Boston & District Canine Society

I would like to thank the officers and committee for their kind invitation to award my first set of CCs in this breed at their well organised show and extend my grateful thanks to my efficient stewards Barry Canty and Janet Neath. Excellent sportsmanship was evident throughout the day as was the good temperament of exhibits.

I was disappointed by the number of otherwise quality exhibits with round prominent eyes. Whilst these may not be visible from the ringside they are described as “highly undesirable” in the breed standard and completely ruin the expression in my opinion.

Some places, including the major awards, were affected by lack of coat but it was pleasing to note that none of the dogs were excessively coated which would hinder their ability to do a day’s work.

There were a few iffy bites which need to be considered when breeding. I have not repeated myself over and over again regarding sound construction as the winners in each class moved in a satisfactory manner in order to secure their placings.

MPD (5,1a) 1 Watson’s Rainesgift Truth Or Dare, well grown chap with lovely head and dark eye. Good depth of body, quality bone and thick pads. Moved well; 2 Walker’s Lizzlog Shotgun Harry, pleasing head with dark eye and neat well set ears. Correct depth of body, level topline, quality bone and tight feet. Slightly preferred movement of 1; 3 Holland’s Flatcharm Mr Brightside. PD (9,2) 1 Mangham’s Onyxro Causing Chaos, well grown with typical head and dark eye, level topline and correct tail carriage, well off for bone with good depth of body and quality coat; 2 Smith’s Bitcon Echo, more racy than 1 with a lovely head and dark eye. Ample neck and balanced all through. Sound and free moving. Just preferred the tail carriage of 1; 3 Young’s Ballyriver Back To Basics. JD (3,1) 1 Durrant’s Glenturret Happy Go Lucky, smaller chap which made him look immature in the previous class. Lovely head with neat well set ears, adequate angulation fore and aft. Well presented and handled with sufficient bone and tight neat feet; 2 Osborne-Brown’s Perrymel Days Of Thunder, mature looking dog with more workmanlike head and plenty of coat. OK construction, would prefer tighter eyes and feet but well presented and sympathetically handled. YD (5) 1 Stevenson’s Plainfire’s The Captain Of My Heart is Steelriver, He has a classic head with correct eye shape and colour, good reach of neck and so soundly put together with depth of body, quality bone and in hard condition he really drove round the ring. He will trouble the best when mature; 2 Smitherman & Roberts’ Seaheart Crian at Gloi, similar shape to 1 with pleasing head and dark eye. Lovely construction and in great condition as usual from this kennel. His feet are well padded and his ever-wagging tail shows his handler really gets the best from him. Just couldn’t match the movement of 1 today; 3 Walker’s Lizzlog Granny Won’t Like It JW. GD (4,1) 1 Bennison’s Riverglide Hurrican Fly, well grown and masculine in head with neat well set ears. Balanced with quality bone and coat, correctly set short tail and well padded feet. He really powered round the ring; 2 Evans’ Gemswin Relight My Fire, liver, typical in head with correctly shaped eye and good pigmentation. Straight front and correctly constructed with quality bone sound mover but not a match for 1 today; 3 Joyce’s Stranfaer Get Over It JW. PGD (8,1) 1 Watson’s Rainesgift Urban Myth, classic head with correctly shaped dark eyes and neat ears. Good reach of neck and so soundly put together allowing positive movement. Quality bone, tight, well padded feet. Lovely tail set and wagging tail. There was nothing to hide today and I look forward to seeing him ‘in coat’; 2 Youens’ Riverglide Black Frankel, more mature than 1, brother to the winner of the previous class and similar comments apply. Masculine head with dark eye and mischievous expression, soundly assembled with much to like. Also lacking some coat today and not quite the movement of 1; 3 Savory’s Hopevalley Morning Arizona. LD (11,1) 1 Reynolds’ Wiccanssage Hugo’s Dream JW, medium sized dog with moulded head with correctly shaped dark twinkling eyes, Well made with no exaggeration. Quality coat and in lovely condition with adequate bone and tight feet. Shown to advantage; 2 Smith’s Castlerock First Glance at Whirleymere, another medium sized dog, very typical in head with correctly shaped dark eyes and neat well set ears, adequate length of neck and quality bone. Presenting a lovely silhouette but lacking the animation of 1 today; 3 Armstrong’s Bitcon Tic Tac. OD (11,3) 1, CC Mangham’s Sh Ch Onyxro Mensa JW, really looking a picture today standing and on the move. Fully mature with thick quality coat and in hard condition. Correctly shaped masculine head with dark twinkling eyes and neat well set ears. Soundly constructed as you would expect from this kennel with quality bone and tight well padded feet. His short correctly set tail used to advantage. Pleased to award him CC; 2 & RCC, Varty-Lindsay & Varty’s Almanza Rush Your Engines to Levliann, dark liver dog from the top drawer and new to me, with excellent pigmentation. Correctly shaped head and eye with good reach of neck. Great depth of chest and pleasing angulation fore and aft without any exaggeration. Quality bone and tight feet he moved with drive and will trouble the best. Sympathetically handled to advantage; 3 Holland’s Sh Ch Brightmoor Caught In The Act at Flatcharm. VD (2,1) 1 Laird’s Sh Ch Branchalwood Tamdhu of Daicheil JW ShCM, medium sized dog in full coat, beautiful condition and deserving of his title. Excelling in head and construction without any exaggeration. Animated standing and on the move he had to give way to the younger dogs today; 2 Broardbent’s Hallbent October Toccata ShCM, more workmanlike in head than the winner with moderate angulation all through. Like some others today he had left his best jacket at home. Sympathetically handled. SBD (0) GC D/B (2,1) 1 Bowen’s Clandrift Midnight Galaxy, medium sized bitch, more workman like in head with dark eye, adequate angles fore and aft but lacking somewhat in coat today.

