Birmingham Dog Show Society Ltd

BIRMINGHAM NATIONAL

AMERICAN COCKER SPANIELS

PUPPY DOG (1) 1. TOYBOX IT’S A WRAP AT NUJAX. A chocolate and tan baby with a very promising head-piece. Masculine without any coarseness to cheeks or back-skull, there is no exaggeration and he has a clean and expressive eye with some good chiselling to his foreface. His was one of the better and more typical heads of the males here today. For my taste, I found him a touch more upright in shoulder placement than ideal and I would prefer a little more angle to his forehand with a smoother flow from neck to shoulder. He is well-ribbed, short and compact through the body with a hard back and excellent tail-set and was presented to perfection. Although he was very accurate coming and going and held a rigid outline in profile, I would prefer less of a ‘ski-slope’ top-line with a little more natural fluidity and hence a little more extension in front.

JUNIOR DOG (3,1) 1. BORN TO RUN TO AFTERGLOW. A magnificent male with superb presence and style. Although undoubtedly up to size, this youngster is totally balanced and looked an absolute picture with a gleaming coat and he was shown in wonderful hard, well-muscled condition. Masculine in head-piece, I found him a touch plain in this department, but saying that, his head is totally balanced with no hint of coarseness and he does have the kindest and most intelligent expression with a dark almond shape eye. I would just prefer a touch more plush and 'fill' with extra chiselling to his foreface to complete what I otherwise thought was an outstanding dog. He has a lovely length of neck which flows freely into well-laid and just as importantly ‘smooth’ shoulders, so lacking in many here today. He has a long and correctly angulated upper arm, good length to rib with a balanced length to his loin making for a firm top-line with an excellent tail-set. His rear angulation is spot-on and he has good length and width to his second thigh and this really showed in his powerful driving action. In profile he ate up the ground with effortless ease and precision, levelling out to maximise ground coverage whilst maintaining balance. I had absolutely no hesitation in awarding him the Challenge Certificate and consider him on of the finest males that I have ever judged in this breed. In the challenge for Best of Breed, the often used cliché, “I was literally splitting hairs” comes to mind and I just preferred the head-piece and size of the bitch, but felt that they made a super pairing, both excellent and very typical examples of the breed. 2. HAPPYTAIL’S HOME MAX. A black and tan, totally different in size and type to the winner, but another with lots to like. I absolutely loved his head-piece which is well-filled with a rich and really plush fore-face and a lovely shape back-skull and a kind and expressive eye. He needs a touch more confidence and also needs time to fill his frame. He didn’t quite have the layback of shoulder or width throughout of the winner. He moved accurately coming and going and was in good jacket.

POST GRADUATE DOG (2) 1. BUBALLOO’S MR BEAN AT SHADOWVIEW. I recently judged this youngster and did him well but today I felt that he was carrying far too much weight and was loaded over the shoulders which affected his outline. He has a masculine head with no coarseness to back-skull and a clean dark eye. He is very well-ribbed and has a hard back. He moved with some drive but was, however, a touch erratic in profile action. His presentation also needs some attention to maximise the potential of this boy. 2. MICKALS BLACK STAR. This dog has a kind and expressive dark eye, with good flews and padding but has a broader back-skull than ideal. I also preferred the dentition of the winner. He is well-ribbed and fairly compact but I found him very proud of his tail. He moved OK.

LIMIT DOG (1) 1. HARRISBURG KISS THE GIRL JW ShCM. A quality young male in gleaming coat and condition. He was my BPIB at the GB Parent Club Championship show two years ago and I am delighted to see that he has fulfilled that early potential that I spotted. He has a masculine and totally balanced head-piece for a buff with good dentition and lovely ear-set. He was carrying just the right amount of weight with smooth shoulders, good ribbing, a firm loin and strong back, presenting a lovely picture of overall balance. He moved with accuracy both ways, however, he was on his own in this class and he never really ‘got going’ to maximise his potential in side-gait and for some strange reason his perfect tail-set just looked a wee-bit off in profile action. In the challenge he pulled himself together and seemed more settled and I was very pleased to award him the Reserve Challenge Certificate. He should gain his ‘title’ with ease.

OPEN DOG (4) 1. AM CH SH CH IR CH SILHOUETTE TROUBLING NASAILLEEN. A black dog with excellent overall balance, presented to perfection. He is a neat package, not the biggest of males, but has a super outline. His head-piece fits his size totally, but for my taste I would prefer a touch more definition with more chiselling but he does have a super dark and kind eye. He is well ribbed and compactly put together. In this class this dog was by far the best mover and showed more natural front extension matched with excellent drive from well-muscled quarters. 2. CARTIER CHARMING LINE. A black and tan male with good dentition and who presented a balanced outline, is compact and well bodied with a firm back and good tail-set. I felt that his head-piece and particularly his expression were not as pleasing as some here today and also that he didn’t quite have the lay-back of shoulder as the winner of this class. In excellent coat, he moved up and back with accuracy and maintained his outline showing some reach in profile. 3. VERY VIGIE MY COEUR DE LION.

