Firstly I would like to thank the Committee of Darlington Dog Show Society for giving me the opportunity to award CC’s for the first time. This show has long been a favourite of mine and holds fond memories from the 1980’s when we regularly showed here with our first Malamutes. So not only was it an honour to judge here, it also carried a degree of poignancy.
I was delighted with my entry, and not just in numerical terms. The overall quality was generally excellent and it was great to go over so many dogs that were most certainly ‘fit for function’. If I have a concern (and I have voiced this before) it is that we need to watch build and bone. The breed standard describes the Malamute as “Heavily boned, powerfully built” and “A freighting sled dog capable of surviving in Arctic conditions and of pulling heavy loads at steady speeds”. I have noticed an increase in the number of dogs that are lacking the substance that the breed needs in order to properly fulfil its function and this needs to be addressed.
And lastly, though by no means least, a huge thanks to my ring stewards, the efficiency of both of whom made the job of judging so much easier and all the more rewarding.

Veteran Dog (2 entries, 0 absent)
1st. Copley-Holland’s Ch Am Ch Adair ’n’ Hug Casual Class (Imp USA). A substantial 7 year old with enough bone, good angulation and topline. Broad head with nice dark eyes and correct bite. Moved soundly with good reach.
2nd. Mort’s Arcticbreeze Fast N Furious. Another 7 year old, but finer in build than 1st. Pleasing head of good proportions and correctly sloping topline. Excellent harsh coat. Moved with purpose and obvious power.

Puppy Dog (1 entry, 0 absent)
1st. Cameron’s Sutarka Fire Storm. 10 months old with a really nice head and expression and correctly shaped dark eyes. Good topline and tail and enough bone for his size. Moved with plenty of power, if a little loose, but this will most certainly improve as he matures.

Junior Dog (2 entries, 0 absent)
1st. Ellis’ Ice Gangsta’s Ball Of Fire For Chayo (Imp). Striking 16 month old red and white of good substance and proportions with adequate bone. Plenty of nice harsh coat with well carried, well furred wavy plume. Correct angulation and stood nice and square. Moved with purpose if a little ‘roly’ but this will tighten up as he matures.
2nd. Dolan’s Muzoku Take Me With You To Siskara. Handsome17 month old with appealing expression, lovely dark eyes and well placed ears. Good topline held well on the move, correct tail carriage. Moved OK.

Post Graduate Dog (9 entries, 1 absent)
1st. Edwards and Molloy’s Wintablizard’s Investment (ai). Just 19 months old and already a dog of considerable substance with great proportions and excellent bone. Good broad head with correct eye set. Well-held, correctly sloping topline, leading to well set and carried tail. Good angulation, stood nice and square. Moved effortlessly with considerable power and rear end propulsion. A very well deserved RCC and I look forward to seeing him take the top spot in the very near future.
2nd. Woodall’s Monikoona Ice Chief Brody. 2 years old and another one with good proportions and soundness of structure and plenty of bone. Pleasing head with good ear set. Correct topline and tail. Moved well.
3rd. Ellis’ Ice Gangsta’s Ball Of Fire For Chayo (Imp).

Limit Dog (7 entries, 2 absent)
1st. Smith’s Mlt Ivram Bradliey Your The One At Snowshoes (Imp). Just 21 months old and though already substantial and with plenty of bone, he has some maturing to do. Nice broad head with lovely dark eyes. Correct topline and tail carriage, nice harsh coat. Easily the best mover in the class.
2nd. Page and Jarvis’ Cedarcreek Frozen Asset. 2 year old with nice expression, lovely dark eyes and correct ear set. Adequate bone for size and build and in good coat. Moved well when settled.
3rd. Ellis’ Chayo Silver Fox JW (ai).

Open Dog (7 entries, 2 absent)
1st. Dolan’s Ch Siskara The Spy Who Loved Me JW ShCM. Having long been a fan of this 4 year old, and having given him Reserve Best Dog previously, I was really delighted to have the opportunity of going over him again, and he has matured beautifully. From the nicely rounded tips of his well-furred ears, down his strong, well-arched neck and gently sloping topline, to the end of his correctly set and carried waving plume, this boy is all Malamute and simply oozes type. Great proportions, fabulous head, first-class bone and in really good coat. As he moved effortlessly around the ring, you could see is obvious fitness, drive and power, and all carried without wasting a single joule of energy. A worthy champion and unrivalled for todays top spot. CC and BoB.
2nd. Mort’s Arcticbreeze Midnight Hero. If I was judging on bone alone, this well-built 7 year old would win every time. Fantastic to see and something that is noticeably lacking in some areas. A dog of great substance and proportions, with a pleasing head and expression, correct topline and tail, he was very relaxed on the move but with obvious power and drive. Litter brother to my Best Veteran, and I was pleased to give him Best Veteran Dog.
3rd. Aitchison and Hurst’s Ch. Kaskae Hooked On A Feeling ShCM.

