SCOTTISH BORDER COLLIE CLUB
4TH November 2007
BITCHES
Thank you to the committee for the invitation to judge their well-run Championship Show. The first time I have had to judge at CC level at an indoor venue, - a slippy leisure centre with matting is not the most favourable environment for judging our Breed. I found several very good bitches throughout the entry, - sadly there were very few in full bloom & at their best, but I did not penalize this too heavily until the highest awards. The correct construction, resulting in a balanced animal combined with all important Breed Type & the distinct low, easy & powerful ground covering gait that makes the Breed so unique is always my ideal requirement.
Best in show on the referees decision Rosara Va Va Voom at Locheil, Res BIS on the referees decision Sianworth Celtic Magician, BPIS Bridgebank Time To Dream, BVIS – Sianworth Celtic Magician.
MPB 9
1. Hamilton & Rae's Bridgebank Time To Dream. Balanced, well boned & conditioned b/w puppy, who was handled and presented to her advantage. I found her quite strong in type, - would hope she will not get any stronger. Alert outlook, with dark eye & correct ear carriage. Good reach of neck, & shoulders correct. Well sprung ribs & short loin, and croup ok. Appeals for her overall balance & shape. Moved out steadily & soundly, and held her topline well on the move. Quite a clear winner in this class. Best puppy bitch & Best Puppy In Show.
2. Turner's Locheil Funny Face. Very much the baby in this class. Still needs time to grow on, but everything about her is in proportion & she is well boned. I liked her overall shape, type & balance. Movement sound, although unfortunately she was very reluctant to move out – may have been the floor surface in the venue. Lots of coat, which was in good condition. Patiently & calmly handled which allowed her to move enough to gain this place.
3. Large's Wizaland Whats Her Name
PB: 6
1. Lucas' Aculsia Ebony Angel Eyes. Very dark, finely made bitch with alert expression. Dark eye & correct earset, giving alert expression. Not in the best of coat & condition at the moment. Overall she has good Breed type & construction is balanced front to rear. Movement was quite erratic coming & going, but she showed a correct low & powerful driving gait in profile which only improved the more she moved. One that coped with the floor surface very well. Missed her later class so was unable to challenge further for the Best Puppy Bitch award.
2. Hamilton's Bridgebank Don't Play Games. Stronger made, well presented & conditioned bitch of very different type to 1. Alert & attentive to her handler, although she was very unsettled on the move which made her movement difficult to assess. Well boned, and in very good coat & body condition. She had a good neck, and shoulder & well sprung ribs.
3. Price's Diamond Nebula
JB: 14
1. Tunnicliff's Littlethorn Porsche. Very nice feminine youngster, currently in between coats, who appeals greatly for overall Breed type & balance. Correctly sized, and well boned bitch in great body condition. Well placed, dark eye set in balanced head with well placed & used ears which results in alert expression. Correct straight front, good neck & shoulder, and excellent firm, level topline, both standing & on the move. Finished nicely with good turn of stifle & neat hocks. Was quite unsettled in this venue, and gave her handler quite a run for her money! . When settled she showed glimpses of the correct, ground covering gait that her construction suggests. Liked her a lot, - would like to see her in a different venue.
2. McConnachie's Borderbrook Classy Chic. Honest, well made BC, who coped well with the surface in this venue. In type quite different to 1, but another with lots to like. Correct, balanced head with good eye. Body well made all through, with good spring of rib & short loin. Moved extremely well, showing a powerful & sound, ground covering gait. Presented in good coat & condition & handled to her advantage, which gained her 2nd in a good class.
3. Blackstan & Warwick's Locheil Miss Independant At Ruffs
YB: 8
1. Wilkinson's Altricia Blue Whisper. Really liked this one! Very feminine blue & white bitch who greatly appeals for her overall type & such correct balance. Good shoulder placement & excellent front, well sprung ribs & short loin. Lovely level topline, and correct croup. Feminine head, lovely eye & ears which she uses well. Not in the best of coats, but what she had was well presented & conditioned. Another who didn’t like the venue, although she began to settle as the day progressed. Movement was very sound & correct, I would love to judge her outside in a big ring.
2. Fawcett & Harlow's Bordertime Fashion To B. Lovely attentive b/w bitch, who is shown much to her advantage. Alert expression, with good ear carriage & use. Good neck & shoulder, deep chest & ribs well sprung. Moved out well on a loose lead, showing a powerful, ground covering gait. Just preferred hind angles, croup & overall balance of 1.
3. Blackstan & Warwick's Locheil Miss Independant At Ruffs
NB: 12
1. Hamilton & Rae's Bridgebank Time To Dream
2. McConnachie's Borderbrook Classy Chic
3. Nicholson's Bridgebank Special Gift to Chauntelle
GB: 5 (2 Abs)
1. Kilsby's Tamarsh Imperial Call. Really lovely, nice sized bitch of great type with good neck & excellent shoulder & upperarm. Good straight front, with deep chest & excellent feet. Firm level topline which she held well on the move. Croup good with correct, low tailset. Typical head, with correctly placed & shaped eye, & ears sensitive in use. Moved out extremely well in the venue, showing great reach & drive. Is such a pleasure to watch the true, powerful & effortless BC gait. Not in full coat, but she was in great hard body condition & well presented. Handled to her advantage.
2. McConnachie's Borderbrook Jingle Belle. Bigger bitch, presented & handled well. Good neck & shoulder, well sprung ribs & good loin. Correct turn of stifle, and strong straight hocks. Movement sound coming & going, not the side gait of 1.
