Southern Counties Canine Association

SOUTHERN COUNTIES

Dachshunds, Miniature Smooth

It was a pleasure to revisit this variety at this show for my first Dachshund CC appointment was Min Smooths at Southern Counties 27 years ago! Good to see at least one team from that day still successfully showing. The spacious in and out rings and well mown surfaces are appreciated and with no fewer than three stewards I was free to concentrate on the dogs.

As one would expect the bitch classes were much stronger in depth. There was quite a variation in type, size (8 to 12 lb) and balance. Strangely enough, in many cases (though certainly not all), the houndy, scopy look I love was more evident in the black and tans. Most were happy little dogs as one would hope for, a few slightly wary of their surroundings which will I am sure sort itself out with more experience and one youngster needs lots of practice on the table.

Best of luck to the breeders who have done a great job in keeping up the standard and hope they will continue to do so in the face of the relentless commercialism that is bedevilling the variety.

MPD (4) 1 Reed’s Deercroft Dream Chaser, attractive neatly made shaded red, quality head, reachy neck, correct upper arm, plenty of fore chest, compact body, good hind angles, a shade close coming and going at this stage but the best profile action in the class, retaining his topline. Plenty of promise; 2 Paget and Carroll’s Metadale Lark Ascending, impressive masculine shaded red, super head, nicely arched neck, sound front, plenty of bone, preferred his shoulder layback but a shade long in loin and tail carriage slightly high, not so co-ordinated going round as 1 as yet but just a baby and I’m sure it will all come together in due course; 3 Bourne’s Yaapeet Rocketman, shaded red, OK head type, good forechest, could have a shade more front angulation and topline fell away a bit while standing, steady mover. PD (2) 1 Rudkin’s Siouxline Ross for Dynastydax, most promising shaded red with a striking outline, quality masculine head, correct eye shape, super neck, proper front angles not often seen, strongly boned, typical feet, good topline and ribbing, matching hind angles, moved true in front, a shade close behind, steady side gait covering plenty of ground, full or promise. BPD, not much between him and his sister in the puppy challenge; 2 Protheroe’s Picollo Teckel Tick Tack at Royalmaple, eyecatching red who needs a bit more ring experience, good conical head, correct neck, OK upper arm, well ribbed, correct hind angulation, winner scored in shoulder. Kept his topline on the move, slightly wide behind. JD (3, 1a) 1 Barrett’s Ayseebee Twinkling Star, very nice type b/t, his sire was my BOB last time I judged and this is very much a chip off the block with his free active movement and proud head carriage. OK head, well angulated front, good forechest, stood true, correct feet, super neck, well ribbed, good hind angles, true coming and going. At times his topline fell away a little while stood but levelled out on the move and has a free reachy side gait. Close up to RCC, should do very well; 2 Bullis’ Amaffrey Betcha By Golly Wow, nice type masculine b/t, excellent bone and substance, OK forechest, typical feet, well bodied, not quite shoulder of 1, a shade close coming and going and topline needs to steady on the move. PGD (3) 1 Protheroe’s Royalmaple Fiddle Sticks, b/t of a good houndy type, quality head, good upper arm and thorax, OK bone and feet, shoulder could be a shade more laid back, good hind angles, scored heavily of side gait in this class, rhythmic mover retaining his topline; 2 Robertson’s Ayseebee Look Who’s Talking to Ravenwood, more compact shaded red of a quality type, eye a shade round, neat neck, good topline, OK forechest, well made hindquarters, would like a little more front angulation. Moved true behind, slightly close behind, kept his topline well though not the reach and drive of 1; 3 Thompson’s Black Buttons Sweet Heart, b/t, closer to 1 in balance, quality head, houndy outline, good topline, strong hindquarters, a shade upright and narrow in front, could have longer ribbing and a bit more reach and drive. LD (2) 1 Carey’s Donnadoon Dark Moonbeam for Debbiejay, masculine type b/t, excellent head, good forechest and ribbing, reasonable front, powerful hindquarters, a shade narrow in front on the move. Would prefer him a size smaller but scored heavily going round; 2 Scott’s Danton Mr Brown at Wolferlow, better size attractive neatly made chocolate of a very different type, OK head, slightly straight in front and could have a shade more forechest, well bodied, good topline, sound coming and going, not the reach and drive of winner and coat not at its best. OD (6, 1) Enjoyed this class. 1 Smith and Connor’s Ch Bronia Gregorio, such a handsome b/t, now 6 years old but looks in his prime, very masculine, super type and unexaggerated balance, good head with strong jaws, reachy neck flows into his topline, well bodied, lengthy ribbing combined with correct loin, well boned, sound front into which his chest fits snugly, pleasure to watch on the move, really meant business with his defiant head carriage and happily wagging tail. Ran away with the CC and I was merely splitting hairs when it came to BOB; 2 Protheroe’s Ch Royalmaple Anky Panky, neatly made red of a different type to winner but a very good example of that type, absolutely sound on the move, matching angulation, good bone for his size, well bodied, correct topline. Just preferred head and scope of winner but I still like him a lot and awarded him the RCC for the second time; 3 Ergis’ Siouxline Jacob, top quality clear red, refined masculine head, reachy neck, good body and ribbing, nicely made all through, moved steadily without quite the reach and drive of 1 and 2. Beginners D (2) 1 BB Sweet Heart; 2 A Betcha By Golly Wow. V (1) Melbourne’s Ch Golden Algonquinette of Melriding, such a pretty red of 8 years, so feminine but still has bone and substance, in super muscular condition, steady dignified mover, a very worthy BV.