MPB (10,1) 1 & BP, Walker’s Lizzlog Nun On The Run, well grown with beautiful head and correctly shaped dark eyes with neat well set ears. Soundly put together with good forechest and quality coat. Positive and sound mover. One to watch; 2 Warrington’s Bochilbarley Haven Sent to Woodavens, another well grown young lady, very typical in head with ample length of neck and good depth of body with square loin. Not quite the fluid movement of the winner today; 3 Nielsen’s Starworkers Bye Bye Baby. PB (15,3) A really promising class of puppies some of whom looked very raw. 1 Rattray’s Rotherfield About Time, well grown and scopey with a beautiful head, dark correctly shaped eye and neat ear. Good reach of neck and soundly constructed all through with neat tail. Animated and free moving; 2 Romeo-Dieste’s Hopevalley Morning Rainbow JW, pretty bitch from a smaller mould who looks a picture standing. Well put together with the best of feet and bone consistent with her build. Fluid movement but not quite that of 1. Very au fait with what was required of her in the ring and expertly handled; 3 Durrant’s Glenturret Lucky Charm JB (10,2) 1 Stewart’s Eskside Lady of Loganlea, another scopey bitch with outstanding silhouette on the stack. Ultra feminine head with dark correctly shaped eye. Soundly made all through which was evident in her effortless movement. Beautifully handled; 2 R About Time; 3 Anderson’s Feldkirk Dior of Kazval. YB (5) 1 & RCC, Armstrong’s Black Bourbon of Bitcon, medium sized bitch with quality coat in lovely condition with classic head and dark eye. Good reach of neck and straight front, great construction with thick well padded feet and quality bone. Free and sound moving; 2 Walker’s Lizzlog Brewing Bettie JW, correctly sized bitch who excels in forechest, correctly constructed with good bone and feet. Does not have the finish of 1 yet but this should come; 3 Smitherman’s Seaheart Cecilia JW. GB (2) 1 Goodman’s Blacklake Isabella, appealing in size and moderate all through with good depth of body and correct tail carriage. Sympathetically handled; 2 Richard’s Hameldowntor Moon River in Manhattan, similar to 1 in many ways but not the depth of body currently moved at one with her handler, slightly proud of her tail. PGB (12,1) 1 McDonald’s Steelriver Dance In The Sun at Skyloch, on the smaller side of the standard with pretty head and dark almond shaped eye. Excelling in forequarters with sufficient angulation fore and aft. Correct amount of bone for her size with a well set tail and moving with drive on lovely tight feet; 2 Bates’ Marsalland Rose Dale, more workmanlike in head than 1 with dark eyes and neat ears. Soundly put together and in hard condition with quality bone. She moved well on tight feet, I just preferred the head and expression of 1; 3 Montandon’s Trapestone Bohemian Girl. LB (18,5) 1 CC & BOB, McDonnell’s Laurvic Ciao Bella, this bitch really demands your attention with her beautiful one piece head with dark eyes of the correct shape. She excels in conformation with a straight front and ample neck, a level topline with correct tail carriage standing and on the move. She has quality bone and an ever-wagging tail, her gleaming coat completing the picture; 2 Watson’s Rainsgift Bide Your Time JW, medium sized bitch with lovely head, dark almond shaped eyes and well set neat ears. Good length of neck and short coupled with a square loin, her constantly wagging tail didn’t stop. More coat will complete the picture; 3 Stevenson’s Steelriver Sunkissed JW. OB (12,4) 1 Jacobs’ Moonstruck Macadamia, correctly sized bitch who is sound all through. Appealing head with correct eye shape and colour. Excellent profile movement, lacking coat today which highlights her sound construction; 2 Joyce’s Sh Ch Stranfaer Solitaire JW, from a smaller mould than the winner, with beautiful head and kind twinkling eyes. Well put together with sufficient bone and neat feet. Well handled, I preferred the size and movement of the winner; 3 Holland’s Kvicksans Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. VB (4,1) 1 & BV, Goldberg & Keight’s Sh Ch Ballyriver Band Of Gold, this bitch belies her age standing in her gleaming coat. A beautiful head with correct eye shape, colour and good length of neck. Ample bone and well padded feet complete the picture and her effortless movement highlights her excellent construction; 2 Murray’s Araminta Glass at Gayplume, very well made and typical bitch. There are no frills here, she is a sound and free mover. Happy and in great condition; 3 Richards’ Luss Kiss In The Dark. SBB (4,1) 1 B Isabella; 2 Rogers-Ball’s Starball Miss Bubbles Brown, liver bitch of the correct size, feminine head with good pigmentation. Moderate all through but would have preferred stronger rear movement; 3 Powell’s Bonnyhillbrae Love Of Joy.

MIKE LEWIN