Thank you to all who showed their dogs to me, I was delighted with my entry. The heat was pretty tough for the dogs and this did inhibit how much I was able to move them. My overall observations would be that attention needs to be paid to fronts; there were more than a few dogs with excessively rolling toplines and/or overreaching, and some toeing in too. Conditioning also plays a big part in front movement and I saw too many overweight dogs – this is unacceptable in a working breed. Bites were OK, generally, with a couple very incorrect. Rears, I think, have improved since the last time I judged the breed in this country three years ago. My veteran class was my favourite class of the day; what a joy to see these dogs in their prime and the best bites of the day in this class too! My open bitch class was also so full of quality I was hard pushed to choose between them.
I was very happy with the quality of my final lineup’s and in both the dog and bitch challenge there were several dogs I considered worthy of a CC & RCC and I had to really refine my choices to make my final decisions.

Puppy Dog (9,4)
1. Aitchison’s Kaskae Hooked On A Feeling – 10 mths. Substantial pup with good bone; I liked his overall balance. Gorgeous head, correct proportions; good neck length. Good bite and lovely dark eye. Out of coat but texture correct. Very good shoulders and front assembly and a balanced rear with strong hocks. Tail set/croup correct. Good feet & pasterns. I liked his spring of rib and he had good muscle tone for a youngster. Lovely side gait. Needs to broaden through front but he is a baby and this will come in time. I thought he was pretty special and look forward to seeing him mature. BP
2. Ballington-Graham’s Catua Snow Patrol – 9 mths. Another nice youngster. Good bone and overall body shape. Coat OK. I liked his head and muzzle; good bite. Correct topline and croup and good chest depth. Lovely short and strong rear pasterns. Moved ok but preferred the more fluid side gait of my winner.

Junior Dog (9,3)
1. Lovegrove’s Weyekin’s Light My FIre Within Arctictribe – 12 mths. A well muscled dog with harsh coat. Good shoulders and a very strong rear assembly. Lovely topline with good neck length. Tail carried too tight but croup ok. Attractive head, of good proportions and correct stop, but needs to grow into his ears. Good feet and bone ok, needs to tighten in front pasterns. Won this class on side gait.
2. Baker’s Icewolf Shaken Not Stirred – 14 mths. Lovely head & dark eye on this youngster and a super coat. Good feet and pasterns. Lovely topline and tail and very strong thighs. Side gait very smooth but just preferred the stifle angulation, rear extension and drive of 1.

Graduate Dog (9,1)
1. Kelsey’s Jaydonspire’s True Grit – 2 yrs. Really liked this dog. Gorgeous head, absolutely correct proportions, dark eye and thick ear leather. Good bite. Good shoulders, front assembly and fore-chest and a lovely arch of neck. Feet good. Compact body shape, but not too short; well ribbed. Good topline. Tail set OK – although carried slightly tight. Lovely coat. Strong hocks. Very sound and I loved his balanced, fluid side-gait, no interference underneath; I seriously considered him for my RCC.
2. Lovegrove’s Weyekin’s Light My Fire Within Arctictribe.

Post Graduate Dog (9,1) Mixed Class.
1. Robb’s Icewolf Max A Million JW – 2 yrs. Very attractive dog. Good head with lovely back skull and dark pigment. Well muscled body, in great condition. Neck length good, with very powerful shoulders and correct front assembly. Deep chest and good spring of rib with firm back and loin. Correct croup and tail set with a strong rear and hocks. Correct coat. Nice big feet but they could be tighter and needs to tighten in front coming towards. Lovely sidegait that won him the class. Another contender & close call for RCC.
2. Singh’s Sledog Dream Maker (A.I.) – 23 mths. Well proportioned dog with broad back skull and nice dark eye. Would prefer a little less stop. In lovely coat, correct texture. Another strong front assembly and good spring of rib with a lovely strong, sl sloping, topline. Good croup. Strong rear. Correct feet of good size. Just moving a little close in foot placement, coming towards, at times, but very balanced, efficient sidegait.

Limit Dog (8,2) Very good class.
1. Kelsey’s Monikoona Easy Rider Into Jaydonspire – 3 yrs. Handsome head with good back skull. Ears a little low set. Good lay of shoulder and arch of neck but needs to tighten on the move in front. Really liked his balance, shape and type. Powerful chest with good spring of rib. Lovely tail and good croup. Broad thighs and strong rear pasterns, giving good drive. Good feet. Moved with a powerful, ground-covering gait but had occasional tendency to throw his left foreleg out and this cost him in the challenge.
2. Cawthera-Purdy’s Chayo Pulling Power At Lireva – 2 yrs. Nice dog, he presented a lovely outline and shape, but tail carried too tight. Correct coat. Handsome head, correct eye and good pigment. Good chest, spring of rib, a lovely topline and a strong rear with broad thighs. Feet ok. Really moved out well in profile, holding his topline and no interference underneath. Good lay of shoulder, upper arm v. slightly forward. Moving close coming towards but he is only 2 so has plenty of time to broaden and mature. Very close decision with 1. Interested to see how he comes on.

