I was looking for elegance with substance, good movement with reach and drive. Unfortunately the venue floor was a little slippy in places which affected some of the dogs on the move. There is a tendancy to move dogs very fast in the ring, and whilst Dalmatians need to be able to keep up with horses, running them too fast in exhibition can affect their balance when moving. I was disappointed to find so many short tails, and a few coarse heads with incorrectly shaped eyes, which takes away the kind expression so typical of our breed. However, I was delighted with my main winners.

Minor puppy dog (2)(2)

1. Christie’s Sophtspot Ever Ready. B/w boy with good spotting and pigment. Nicely shaped head, reach of neck and good profile when standing, well up to size and does not need to grow on. A bit unsettled on the move.
2. Cadden’s Phadante Jambalaha. B/w slightly longer in back to 1. Good spotting, nice head with broken ears. A bit excitable today and also unsteady on the move.

Puppy dog (7)(6)

1. Gardinor’s Jamelsley Pyracantha at Dakata. Quality b/w puppy with a lovely head and dark eye, round bone, good feet and angulation. Moved well, holding his topline with nice tail carriage. A good size and overall an attractive, elegant puppy.
2. Christie’s Sophtspot Ever Ready.
3. Ely’s Wintermine Gaucho

Junior Dog (2)(2)

1. Alexander’s Offordale Minnesota. Beautiful b/w spotting, with well marked ears, lovely alert expression and use of ears. Good profile when standing and on the move, strode out well with reach and drive.
2. Stirling’s Winflash Dappled White. Different b/w type. Nice outline when standing with good feet and angulation. Moved steadily. Tail a bit proud today.

Yearling Dog (4)(4)

1. Hobbs and Whiting’s Boutonneux Baby Buco Avec Rapanooey. B/w lad with a good head, good angulation and nice feet. Good tail set, moved with reach and drive, covering the ground well.
2. Kembrey’s Dalmark The Pinot Grigio. L/w well spotted, good eye colour and kind head. Lovely angles, outline and tailset. Another moving with reach and drive. Unlucky to meet 1.
3. Rose’s Candidals Red White and Blue

Maiden Dog no entries

Novice Dog (1)(1)

1. Tingey’s Dallydor Aramis. An attractive l/w with classic spotting and broken ears. Good outline when standing and well off for bone with good feet. Moved so much better going round the ring here than in his previous class.

Graduate Dog (2)(2)

1. Scott-Allen and Davis’s Tolutim Yaffle. Quality b/w with a good head and lovely kind expression. Good bone, turn of stifle and depth of forechest. Moved well with level topline and tail carriage.
2. Rose and Cattermole’s Cader Idris Celt at Kalvadene. Different type. B/w with fair spotting and the darkest of eyes. Good bone and turn of stifle. Moved out well for his handler.

Post Graduate Dog (2)(1)

1. Cader Idris Celt at Kalvadene.

Limit Dog (4)(3)

Three top class livers who could change places another time. Really hard to choose between them.
1. Green and Sears’s Tolutim Yves St Laurent at Judally. A gorgeous top quality boy with an excellent head with lovely kind expression and eye colour. Attractive spotting, good round bone, well muscled and strong. Very good feet, kept good topline and tail carriage on the move. Moved steadily with powerful, easy reach and drive. Best Dog, RBIS, Best Liver in Show.
2. Whincup and Sibson’s Tamilanda Vintage Pink. Gosh another lovely liver. Excellent decoration, good head with dark eye, good bone, nice topline and tailset, overall good size. Moved out very well. A difficult decision between 1 and 2.
3. Cutts’s Kilndandy Casanova at Marzelina

Open dog (6)(3)

1. Whincup’s Tamilanda Panther Lilly JW ShCM. Classic b/w lad with excellent angulation when standing. Gorgeous head with lovely dark eye and expression. Very good bone and feet, with great topline and tail carriage on the move. Moved well in profile. A quality dog of correct size and overall a very attractive dalmatian. Reserve Best Dog, Best Black Dog.
2. Tingey’s Holderness Hillbilly By Dallydor JW. Another good dog. Well spotted l/w with excellent bone and feet. Good head with well marked ears, good angulation and moved well. A tad on the slim side today but he is a quality dog that I liked.
3. Erkelens’s Maaikes Choice Emrys

Special Junior Veteran Dog (2)(2)

1. Baker’s Oneowun Ohio. A young veteran with good black pigment and spotting. Plenty of bone, good head with dark eye. Good angulation and moved extremely well around the ring. Overall a nice boy.
2. Cutt’s Ch Kaytian Kalypso to Marzelina. Splended l/w champion slightly older and really enthusiastic being back in the ring. Moved with reach and drive but a bit too excited to concentrate at times.

