Bath Canine Society

Bath Championship Show

Samoyed Critique - Judge: Penny Roberts

My first time awarding CCs and I was looking for type and soundness, which I found in my winners. I loved my dog and bitch line-ups, and felt spoilt for choice. A quality entry all through, with presentation in the main excellent. While it wasn’t difficult to find the outline I looked for, the tendency towards short necks needs to be addressed as this spoils the overall balance and is not the ‘strong, not too short, and proudly arched’ neck the standard requires. Temperaments were excellent throughout, as should be the case. I would like to ask exhibitors to spend more time teaching youngsters to have their mouths checked; several found this intrusive/worrying and it is far too easy to put a dog off being examined if this is done clumsily.

Minor Puppy Dog: (4, 1)

1. Muncaster’s Zeelukzak Iceman. Just six months and still a little raw, but a well constructed baby. Attractive head needs to broaden slightly and would prefer a slightly flatter skull, but good eye shape, pigment and lovely smile. Balanced outline and correct angulation which showed in his movement, which was free and steady. Good reach of neck, firm body and lovely hocks. Sufficient bone. Very promising baby.

2. Brasier’s Sayantsi Prince Damask. A little older and further forward than 1. Good head with pleasing expression and lovely ears. In full puppy coat, presenting an attractive overall picture. A little narrow in body at the moment and hocks need to strengthen. Moved steadily, but not as freely my winner.

3. Ruddle’s Tiksi White Knights Pearl

Puppy Dog: (9, 2)

1. Enticott & Fleming’s Cabaka’s Ice Cool of Yacker at Roybridge (imp Dnk). Impressive youngster, 12 months and maturing well. Stunning outline with correct leg length, good bone, and correct proportions giving a lovely overall picture. Attractive head with correct Sammy expression; beautiful reach of neck, good angulation. Parallel front and rear. Lovely side gait showing easy ground covering movement, without exaggeration. Needs to broaden as he matures but a stunning youngster and one to watch. Presented in good coat and handled so well. BPIB and RDCC.

2. Martin & Grey’s Naduska Raphael. Correct, balanced outline; lovely head and expression. Good pigment. In quality double coat and has lovely tail set. Well bodied with good bone. Not as true on the move as 1 today.

3. Willey & Strang’s Lireva’s Expedition.

Junior Dog: (3)

1. Freer & Smith’s Nikara Diamond Dancer. A diamond indeed. A well balanced boy with a classic outline. In very good coat and beautifully presented. Correct wedge head, still just needs to broaden a little, but with great muzzle and smile and jet black pigment. Good reach of neck, correct front, good bone, strong loin and hindquarters and lovely tail. Good muscle tone. Did not disappoint on the move which was balanced and free. A real contender.

2. Jones’ Vandreem Imperial Kai. Another lovely youngster, shares the same sire as my winner and many of the same comments regarding construction apply to him as well. Loved his head with broad, flat skull and his biscuit tipped ears. Sufficient coat which was presented so well. Moved nicely when settled, but not with the elasticity of stride of 1.

3. Webb & Bates Rosskaja Quick Step Charlie.

Post Graduate Dog: (6, 2) Always a difficult class to assess after the age classes as a much broader range of dogs.

1. Humphrey’s Nikitta Snow Ice of Tsar. 2 yo dog. Good masculine head and expression. Lovely reach of neck and good overall angles and outline. Not in full coat, but what he had was of quality and well presented. Correct tail set. Side gait was good but he moved too close in rear. Would like slightly more substance and needs to body up.

2. Brooks’ Karasea Mr Bojangles. Different style of dog to 1. Lovely head and expression. Overall nicely made medium sized dog. Profuse, well presented coat with attractive biscuit shading. Length of coat around shoulders and front can give impression of him being shorter in leg but on closer examination this is not so. Moved well but preferred the side gait of 1.

