• Show Date: 27/04/2018
  • Show Type: Championship Show
  • Judged by: Janet Riseborough Contact Judge
  • Published Date: 27/07/2023

West Of England Ladies Kennel Society

Breed: Bernese Mountain Dog

WELKS CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW 27TH,28TH, 29TH.APRIL 2018                                                       Judge Mrs JANET RISEBOROUGH (Moonbach) 

Many thanks to the WELKS Society for inviting me to judge at this show. They also provided two wonderful stewards Brenda Piears & Preston who was very funny, but extremely professional.  They kept me on my toe’s & the ring running smoothly. We had a large ring, but it was bitterly cold. Thank you to all exhibitors for the amazing amount of 88 dogs; making an entry of 105: (only 22 absentees) I sincerely enjoyed every moment of my day.  The new Puppies are a delight, & I was thrilled with the quality, condition, temperament & presentation of all of my main winners. Very disappointed with some of the lower classes, some of the exhibits lacking in body, bone & structure.  Also, these could not move with power or hind thrust that is needed, our Breed should eventually be able to carry out a day’s work & a few today will never materialise into the strong beautiful dogs that we are used to seeing. Do not buy a precious Bernese puppy & then do IT, & the breeder an injustice by neglecting to give the correct nutrition that a large breed like ours need. Nevertheless, in the later classes there are some outstanding Juvenile’s, Adults & Veteran’s as you will see from my placing’s which were gracefully accepted. The atmosphere around the ring was superb, & so was the applause for the winners. 

Veteran Dog: (1.)                                                                                                                                                                 1st.Wright & Kirk, Materabern Good Friday.                                                                                                                 Stood alone & has just gone into Veteran, coming along nicely, a medium sized boy with good bone for his height, I would wish for slightly better angulation all round, but held his top line on the move, which is okay at this time coming & going. Slightly light in eye but has a nice gentle expression. Making a very nice sensible young man, he’s very slow to mature. 

Minor Puppy Dog: (1)                                                                                                                                                            1st.Mr F. & L. Stephenson. Bernark’s Mount Snowdon                                                                                                         6 month old baby with a super head, dark eyes with good expression. nice proportions for age. Typical structure for this size with a sturdy chest & a babyish rump. He made the best of the ring & did very well 

Puppy Dog (1)                                                                                                                                                         1st. Miles. Littlehidden Jyme Spicez at Jaybiem                                                                                                            Another young male alone; he is a very tall & rangy lad at this stage & has loads of filling out to do. Reasonable bone & feeling strong-ish in body, has a nice head developing but I would like a tighter eye. Rather erratic on the move & when in for the Puppy challenge had a different handler so would not pay attention.                                                                                                                

Junior Dog: 3.(2abs)                                                                                                                                                           1st.M.& J. Wakeland  Collansues Secret Potion Bramikdel                                                                                           Lovely upstanding junior with excellent bone with reasonable angles for height, striding out on the move, good thrust from sturdy hocks & coming back into a square show stand, strong head with dark markings, Good texture coat, well presented, very attentive to owner & trying to please. Still has a long way to go before reaching his true potential.    

Yearling Dog. (5.)                                                                                                                                                                  1st. Mr F.& L, Stephenson. Kernow Something Perfect.                                                                                                       A very handsome 2yrs.old male with lovely gleaming eyes full of expression. Broad head & correct muzzle, strong neck leading to adequate shoulder placement. Straight front & hocks well let down showing strength on the move. Needs to drop into his body, but overall a very nice upcoming dog. Very alert with good animation. 

2nd. Mrs R. & B King, & Mrs J Green. Joseph Vom Durrbachler Wald at Arvella JW.(IMP NLD                           A very compact 20month youngster with much darker colouring. Head strong but eyes slightly round. Good width & depth to chest & nicely tucked in elbows. Good coupling & a firm rounded croup. Medium Bone which is in line with size, movement firm & true today.so much to like about this boy with correct temperament.                                                                                              3rd.Mrs R. Marshall. Matthew Purchate Perly of Bernannan. (Imp.POL)  

Novice Dog. (2)                                                                                                                                                                    1st.Miss E Akehurst. Jesterbrook Alpine Storm                                                                                                             Another Tall rangy youngster that needs his body to catch up with his growth, but I’m sure this will come. Superb Attractive head, good reach of neck, I would like better angles fore & aft, but what he has he uses to advantage, as strides away in a positive manner. When he matures, he has good bone & substantial frame, so has the structure to carry a little more weight. 