Open Dog (7,1) Another high quality class.
1. Henworth’s Wolfraven’s Galactic Halo – 2 yrs. Most striking dog with a lovely shape and outline. Still a youngster, but so well put together he can only get better. Beautiful, correct coat and waving plume. Good bone. Feet could be sl. larger but, correct, well arched, toes. Such a handsome head with dark eye, thick ears and good back skull. Strong, arched neck into well laid shoulders and well-built front assembly. Deep chest, well ribbed and strong loin. Powerful rear to match his front angles giving him a balanced, energy efficient, side gait with firmly held topline and very clean moving coming and going. He had very strong competition but his quality is such he thoroughly deserved his RCC and I am sure he will just improve with age.
2. Robb’s Int Ch. Under Icewolf’s Star Inditarod (Imp) JW ShCM JunCh. 3 yrs. Another super dog, really loved him. I was very impressed with the condition and muscle tone of the dogs from this kennel. This boy had a lot of substance, with a lovely head, broad skull and good muzzle. Neck length, lay of shoulder & spring of rib, all very good. Upper arm v. slightly forward. Large feet and good pasterns. A strong loin with broad thighs, would prefer a touch more stifle angulation. Correct tail. Lovely side gait, covering the ground well with an effortless, easy stride. Just lost out on the top spot as I preferred the stifle angles of 1. and he was hocking out very slightly moving away, nevertheless, he is just full of quality and I had a tough time with this decision!

Veteran Dog/Bitch (7,0) The class of the day for me, what a superb line up of veterans, thank you so much.
1. Singh’s Mountain Home Sledog Pride (Imp) – This boy is now almost 8 yrs. I last judged him as a junior & I am delighted to see that he has matured into the dog standing before me today. I consider that this breed should be in it’s prime at this age, and this boy is certainly that. Carrying a beautiful, harsh coat, he has good substance and bone, & large feet. Masculine head with good back skull and muzzle. Very balanced in profile; powerful, muscled & well-laid shoulders with correct upper arm placement. Deep chest with good spring of rib and firm, well-muscled loin. His rear is strong and powerful with a good croup, tail, broad thigh, well let down hocks and strong rear pasterns. All this combined to give him the most superb movement; so sound, with a rock steady topline and just the most effortless, ground-covering gait; transmitting all the power from his rear to his front with maximum efficiency. He is not a glamorous, or flashy, dog but he is a completely efficient working dog and I would be delighted to have him on my team any day. A very well deserved CC & BOB.
2. Butler’s Kaytoo Kandi Kandu – 8 yrs. I just loved this bitch. She is so balanced and feminine. I last judged her in 2010 and she has aged beautifully. Pretty, well proportioned head, good ear set. She is well made, with lovely angles front and rear. In great condition, she is well muscled and solid. Beautiful arch to her neck with lovely layback of shoulder and superb front assembly. Strong loin and topline which she maintained on the move. Strong rear, broad thigh. Good croup. Sound coming and going and balanced side gait. A tough decision for my BCC & RCC; she is worthy, without a doubt. I just preferred the ground coverage of my winners on the day, but it was very close.

Puppy Bitch (9,2)
1. Davey & Greenway’s Snobruk Forever Wintatrails – 10 mths. Very nice pup. Slightly long in body, but she is a baby & still needs to come up on leg. Well balanced angles, front and rear, with good shoulder placement, forechest and broad thigh. Pretty head with good back skull. Ears slightly large, good bite and nice dark eye. She has a very balanced sidegait; clean moving, coming and going, and a good firm topline held on the move with good foot placement – no overreaching. Correct coat, good texture. Promising pup.
2. Pennings & Cameron’s Chayo Eye Candy – 7 mths. – Pretty pup & outline. Nice head, ears slightly large; dark eye. Good shoulder layback , slightly forward in upper arm. Standing a little bum high, would prefer sl. more rear angulation, but again, only a baby so lots of time to develop. Very nice coat and good feet. Moved cleanly just need to broaden.

