Birmingham & District Gundog & Terrier Club

My thanks to the Officers and Committee for affording me this invitation. As always the show was very well run with a friendly atmosphere prevailing throughout. I was thrilled with the quality of my entry and would like to thank all exhibitors for bringing their dogs forward for my opinion. I was delighted to hear that three of my Best of Breed winners took first, second and fourth in the adult group.

Irish Setter

Puppy (3)

1st Clarke’s Gwendariff We Have Lift Off. 8 month. Masculine and well balanced all through presenting good outline. Good head shape - lean and correctly chiselled beneath the eyes. Well placed shoulder. Deep brisket. Would like a little more slope to topline. Well made hindquarters Good bone with strong, well arched feet. Moved well on free stride using tail well. In excellent coat and condition. BP

2nd Bell’s & Barker-Bell’s Balintyne Let It Be Me. 10 month bitch. Very feminine bitch of 10 months with good overall balance. Long, lean head with well defined occiput and soft expression. Clean neck of good length leading to well laid shoulder. I preferred her topline to that of the winner. Well made hindquarters with excellent bone and feet. Sadly on the move she was unsettled and not really wanting to show herself to her best advantage.

3rd Hopewell’s Blazing Bronze I Beg Your Pardon (imp NLD)

Junior (1/1)

Yearling (3, 1)

1st Fox’s Kerryfair Special Diamond. 19 month. Well balanced bitch presenting good outline throughout. Head, long and lean with soft expression and well chiselled beneath the eyes. Clean neck. Good layback of shoulder. Her chest is deep and narrow. Correct slightly sloping topline. Strongly made hindquarters with well placed hocks. Excellent bone and feet. Moved well with good forward extension when viewed in profile

2nd Millington’s Lanstara Scarlet Ribbons. 20 months. Well balanced all through. Good head shape with low ear set and well defined occiput. Deep brisket. Slightly sloping topline. Not as accurate in rear movement as at the winner today. Shown in excellent coat and condition.

Post Grad (1)

1st Anthony & Stuart’s Staratlanta’s Out A Time JW. Well balanced all through presenting a good outline. His head is masculine but not coarse in anyway. Well pronounced occiput, low set ears and soft expression. Clean, slightly arched neck. Well laid back shoulder with upper arm of equal length. Deep chest of correct width. Topline slightly sloping from the withers. Powerful, well muscled hindquarters with good width of second thigh. Moved well with drive. In excellent coat and condition. RBOB

Open dog (1/1)

Open bitch (2)

1st Bell and Barker-Bell’s Balintyne Freda Payne. Good overall balance with correct breed outline. Her head is long and lean with low set ears and well pronounced occiput. Soft expression and well chiselled beneath the eyes. Strong, slightly arched neck leading seamlessly to a well laid shoulder. Deep brisket with elbows well let down. Slightly sloping topline. Good spring and length of ribcage. Short loin. Very well muscled hindquarters with good width of second thigh and well placed. Moved true both fore and aft with good length of stride when viewed in profile. Shown in excellent coat and condition. BOB & G4

2nd O’Connor’s Romarne Lady Chatterley of Caispern. Longer cast than my winner. Well shaped head with good chiselling beneath the eyes. Clean neck. Good depth of brisket. Correct topline with good ribbing. Well made hindquarters. Not as tidy in rear movement as the winner

Irish Red and White Setter

Puppy (1)

1st Catton & Cook’s Daithi Shadow Dog With Ferngate (Imp Pol). 6 months. Very raw at the moment as one would expect. Pleasing outline. Head with kind expression and good breadth of skull. Clean neck. Would like a little more length in ribcage. Good bone and feet. Excellent coat texture. Movement as expected a little erratic but ok when settled. BP

Post Graduate (2/1)

1st O’Connor’s Dalcross Dancing Queen with Caispern. Well balanced all through. Head of good breadth with correct stop. Clean slightly arched neck. Well laid shoulder with equal length of upper arm and well placed elbows. Level top line. Well ribbed back. Correct tail set. Well made hindquarters. Movement a bit erratic – not quite at one with handler. In good coat and condition. RBOB

Open (1)

1st Barney’s Romaunt Ain’t Life Grand. Excellent overall balance showing good breed outline. Head correctly proportioned with good breadth of skull and clean muzzle. Strong slightly arched neck leading to well placed shoulders. Brisket of correct depth with elbows well placed. Good spring and length of rib cage . Strong well muscled hindquarters with good width of second thigh. When viewed from behind she is square from hock to heel. On move accurate both fore and aft and good length of stride when viewed in profile. BOB & G2

Weimaraners

Puppy (2, 1)