Veteran Bitch (8 entries, 3 absent)
I loved judging this class! A fantastic entry and, even with the 3 absent, it was great to see such a fine selection of elegant ‘old’ ladies. Though, from the way most were behaving, it could have been a puppy class! Three worthy champions headed my line up and the order could easily be in any other configuration. Today I had to nit-pick and the final decision was really just down to sparkle.
1st. Mort’s Ch Arcticbreeze Midnight Echo. 7 years old and litter sister to my Best Veteran Dog, what can I say about this absolutely lovely bitch that hasn’t already been said? Lovely head of good proportions and feminine expression. Plenty of bone and substance, correct topline leading to well set and carried tail. Excellent angulation, stood square and a fabulous coat. Moved beautifully and in great condition. And today, she had that twinkle in her eye! RCC and Best Veteran.
2nd. Wilkinson’s Ch Koldsnap Aprilia Mille. Another at 7 years and another that just has everything going for her. Excellent all round proportions, of good substance, well balanced and with plenty of bone. Lovely feminine head with correct eye shape and small well-set ears. Good harsh coat and in excellent condition. Obviously well-muscled, she moved with power.
3rd. Towers and Rivers’ Ch Chayo Cookie Monster For Wintadreama IrJCh. 7 years.

Puppy Bitch (4 entries, 1 absent)
1st. Ellis’ Chayo One Moment In Time. I was really taken with this 11 month old girl. She has everything I like to see in a young Malamute bitch. Very pretty head with lovely feminine expression and correct shaped dark eyes. Beautifully proportioned with enough substance and plenty of bone. Sound topline and well set tail. Moved with good reach and plenty of drive. Clearly she has a lot of maturing to do and I was delighted to award her Best Puppy and I look forward to watching her develop into the stunner I am sure she will become.
2nd. Perfitt’s Samjoe The Dream Lives On (ai). 10 months old and another with a pretty head and feminine expression. Today she left her entire coat at home but that meant she couldn’t hide a thing and her correct angulation and sound structure was further emphasised by her good square stance on the free stand. A little unsettled on the move, but she was obviously enjoying herself.
3rd. Dobson and Wolfe’s Sutarka La Dolle Vita.

Junior Bitch (3 entries, 1 absent)
1st. Copley-Holland’s Katabatics Hollaback Girl. 12 months and a few weeks, so only just out of puppy. Pretty head with pleasing expression, lovely markings and nice dark eyes. There’s a lot to like about this young lady, especially her lovely harsh coat and correct tail set and carriage, and I am sure her many attributes will shine through as she matures. Moved OK but a little unsettled, though clearly enjoying her day.
2nd. Dobson and Wolfe’s Sutarka La Dolle Vita. 10 months old with a lovely head and expression. Another that had come out without her coat today and therefore hiding nothing, and also showing her immaturity, but of good proportions and sound structure, she moved well when settled.

Post Graduate Bitch (7 entries, 2 absent)
1st. Page’s Cedarcreek Frozen In Time. A very pretty grey and white 3 year old of good proportions and enough bone. Feminine head with lovely expression and dark eyes. Correct topline, held well on the move, and good tail set and carriage. Well muscled and in good coat, moved with purpose and drive .
2nd. Edwards and Molloy’s Wintablizard’s Gin Lover (ai). 19 months and litter sister to my PGD winner. Very pretty head with lovely expression and nice dark eyes. Sound in structure and well muscled with plenty of bone. Moved with drive but needs to mature. A definite class winner on a different day.
3rd. Brook’s Snobruk Secret Liaison (ai).

Limit Bitch (13 entries, 5 absent)
1st. Horsman-Phoenix and Horsman’s Nordicwinds American Dream JW ShCM. 3 years old and strikingly pretty. Good all round proportions with plenty of bone. Correct tail set and carriage and lovely harsh coat. Very well muscled and a clear class winner on movement.
2nd. Aitchison and Hurst’s Kaskae Tantrums N’ Tiaras. Delightful 2 year old with lovely feminine head and expression. Sound topline, well structured and with enough bone for her size. Moved with a nice relaxed gait.
3rd. Smith’s Snowshoes Touch Of Class.

Open Bitch (8 entries, 1 absent)
1st. Mogg’s Skidooshooz Spot Lites On Me JW. I had the pleasure of judging this 3 year old when she was a minor puppy at a Club show, and on that occasion, with the absolute agreement of my co-judge on the day, awarded her Best Puppy in Show. It is delightful, therefore, to see her now having matured into the stunning and elegant lady that I had the pleasure of judging again today. Great head with beautiful expression. Excellent proportions with sound front and rear construction and plenty of bone. Shown in excellent coat, she moved effortlessly with grace, power and precision, and I had no hesitation in awarding her the CC .
2nd. Edwards and Molloy’s Multi Ch Koolrunnings Plymouth Gin (Imp) JW. 4 years old and another that I have long admired. Good broad head with nice feminine expression. Correct topline, tail set and carriage. Good all round proportions with plenty of bone and very well muscled. Clearly a powerful mover but today she was a little out of sorts otherwise would have been a contender for the top spot.
3rd. Hartley’s Koromandel Firefight (ai) ShCM.

Mike John.