Birmingham Invicta Pekingese Club

Birmingham Invicta Pekingese Club Open Show – 3rd November 2019

It was an honour and a privilege to have been invited to judge this wonderful club show, and what a great day awaited me. A beautiful bright and warm venue, set in the heart of an English village on a bright winter’s day, really felt like a great setting for this club show. The committee, made up of Pekingese doyennes and stalwarts, really do all pull together and run a truly great event. From start to finish, the show was run superbly and benefited from the combined expertise of so many on the committee, including those who cooked the most scrumptious lunch. I was so grateful for the opportunity and extend my thanks to all, for the entry of 27 with 20 present, which made for some very interesting decisions. The open bitch class really made me think hard, just three present but so hard to separate them. Not surprised to learn they are all Champions upon now reading my catalogue - a real treat to see and judge. Thank you to my stewards, Jordan and Victoria; who certainly made my job a lot easier. I adore the breed and it is a day I will remember for a long time.

Puppy Dog (3, 0)

This class made me think, with all three being at varying stages of development & puppyhood and all very nice.

1st) & BPIS Webber’s, Shiera Porthos at Sunsante, gorgeous chap of almost 12 months (tomorrow!), beautiful to go over. He is full of quality and has a good sized head, with good width and breath, flat between his ears & large open nose-pad. Beautiful eye and expression; correct neck and good forehand, heavily boned forelegs and excellent breadth and depth to chest. Lovely shape to his body & beautiful to go over, and he does pick up heavy. Absolutely sound on the move & went with a good rolling gait. Lovely coat coming, good harsh topcoat & soft in undercoat.

2nd) Heap’s Shiera D’artagnan , litter brother to the winner & sharing many of the same attributes. Liked his head and dark eye, thick set all through & lovely to go over; beautiful forehand and good depth to chest, excellent shape to his body and good topline, tail set well and carried nicely; full of himself & a good mover, sound and true with a good easy action and a nice roll. Presented in excellent coat of good texture and just enough for age. A little more immature than his brother, as is to be expected; but another really lovely chap.

3rd) Lund’s Yakee The Interceptor with Magnetitzzam, completed a trio of lovely, promising babies.

Junior Dog (1, 0)

1st) Webber’s Shiera Porthos at Sunsante, see puppy dog.

Novice Dog (1, 0)

1st) Webber’s Shiera Porthos at Sunsante, see puppy dog.

Limit Dog (4, 1)

1st) & RBD Paradise’s Rickenny’s George Ezra with Shardlow JW; 20m chap & very eyecatching; bred in the purple too, his presence helped by the fact he is so full of himself! Loved his head and eye, reasonable breadth to skull, flat between his ears and well defined stop. Dark, clear eyes & he really does have a lovely expression. Good to go over, well slung between forelegs, good shoulders & neck, elbows could be better; firm topline and good shape to his body. Picks up heavy and on the floor goes so well, rolling & dignified. Presented in a coat of correct texture, and in excellent condition. Delighted to award him Reserve Best Dog.

2nd) Patterson & Murray’s Bratilda Starboy, 2.5 years old and a really glamorous chap. Beautiful head and eye, very correct and expressive. Good forehand, correct neck and good elbows & shoulder placement. Nice depth to his chest & well boned all through. Good shape to his body, although slightly longer in back than the winner. Good coat of correct texture & beautifully presented. Went with a good steady, rolling and proud action and superbly handled.

3rd) Machin’s Diva Haven Royal Dream at Barpeke

Open Dog (4, 1)

1st) BD & later BOS, Morley & Box’s Jidoran Professor Green, glorious 2.5 year old male put down in the most immaculate coat and condition. Looking across the ring, he commands attention at all times and draws the eye continuously. Large head and dark mask, good skull & well set ears; beautiful lustrous eye & good cushioning, all lending to a fabulous expression. Short and thick in neck, and lovely bone all through. Fabulous ribbing & topline, short loin and tail high set and carrying a beautiful plume. So well made and thus moves accordingly, a steady dignified roll and perfect footfall. He adores his handler and that is so clear! Presented in a perfectly textured jacket, a pleasure to award him a well-deserved Best Dog.

2nd) Heffernan’s Mezrab Quite Please, 18 months or thereabouts & also a rather lovely chap. Liked his head and eye, so good to go over and very much of a piece. Thick set & picks up heavy, goes well on the move with a steady footfall and a rolling gait. Lacked the presence of the winner today, but he too is a lovely chap & one to be proud of. I understand it was his handler’s first time exhibiting today; she did a great job with her charge & presented him beautifully. I would have considered him for RBD, but sadly he had gone home.

