Despite the weather not being of the best, the dogs were so friendly and the exhibitors, particularly those directly round the ring had such good senses of humour that this combination together with excellent stewards made my day thoroughly enjoyable. We were lucky enough to have a double in-and-out ring so were able to steer a comparatively dry route past the worst of the muddy areas for the dogs to have complete freedom of movement although a few made their disapproval of the wet grass underfoot rather too obvious in their movement and/or carriage and, sadly, this affected some placings.

Puppy Dog (3,1)
1.EDENS’s Dalens Hot Gossip. Gorgeous at just nine months, so happy and sophisticated with non-stop wagging tail, well angulated shoulder and hindquarters with strong firm topline. Beautiful head, eye and expression. So very sound, free and positive on the move with good reach in profile. Excellent feet and pigment. BP
2. CANN-VANSTONE’s Dalmark The Sea Leopard At Donmari. Strongly built with well patterned dark liver spotting. Very energetic and moved well behind if a touch wide in front. Full of fun and went extremely well for what transpired to be a new-to-him handler.

Junior Dog (4)
1. D Hot Gossip
2. ISSETT’s Shydally's King Arthur. B/s with a very thoughtful expression, excellent feet shoulder and hindquarters. Powerful on the move, just a little proud of his tail at times.
3. LAMB’s Dalpetro Decaprio

Yearling Dog (2) Both l/s
1.HARRISON-STRATFORD’s Dalkereve Dark Dragon. Lovely head, eye and expression, where he scored. He had the better layback of shoulder and hind angulation. A happy evenly marked showman, who moved extremely well.
2. BOLT’s Fakenham Ferrera Rocher. Not only happy but exceptionally sociable and chatty! Good strong topline and length of stride on the move. He, like the vast majority today, came complete with ‘the icing on the cake’ of a spotted tail.

Post Graduate Dog (1)
1.BAKER’s Dalleaf Devils Disciple. Very dark l/s, super sound, free and positive on the move. So well made all though with good layback of shoulder and turn of stifle. Well balanced with excellent feet. A happy personality.

Limit Dog (4)
1. MARKEY’s Heaven Sent Phreeman Calix With Dalissm. Handsome clean masculine head, lovely eye and expression. Well made all through with good depth through the heart. Excellent mover with long powerful stride.

2.LEWIS’ Dalpetro D'Artagnan of Hunterswood. Well balanced with good shoulder and firm, strong topline. He has a very serious expression. Excellent mover with good length of stride.
3. MOATE’s Major Sheer Will At Sundown

Open Dog (8)
1. STOCKS’ Ch Dalmark The Shaded Moon At Nospar. Outstanding l/s, who was my winner as they first went round and then proved the point being a joy to handle with all the parts fitting firmly into the whole. Lovely for size, type, make, shape and balance. All this together with beautiful spotting, excellent topline, feet and depth through the heart. He made light of the wet conditions and never put a paw wrong on the move to match the excellence of his confirmation. Truly beautiful, full of quality and such a great showman, holding himself with such pride, in the best of coat and condition. CC, which I gather, was his 24th, & BOB later going on to the excitement of G4 under Terry Nethercott. Back in 07 I gave him BPIS at just seven months old and I was thrilled to see that he has matured to well nigh perfection.
2. ALEXANDER’s Ch Offordale Chevalier. Strongly built and most impressive with beautiful head, eye and expression, in excellent coat with well angulated shoulders and hindquarters, strong bone and firm topline, in the hardest of muscular condition with good feet. Moving well behind and in profile but chose to express his disapproval of the damp ground by going a touch wide in front. RCC
3. BOLT’s Ch Fakenham Flash Gordon

Puppy Bitch (7)
1. CLARK’s Dalmark The Song Of The Sea. L/s, just 9 months and a little apprehensive of being handled at first but soon pulled herself together, scoring on tight feet and coat. So well made all through, she moved beautifully with good depth through the heart. Excellent topline and pigment with lovely feminine expression. BPB
2. PAGE’s Winflash Elle's Belle's. Quite outstanding for make, shape, size, balance and movement with a beautiful expression in her dark sparkling eyes but completely out of coat currently. Holds herself so proudly. Most impressive.
3. CROFT’s Doubtwell Ebony Night

Junior Bitch (10,2)
1. PAGE’s Winflash Born To Be Wild. Gorgeous youngster with the wow factor! Oozing with quality with clean head, excellent topline, shoulder, make, shape and balance. Simply a joy to watch on the move as she is so sound and free with well set and carried tail. She has everything going for her. Most exciting. RCC See from the catalogue that her dam is W Magic Mystery, my CC winner at Belfast in 2010, so it was good to know she is upholding her family’s tradition so proudly.
2. HOBBS & ZEMTOSOVA’s Gloria S Nevskih Ostrovov. L/s with lovely head, eye and expression. Reluctant to be handled at first but soon relaxed to demonstrate her good shoulder and hindquarters. She moved extremely well.
3. STOCKS’ Kalokairies Lady Bollinger At Nospar

Yearling Bitch (3,1)
1. CHRISTIE’s Sophtspot Cha Cha Cha Very shapely and strongly built with good depth through the heart and firm topline. Just scored on shoulder and balance. Super sound and positive on the move with good length of stride. Lovely head, dark eye and pigment.
2. STEVENSON’s Dalkereve Divine Decision For Macula. Decent shoulder, dark eyes and pigment, excellent topline and coat. She too moved extremely well.

Post Graduate Bitch (10,1)

1. COOPER’s Charmindals Impedimenta. Very stylish of lovely shape and balance with well angulated shoulder and hindquarters. Good head and eye with excellent topline. Just scored on tighter feet and front movement here
2. MCMANUS’ Boschendal Lady In Red. Lightly spotted l/s with beautiful head, eye and expression, excellent topline, shoulder and hindquarters. Good bone and depth through heart. Most impressive in sidegait. 3. ELY’s Wintermine Flamenco

Limit Bitch (7,1)
1. HOBBS & WHITING’s Winflash Loopy Loo. Super for size, type and balance, so well made all through and this was proved by the excellence of her movement. No exaggerations here. Full of quality with lovely head, eye and expression, excellent topline, tailset and carriage. CC which, I gather, was her well deserved first to add to her 2 RCCs. She surely deserves her title. Gather she is closely rated to the RCC winner so it would seem there is some good breeding going on here.
2. CARVELL’s Holderness Hocus Pocus. Excellent pigment with dark expressive eye, firm topline, good shoulder and bone with deep chest. Just a touch longer in body than the winner.
3. YATES & BONNER’s Arita's Arrival At Caprilli

Open Bitch (6,2)
1. HOIE’s Ch DK Ch Spotnik s Diva Deluxe. L/s who held her topline both standing and on the move, so well made all through with excellent layback of shoulder and hind angulation. Very sound and free on the move. Just a touch long in body.
2. NEATH-DUGGAN’s Ch Buffrey Gift Wrapped. Lovely head, eye, expression and pigment, very strongly built and so well balanced with good depth through the heart. Excellent make and shape, a very good mover, whose topline seemed to mirror her obvious disapproval of the wet grass. It is said that every dog has their day and, maddeningly for me and doubtless her owner, this was not hers although, otherwise, she is lovely.
3. ALEXANDER’s Ch Offordale Sapphire

Jane Lilley
Judge