Stroud & District Canine Society

Thank you to the committee for inviting me to judge their autumn open show, thanks to my stewards for keeping me on track and organised. Special thanks to all the exhibitors who entered and allowed me the privilege to go over and judge their terriers or test their handling skill.

I have to apologise for the tardiness of my critique – I have been ill for quite a while so I can only apologise to those who have been patiently waiting for this.

Border Terrier

Puppy (2,0)

1 Yeates’ Badgerbeck Tiny Dancer at Bluebabel – good coarse coat, great expression, typy head with dark eye. Good spring of rib and correct tail carriage. Well structured terrier pup with good feet. (BPIB)

2 Read’s Miltonbury Sunrise at Roxambor – Finer mould than 1, nice head with keen expression. Liked this pup but was outmoved by 1.

Junior (3,1)

1 Yeates’ Badgerbeck Tiny Dancer at Bluebabel

2 Read’s Miltonbury Sunrise at Roxambor

Post Graduate (4,1)

1 Read’s Roxambor Space Invader – 23 months dog, keen expression and lovely head. Great coat and construction throughout. Moved well fore and aft

2 Read’s Chintaku Boris at Roxambor – Larger mould than 1, soundly constructed with a nice head. In hard condition.

3 Yeates’ Heatherdrift Harmony at Bluebabel

Open (6,1)

1 Reeves & Hyslop’s Baywillow Blueprint (BOB TG3) – 3 year old dog in excellent condition throughout. Masculine head with beautiful dark eye and expression. Good bone, spring of rib and topline with correct tail carriage. Moved out with purpose and true fore and aft.

2 Stevens’ Cobstoneway Bayou Sunrise (RBOB & BOS) – sound mature bitch who defies her years. Beautiful feminine head with dark eye and great expression. Moves soundly with purpose, in hard condition.

3 Yeates’ Bristoc Rock the Boat at Bluebabel

JHA Handling

6-11 years (2,2)

12-16 years (4,1)

1 Elise O’Connor – this handler, when she is on form, is so polished and accomplished that you cannot deny her top honours. Today she pulled out the stops and completed everything to near perfection. Always impeccably turned out she is professional while remaining sympathetic to her charge. A pleasure to award her top honours today.

2 Poppy Wynter – such a good handler, she seemed a bit rushed today and showed her dog over stretched a couple of times. However, floor work was excellent and shadow work was seemless. It was a shame to come up against 1 today. Poppy took on my advice straight away and changed what I suggested in later classes. Well done

YKC Handling

6-11 years (3,0)

1 No Name unfortunately – this handler was smartly turned out and handling a large dog with ease and care. Good pattern work and lead control, I was impressed with the skill exhibited as the charge was not always the most compliant, however, she did not let this fluster her. Good pattern work and stacking of her dog. Well done

2 Grace Rutherford – Nearly there with it, just got to tidy everything up and she will be in the top spot. Well handled today with good pattern work and communication with her dog.

12-16 years (3,0)

1 Elise O’Connor (Best YKC & JH)

2 Poppy Wynter

3 L Mainwaring

17-24 years (2,0)

1 Jasmine Cooper – well handled today, I asked for a triangle while standing in the corner of the ring and you performed the closest. Always communicating with her dog, patient and steady with pace correct. I was impressed with her calm attitude and approach to everything even when she was unsure.

2 Meg Oliver – an odd triangle shape here. But on the straight up and down she was tight and clean. Excellent breed knowledge and good show of teeth. Pushed hard for 1 but her pattern let her down.

Adult Handling 17-45 years (2,1)

1 Jasmine Cooper – as I had judged her earlier I tested her use of the ring with obsitcles. She pulled this off and was not phased by the change in judges position. Well deserved BAH

46 years & Over (13, 1)

1 Maureen Doran – a calm and quiet handler, straight lines and tight corners. Excellent shadow work and lead control. Today she was the best of a very large and accomplished class of handlers. Well deserved.

2 Karen Plumer – close behind one. Again, excellent handling skill shown on the pattern work. Communication with her dog was good and she always had one eye on me. Sometimes looks a little rushed which can just spoil the overall picture.

3 Claire Tatum

Andrea Keepence-Keyte (Alandobel)