Thank you to all the exhibitors who gave me an entry on a cold weekday in January, and to my efficient and very pleasant stewards.

MPD (2) 1st Innes Icycool Hudson Bay, 8mths sable dog, very stylish young man with lots to like, clean correct outline, excellent coat texture and presentation, plenty of bone, decent feet, nice dark eye giving a kind expression, still very much a baby on the move but super enthusiasm, pushed hard for BP. 2nd Holts’ Freezefactor Savvy Affair, 8.5mth g/w very substantial young man, good bone, strong head with ears a touch on the large side at present, very good coat texture and well muscled for age, at present he is all legs and was not quite as co-ordinated on the move as the winner.

PD (4,2) As previous class, 1st Icycool Hudson Bay 2nd Freezefactor Savvy Affair

JD (2,1) 1st Ropers’ Libertia Never Say Never Tokosha, dark grey boy, at a somewhat in between stage with his coat, he has a nice overall make and shape and was very light on his feet going around the ring. On the smaller side for a male but plenty of substance, balanced angulation, very nice waving plume, head correct in skull and super well furred ears.

YD (2,1) 1st Vasarhelyi’s Okinastar I’m The Man, 21mths grey, I really like the overall type of this male, but would not expect him to be ‘finished’ for another 2-3yrs. Nice dark eye of correct shape, good ear, good bone, decent feet, lovely tail carriage, good coat texture, will mature through the body with time. Reasonable on the move but I feel his handler could be a touch more relaxed to bring out the very best of him. Would like to see him in a grass ring as a 5yr old!

PGD (5,2) 1st Palasinska’s Anson Del Biagio (Imp Ita) g/w, he is very strong in head and a touch lighter in eye than I would like, won this class on his overall shape and movement, super fit condition, harsh coat, excellent tail carriage, well off for bone, strongly made all through and moved like he could do a days work. 2nd Whyman and Murrays’ Tailfly Heart Of Gold, lovely head on this boy, beautiful eye colour and shape, correctly place ears, very steep upper arm which gives him a bit too much slope. Tail a fraction tighter than I’d like. Made the most of himself on the move. 3rd Dwyer and Wallace’s Destined To Be At Thundaspirit.

LD (4) 1st Reid’s Austmans Cowboy Casanova At Jaydonspire, dk grey male who comes into his own on the move, powerful, smooth and co-ordinated. Well muscled all through, excellent angulation, strongly boned, harsh dense coat, his head is a little strong for my personal taste but he is consistently strong all through so it doesn’t detract. RCC. 2nd Innes Icycool Atomic, sable boy pushed 1 hard but not quite the return of upper arm. Lovely tail carriage, really stylish showman, liked his head, correct ear placement, strong bone and very tight feet, moved out with plenty of drive. 3rd Dolan’s Siskara We Will Rock You.

OD (5,2) 1st Woodheads’ Noraisy Take My Breath Away, 4yrs sable male, for overall make and shape this boy is really correct, strength without anything overdone, medium coat with harsh texture, slight slope to topline, waving plume, and handled so that all his virtues are easy to appreciate. He carries himself beautifully on the move and is very much ‘all of a piece’. I would prefer a darker eye but accept that with his coat colour there is inevitably compromise. Happy to award him the DCC today, just lost out to the bitch who was every so slightly more powerful on the move. 2nd Blackburn’s Ger VDH/NL/Bel/Int Ch Cristakell April Shadows JW ShCM Bwbe 18, I have judged this chap before and nice to see he is still going strong at 6yrs, he pushed hard but couldn’t match the forehand of the winner, and his coat was a bit in between, still very positive on the move, and I like his head, dark eye and correct ear. 3rd Brooks’ Snobruk Secret Mission.

MPB (2) 1st Brook’s Snobruk The Secret Sia, very pretty g/w of an established good type. Correct proportions, lovely eye shape and colour, head just right for her age, with good ears when she decided to use them. Good bone, correct feet, carrying a lovely plume and moved well when settled. 2nd Innes’ A very different sort to 1, but still with plenty of virtues. Plenty of substance, excellent coat texture, perhaps a fraction short at present to give a true ‘waving plume’ but may develop as she matures. Ears held a touch wide at the moment giving a stronger skull than I would prefer on a puppy bitch. Stands foursquare on good feet. Enthusiastic performance on the move.

PB (4,1) 1st and 2nd as previous. 3rd Copley-Hollands’ Katabatics Force Of Won (ai), older puppy bitch who is heading into the rangy junior stage. She was full of the joys of life and in super fit condition with a correct textured coat. She is a little steep in front at present but had plenty of drive.

YB (2,1) 1st Vasarhelyi’s Okinastar All Of The Lights, b/w litter sister to the YD but quite a different prospect. She is a nicely proportioned bitch of ample substance, more finished than her brother, pretty head, well angled fore and aft and tidy on the move. Her coat texture is softer than ideal.

LB (5,2) 1st Brown’s Cupuns Masterpiece, quite an ambitious name to live up to but this handler and her bitch do make a very striking picture together. B/w just past 2yrs, I would prefer a slightly darker eye but her head satisfies in overall proportions and balance. She has a lovely side action, good bone, good ribbing and is presented impeccably. Tail a fraction tight especially when moving. 2nd Whyman and Murrays’ Tailfly Flamenco, different type and performance to 1 from this g/w 4yr old. She makes a nice shape when she holds herself together and has all the essentials but she did tend to relax and ‘drift apart’ both standing and on the move. Pretty, feminine head, I would be interested to see her outdoors and with a bit more work on conditioning. 3rd Dolan’s Siskara Dead Ringer For Love.

OB (3,1) 1st Copley-Holland’s Am Ch Katabatics Hollaback Girl, 4yr g/w really workmanlike bitch. She has a strong head but retains femininity with a medium dark eye of correct shape and well placed ears. Good bone and decent feet. Correct coat texture, powerful through the body. Being picky, I would like her slightly shorter in the loin but on a bitch this can be forgiven. Fabulous waving plume which she used to advantage. Really comes into her own on the move, she powered round the ring both in the class, the bitch challenge and on against the dog for BOB. Her second CC and I hope she doesn’t have to wait too long for her 3rd. 2nd Blackburns’ Chardicea Party Girl, this is a nice bitch but she was not a fan of the floor surface and so she was not co-ordinated on the move. She makes a good shape standing, has a pretty head and a lovely thick coat with really well furred ears.

VB (4,1) 1st Reid’s Jaydonspire’s Moon River, this g/w pocket rocket got better and better the longer she was in the ring. 7.5yrs but not showing any signs of age, she isn’t the biggest but is well proportioned with exactly the outline I was looking for. Correct feet, super tail, beautiful head and expression when she took her eyes off the bait long enough to see it! Another who powered round the ring and pushed the Open bitch all the way, RCC. 2nd Marshalls’ Ch Kaskae Butterfly Lily, 9yr old, what a lovely girl this is, absolutely deserving of her title, and also the home comforts she clearly enjoys. Despite carrying a little extra, she still gave a very good account of herself on the go round, and it was a joy to judge her. 3rd Dwyer and Wallace’s Marahootay Heartland at Thundaspirit.

Jenny Shorer-Wheeler