2013 Championship Show
Miniature Smooth Dachshund - Critique
Thanks to the committee of the Smooth Haired Dachshund Club for inviting me to judge the Miniatures and a VERY GREAT BIG THANKYOU to the exhibitors who gave me such a fantastic entry to judge. It surely must have been one of the biggest entries this year. The rings were big with plenty of room to move the dogs and as I like to assess dogs moving rather than stacked I made the most of this facility. There was a great depth of quality in several classes and many potential CC winners, unfortunately, had to leave cardless. Believe me they were not “thrown out with the rubbish” as we sometimes say. So although I will only be doing critiques on 1st and 2nd in the classes had I been judging in other countries I would have been handing out many ‘excellents’
Veteran d or b 4 [2abs] 1st Reed’s Deercroft Devotion JW. Shaded red girl of almost 8 years. Well shaped head and eye, good forechest and ribbing and nicely angulated hindquarters. She is still full of enthusiasm for the showring and keeps a super profile on the move. Perhaps not quite as steady now when going up and down but well deserved her place and BVIB. 2nd Kerry & Kerry’s Dollyharp Pizzicato at Kireton. Shorter B/T. Pleasing head & eye. Good length of neck, not too keen on posing but moved out soundly with style. I just prefer the length to height of winner.
MPD 5 [2 abs] Three immature babies here and of differing types. 1st Smith’s Bronia Gregario. B/T 8 months male. A promising puppy who moved out smartly once he got settled to the job. Good proportions of height to length. Just need to body up which I am sure he will do with maturity. 2nd Robertson’s Mosiarto Masterpiece. Masculine headed red boy of 7 months. Good bone and well bodied. Would like him a touch longer but this could easily come, unfortunately this would increase his weight. He just needs a bit more ring training to get it all together. 3rd Pyknikspring Kaisho.
PD 3 1st & BPIB Hunt & Hunt’s Carpaccio Red Adare. Shaded red boy of 10 months. Good shape to head and eye, clean neck into good shoulders. Adequate forechest and ribbing. Moved out smartly keeping a good outline. 2nd Williams & Moes’ Cwmdarhian Doc Holiday.Looked very much a soft baby even though a similar age to 1st. Clear red. Appealing head, lengthy body. Not quite the forechest of 1st. loved his hammy hindquarters. 3rd Thornley’s Bon Jovi.
JD 7 [1abs] 1st Ergis’s Siouxline Levi JW. Smart red boy. Very good head carried on lengthy neck. Correct forechest, carried himself well keeping a good topline standing and moving. In the challenge just shade narrow through in comparison with winners but pressed the winners hard. 2nd Burton’s SwingletreesRazzamatazz. Clear red half brother to winner. Again a good head, prominent forechest, correct angulation of front construction and hindquarters. Held his topline at all times on the move. Just not as positive in front movement as 1st. 3rd Shelton’s Barisse Eragon.
ND 2 1st Thornley’s Bon Jovi Unfortunately this boy has just grown on too much but his sensible owner realises this and has not starved him. The other dog in the class was withdrawn because of a problem.
PG 3 [1 abs] 1st Punter’s Welcumen Guiness. B/T Good head with dark eye of the correct shape. Good forechest and ribs with plenty of depth. Moved soundly in both directions. 2nd S Razzamatazz.
LD 6 [1 abs] 1st Phillips’s Jentiki Red Chilli Pepper of Robinswood and 2nd Burton’s Swingletrees Just-In-Time. These two red boys were very similar in type. Both have good heads, correct neck leading to body shape with good proportion of height to length. It was only on sending them around the ring that I made my decision between 1st and 2nd on the better hind drive of Red Chilli Pepper. 3rd Worton’s Cwmdarhian Little Monty.
OD 7 [2 abs] This was a very difficult class to place, type varied so much but each had excellent points and obviously I had to make hair splitting decisions to place them in order. I decided to place 1st Kent’s Lokmadi Ocean’s Eleven JW. Shaded red. He has a very masculine outlook. On going over he is very well constructed with firm well ribbed body, well angulated hind quarters and good legs and feet on which he moved with positive determination. To top it all he was in gleaming condition. All these together secured him the class and in the challenge the Dog CC. 2nd Roberts’s Ch Denver Darling Harry Potter. I have always admired this little B/T boy. He has a good head and earset, prominent forechest, well made body with correct angulation fore and aft. He holds an excellent topline on the move but wasn’t quite as positive in hind action as the winner. 3rd Andison and Peel’s Clentry Black Pudding. There were at least 5 or 6 males today that I would have been happy to award a CC.