3. West's Dot of Whitemoss
PGB: 9 (3 Abs)
1. Turner's Littlethorn Sapphire. Well presented, alert bitch who appeals for her overall type. Attentive to her handler, she was free stood to her advantage. Dark, well placed eye & sensitive ear carriage. Construction very balanced throughout, resulting in an easy, ground covering action on the move. She has a lovely level topline, both standing & on the move. Coat & body in good condition, and well handled. She became unsettled on the move in the challenge, despite giving her a couple of chances.
2. Tunnicliff's Littlethorn Jazz. Nice type of bitch who I thought initially would be my class winner. Slightly shorter cast than 1, and has more the type of head that I prefer. Lovely dark, well set eye & flat skull with correct ear carriage & use. Good neck onto correct shoulder, well sprung rib & good croup. Sadly she was very naughty on the move, making her somewhat difficult to assess.
3. Turner & Connacher's Locheil Midnight Hush
MLB: 9 (1 Abs)
1. Jones' Sianworth Mystic Dream. Prick eared, tri colour bitch who was presented in fantastic body & coat condition. Nice sized, well boned bitch with good straight front, deep chest & correct feet. Good neck & shoulder. Found her to be well balanced throughout, with correct level topline, good croup & tailset. Well turned stifles, & neat hocks which finished the overall picture of a very correct type of bitch. She moved out very well in all directions, with good, typical & powerful ground covering gait. Calmly & quietly handled to her advantage. With time to finish into maturity I would be sure that this bitch will be an easy champion.
2. McConnachie's Borderbrook Atomic Kitten. Another nice, honest type of BC from this kennel. Taller, & somewhat finer overall than 1, still ample bone & she was well presented & handled. Correct head, with well placed, dark eye. Well sprung ribs, short loin & overall balance good. Moved out extremely well, showing good reach & drive.
3. Hales' Laceway Bee-Witching
LB: 11 (2 Abs)
1. Hartfield's Montshana Movin' on Up JW. Beautiful young bitch, who was my BP last time I judged. She is absolutely of correct Breed type, feminine but still well boned & substantial. So many Breed requirements can be referred to her, - she is alert, balanced, refined, graceful, powerful – she could be a true working dog & yet she has a great “show presence” too. I love her overall balance, - again from the entry overall she would be the one that I wish was mine! Unfortunately today she had left her coat behind & after much deliberation on my part she had to settle for the RCC. She has a lovely feminine head, with correct dark, well set eye & sensitve ears. Good neck, straight front, correct shoulders, well sprung ribs & correct loin. Good croup, tailset & hocks. Lovely free, low, & powerful ground covering gait. The type of BC that you could just stand & watch on the move all day. She was well handled, to get the very best from her. I considered strongly awarding her the CC, but she just didn’t have the finish, and had to give way to a more mature bitch looking in her prime. Her title must be just around the corner.
2. Porter's Locheil Really and Truly At Croxlea. Feminine, well made bitch that I have also awarded highly previously & I still liked her very much today.. Appeals for overall type & balance, with good neck & shoulder. Has alert expression, with dark eye & well used ears. Ribs are well sprung, and she has short loin. She is slightly longer cast than 1, but she is well in proportion overall to her size. Good straight front, and correct feet.. Has good topline, which she held well on the move. Presented & handled extremely well. Moved out well, with a ground covering & sound gait to gain 2nd in a very good class.
3. Lucas' Aculsia Angel In Disguise
OB: 11
1. Turner's Rosara Va Va Voom At Locheil. CC & BIS. Not had the pleasure of judging this bitch before. Found her to be ideal size & presented in very good order. Very feminine throughout, and well boned, which, combined with correct Breed type meant the more I looked at her the more I liked her. She has an alert & feminine head, with good eye & ears which she used sensitively when asked. Correct neck & shoulder, good straight front & deep chest. She has well sprung ribs, short loin, adequate turn of stifle & neat, straight hocks. Not in full coat, but presented very well & has a very well conditioned body. Her movement was very sound in all directions & she showed a very correct, low & ground covering action from start to finish in a difficult venue. Very well handled, much to her advantage. Found her quite hard to fault, and was very pleased to hear that this was her crowning CC. Well deserved!!
2. Lucas' Sh Ch Aculsia Continental Diva JW. My RCC winner from last time, and she still has lots to like about her. Ideal breed type, and her overall construction is very balanced. She has a lovely feminine head, ideal eye & ears resulting in a kind, yet alert expression. Straight front, with good feet, well sprung ribs, short loin, good croup with neat hocks & correct tailset. Very free & easy on the move, with a lovely sound & low, ground covering gait. Disappointed to find her carrying extra weight & giving away quite a lot to 1 on overall condition.
3. Wilkinson's Altricia Love A Lot
VB: 11 (2 Abs)
1. Rettie's SH CH Glenfound Simply Stop'n'Look. Really beautiful, alert bitch I have always liked, and not looking one bit a veteran! Great Breed type, - she has lovely head, with expressive eye & sensitive.ears. Lovely neck & shoulder, straight front, strong level topline, well sprung ribs, short loin, bend of stifle & hocks correct. Good croup & tailset & short hocks. Moved out so well in true BC style, covering the ground with minimum effort & great reach & drive. Was a pleasure to judge her again still looking so well.
2. Sutherland's Deansgrove New Edition Of Kaiona. Typical border collie with lots to like, again hard to believe that this was a veteran. Moved out powerfully & typically on a loose lead covering the ground really well. Has good head with lovely well set dark eye & correct use of ears. Held her topline well at all times, and has good croup. 2nd in a good class of veterans.
3. Hagan's Deansgrove Crystal Gael of Tribboch