Northumberland & Durham Labrador Retriever Club

Northumberland and Durham Labrador Retriever Club 

Oct 2019 

I would like to thank the club for inviting me, its always an honour to do a club show.  My stewards on the day kept the ring running with humour and efficiency, thankyou.  The venue is excellent with good ring sizes and light. 

I went home today feeling somewhat disappointed, both the quantity and quality today were somewhat lacking.  There are too many Ch shows at this time of year and with one the previous day in south wales perhaps this made the difference.  Usually this show is back to back with NW which  means the southern exhibitors can come north for 2 shows. 

Apart from my main winners I thought the dogs lacked quality, where have all the Labrador heads gone? with that soft gentle expression, there were so many different eye shapes and colours today, a lot of them incorrect, black eyes, slitty eyes, huge round eyes showing the white surround.  

There were a huge amount of incorrect fronts, narrow with tied in elbow and turned out feet, I know this can make a dog look upstanding and flashy but this is a working breed who needs the heart room and soundness to see him through a working day.  Even if they are not worked they should be built with the ability to do so if requested.  Movement was also not great, obviously that ties in with the shoulder placement.  Finally a large proportion were filthy, I had to clean my hands after every class, I know they need to keep their coat texture but some dogs actually had that kennel dog smell.  Sorry I don’t want to be negative about our lovely breed but its in our hands to preserve them as they should be, a friendly, willing, active dog correctly constructed to do a job. 

Dogs 

Vet (5, 1a) 

1 Praetzas  Multi Ch Blacksugar Luis.  Cant believe he is now a veteran, he has a lovely head and expression, so in tune with his handler, excellent reach of neck well placed shoulder , well balanced throughout.  

2 Logan Driffwold Break Free to Minocqua.  Smaller all round yellow with pleasing head, decent shoulder placement moved very well  

3 Wilkinson Foxrush Roger 

MP (5,2) 

1 Shirtons Woolman Cromwell.  Clean lined puppy, nicely chiselled head, good eye shape and colour    , good reach of neck, well angled fore and aft, moved soundly covering the ground with ease.   

2 McGillvarys Antonine Dream Lover.  Different make and shape to the winner, larger, more bone longer cast and his movement is a bit loose at the moment.  Excellent coat and tail. 

3 Litherlands Oakhouse Och Aye 

P (7,2) 

1 Lesley  Sleddarwood Sako Flyer over Steeleigh.  This yellow has a lot to offer the breed, he is scopey, with well proportioned head, reachy neck, well placed shoulder, good length  and depth of body.  Standing four square on well boned legs he covers a lot of ground on the move, will watch him mature with interest. BP 

2 Praetzas Anuedis Man on the Moon.  Clean lined yellow with pleasant head and expression, in profile he is well balanced and angulated, moved soundly with level topline 

3 Dawson Baskerby Pageant 

J (5,1) 

1 Berry Exelby Neath.  Smaller yellow dog, but his make and shape are correct for his age.  One of the few with a correct eye colour today, soft expression, well balanced both standing and on the move 

2 Mallin Elisabetta Red Teddy.  Darker yellow with a well chiselled head. He is well angled in front with correct front angulation, well boned legs, neat feet.  In excellent coat, not such a positive mover as the winner 

3 Crellin Allincarrey Billy Bear 

Y (4) 

1 Dodds Carriegame Moonshine  Nicely proportioned and balanced black, he is not the biggest but his make and shape say Labrador.  Nice head with correct eye colour giving him a gentle expression.  Stands four square on good legs, moved well 

2 Wilson Stelainros Westpoint .  substantial black dog,  on first look I thought his front angulation was wrong but on going over him this is not so, he has a good shoulder but because his handler stands so close to him he has to throw his head back into his shoulder.  Despite this he has an excellent coat and tail, is fit and active, and very much a labrador 

3 Cook Exelby Salsola JW 

M (7,1) 