MPB 11 If the future of a breed is in it’s bitches then right from this class we surely have a good future. 1st Andison & Peel’s Clentry Golddigga 7 months red baby with all the essentials. Pretty head, good front, ribbing and angulation and moved well to secure this good class. 2nd Jones’s Radclyffe Waxwing. Substantial red puppy of almost 8 months. Liked her overall make and shape. Good head and correct body proportions. Wasn’t keen on the stacking yet but came into her own on the move presenting a really nice outline. 3rd Stythe’s Dickleygate’s Martina.
PB 12 [2abs] Another excellent class of babies. 1st Kerry & Kerry’s Brocklewood Bacall at Kireton. Light red bitch who excels on the move. She has a pretty head, good front and hind angulation and keeps such a good profile when moving. BPIB.
2nd Hughes’s Julidachs Jocasta. B/T bitch of different type to 1st being the more elegant type. Nicely shaped head carried on proud neck, well constructed body with correct angles fore and aft. Just a slight rise in hindquarters on the move placed her 2nd. 3rd Boyce’s Lokmadi Pretty Flamingo at Hollygor.
JB 13 [3 abs] Quality right through the placings and beyond. 1st Hollands’s Lokmadi Morning Cloud at Zarosa. Super b/t girl. I see she is sired by my DCC winner. Nicely balanced throughout. Good head. Correct in forechest, ribbing and angulation. Moved really well in both directions and kept a good topline both standing and moving. Must have a good future. 2nd Kent & Kent’s Lokmadi Paper Tiger. Another really pretty b/t girl. Similar remarks apply to her but 1st was slightly better angulated behind which resulted on fractionally better topline on the move. Both are worthy of top honours. 3rd Callow’s Garthorne Miss Toffee.
NB 4 [1 abs] 1st Kent & Kent’s Lokmadi On Silent Wings. Loved this red girl and see she is half sister to my DCC winner. What a good team this breeder has. Pretty head on good neck, liked her length to height proportions. Well constructed body. Moved very soundly keeping a good outline at all times. When she cracks the standing to show off her virtues will trouble the best. 2nd Burton’s Swingletrees Eiderdown. This darker red bitch was Res in the hot Jun. class. Very nice type. Good head, prominent forechest, sound hind movement but a bit wide in front, kept a good topline on the move. Unfortunately a little slack in underline. Boyce’s Tysar Moon at Hollygor.
PGB 14 [2 abs] 1st Welham & Welham’s Barratini Janet Jackson at Barryann. Elegant b/t girl with correctly shaped head and eye carried on strong neck. Well laid shoulder and length of upper arm, strong body leading to hammy well angled rear. Moved soundly both in front and behind and held a good outline in profile. 2nd Brocklewood Calypso JW. Shaded red bitch. Good head but preferred the eye of winner. Lengthy neck carried proudly. Good construction all through. Moved well both up and back and in profile. Kept a good topline both standing and moving.
3rd Hollands’s Zarosa Touch of Black.
LB 15 [2 abs] This was a great class full of quality bitches. Not only did some good bitches go cardless but I could happily have awarded CCs to some of them but I had to make decisions and could only place five. So I placed 1st Melbourne’s Golden Algonquinette of Melriding. Love this bitch and have done since I first saw her. She doesn’t always co-operate with her handler but today never put a foot wrong. She has the sweetest of heads on strong neck leading to a well covered body with good forechest, ribbing and well angled front and rear. She moved positively with good hind extension and was in perfect condition. I was delighted to award her CC & BOB and thrilled to see her go on to BIS. Well done. 2nd Andison & Peel’s Clentry Sweetie. A little gem. She is a b/t daughter of my 3rd in OD who himself is quality all through. She is only small but has all the essentials eg good head & eye, lovely body shape with prominent forechest and good ribbing. Super hammy quarters which she uses to good advantage as she powers around the ring. Seriously considered her for RCC but she is just carrying a little too much weight for her frame which cost her this award. 3rd Roberts’s Bronia Caprice to Denver.
OB Again another class with difficult decisions with champions and CC winners going out without a place. I was honoured to have such a high quality entry but it made my job very hard. I was splitting more than hairs. So 1st was Hunt & Hunt’s Cwmdarhian Back to Alabama at Carpaccio JW. B/T with good head and eye. Well ribbed body. Correct angulation in forequarters and hindquarters. Moved soundly and with great style. Carrying the correct amount of weight and condition for her size which won her the class and the RCC. 2nd Melbourne’s Melriding Berengaria. B/t bitch I liked a lot. She has a lovely head and expression. Well constructed body from her prominent prosternum to her well rounded rump. She moves soundly with plenty of hind drive. I would just have liked her to be carrying a little less weight. 3rd Reed’s Octavia Surprise for Deercroft JW.
Ellen P Blackburn [judge]