Whippet Club Of Wales

The Whippet Club of Wales Championship Show

Sunday 8th December 2019

Whippet Bitches Critique = Judge Ann K. Beckett-Bradshaw (Hutaka)

I was delighted to be invited to judge at the Whippet Club of Wales Breed Championship show. This was the 3rd time I have judged here and there is always a lovely, friendly atmosphere to look forward to. There were a few poor mouths in the bitches – mostly a little overshot, and a few with extra or distempered incisors. When judging bitches, I want to know that a whippet is a female without having to look ‘underneath’, and in most cases, even if a few were a little on the tall side, at least most still had femininity too. My class winners were all of excellent breed type and I felt privileged to have the opportunity to have ‘hands on’ them. 

Minor Puppy Bitch (15 - 2)

What a fantastic MP class this was and it was very interesting afterward to see that the first 3 and another who was short-listed, were from the same litter!

1st & BPIS = McKay, Mycroft & Mycrofts ENVISAGE THIS AT SUPETA

Brindle girl with white trim. My recorder says ‘Absolutely outstanding bitch”. That says pretty much everything! Feminine and of a lovely size. Pretty head and expression with good underjaw. Excellent neck set into well laid shoulders. Good spring to her pasterns. Good feet. Excellent topline. Beautifully handled, She moved like a dream and was so sound coming and going. I was delighted to see her go BPIS on the referee’s decision. She has a very bright future ahead of her and I shall be watching with interest.

2nd = Sykes VEREDON ANOTHER ROSE

Brindle girl with white trim. A little taller than 1st but still elegant and full of quality throughout. No disgrace to be beaten by her sister. Most of the above comments apply to this girl too. I only slightly preferred the underline, neck set and head carriage of the winner. But these were the finer details. I’m sure these 2 girls will often change places. Another one destined for the top drawer. Their breeder should be duly proud of these three youngsters.

3rd = Varnam & Parkers VEREDON ANOTHER VERSE

Brindle and white. A third, super quality sister who was just a little longer made than 1st & 2nd. Pretty head with fine ears. Excellent angulation front and rear and a super topline to go with it. She also moved with drive, soundness and lovely profile extension. What a super line up of babies!

Puppy Bitch (9 - 2)

1st = Howgate & Hulls BRYNTREIA WHISPERED LOVE AT PALMIK

This 9 month old parti girl was just out of minor puppy, but very mature and steady for her age. Lovely head and expression. Good neck let into well laid shoulders. Straight front with short springy pasterns. Excellent depth of chest and spring of rib. Correct length to loin. Well angulated rear quarters. Moved with drive and fine profile action.

2nd = Bayleys NORTHWHIP SHE’S A LADY OF WHISTERFIELD

Very feminine fawn girly with a lovely head and ultra fine ears. Very curvy underline and a topline to match. Good strong rear quarters. Long tail. Needs to tighten up a little when she’s on the move. She has time on her side.

3rd = Lancashire & O’Donnell’s IF THE CROWN FITS DRISHAUN

This girl was placed 5th in a very strong Minor Puppy Class. She is a shade more ‘racy’ than 1 & 2 in this class, slightly longer through the body, but really good quality. Very pretty head with strong underjaw. Good angulation front and rear. Excellent feet and nails. Super condition. Moved soundly and with good profile action.

Junior Bitch (16 - 5)

This junior class was headed by some really top-drawer girls who, I feel sure, will be the champions of tomorrow. I was truly spoilt for choice!

1st = Allisstone’s HERGEHILL WITH BELLS ON

Pale brindle and white. This gorgeous feminine girl was like a blast from the past for me! At almost 15 months, she has all the quality and conformation in the right places and only needs to get some maturity on her. No exaggerations, lovely flowing lines and she used it all beautifully on the move. An easy profile action and as she was as sound as a bell. This is definitely one girl I fell in love with, and could have taken her home with me! Her time will come!

2nd = Short’s COLLOONEY BIT ON THE SIDE

Brindle with white trim. Another top quality girl who was just a shade longer through her rear, well-angulated rear quarters, than the winner. Lovely head and expression. Excellent front. Super feet. Good length of tail and excellent topline. Moved so sound and with super extension in front.