Good Citizen (3, 1) 1 Kilroy’s Janacop Maggie May, quality small, neat b/t, feminine head, nicely balanced all through, good forechest, OK angles, sound mover, held her topline well, can just body up a shade; 2 Rose’s Pennydach Mystique, longer cast b/t bitch, refined head, good reach of neck, OK bone, moved true behind, not quite the front construction of winner nor so co-ordinated on the move. MPB (4) 1 Kent’s Lokmadi Catherine Wheel, lovely type b/t/br, super head, neck and forequarters, OK front, well ribbed, just a baby and needs to settle on the move and in tail carriage but has promise of plenty of style; 2 Smith’s Brynfaw Grand Illusion, b/t, feminine head, plenty of bone and substance, well balanced. Not quite front angulation or ribbing of 1; 3 Bullis’ Amaffrey Aretha Franklin, small neat shaded red baby, good bone for her size, well bodied, moved true. Preferred side gait and head of those above at this stage. PB (5) Good class. 1 Ergis’ Siouxline Rachel, most attractive b/t of a super type and balance, excellent feminine head and eye, reachy neck, OK shoulders and upper arm, correct bone, typical feet, plenty of forechest, good ribbing and topline, moved true and with some style. Just managed to beat her litter brother for BP, appeared to enjoy her time in the main ring and ended up PG2 under Howard Ogden; 2 Tree’s Keimantre Lola, very appealing shaded red daughter of BOB with the same lovely outline, makes a striking picture, retained her shape on the move, excellent neck and topline, just preferred expression and bone of 1 but this one has lots of promise too; 3 Merry’s Merryline Miss Moneypenny, lovely headed shaded red with super front and feet, stood true, excellent topline and hindquarters, moved well behind, not quite the reach in front of 1 or 2 but liked her a lot. JB (11) 1 Hollands’ Zarosa Black Crystle, really liked this very correct b/t, appealing head, super boner and substance, stood true in front, typical feet, neat hindquarters, it all fits together well, steady sound rhythmic mover. Considered her for RCC, with a little more ‘oomph’ on the move I think she could do rather well. BJ; 2 Blackburn’s Stargang Desert Orchid, stylish red, pretty and feminine, super forechest and bone, elegant outline, matching angles, correct topline, a shade unsettled on the move but improved as the class progressed; 3 Harwood’s Picollo Teckel Sirena at Paradigm, scopy rangy brindle who needs time to come together, striking outline, excellent neck and topline, plenty of bone, a shade upright in front, smart mover. PGB (16, 4) 1 Blackburn’s Stargang Song Of Ice N’Fire, stylish houndy b/t with a ‘Standard in Miniature’ outline, well made in front with good forechest and upper arm, correct bone and feet, super body and hindquarters, true mover, with a shade more enthusiasm in the ring could go all the way; 2 Reed’s Deercroft Daybreak, quality neatly made b/t of a more compact type, super head and expression, enough neck, well ribbed with balanced loin, steady mover, a shade wide in front; 3 Protheroe’s Royalmaple Evil Edna, pretty feminine shaded red, good neck, well bodied, enough bend of stifle, not quite the front of 1 or 2, a shade heavy over the shoulder today. LB (8, 1) 1 Rudkin’s Keydax Layla for Dynastydax, a picture of quality and elegance, this aristocratic b/t was on top form, she has a beautiful feminine head, a neck in proportion leading to some of the best angulated and laid back shoulders of the day, absolutely true in front, correct feet and lengthy ribbing, super hindquarters too, all contributing to an eye-catching outline. Moved soundly with dignity and drive, coat gleaming. Pleasure to award her the CC, her first, plus BOB, shortlisted in the group by breed specialist Tamás Jakkel; 2 Morris and Waddell’s Bronia Angioletta, very nice shaded red of a more compact type, neat and feminine with balanced angles, super topline retained on the move, sound coming and going and a steady side gait, winner’s head and scope just appealed a little more; 3 Melbourne, Paget and Carroll’s Siouxline Goldilocks of Melriding, half-sister to winner, Aaron seems to have left a mark on the breed. Clear red of similar type to 2, quality head, enough neck, powerful hindquarters, well boned, good side gait, moved a shade close in front. OB (8) 1 Protheroe’s Ch Picollo Teckel Never Say Never at Royalmaple, another really beautiful elegant b/t whose head, neck, forequarters and flowing lines are just what I was looking for, super body and full of quality. Moved smartly and the only way I could separate her from the CC winner was on tail carriage today. RCC. Incidentally, it’s good to see that breeders internationally are nowadays obviously thinking on very much the same lines; certainly most of the imports and their descendants I had today were indistinguishable type-wise from the ‘pure British’; 2 Melbourne, Carroll and Paget’s Garthorne Olivia Grace of Melriding, good solid sound b/t with superb bone and substance, typical feet, beautifully made hindquarters. A top class bitch, winner just shaded it on eye and fore reach; 3 Blackburn-Bennett’s Ch Stargang Cherry Berry, another super bitch, red of slightly more angular build, quality head, good upper arm, plenty of forechest, stylish mover. Beginners B (&, 2) 1 K Lola, best beginner; 2 J Maggie May; 3 Bullis’ Amaffrey Goodgolly Ms Molly, classy b/t of good overall balance, well boned and ribbed, looked super standing but didn’t retain her outline on the move as well as 1 or 2.

SIMON PARSONS