VETERAN DOG (2,1) 1. MICKCALS SILVER CHASER ShCM. This buff has a very balanced and pleasing masculine head and he was shown in super condition. He moved well for his age with an incessant tail.

PUPPY BITCH (2,1) 1. BOGESTVENNAYA SKAZKA ESTRELLA AT ALMONDSBURY. A pretty headed black and white baby with a dark and expressive eye with good dentition and a lovely plush foreface. She has a good length of neck which flows well into smooth-shoulders and she is well ribbed with good depth to her fore-chest for her age. She has excellent muscle-tone and real strength to her quarters. Although she is at that in-between stage in her maturity and perhaps hasn’t quite the firmness in back as the dog puppy, in the challenge she showed such great fluidity and impressive easy ground covering action in side-gait with real reach and drive, that I felt she could not be denied and was pleased to award her Best Puppy in Breed.

JUNIOR BITCH (4) 1. NASAILLEEN SECRET LIAISON. This black has the most exquisite head-piece with lovely dentition, a dark and expressive eye and a lovely plush foreface. She is so very feminine and of a lovely size and is substantially built with good ribbing and a lovely tail-set. On the table she seemed a little tense and I felt that I would prefer slightly more layback to present a more fluid outline. She moved with some animation and once settled she did show some positive reach in profile action. 2. NIKOMIDIYA GAME WITH MAGIC. This was another very feminine and pretty headed bitch with good dentition, a strong backline and excellent tail-set. She is just out of puppy and was giving a lot away in maturity through the body but has it all there and has time on her side. 3. MYCALLEYS FINOOLA.

POST GRADUATE BITCH (2) 1. MICKALS BLACK VELVET. A really stylish ‘old-fashioned’ and pleasing head-piece to this black bitch. Well-ribbed with a firm back and good tail-set, she showed some good extension in side-gait if a touch untidy coming towards me. 2. SABISABI SIOUX TIWAKA AT YANKETANK. This buff bitch has a really easy and free-flowing profile action, holding a good outline when settled but was so inconsistent and seemed determined to give her handler a very hard time and paid the price. She didn’t have quite the femininity, coat condition or head as the winner.

LIMIT BITCH (4) 1. SABISABI CHEROKEE INOLA. This young bitch has one of the most beautiful head-pieces that I have judged for a long while with the most intelligent and expressive dark eye with a super plush foreface and lovely back-skull. She has super dentition, low-set ears, a lovely long neck which flows into wonderful ‘smooth’ and well-laid shoulders, lacking in so many today. She has real depth to fore-chest, lovely ribs and a short and firm loin with a spot-on tail-set. In gleaming coat and condition she moved with accuracy coming and going and was free-flowing in profile showing reach and drive. She is the perfect size, she is ultra-feminine and she presents a picture of total balance. It gave me great pleasure to award her the Bitch C.C. In the final challenge with the dog it was a very close call and although the male was perhaps a touch firmer in profile outline, I felt that her overall size and her exquisite head just gave her the edge for Best of Breed. 2. ADMIRAL’S SHOU A-ONE IN A MILLION AT TANTRIPP. This is a super chocolate bitch with a really lovely head-piece and was my Bitch puppy winner last time that I judged. She has fulfilled a lot of the early promise that I loved then, but today was so loaded over the shoulders and was carrying too much weight and unfortunately had to pay the price. She moved OK with some reach and drive but could have made better use of her tail. 3. PLAIGLEN GIGI WITH EASTRIDING.

OPEN BITCH (2) 1. NASAILLEEN MALEFICENT. A substantially built black bitch with lots to like and who presents a very good outline with good overall balance. She was another today who doesn’t quite have the finish to her head-piece that I was looking for, in fact I wish that I could have put the head of this exhibitor’s Junior bitch winner on this Open winner and we would have the complete picture! Presented in glorious coat and condition she has fairly good shoulders, a firm top-line and really moves out with some style. I was pleased to award her the Reserve CC. She was unlucky to meet the Limit bitch in such good form. 2. AFTERGLOW MOON REFLECTION AT MICKCALS. This bitch holds a very good outline and moves with real style in side-gait if a touch untidy going away. She just didn’t quite have the depth or fill of the winner.

VETERAN BITCH (4,1) 1. ALMONDSBURY DOMINO DANCING ShCM. This is a compact and sturdily built bitch that I have judged and done well before and she simply improves with age. She is so well-muscled, is ultra-short and holds a very strong top-line. She moved with real purpose and accuracy to take Best Veteran in Breed. 2. SABISABI PAWNEE PRINCESS. Here was another really good one, close up with a lovely head and eye. She wasn’t quite so deep in fore-chest and hasn’t quite the shoulders of the winner, but is so sound on the move and was in tip-top condition, a credit to her owner. 3. HEAVENSWAY AFTER DARK AT YANKEETANK.

Jonathan B Daltrey (Judge)