3rd = Courtney’s COURTBIRCH PRECIOUS OPAL

Beautifully balanced fawn girl. Bright expression. Lovely shape to her skull. Straight front leading into strong springy pasterns. Good fill in in front. Excellent underline and good strong rear quarters. Moved with drive from behind and excellent front reach.

Yearling Bitch (9 - 3)

1st = Rovani’s SOBRESALTO LA DONNA E’MOBILE

Fawn brindle with white trim. Beautiful shape to her head and a lovely expression. Long well arched neck. Excellent front angulation. Bladed bone with good feet, nails and pasterns. Loved her curvy underline, with a topline to match. Broad thighs. Good rear quarters. A little dark brindle stripe on her hocks can make the eye stray, but she is sound as a pound and has good profile action. 

2nd = Webber’s ZORADEN FIFTY SHADES DARKER

Black girl who is very elegant and of a nice size. Good strong neck set well into the body. Good front and pasterns. Her white markings on her toes can detract from her true movement, but she IS true! Lovely underline and broad well-angulated rear quarters. Moved well.

3rd = Ainscough’s KIDARUKA MOTHER OF MINE

Very sound fawn girl whom I would have liked to seen with a little more animation in her movement. Very pretty head. Good neck let into well laid shoulders. Straight front. Good underline. Great topline. Broad thighs. Well angulated rear quarters Nice feet.

Maiden Bitch (7 - 4)

1st = Howgate & Hulls BRYNTREIA WHISPERED LOVE AT PALMIK

As before.

2nd = Varnam & Parkers VEREDON ANOTHER VERSE

As before.

3rd = Lancashire & O’Donnell’s IF THE CROWN FITS DRISHAUN

As before.

Graduate Bitch (6-1)

1st = Webber’s ZORADEN FIFTY SHADES DARKER

As before.

2nd = Short’s COLLOONEY SHE’S SO SASSY

Brindle girl. Nicely made all through. Not tall but she is strong enough for me. Good neck set into well laid shoulders. Well sprung pasterns. Good depth of chest and spring of rib. Broad well angulated rear quarters. Good feet. Moved well. Great condition.

3rd = Trouton’s CITYCROFT GRACE KELLY OF RUNNEL JW

Pretty fawn girl with white trim. Nice lines from her neck through and over her topline. Springy pasterns. Broad thighs. Short hocks. Curvy underline. Moved well in profile. Excellent condition.

Post Graduate Bitch (16 - 5)

1st = Groucott’s ADDFWYN SWEET CHARITY

Very pretty fawn with white trim. Lovely head and expression. Long neck let into excellent shoulders. Good depth of chest and fill in, in front. Well arched loin of good length. Broad well angulated rear quarters. Good topline. Excellent feet with short strong nails. Moved so sound and with good drive.

2nd = Rigby’s PALMIK MISTY SUNRISE

Pretty girl built on very similar lines to the winner and with the same qualities. Just a shade taller. No exaggerations. Looked like she could do a day’s hunting. Absolutely fit for purpose. Moved with a nice easy profile action and good drive from the rear.

3rd = Miluk’s MOLLYTOP LADY BABU

Appealing brindle with white trim. A little stronger through the head than 1st and 2nd, but still very feminine throughout. Good front angulation with fill in. Good spring of rib. Excellent underline. Decent thighs and rear angulation. Good mover.

Mid Limit Bitch (13 - 4)

1st = Johnston & Wilson’s CYANGRANGE MY CUPPA TEA OF DANLUKE JW

All three of these placed, were definitely ‘My Cup Of Tea’ ! This petite (but NOT small) red brindle girl was sooo whippet! Lovely head with correct skull shape. Good length of neck set into well laid shoulders. Straight front with correct spring to her pasterns. Curvy underline with a topline to compliment it. Super feet. Great rear quarters and clinched this win on her stronger second thigh. Lovely daisy cutting action in front and sound as a bell behind.

2nd = Howgate & Hull’s PALMIK QUEEN OF DIAMONDS

Pretty head with the best underjaw. Brindle and white. The white markings on her topline could distort your eye, so I took a look from the other side too. Her topline was spot on! Feminine, with good length to her neck. Well placed shoulders. Excellent depth of chest and spring of rib. Correct loin. Good length to her tail. Moved soundly and with great profile action. I loved that both of these girls had substance combined with femininity. 