3. Hughes’ Nikitta Indiana Jones

Limit Dog: (5, 1)

1. Fremlins’ Icewind Echo of Spring. A cracking young dog presenting a beautifully balanced outline. Head developing well – broad and strong, with the delightful soft expression and just a hint of mischief. Good reach of neck flowing into well laid shoulder. Correct leg length and sufficient bone. Equal angles front and rear, good top line, strong loin and well set tail. Moved extremely well with drive. As often with boys of this age he is lacking a little in body at the moment. Gave his handler a bit of a hard time today. Pushed hard today – one to watch.

2. Hounslow’s Nikitta Simply Magic. Another promising boy. More mature and different in type to 1, carrying a longer top coat and more pronounced mane and a little finer in bone. Masculine all through without coarseness. Typical headpiece and lovely expression. Uses his ears to advantage. Not as athletic on the move as 1 today. Liked him a lot.

3. Douglas Aleski Rocket Man of Troystar.

Open Dog: (5, 2)

1. Kirkwood’s Ulibka Final Edition. Epitomises the opening of the standard: ‘most striking’ and indeed he is. An impressive, masculine dog. Strong, broad, wedge-shaped head with that softness of expression, wonderful Sammy smile, slanting almond eyes and neat well furred ears that together typify the correct Samoyed head. But this is not just a head on legs - his glorious biscuit-shaded coat covers a correctly constructed dog with balance and substance. On the move he covers the ground well, dropping his head and extending in a smooth, flowing, energy-efficient fashion. Beautiful to watch. So pleased to award him the CC, his third, and BOB.

2. O’Dwyer’s Ch Duckslake Majestic Spirit over Kalinski. Another impressive male, well deserving of his title. Good head, which is less overtly masculine than 1. Correct eye and ear shape and sweet expression. In full coat over a well-constructed frame. You need to get your hands into his coat to find his sufficient reach of neck and well laid shoulders. Correct angulation. A great overall picture. Movement was good but not easy to assess due to his wandering attention; this took the edge off his performance today.

3. Gwynnes’ Ch Zamoyski Lucky Orlando.

Veteran Dog: (4, 1)

1. Brooks’ Ch Sirinna Celtic Prince at Karasea. JW (imp). Medium sized boy showing well and presented in good order. Strong, masculine head and sweet expression, good pigment. Nicely arched reach of neck and presents a balanced outline. Good bone. Moved steadily.

2. Howlett’s Smiliesam Shanteau. Bigger, biscuit shaded boy, lighter in bone than 1 and shorter in loin. A quality coat, not abundant, but well presented. Lack of leg furnishings give the impression of being a little high on leg. Very fit and moved out well.

3. Hawtin’s Ch Syanaria Rodrigo

Minor Puppy Bitch: (5, 1)

1. O’Dwyer’s Blueaegean Aphrodite by Kalinski. A poppet. Very pretty and appealing 6mo baby, showing like a veteran. Lovely feminine head, sufficient neck and good body shape, correct and profuse tail. Knuckle shows she has some growing to do. Quality puppy coat beautifully presented. Moved steadily and well. Nice girl. BP.

2. Smith’s Zeelukzak Polar Star. Slightly older and of different type to 1. Very good overall shape, balance and feminine appearance. Head needs to broaden and would like to see a little more reach of neck. Lovely plush coat and good tail set. Sufficient bone. Moved out freely.

3. Kirkwood & Green’s Vandreem Imperial Roma.

Puppy Bitch: (6, 2)

1. Ballantine’s Whitespirit Guilietta. Biscuit shaded bitch, left her coat at home so nothing was hidden! Appealing head. Loved her overall shape and reach of neck, front and rear angulation, strong body and good tail set. Moved out well. A very nice puppy.

2. Hooper’s Naduska Chiavenna. Of longer cast and finer than 1. Head still needs to develop and broaden. Her beautiful coat and well-set tail give a very pleasing outline. Bidding fair to be a glamour girl. Moved steadily.

Junior Bitch: (4) A really nice class of girls and I was splitting hairs on the first three.