1 Lesley  Sleddarwood Sako Flyer over Steeleigh 

2 McGillvarys Antonine Dream Lover 

3 Dawson Baskerby Pageant 

N (6,1) 

1 Lesley  Sleddarwood Sako Flyer over Steeleigh 

2 McGillvarys Antonine Dream Lover 

3 Wilson Stelainros Westpoint 

UG (4) 

1 Brown Ramsayvilla Revolver.  Black who has the make and shape of a well balanced Labrador.  His head is well proportioned, wish he would use his ears!  Excellent reach of neck into well placed shoulders, flowing in one line along his back and his well set on otter tail.  Good bone and excellent neat feet.  Moved really well, shortlisted for CC  

2 Lesley  Sleddarwood Sako Flyer over Steeleigh 

3 Heron Globetrotter Lab’s Valley at Brigburn 

G (3) 

1 Mullet Shaymiloney Schinus Afinmore.  A scopey well made black, lovely head, correct eye colour soft gentle expression.  Good reach of neck, well developed forechest with correct shoulder angulation.  Short coupled but not short in body, stands over a lot of ground, well angulated quarters, in good coat or the correct texture, nice otter tail.  Moved soundly covering the ground with ease.  Another on my shortlist  

2 Dawson Baskerby Pageant 

3 Druggan Mafia Tab’s Taboo Webster at Balladoole JW 

PG (5,4) 

1 Mallin Afinmore Adair.  ,  Gone are the days of huge numbers in a qualifying class, disappointing. 

 Chocolate who stood alone in this class, he is a decent sort of lab none the less, nice head with excellent eye colour.  Standing on well boned legs holding his topline on the move. 

ML (3) 

1 Litherlands Oakhouse Oh Two. Difficult class, they were all different types, sizes and shapes.  The winners overall make and shape won him this class, but he is difficult to assess both standing and on the move.   

2 Thompsons Meadowline Mi Chico.  Larger yellow who is well balanced with a kind head moved well 

3 Lesley Aramis Britannica Archipelago at Steeleigh JW 

L (5) 

1 Logan Madgack Mulberry Minocqua.  This black has the most appealing head and expression, well proportioned head with correct eye shape and colour.  He is well balanced, stands four square with well boned legs and tight feet.  His front is well angulated with good forechest, he has a good reach of neck, (which would be better with a bit less weight!)  Short coupled, excellent barrel ribs, excellent quarters.  His coat is of correct texture with good otter tail coming straight off his back.  Moved soundly and accurately.  CC, I believe his 3rd, well done. 

2 Lesleys Steeleigh Blue Print JW.  Nicely proportioned black who today just didn’t have the same bloom as the winner, his coat not the same correct texture.  And his movement not as positive but a lovely Labrador with a lot to admire in him.  RCC 

3 Pollock Pollham Maxamillion 

O (5,3) 

1 Millroseglen Make my Day with Meadovillabs.  Short coupled, well balanced yellow.  Correct head proportions, good eye colour and shape.  Strongly made over his neck and shoulder through his loin to well proportioned quarters.  Well boned legs, moved easily with drive. 

2 Praetzas  VDH Ch Atticus for Loch Mor.  Nice yellow with soft kind expression,  good coat and tail, sound mover, not the balance of the winner 

3 Praetzas   Loch Mor Budweiser 

Ch (2,2) 

Sp Working 

1 Int Ch Dolbia Tangerine.  This dog took my eye, he is such a correct Labrador, his head is lovely with soft expression, good eye shape and colour, well made front with good reach of neck, short coupled, well angulated rear, in excellent coat with gently wagging otter tail.  Moved very well, shortlisted for CC. 

2 McCleans Afinmore Alain JW ShCM  This chocolate is a favourite of mine, he is such a correct make and shape with the most lovely head and expression, by far the best mover of the day.  But today I felt he was a little light, probably due to being out of coat. 

3 Wheatsheaves Gold Dust 

Karen Powell Judge