MIN PUPPY D 4,1
1st DESTINED TO BE AT THUNDASPIRIT: Nearly 7 months b/w and a real nice looking dog with promise. At this stage he has a good profile but still very much a baby and a lot of learning and growing to do. His lack of maturity cost him in the BP challenge but not a problem at this age and I have no doubt that he will evolve and mature into a very nice malamute.
2nd MAKALU MOUNTAIN LEGACY: Just 6 months, first time out I believe and rather overawed by the occasion. On the positives, he has good bone and temperament and from the front he was straight and on good feet. Not very confident on the move but was pleased that he was improving as he grew accustomed to the surroundings and today was a more fluent mover than 3.

PUPPY D 3,0
1st CHAYO STAR OF THE EAST: Just short of a year old, this g/w certainly grabs your attention. He is all male and won this class on maturity and being confident in the ring. He is certainly mature with huge bone and tight feet though he does stand a little toed out. Shoulder lay and topline is good and he had a nice waving plume. However, he is quite a bit bigger than my preferred type and I hope he has stopped growing. BPD
2nd DESTINED TO BE AT THUNDASPIRIT:
3rd MAKALU MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS: Pleased to see this baby grow in confidence from the first class and put on a far better show.

JUNIOR D 3,1
1st SISKARA BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY: 14 month old and a very nice boy. I liked his head and small well-furred ears and strong broad muzzle. Little bit loose in front but has good lay of shoulder and pleasing outline. Little bit of a roll on when moving but was true and will benefit from maturity and tightening up.
2nd ICEWOLF THE DEVLIN WITCH: Only 12 months old and still very immature in comparison to 1. His head and muzzle though in balance was narrower than 1 but his front was good as was his shoulder lay and sloping topline. Also, a bit loose on the move but a dog I believe will be a slow developer.

YEARLING D 4,1
1st SISKARA BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY.
2nd ICEWOLF THE DEVLIN WITCH..

POST GRAD D 4,2
1st AUSTMANS COWBOY CASANOVA AT JAYDONSPIRE: 2 year old boy with loads of personality and loads to like. Well-balanced head with broad muzzle, well-placed ears and a happy smile. Shoulders are well-laid and chest has good spring and depth. Gentle sloping topline and powerful rear powered him around the ring.
2nd ICECLIMB ASCENT: another 2 year dark boy of a different type. Quite strong in the head also with a happy smile, strong neck and a front a bit wider than 1. Sloping topline and matching angulation front and rear. In lovely muscled condition but couldn’t match 1 on ease of movement

LIMIT D 4,2
1st SNOW LEGEND BELIEVE IN YOU CEDARCREEK JW (RUS IMP): At 16 months this g/w is a very impressive young boy. Nicely balanced head set off with well set ears and breadth of skull. Forehand constructed well with nice straight legs and good feet. Moderate angulation as required and held topline on the move. Movement was easy and true and this boy will soon be giving the mature dogs a run for their money. Very nice dog.
2nd MOUNTAIN HOME SLEDOG STAXTACULAR (IMP USA): a 3 year old dog who is also very nice though of different type. Very good in head, straight in front though carrying a little less bone. Topline good as was tailset and he also had the required angulation. Tended to wander when moving but at times was dead straight so feel he was easily distracted.

OPEN D 10,2
1st LIBERTIA IN THE RED AGAIN AT SHOMONT: History making 8 year old red boy who became the first ever UK red champion. I have no idea apart from colour prejudice why this had not happened sooner but in reality, all the better for me. This dog perhaps understates himself as he is not flash but he has all it takes. Overall profile and balance are excellent and his running gear of tight feet and strong pasterns make him the ideal worker. His movement is true and second to none today and was the deciding factor in the run off with the bitch. I was delighted to award him the CC, BOB and then learn of his title.
2nd CH SNOWOLF BLACK ICE BUDDY: A very classy 5 year old b/w presented in beautiful condition. Lovely male head on arched neck running into a well-constructed fore. Well off for bone, has good feet though I would prefer a straighter pastern. Super body shape giving lovely profile and true movement. Very happy to award him the RCC.

VETERAN D 3,0
1st CH/INT CH/BEL CH/LUX CH/GER CH/NL CH UNDER ICEWOLF’S STAR INDITAROD VW JW SHCM EJW1 (IMP CZE): 10 year old g/w still able to compete with the best. Nice malamute head, balanced and still having a good bite. Excellent forehand with enough bone and only slightly down on pastern. Holds his topline well on the move though handler spoiled it a bit by holding his tail on stack. Excelled in movement and despite being the eldest was still the best in this class and good enough to make him a serios threat in the dog challenge.
2nd CH SHOMONT RASIN CAIN SHCM. 9 year old that I judged as a youngster and recognised his quality back then. Pity I never got him in his prime but he is still a magnificent example of the breed and brought a smile to my face remembering that he gave his handler a hard time back then and still does.

SPEC BEGIN D 2,1
1st WHITEWALKER KINGS LANDING AT VALKNUT: 19 month old g/w presenting a very nice profile but still lacking maturity. He has a good enough head and neck, shoulder lay is good but would prefer a straighter front. Profile movement was overall good but tended to move to the side on the back.