1. Brunning-Hill’s Bondsmoor Angel Eyes of Rubany. Lovely, typical junior bitch with super outline. Her head is a good wedge shape with typical expression, good pigment and delightful smile. Dense, plush coat well presented; excellent reach of neck, good angulation front and rear, solid body, strong loin and correct tail set. Good bone for size. Moved well. Promising girl.

2. McGreade’s Nikara Private Dancer for Frostia. Another promising junior, but bang out of coat today which cost her in later class. Sweet head and expression, adequate bone for size. Excells in overall balance with correct length of leg. Moved out well.

3. Mapletoft’s Vandreem Imperial Kaprica at Samitoft.

Post Graduate Bitch: (8, 1)

1. Ballantine’s Whitespirit Soul Sister. Lovely, balanced, medium-sized bitch. Super head with typical Sammy expression, good neck and well laid shoulders. Firm body and good angulation, quarters and tail set. Very fit and this showed to advantage on the move where she covered the ground well. Not in full coat and needs leg furnishings to finish the picture, but well presented and a pleasure to go over. Has a tendency to play the fool a little. Another one to watch.

2. Howlett’s Tiksi Snowburner. Nicely put together biscuit shaded bitch. Lighter in bone than 1. Attractive head, sufficient neck, soundly constructed and very fit. Moved out well.

3. Fitches’ Petsamo Madam Pompadour.

Limit Bitch: (12, 2)

1. Sinclair’s Sasoolka Shooting Star. This lovely medium-sized girl pushed hard for the RCC in a quality line up. Excelled in overall outline. Well-made bitch with correct head and typical Sammy expression, solid pigment, good reach of neck, correct proportions of body and leg length, well set tail. Beautiful plush coat with silver tips, and a super tail plume. Presented in tip top order, she looked a picture. Moved soundly and with drive. A very impressive package.

2. Badgers’ Sarnoushka Zany Zinnia among Snosett. Another quality bitch of a slightly different type, with longer coat and slightly longer in loin. Very pretty head with correct expression, lovely reach of neck, good angulation, solid throughout and with sufficient bone. In very good coat and presented so well. Was particularly struck by her lovely correct hare feet and her superb tail plume. Movement was positive and true. Full of personality. A really lovely pair of girls.

3. Brasiers’ Sayantsi Lavender Lace.

Open Bitch: (6, 2)

1. Bobrowski’s Ch Vandreem Imperial Hermioni by Berezniki. It is so easy to sound clichéd about this bitch because so many people have already said it all! For my part I found her to be a delight to go over and was not disappointed in her quality. Put down in perfect order and showing well as always. She has a lovely clean outline and is so balanced. Mischief in her lovely Sammy face, great reach of neck flowing into good front which is balanced by a good rear with firm hocks. On the move she is positive and sound. Today she had to settle for the RCC to a bitch who just won through on full maturity.

2. Cawthera-Purdy’s Samhaven Kaos Reigns at Lireva. Smaller bitch and longer cast. Very pretty head and in full coat which was beautifully presented and with feet feathering to take your breath away. Good overall construction and very sound, would just like to see a little more of her. Moved with power.

3. Dutton’s Amarige Diva of Tsarameshka.

Veteran Bitch: (4, 2)

1. Douglas’ Samgold Chantilly Lace of Troystar. Watching her flowing, powerful action on the move made me tingle. A fine example of a mature Samoyed bitch in tip-top condition, eager and able to do anything asked of her. Her age may show a little in her face – but nowhere else! A great example of the lasting qualities of the breed and a credit to her owners. Typical feminine expression, reach of neck, firm body and good bone. Her muscle tone was superior to many of the younger entries, and her firmness and purpose on the move, combined with her lovely construction, good presentation and outgoing personality could not be denied. BCC – her third, and I found it very hard to understand why it should have taken her so long to achieve it.

2. Brooks’ Ch Karasea Coetir Holly. A little heavier all through than 1 with lovely overall shape and lovely head and expression. In abundant coat with terrific plume. Unfortunately was showing some stiffness which affected her movement, but a lovely bitch.

Judge: Penny Roberts 1st June 2011