2nd. Mrs B Night Cullumbern Roman Road At Kernow                                                                                                When this boy entered the ring I thought this was the winner of this class. He has a lovely head with nice eyes & good expression. Good shape & outline with enough bone & reasonable angles. Top line could be better but nicely built withers & strong neck. Unfortunately, on the move he turned his left foot in & although I gave him time when moving he could not reify this. Maybe would benefit from road work or hydrotherapy.??     

Post Grad. Dog. (6, 1 abs)                                                                                                                                                                1st.Mr A.& Mrs J. Fairclough. Monalou Spirit of Discovery                                                                                           A worthy winner of this class; Very well constructed male of superb qualities. A wealth of bone & good angles all round. A tad long in the loin but still tends to look compact. Good top line, leading to rounded croup, strong stifle & well let down hocks. Round cat like feet & he stands over the ground well. On the move he excels. With his handsome headpiece, & coat well groomed he makes a great picture. 

2nd.Mr Griffiths, M. Orme & Ms. Miles. Jaybiem With N ‘Without Y’zeus (JW)                                                                Another young male who could change places with the above. All round strong boy, of medium good proportions. tad long in the loin but held top line well on the move, but he is not as sound on the move as my previous winner. Very handsome & wonderful temperament, well handled.           

3rd.Miss M. Gurney. Monalou Just Call Me Oleg                             

                                                                                                 

 Limit Dog. (9,2abs)                                                                                                                              1st.Mrs S. Rothery. Glamrock Graffiti Artist ShCM                                                                            A handsome male demanding attention on entering the ring; he has a stunning broad head with rich markings, bright beautiful correct shaped eyes. Lovely reach of neck, angulation is good in shoulders & hind quarters. Excellent bone for his stature, strong chest & ribcage. Tight cat feet with good flex ability to pastern. Moved with drive & panache. Pleased to Award him the RES:CC                                      Unlucky to come up against my CC Winner, 

2nd. Mrs J. Baldwin. Meadowpark First Class for Fortonpark                                                       Not yet 3yrs but has everything he requires to make a very attractive, well put together male. Slightly long cast, but with good bone & sound in conformation. On the move holds his top line, but when coming to a halt this tends to dip a little, but it may be because he fly’s his tail.Still a very nice boy.                         3rd.Mr L. Reynolds & Mrs L Atkinson.  Meadowpark Secret Blend 

OPEN DOG. (7, 3abs)                                                                                                                                         1st.Mrs C. Hartley-Mair & G.Dybdall.  CH. Meadowpark High Class                                             “Wow”. I think that most things have been said about this amazing dog, most judges say that he fills their eye, Yes, he does! But he also fills my heart.                         As he enters the ring with such presence & in control at all times, there is almost a hush that fills the air. He has a masculine, handsome correct head with rich colouring, good ear placement, beautiful eyes with a glint of excitement about him. Strength of bone, with angulation in front & rear quarters sound. Tight feet & showing good flex ability to pastern’s, pushing the ground away & following through, coming to a halt in a four-square stand. The expression he has when looking to his owner for instruction is pure joy. This owner knows how to get the best out of him, even at this tender age & his condition & presentation is first class.CC & Best of Breed                                                                               I also stayed to see him short listed in the Working Group. Congratulations 

2nd.Mr T. & Mrs Granger. Orlando Bloom at Jaybiem.                                                                    Young Upstanding Male coming into his own, not quite the build or stature of my winner. Nevertheless, an honest dog with lots to like. Beautiful headpiece with expressive dark eyes, good mouth, nice reach of neck leading to well-proportioned shoulders, chest, & gentle length of loin, nice angles to stifle. Moved with elegance & gentleness, his handler showing him to perfection Great presentation of coat, & a very Happy & Animated male. Well done 3rd.Mr. C. Hughes   Waldershelf Causing Kaos. 

  Special Beginners Dog. (3)                                                                                                                         1st.Miss E. Akehurst. Jesterbrook Alpine Storm In this new class, my winner won first in Novice & my comments are the same: Another Tall rangy youngster that needs his body to catch up with his growth, but I’m sure this will come. Superb Attractive head, good reach of neck, I would like better angles fore & aft, but what he has he uses to advantage, as he strides away in a positive manner. When he matures, he has good bone & substantial frame, so has the structure to carry a little more weight.                                                                                                                      

2nd.Mrs R. Marshall. Matthew Purchate Perly of Bernannan (Imp POL)                                      he was 3rd.in Yearling & is a reasonably sound young man, not 2yrs as yet.  Bone & body coming on but has a long way to go before he matures, Lovely head & expression, just a little unsure of what is expected of him at this moment. I’m sure he will get there. 