MIN PUPPY B 5,0
1st CAHPPES NEVER ENDING LOVE (IMP SWE): 8 months lovely girl with the advantage here of a couple months on her rivals. So much more of a young lady in head that has excellent ratios and overall profile. She has a nice front though a little tightening up won’t go amiss, good angulation front and rear, held her topline pretty well, and compared to the dog puppies was so much more confident and assured. Moved very well on good feet and pasterns. BP
2nd ICYCOOL SWEET AND SPICY MONIKOONA: A six month baby but what a nice baby. Lovely head and forehand with really good bone and like 1 had a really good tailset. This wee girl was plenty confident and moved very well albeit with a bit of puppy roll and once front catches up with bum, she’ll be a cracker.

PUPPY B 5,0
1st MAKALU MOUNTAIN QUEST: Another 6 month baby who grew in confidence from the previous class. This one is still very raw and has a bit to go but she has a lot of positives. Her head is well balanced and pretty, even with an ear waving a wee bit as she came towards me. Her profile is pretty good with a good topline and nice angulation front and rear and nice waving tail.
2nd ICYCOOL NEBRASKA: So pleased to see this girl progress from an unwilling participant to one who seemed to be enjoying herself. A different handler didn’t phase her which is a good sign of temperament especially for a baby at her first big show. A little bit behind her sister for now but has signs of doing well once her front catches up with her rear.

JUNIOR B 3,0
1st SISKARA DEAD RINGER FOR LOVE: 14 months b/w and carrying the same attributes as her litter brother. Lovely balanced head and expression, good lay of shoulder and straight front. Stands on her toes accentuating her topline which she held pretty well on the move and a bit better than her brother. Still immature through her body but her profile is good as was her movement, moving easily and true on good feet and pasterns.
2nd SNOW LEGEND BE MY LUCKY NORDICWINDS JW (IMP RUS): 16 month g/w who presents a lovely profile but I preferred the head and ears of 1. She also had a good lay of shoulder, with good bone and tight feet. Nice topline, tailset and rear angulation and she moved pretty well but I preferred 1 today.

YEARLING B 3,1
1st SISKARA DEAD RINGER FOR LOVE.
2nd CHARDICEA PARTY GIRL: 19 month with plenty of character but that spoiled her. She has all the basic attributes but she had a habit of squatting a bit which exaggerated her topline and her rear angulation do would like to see her a bit more settled.

POST GRAD B 5,3
1st LAPEMA GIA VISTO JW: 2 year old g/w showing good maturity with her head development, strong neck and solid forehand. Straight in front and on good feet and pasterns. Quite long through the body with good rear angulation and tailset. Movement came easy to her with quite a good reach.
2nd SLEDOG INDIAN MONSOON (AI): 6 year old dark g/w with plenty to like from her head through neck to good shoulders. Front was straight but not carrying a lot of bone and not helped by her coat. Topline and rear angulation was good as is her tail which didn’t need holding. Movement was pretty good but she wasn’t making life too easy for her handler.

LIMIT B 5,2
1st ICEWOLF JUPITER RISING: What a beautiful young g/w with loads to like. Still very young in head with a bit of growing to do there but ever so pretty with correct ratios. Neck and fore are good and clean with super straight front and good pasterns and feet. Her topline is strong and never moved, has correct rear angulation and presents a lovely profile. Her movement was a notch above most of the others today, straight, true and effortless. RBCC.
2nd ROYALTAYLOR CATWALK QUEEN: This was a rather lovely bitch that I really liked but she gave me little in performance or she may well have been challenging more. Super head, fore and body and would have had a lovely profile had she been able to extract her tail from her hocks. Didn’t hide her quality though but it is a show.

OPEN B 10,2
1st NORTHSPIRIT BORN TO SHINE AT FLINTSKY: A 6 year old B/W (purists might say seal but they swim in the sea) that caught my eye as she came in ring and impressed me more and more as the class progressed. Great head and expression with good strong muzzle but still absolutely feminine. Cracking forehand with correct lay of shoulder, point of chest and depth. Bang on topline, good tailset and correct rear angulation. Lovely tight feet and moved easily and true. A little more animation may have seen her go all the way!
2nd NORDICWINDS AMERICAN DREAM JW SHCM: A 5 year old g/w of really high quality that I have loved before and still do. Starting with a well-balanced head, good strong neck, forehand that is solid and correct. Strong topline, good rear angulation and moves good.

VETERAN B 3,0
1st TUGIDAK OF JAYDONSPIRE IMP NETHERLANDS: 8 year old b/w that I judged 3 years earlier and in the essence of a slow maturing breed, the girl has finally blossomed into a gorgeous lady. I so often see young dogs in this breed who look good but are never quite there until later but it’s worth the wait and I also see this happening with the Open bitch winner. Today this girl had it all, great body and smile to melt one’s heart, loved her! I was happy to award her the CC and overjoyed when told that this was her crown.
2nd LIBERTIA PLATINUM PRINCESS AT MUZOKU: A delightful 9 year old g/w that I first encountered many year ago at Crufts. She still has the quality I recognised back then but just a little bit more of it was on display today. Overall her profile is still pretty good and a delight to see her again.

Roger Cruden