maturity than 1 & 2, deeper stop. Coat OK. Little untidy but did not disguise the quality lines. JB (26,3) 1 Southam’s Gameway Margarita, super head, neat ears, classic reach of neck, liked her shoulders & well let down hocks, good tight feet & good quantity of bone. Overall maturity with harsh dense coat & thick pelt, attractive topline & finished with carrot tail, liked her on the move; 2 Small’s Badgerbeck Tree Pipit at Tilmoray, b/t with typical head with good ears, deeper stop than 1. Good length of body, nicely made hindquarters, let down hocks & carrot tail. Coat not at its best. Seemed to lack fitness & lacked vigour on the move. Thus lost out on movement to 1; 3 Stockley’s Rhozzum Keynote with Foxfactor, b/t built on racy lines, typical head with slightly heavy ears, nice reach of neck & good shoulders, coat & pelt OK, won place on movement. YB (15,1) 1 Garcia-Sierra’s Ottaswell Obsession, elegant, narrow bitch built on racy lines, breadth of skull, strength in muzzle. Ear set slightly low. Nicely proportioned, good length of leg with good shoulders, good harsh coat & pelt, moves out well; 2 B Tree Pipit at T, movement was her undoing; 3 Newsome’s Kighill Cheeky Minky, heavier made bitch with good head & outline. Moved OK but wayward in front. Good amount of bone, well ribbed back, tail good. Prefer her feet to be tighter & sloping pasterns on the day. GB (22,3) 1 B Tree Pipit at T, stood out here; 2 Johnston’s Joncroft Yuletide, good head & expression, won her place on good movement. Slightly heavy in ears. Fit & on her toes, good harsh coat; 3 R Keynote with F. PGB (13) 1 Pickering’s Picer Polyanthus, stood out in the class, b/t with beautiful otter head, neat small ears, short muzzle & strong jaw, reach of neck into well made shoulders & narrowly made, lovely ribbing & quality quarters, well let down hocks, moved out soundly with drive. Looked at her hard but just lacked maturity & tightness in fore-feet which decided in the challenge; 2 Barrett’s Irton Strawberry Fair at Howthwaite, nicely made bitch with good head, slightly heavy ears, good length of body, level topline & quality hindquarters with strong hocks, tailset good; 3 Mooney’s Chesterton Flirtation, narrowly built & pleasing outline with good coat but not the strength in head of 1 & 2. MLB (16,4) 1 Docwra’s Bandicoot Candy Twist, smart feminine bitch, typical head & harsh dense jacket, good forechest & quality conformation all round. Carrot tail needs a tidy. Moved well; 2 Fraser & Butler’s Wagtail Lass via Ycart, similar type to 1 with broad skull & strong muzzle, deep in chest & level topline, liked her shoulders & straight front. Lacked the angulation behind of 1 but good on the move; 3 Morgan’s Glebeheath Minnie The Motor at Blewecourt, stylish outline with broad skull & neat ears, nice topline with correct hindquarters & good tailset, on her toes & fit. Not quite the front of 1 & 2 but good harsh jacket & thick pelt & movement won the placing. LB (17,5) Strongly contested class with many going without. 1 Woodfield’s Foxyard Obsession, has outstanding quality with a wide skull & strong muzzle, dark eye & neat ears, liked her straight front, shoulders, forechest, strong coupling & racy lines, plenty of bone with both thighs muscled & she stood on neat tight feet, topline flowed & short, well furnished, carrot shaped tail completed the picture, double harsh coat & thick pelt were impressive, conformation translated well on the move & fitness & energy impressed. Just preferred the ribbing & hind angulation of dog in BOB challenge but this girl came very close. CC; 2 Yates’s Pherjan Phoebe, much to like here, quality bitch of similar type to 1, typical head & expression, narrow front, correct shoulders & racy lines. Moved with considerable drive but didn’t have the tight feet & overall condition to compete with 1; 3 Alpe’s Kelgram Kaya Kalpis at Kelgram, liked this one a lot with typical head & expression, good strong muzzle, good conformation all round. Better standing than on the move & preferred the length of leg of 1 & 2 but a well deserved placing. OB (14,2) Oh boy what a class. 1 Cuthbertson Ch Ashbrae Trinnie, this girl handles well, has width of skull, strong muzzle, neat ears & the dark eye, good straight front, well made shoulders & evident forechest, ribbing is good with strong short coupling & well muscled thighs, hind angulation is just enough. Her thick coat & pelt creates illusion of size but readily spannable, neat thick, carrot tail completes the picture, comes alive on the move, covering the ground, but lacked sparkle in the challenge thus RCC; 2 Jenkins’ Ch Badgerbeck Purdi, on her toes, feminine bitch, alert expression, good head & neat ears, liked her overall lines, coat OK & pelt thick & beautiful tail, good angulation behind which translated to drive on the move, great showgirl; 3 Pickering’s Ch Picer Bright Idea, feminine with good bone & well made throughout, good head & muzzle, neat tight feet, moves well & overall has much quality. Lost out on maturity to 1 & 2 but she has a bright future. Very close up to 2. GCB (7) 1 Hollingsbee’s Otterwood Ilex, typical head with shallow stop & strong muzzle, neat ears, good shoulders, narrow front, well ribbed, good coat & tail. Moves well in front but would prefer more drive. Met hot competition before & stood out here; 2 Barrett’s Irton Strawberry Fair at Howthwaite, good head & strong muzzle, nice conformation & moves well, good coat & pelt, well ribbed back with strong loins, well let down hocks. Would prefer a little more length of leg. Neat tail; 3 Johnson’s Karison Kamellia, on the leg with broad skull & feminine lines, moves OK. Coat not there. STEVE DEAN |