3rd) Heffernan’s Mezrab Euraka

Veteran Bitch (1, 0)

1st) & BVIS, Morley and Box’s Ch Jidoran Bluebell, 8 years or thereabouts and a real grand girl, looking less than half her age! Fabulous head, good breath to skull, flat between her well-set ears, large open nosepad and well defined stop. So beautiful all through, great forequarters and super chest, well ribbed & excellent, shapely body. Tail set high and carried correctly, well plumed to boot! Just loved her on the move, such great, easy carriage and knows her own worth and self-importance. Delighted to award her a well-deserved BIVS. She was close up in the challenge and I am not surprised to see she carries a crown.

Puppy Bitch (2, 0)

1st) Heap’s Shiera Constance, litter sister to the winner of puppy dog and she too is a real beauty, excellent head and eye, beautiful facial features, thick neck & excellent forehand with good bone and super chest, short body & good waist, firm topline and tail set perfectly. Moved with correct roll & an air of self-assuredness. BPB & in a close run off with her lovely brother, RBPIS. Presented in beautiful coat of correct texture, and very well handled.

2nd) Hyde’s Londer Ruby Red, 9 months and such a sassy little minx! Less forward than the winner, but there is three months between them; beautiful coat and fabulous colour, loved her head and dark eye, her expression is enquiringly sweet and exquisite and she knows she is lovely! Well boned and thick set all through, lovely elbows and forehand, well slung & beautiful ribs, defined waist and tail set high. A little uncoordinated on the move to start, but when settled pulled herself together to show what she is made of. Most promising and a real delight to judge.

Post Graduate Bitch (2, 0)

1st) Morley and Box’s Jidoran Grace, stunning bitch of just over 4 years & she boasts the most beautiful head, with fabulous facial features that you just want to stare at all day! She is so typey and typical, loved her to go over & her front and elbows are wonderful, thick neck & beautiful ribcage, correct topline and tail set and carried correctly, with a perfect plume. Picks up heavy & is a wonderful mover, true & sound, with an enviable ease, presented as one would expect from this kennel, without a hair out of place and in a coat of correct texture. A lovely girl.

2nd) Paradise’s Pekehuis Scarlet with Shardlow, 13 months old & still a junior, liked her type and outline, correct head, good skull & ears, wide nostrils and dark eyes, good to go over & thick set, well built & it shows in her sound, accurate movement. A little short of coat as yet, but she is young and has time to mature. She is a real sweetheart, and a very exciting prospect, being beautifully presented and handled.

Limit Bitch (5, 2)

1st) Morley and Box’s Jidoran Sox, I awarded this little star BB & BIS at the Wales and West of England Pekingese Club Open Show in October 2017, and she has only got better and better since then! I wrote then ‘was it a case of saving the best ‘til last?’, and I loved her just as much today, to go over she is faultless & it is that gentle wag of her tail as you approach the table, coupled with the look of distain as you pick her up that mesmerise you. She knows she is a star & she wants the rest of the room to know it too! Moving beautifully today as ever & presented in flawless condition. Also very close up, perfectly handled in the challenge by Winnie Mee, as she was when I awarded her BIS previously.

2nd) Patterson and Murray’s Bratilda Maddison, also a gorgeous bitch of excellent make and shape. She has a beautiful head and eye, though I felt not quite the breadth throughout as the winner today. Thick set and picks up heavy, well boned throughout & she boasts a good forehand, broad chest, excellent ribs & a firm topline. Her tail is set correctly and carried well at all times. Moves with self-assuredness and importance, handled to perfection by her very clever handler. A very nice bitch, prepared and presented to the highest order.

Open Bitch (3, 0)

What a class. Three present, three champions and three stars! So little to separate on each of them, it really came down to personal preference on the day.

1st) BB & BIS, Morley and Box’s Ch Jidoran Kara, truly delectable bitch of 4 years; not the instant eye catcher in this class of glorious ladies, but it is on the table & upon going over her that she most impresses. Large head and shallow throughout, dark eyes & beautiful nosepad; thick set & short neck, fantastic front and elbows close to chest, well slung & beautiful shape to her body, broad chest & level in topline. High set tail and carried correctly; she boasts well-muscled & firm hindquarters and stands on beautiful legs and feet. Picks up very heavy for her size & moves with eye-catching ease and a correct rolling gait. Presented in pristine condition, coarse topcoat and thick undercoat. I thought she was truly beautiful and it was a pleasure to award her an extremely well deserved Best Bitch and Best in Show. Well done.

2nd) RBB & RBIS, Morley and Box’s Ch Jidoran Rula, a great privilege to be able to judge another exhibit of such great quality. I loved her head, great width and beautiful facial features. Good to go over, short neck & the best of bodies, great width to her chest, correct topline & well ribbed back with a very well defined waist. She too picked up mightily heavy for her size & on the move she went with an air of pomp & dignity that couldn’t fail to catch the eye, an easy mover with a rolling gait & I simply loved her too. Such an exciting class to judge and any one of these three could easily have been the BIS winner on the day.

3rd) Morley and Box’s Ch Jidoran Emma, completed a trio of breath-taking bitches.

Evan L Ryan (Cavalli/Cavallibrook)