Special Senior Veteran Dog no entries

Minor Puppy Bitch (1)(0)

Puppy Bitch (9)(9)

1 and 2 were super puppies, both with the same sire and it was hard to choose between them.
1. Dawson’s Washakie Endless Summer. B/w puppy oozing quality. Excellent pigment, beautiful head and eye. Nice tight feet, well off for bone. Good shoulders and stifle, presenting a lovely picture when standing. Held topline and tail carriage on the move for one so young. Really moved with reach and drive. BP, and Reserve Best Bitch .
2. Neath-Duggan’s Buffrey Hey Diddle Diddle. Another quality b/w bitch puppy, slightly smaller type at present. Well spotted, attractive head and good angles standing, with good depth of brisket. Moved out very well, keeping topline and tail carriage.
3. Hobbs and Whiting’s Rapanooey Rhapsody

Junior Bitch (6)(5)

1. Alexander’s Offordale Amethyst. B/w good looking girl, with classic spots, excellent head and dark eyes with alert expression. Nice tight feet and good bone. Moved powerfully with reach and drive. Tail a little high today, she was full of herself.
2. Moate’s Leiahart Honolulu at Sundowndal. B/w different type to 1 and slightly bigger. Nice round bone and good profile standing and on the move. Attractive head, and good spotting. Covered the ground well, keeping topline and flowing tail.
3. Hartley and Griffith’s Creaganbrec Glory Be At Miragua

Yearling Bitch (7)(7)

1. Moate’s Leiahart Honolulu at Sundowndal
2. Batchelor and Emms’s Dallydyl Love in Idleness. B/w very different type to 1, with heavier bone. Excellent angulation, good pigment, topline and tail carriage. Moved well.
3. Suggett’s Dalebred Geebee Gold for Kintegus

Maiden Bitch (2)(2)

1. Yates’s Trapeze Grace. A l/w bitch with pretty spotting and has potential. A bit over awed by the occasion and had beenVHC in previous class. As she got used to the show ring I saw enough of her movement to appreciate her here. She needs ring training.
2. Samkin’s Portunes Oasis, Another l/w bitch with good spotting. Pretty head, fair bone. Moved and showed well for her young handler.

Novice Bitch (3)(2)

1. Washakie Endless Summer.
2. Trapeze Grace.

Graduate Bitch (6)(5)

1. Leiahart Honolulu Honey at Sundowndal
2. Jenkins’s Jewelruby Queen. Well spotted, dark eared b/w who, whilst not flashy was sound and moved steadily with good reach and drive. Good head, topline and tail set.
3. Trapeze Grace

Post Graduate Bitch (10)(8)

1. Hernandez’s Dalminshi Mystic Star. A compact b/w bitch who is well put together. Heavily marked head which can detract, but a lovely dark eye and alert expression. She moves extremely well with good reach and drive with a lovely profile on the move. I liked her.
2. Thorner’s Tolutim Evensong. Another b/w spotted bitch with good, sound steady movement. Good head, topline and tail and generally a very nice type. Not so happy today as I have seen her on other occasions.
3. Brindley’s Dalamant Black Pearl of Lightoka

Limit Bitch ((4)(2)

1. Gardinor’s Dalispots Dubyana at Dakata. A really pleasing l/w bitch with excellent make and shape. Elegant head with good eye colour, good feet, good round bone. Moved steadily with purpose keeping her topline and good tail carriage.
2. Radford-House’s Fivejays Oloroso. l/w spotted, slightly heavier type. Moved well, keeping a nice profile. Unfortunately not so happy in the stand. I am sure she will do better another day.

Open Bitch (4)(4)

1. Whincup’s Talilanda Hot Pink. A l/w who is very eye catching. Real quality and so feminine but with substance. Very good angulation and depth of brisket, extremely nice head and kind, alert expression. Good liver colour and spotting. Moved out well, with a good steady stride. Pushed hard in the challenge and was shortlisted to the last three. Another I really liked, and I could take her home. Best Liver Bitch.
2. Thorner’s Tolutim Drambuie ShCM. A b/w unlucky to meet 1 in such form. Very good quality and one I have always liked. Very good make and shape with excellent profile standing and on the move, and good strong bone. Moved with reach and drive, with good topline and tail.
3. Pages’s Winflash Born to be Wild JW

Special Junior Veteran Bitch (2)(2)

1. Neath-Duggan’s Ch. Buffrey Sprig O Mint JW. A nine year old b/w bitch, not showing her age! Top notch with good pigment, spotting and angulation, nice size with good round bone, good head and feet. She powers round the ring with an effortless stride, really covering the ground, but also with grace and so feminine. She is a pleasure to watch going round. I was delighted to award her BIS. Best Black Bitch, Best Veteran in Show
2. Scott-Allen and Davis’s Tolutim Zaffre. A quality b/w bitch I have always followed with interest. A really nice type, with good shoulders and stifle. Good pigment and spotting, with attractive head. Moved very well and another not showing her age.

Special Senior Veteran Bitch (3)(2)

Two wonderful older ladies enjoying their day out.
1. Adderley’s Phadante Follow That Dream ShCM. B/w with good bone, feet and topline, with good tail carriage. She has kept her figure and moved really well. She certainly doesn’t look like a senior veteran!
2. Wills’s Dallyvista Scandalous Risk. Slightly heavier spotted b/w who is 12 years young. Another with good bone and feet, nice head. She really did enjoy going round the ring and showing the youngsters how to do it.

Brace

I really wanted two red cards here. I was impressed at how well both braces went round the ring with harmony between the dogs moving together. Both pairs were also well matched in type.
1. Tingey’s Brace. A lovely pair of liver boys who powered round the ring.
2. Thorner’s Brace. Two lovely black spotted girls, so well matched.

Stevie Baker (Judge)