Special Beginners Bitch. (3)                                                                                                                  1st.Mrs Y Clough. Bernarks Now or Never.                                                                                               Nice enough bitch just over 2yrs. With a lovely head & gentle neck reaching into fairly strong shoulders at this age, & good angulation. Slightly finer bone, but with a neat little body. Standing on nice round cat like feet, but before moving she needs to settle. Could eventually show promise but needs to tighten up all round.                                                                                                                               She did enough to beat the winning Special Beginners Dog. Therefore, was sent forward into the SP. Beginners Group ring. These were Pre. Judged & unfortunately she did not make the cut. But well done anyway & I hope you enjoyed you experience. 

2nd.Mr J.& Mrs H. Flippance. Tickbern Upto Jenna at Nenebern                                                      Another 2yr old little lady with loads of potential but just needs time. Well proportioned with reasonable bone for build. Lovely gentle head with sweet expression & animation when bringing ears forward. Stands square, but just needs to move correctly coming & going. May need more ring craft.?                                                   This bitch was eventually 2nd in Novice Bitch. 

Veteran Bitch. (4, 2 abs)                                                                                                                         1st. G. Griffiths, Orme & Slade. CH. Jaybiem Voo Doo at Potterspride                                         Just over 7yrs not showing any sign of being this age at the moment & a credit to her owners. Her bone & outline still to be admired, top line held on the move, only slightly dipping in repose. Gentle mature head with sweet expression & a glint in her eyes as if to say, “I’m enjoying my day”. Turned out with coat in pristine condition.  (it’s a pity there was no Best Veteran today) 

 Minor Puppy Bitch. (1.1abs)                                                                                           Puppy Bitch. (3)                                                                                                                                        1st. Mrs. C. Hartley-Mair. Meadowpark Touch of Class.                                                                      What a trio of fantastic puppy bitches these are, & they were a delight to assess. My winner just had the edge, having the most beautiful of heads, & expressive dark eyes, although slightly round. The animation in this puppy is tremendous when she brings her ears forward & never stops wagging her tail. Lovely strong bone with nice angles for age & superb little body developing.                          On the move she excelled & could show the older ones a thing or too. Coat & markings are very rich & presented to perfection. Wonderful temperament & thoroughly enjoying her day. Best Puppy in Breed. 

2nd.Mrs J. Baldwin. Fortonpark Sez I’m Classy.                                                                                  These lovely puppies could change places at any time. Another beautiful sweet head with a smiling look, especially when looking towards her owner. Bone & substance just right for age, very well balanced all round. Good feet & pasterns which she used to advantage while moving out well. Very Nice. 

3rd.Mrs. S. Gorbould.  Glanzberg Only the Best.                                                                               

Junior Bitch. (11,4 abs) Although Numerically Large, this was a very disappointing class, some with very poor movement, but the worst was a few having no Bone, Body or Structure.  Fortunately, my Main winners had everything I was looking for.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

1st.Mrs S. Watson. Stepdasher Winters Wish.                                                                                  This was undoubtedly as much of a surprise to the owner as it was to me. I have never seen this medium sized classy bitch before. She has reasonable bone, with good angles fore & aft. Standing she is in full control, four square & well balanced, with good angulation’s especially in rear quarters. Neat hocks, & tight feet, these being slightly under marked but has great flex ability in pastern’s. This bitch excels in striding out well & keeping a good top line. So alert & definitely the best movement in this class. 

2nd.Mrs Goodyear. Harvestbank Indian Summer.                                                                            Very similar to my first, Medium in size & body, Ample bone with good angles, shapely sweet head & well placed ears she uses to perfection when paying attention. Enough width of chest but needs to deepen as yet. Good outline when standing, not quite as good on the move as my First placing.                               3rd.Mrs A Gerrard. Monalou Contessa of Torralabaz. (three of the best bitches in this class). 

  

Yearling Bitch. (6.1abs)   “Superb Quality Class”                                                                                                                        1st. Ms. J. Miles. Jaybiem My My My.   JW.                                                                                          No denying the first place for this quality bitch. She has strength of body as well as a beautiful broad, but very feminine head. Good bone structure with good angles fore & aft. Nice bend to stifle, well let down hock & good strong round feet. Nice reach of neck flowing into gentle shoulder placement. Slightly erratic on the move but still a very nice bitch. (not quite ready for the challenge as yet, but this is only my opinion)     

2nd. Mrs S King & Mrs J. Bramble.  Shirdees Miss Congeniality.                                                        A young but mature looking bitch, has the strength of my first with similar proportions, in bone & conformation. Nice head, although eyes slightly loose. Ear carriage good & when used to advantage gives a nice animated picture.                             Depth of brisket adequate & reasonable coupling. A very sensible young lady with still a way to go. Did not move as soundly as my first.   