3rd = Ellis’ RAILFIELD RAINING MAGIC

Red brindle girly, Long neck, beautifully set into her shoulders. Straight front with bladed bone. Good depth of chest and excellent fill in to her front. Well ribbed back. Good loin. Moved well. Could well change places with 1 and 2 on another day. 

Limit Bitch (20 - 4)

What a delight. This was a fabulous class with some really lovely bitches going home cardless. I’m sure their day will come.

1st CC & Res BIS = Davies COLLOONEY BLACK VELVET PASHARIF

My star of the day! You really have to get your hands on this girl to truly appreciate her real whippet qualities. Our Breed Standard requires that the whippet should be a balanced combination of power, strength, elegance and grace of outline. Look no further! This beautiful black girl ticks all of those boxes. She flows from her beautifully arched neck right through to her hocks. Her topline perfectly compliments her curvaceous underline. She has correct depth of chest and spring of rib for her heart and lung room. Her loin is strong and gracefully arched. She moved with drive, power, soundness and extension. She is well muscled and truly fit for purpose and I was astounded to discover that this was her 1st CC. It will not be her last! I loved her!

2nd = Brown’s ARDENCOTE SWEET DESTINY FOR BLUESTREAK Parti coloured, feminine girl with a very pretty head and lovely expression. Well balanced. Strong underjaw. Good length of neck set into well laid shoulders. Straight front with bladed bone. Nice feet and pasterns. Good spring of rib. Broad thighs. Curvy underline. Moved very well in profile and as sound as a bell coming and going. Another from the top drawer.

3rd = McConkey’s BARMOLL BAG O’TRICKS

Lovely shape to this girl’s head. Good underjaw. Best of necks let into well placed shoulders. Excellent topline. Straight front. Good pasterns and feet. Curvy underline. Excellent broad thighs and well placed second thighs. Short hocks. Very elegant. Moved very well in profile. 

Open Bitch (9 - 1)

What a lovely Open class this was and what a privilege to get my hands on such quality representatives of the breed. These first three champions were truly lovely bitches. Absolutely worthy of their titles.

1st & Res CC = Place & Halliday’s CH COLLOONEY QUEEN OF DRAGONS WITH BROCHINBELLE JW

A typical, feminine head on this lovely parti-coloured girl. Quality all through and a very worthy champion. Strong arched neck let into well laid shoulders. Good upper arm of correct length. Springy pasterns going down into well arched feet. Good depth of chest and lovely spring to her ribs. Topline and underline were beautifully curvy. Broad thighs. Short hocks. It really was a close run thing between this super girl and the CC winner.

2nd = Mobray’s CH WEST CHELAN QUICK LOOK AT ME 

Lovely classic whippet girl with everything in the right place. Stunning head. Long neck let into well laid shoulders. Well sprung pasterns. Good depth and spring to her ribs. Totally correct topline. Strong rear quarters and in the most magnificent muscle and condition. Profile movement was superb. What a delight!

3rd = Morris, Waddell & Mycroft’s CH OSW CROSSCOP LET IT SHINE FOR SUPETA JW ShCEx

Top quality typy whippet girl, very typical of this kennel. Lovely head with fine ears. Super expression. Long neck, well set into her beautiful shoulders. Classic topline. Straight front. Curvy underline with excellent depth of chest and spring of rib. Broad thighs. Short hocks. Moved beautifully as I knew she would. Sound as they come.

Veteran Bitch (7 - 3)

1st & BVIS = Mycroft & Mycroft’s CH SUPETA’S DAZZALICIOUS JW

This 9 ½ year old champion veteran is in superb condition. Good head and expression. Excellent underjaw. Long neck. Well laid back shoulder. Straight front. Good pasterns. Excellent topline. Good rear quarters. Short hocks. Moved with excellent extension in front and drive from the rear. Only the slightest loss of tuck up showed her ‘maturity’. It happens to the best of us!

2nd = Richards-Healion’s ANYWHERE AND WHEN AT CLYNECOURT ShCM Fawn and white almost 8 years old lady who was built in a more compact model. Attractive head and expression. Ears well set. Good front assembly with excellent depth of chest and correct fill in. Lovely underline. Correct loin. Well angulated rear quarters. Short hocks.

3rd = Leathart’s MOLVINE ZOE 7 ½ parti coloured lady, with only a splash of colour. Well laid shoulder. Broad thighs. Nice feet with short nails. Good spring of rib. Moved well.