Junior Bitch (11,4)
1. Lockhart & Semple’s Cahppes As If By Magic – 14 mths. I loved this youngster. My eye kept getting drawn to her. Very pretty with a good back skull and dark eye and well balanced outline. Carrying a correct coat she has good shoulders, lovely arch to her neck, correct topline with a strong loin and broad thighs. Correct tail. Good feet and pasterns. She carried herself very well with a lovely sidegait, very clean moving. One to watch for the future I think.
2. Brook’s Snobruk Speechless – 16 mths. Very close between 1 & 2, both lovely girls. Substantial bitch with good bone and feet. Good shoulder and upper arm assembly. Nice head with good back skull and dark eyes. She presented a lovely outline and had good spring of rib and a strong loin. Moved out very well and had a very good tail set and carriage.

Graduate Bitch (4,1)
1. Windley & Taylor’s Kinuk’s Katwalker For Royaltaylor – 23 mths. Another very nice youngster, I liked her a lot. Very happy temperament. She is very balanced with good bone. Pretty, correct head, with good back skull & pigment. Lovely feet. Super shoulders and front assembly with a good forechest, spring of rib and a lovely arch to her neck. Topline good; would prefer more slope to croup, tail carried a little tight. Coat texture correct. Very sound moving with a lovely sidegait, no interference, movement true. I did consider her for the RCC.
2. Clarke’s Indian Dreamcatcher Illa Kuvianartok At Whiteout – 15 mths. Attractive bitch with good topline. Carrying a little too much weight over shoulders but good muscle tone. Slightly forward in upper arm but good lay of shoulder and nice spring of rib. Lovely head and broad skull. Excellent coat texture. Would prefer slightly more slope to croup and moved ok but she was rolling over her shoulders.

Post Graduate Bitch (4,1)
1. Dunk’s Lapema Angelo Di Armonia For Everheart – 20 mths. Nice bitch. Very balanced in outline and in front and rear angles. Showed a nice length of neck. A little long in body to be perfect but her length is in her rib cage, not her loin, so her topline on the move is ok, just a very slight roll in profile, but she is still young. Attractive head, good back skull, slightly light eye. Strong hocks. Good tail and correct coat texture. Moved very cleanly on the up and back. Very interested to see her mature.
2. Roach & Pyper’s Celticice Quinarius Nessie – 2 yrs. Smaller frame than 1. Pretty girl with nice shoulders and good neck length and a nice spring of rib. Bone and pasterns ok. Elbows in slightly. Good thighs, topline good. Nice sidegait, just not the balance of my winner.

Limit Bitch (10,2) Really high quality class.
1. Ballington-Graham’s Catua’s On The Run – 3 yrs. Quality bitch and extremely well balanced. Correct and feminine head with thick ears and good pigment. Light eye. Good neck length, into lovely shoulders, good topline and rear; she really is a pleasure to look at. Correct feet and good bone. She has a strong chest and nice spring of rib and her sidegait is a pleasure to watch, very well balanced and clean. She was strong in the challenge for RCC.
2. Anderson’s Cinneli Fast’n Furious Phinx To Cherubini – 21 mths. Longer cast than 1 and out of coat but a really well made and solid. Good head and back skull, eye ok. Lovely arch to neck. She had a lovely front assembly and chest depth and a strong topline, which held firm on the move. Balanced, powerful, rear giving her a very sound, easy gait in profile. Croup and tail set very good. Good bone. In very good body condition.

Open Bitch (11,4) When I turned and saw this line-up of bitches, I was delighted. What a strong class.
1. Blaney’s Windberg Paparazzi To Fenrirkin – 3 yrs. This female has the most beautiful profile, she just stands out and she caught my eye immediately. Feminine head, good back skull, ears and muzzle proportions. Well boned with strong pasterns front and rear. Compact, but not too short coupled, she conveys an image of strength and power. Excellent front assembly with well-laid, strong shoulders and forechest, correct upper arm and good spring of rib. Powerful rear assembly with broad thighs, strong hocks. Correct feet. When she moves she is sound on the up and back and has a lovely smooth, rhythmic, driving and ground-covering sidegait, with no roll and firm topline; she looks like she could work all day. I just loved her. She was so similar to my dog winner it was hard to split them in the challenge. BCC & BOS
2. Anderson’s Cherubini Midnight Wolf – 3 yrs. Well constructed, very strong, bitch. In beautiful body condition, well muscled. Out of coat today but texture correct. Larger framed than 1. Overall well proportioned, feminine head; could be sl. broader in muzzle. Good pigment and dark eye. Lovely feet. V. good arch to neck and lovely front assembly – balanced with rear. Like my dog winner, she is not glamorous or flashy but she looks very much a working dog. She excelled on the move with superb reach and powerful drive giving her a smooth and effortless, ground-covering gait with no excess. Totally efficient. It was this that ultimately earned her a well deserved RCC.

Sharon Loades