3rd.Mrs J. Harris. Meadowpark’s Dancing on My Own.     

Novice Bitch. (3.1abs)                                                                                                                             1st.Mrs. S. Flanagan. Collansues Precious Rock .                                                                                    18month. Attractive, feminine, medium sized girl with so much to like. Good reach of neck, width & depth of chest adequate, angles ok at this age. Rump well rounded & strong leading to parallel hocks.  Holds her back line on the move & looks a picture when reaching the correct gait. Very Nice.   

2n d. Mr J.& Mrs H. Flippance. Tickbern Upto Jenna at Nenebern                                              (2nd in SP.Beginners; same comments apply)                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Another 2yr old little lady with loads of potential but just needs time.                   Well-proportioned with reasonable bone for build. Lovely gentle head with sweet expression & animation when bring ears forward. Stands square, but just need to move correctly coming & going. May need more ring craft.?  

     

Post Graduate Bitch.  (9,5abs)                                                                                                            1st.Ms.J. Miles.  Jaybiem Burli Shassi JW.                                                                                             Quality Mature but Feminine Bitch, a picture of strength in substance & stature. Looks a tad heavy but its all coat. Good in upper arm & shoulders, strong neck, into neat withers giving an impression of a good draft dog. Holds her top line on the move & coming back into a brilliant stance, would just like her ears to come forward at the precision halt. This would give her more animation.  

2nd.Mrs S. Small.  Malindibeach Faberge Fancy.                                                                                Another quality bitch, but more refined & not the strength of previous. Very sweet in head with gentle expressive eyes. Lighter in bone but very nice angulation throughout. Slightly long caste but well-rounded croup, & medium to sturdy hocks. She has a well presented longer coat than first, but when holding the stand & attentive to her handler, she looks a picture. 

3rd.Mrs Y. Clough Bernarks Now or Never. (1st& Best SP. Beginners Bitch) 

Limit Bitch; (10,2abs)                                                                                                                              1st. Mrs J. Baldwin. Fortonpark Chasing Dreams.                                                                               A taller, beautifully put together bitch. Nice bone & substance, with good angulation’s fore & aft. Very pleasing attractive head, with a superb gentle demeaner, & good mouth. Excellent chest & forequarters, strong straight limbs, neat cat like feet & firm hocks. Moved with drive, & presentation was superb as always from this kennel. Very Nice.  

2nd.Mr T & Mrs P Granger. Shirdees Harlow Jean of Shadybower. .JW.                                         Not the build or stature of my first, but this bitch is gorgeous & full of quality. She has all round medium bone with secure angles & standing four square & well up on tight feet. A feminine head developing at this age, giving her a charm not to be denied. Beautifully groomed & handled with a gentleness that flows down the lead from her handler.  Very Well done. 

3rd.Ms. G. Hill & Mr J. Nunn. Halesbern Totally Bindi of Chyburne            

    

Open Bitch. (7)                                                                                                                                        1st.Mr M.& Mrs Atherton. CH. Athersbern Peronelle Blush                                                               Almost 6yrs but belying her age & looking a beautiful mature, elegant lady full of Breed Quality. Great type with a feminine head & expression to die for, as she looks full of the joys of spring. Certainly, this showed when she strode out on strong, straight legs, great hocks with flexing in the pasterns to push the ground away with plenty of drive. Stood up on round cat-like feet, holding her head aloft to show off her super reach of neck, which could look a bit stuffy but it is all coat. A credit to her owner & the way she handles this lovely bitch.                          Pleased to award her the Bitch CC.& Best Opposite Sex.  Congratulations.                                                     

2nd. Miss M. Gurney. CH. Monalou Fanny Craddock. JW.                                                             Almost 7yrs.this is a bitch I have always liked. She has Breed type & strength in abundance, also a very kind & knowledgeable head with lovely kind eyes. Her bone & structure is sound & looks every bit like a draft dog, but with a beguiling nature. On the move which is true, her handler demands the best from her & definitely gets it as this girl pulls out all of the stops.                                                   Delighted to award her the RES. Bitch CC    Very Well Done