1st Hawkins’ Smilek Fernando. 11 month. Masculine. Well up to size but balanced in his height to length ratio. Pleasing head with moderate stop. I would like a little more work beneath the eyes. Clean strong neck into well placed shoulders. Deep brisket and well ribbed back. Powerful hindquarters. Good bone and feet. Moved with good length of stride maintaining his topline at all times. BP

Junior (2, 1)

1st Poultney’s Bright Bell Jangle. Just out of puppy and a little overawed by her surroundings but settled later on. Good overall balance. Excellent head with plenty of work beneath the eyes. Well placed ears. Clean neck into good shoulder. Excellent length of ribcage with short loin. Well made hindquarters with good width of second thigh. Good bone and compact feet. Little unsettled on the move but showed good stride in profile and gained in confidence in the challenge. RBOB

Post Graduate (1)

1st Davies & Brown’s Joneva Cocktails and Dreams at Wystry. Very typical bitch and on seeing the breeding it is no surprise that I liked her. Well balanced all through with athletic outline. Good head shape with plenty of work beneath the eyes giving her an aristocratic expression. Excellent forequarters good lay of shoulder and well developed chest. Correct topline and length of ribcage leading to short loin. Powerful hindquarters with well turned stifles. Stands square from hock to heel when viewed from the rear Moved accurately fore and aft with good length of stride when viewed in profile. In excellent coat and condition. BOB

Open (3, 2)

1st Beagrie’s Gunult Audio From Feldhund JW. Masculine dog. Larger and heavier than would be my preference but balanced all through. I would like a little more refinement in head and more work beneath the eyes. Strong neck leading to well laid shoulder. I would prefer more length to the rib and less to the loin. Moved on long stride. Feet spoilt by nails far too long.

Gordon Setters

Puppy (5, 2)

A lovely class of quality exhibits

1st Sandiford’s Hernwood Christmas Eve. 10 months. Feminine and well balanced all through. Head of correct proportions with skull slightly longer than muzzle and well defined stop. Long clean neck. Correct topline with slightly flat pelvis. Well laid shoulder and corresponding return of upper arm. Deep brisket. Well ribbed back. Strongly made hindquarters with good width of second thigh. Accurate movement fore and aft and covered ground well when viewed in profile. BP and shortlisted in puppy group.  

2nd Seymour’s Pegasett Celtic Snap Dragon Masculine. Well balanced all through. Excellent head of good depth and breadth and well defined stop. Long slightly arched neck leading to well laid shoulder. Good topline and depth of chest. Well made hindquarters with strong hocks Excellent bone. Presented in excellent coat and condition. Movement good in profile – not as tidy out and back. 

3rd Mappin’s Bryerdale Qangaroo (AI) - at just 6 months she was the baby of the class but she was in no way disgraced by being 3rd. Lovely outline and very together on the move.

Junior (3)

1st Hernwood Christmas Eve

2nd O’Kelly’s Lainnireach Original Topic. 15 month. Good overall balance with pleasing head and expression. Strong neck of good length. Not quite forehand angulation of winner and slightly dipping behind the withers. Would like flatter pelvis. Movement in profile OK but untidy coming in. In excellent coat and condition

Post Graduate (2, 1)

1st Seymour’s Pegasett Mia Guydance JW 2 year old bitch. Excellent overall balance. Head correctly proportioned with deep broad skull slightly longer than length of muzzle and well defined stop. Strong neck leading to well laid shoulder. Deep chest with good length and depth of ribcage. Correct topline with flat pelvis. Strong hindquarters. Stands square from hock to heel. Moved well both for and after and ground covering in profile. Presented in excellent coat and condition and handled to advantage. RBOB

Open (2)

1st Sandiford’s Hernwood Neptune Sea. I absolutely loved him - a true heavyweight hunter who would cross a field of plough with ease. On learning his breeding I gave his sire a group and his dam a best puppy in show many years ago. Masculine but without coarseness. Well balanced all through. Excellent head with correct length and breadth of skull and deep stop. Strong slightly arched neck of good length. Well laid shoulder and excellent depth of brisket. Well ribbed back with short loin. Correct topline leading to flat pelvis and correct tail set. Well made hindquarters with good width of second thigh. Moved on ground covering stride with absolutely no effort whatsoever. BOB and delighted to hear that he won the Gundog Group and RBIS.

2nd Seymour’s Pegasett Scotch Fern. 5 year old bitch. Pleasing outline. Good head of correct proportions and soft expression. Clean neck. Not quite the layback of shoulder as my winner. Good depth of brisket and well ribbed back. Sloped a fraction off in croup. Excellent bone and feet. Moved well but not quite the drive of winner

Becky A Johnson