Kent, Surrey & Sussex Labrador Retriever Club

 My sincere thanks go to all the Officers and Committee for the invitation to judge this show.  Some lovely dogs present and a grand lot of sporting, well mannered exhibitors made for a really pleasant day. My excellent steward, Barbara Gentleman and Pam Blay made the day very easy for me.   

 Best in Show: Metcalfe’s Carromer Jack Flash at Baileydale JW 

 Reserve Best in Show: Davey’s Clanfield Rosy Outlook 

 Best Opposite Sex: Rees’ Eremos Perfect Pascali 

 Best Puppy in Show: Metcalfe’s Princess Leia at Baileydale (Imp ITA) 

 Reserve best Puppy in Show: Digweed’s Marlyford Valentino of Willokin 

 Best Veteran in Show: Sh Ch/Ir Sh Ch Thurbajen’s Flighty Fennell with Eremos ShCM 

 Dogs 

 Minor Puppy  

1 Keizer’s Lord Archibald of Keys.  Workmanlike and strongly made with decent length of leg and an overall active appearance.  Good breadth of skull with well set ears and dark, kind eye.  Well boned legs with tight, well-padded feet.  Once settled, moved soundly.   

2 Climpson’s Othamcourt Heathcliff.  Not quite the firm topline of the winner as yet. Strong jaw with large, open nostrils.  Well ribbed and short coupled.  Ture, calm and steady on the move.  Good coat and tail.   

3 Hammond’s Davricanby Pitch Perfect at Littleeden 

 Puppy 

1 Digweed’s Marlyford Valentino of Willokin.  A free moving, soundly made dog of some quality and type.  Very pleasing head and expression with a dark eye and well-fitting eye rims.  Good depth and breadth of chest, decent rib.  Well balanced. 

2 Boulden’s Abbeystead Pageant at Rumhill.  Strongly built with good breadth of skull.  Decent forehand with good bone and pleasing feet.  Well ribbed.  Sound and free moving.   

 Junior 

1 Metcalfe’s Carromer Jack Flash at Baileydale JW.  Masculine yet kindly, soft expression, very good depth and breadth of chest and good spring of rib.  Short-coupled.  Typical tail.  Excellent bone, legs and tight, well-padded feet. Impressed on the move with a true, easy action.  Good double coat but it was not at its best today as he is moulting.  However, I thought his overall quality could not be denied.  Best Dog and BIS. 

2 Jenner’s Lyjansen Simaba’s Savannah.  Eye-catching and shown in lovely bloom and condition.  Excellent head and expression, Well-ribbed but perhaps a fraction longer cast than the winner.  Good double coat and this stood him in good stead later on.  He too is impressive on the move. 

3 Mount’s Buckholt Jimmany Cricket 

 Maiden 

1 Mount’s Buckholt Jimmany Cricket.  A free moving well made dog with a kindly expression, good body with adequate depth of chest.  Well boned.  Shown in good muscle tone, coat and condition.  

2 Cox’s Ramvalley Gorka.  Good head and expression, clean neck and shoulders.  Workmanlike and well ribbed with strong firm topline, good tail.  Moved soundly. 

3 Climpson’s Othamcourt Heathcliff 

 Novice 

1 Godden’s Woodmist Coldplay.  A good moving dog who presents a most pleasing overall picture.  Masculine with a kind expression and good breadth of skull.  Good rib and body.  Well boned with tight, cat feet.  

2 Climpson’s Othamcourt Heathcliff   

3 Mount’s Buckholt Classic Casper 

 Graduate 

1 Davey’s Clanfield Rosy Outlook.  Reserve Best Dog. Balanced head with a lovely kind eye, good nose pad.  Broad, deep chest, strong well ribbed body with excellent topline and good “otter” tail.  Short coupled.  Shown in a good double coat and pleasing condition.  Ture and accurate on the move.  

2 King’s Linthwaite Excalibur JW.  Workmanlike and shown in lovely hard condition and this was reflected in his very good ground covering action.  Attractive head and expression, good depth and breadth of chest.  Not quite as short coupled as the winner.  Excellent coat. 

3 Walton’s Gallybob Marmalade  

 Post Graduate 

1 Davey’s Clanfield Bounty.  Well balanced with good breadth of skull, lovely eye and kind, masculine expression.  Well boned with typical, tight, well-padded feet.  Double coat, good tail and his free true action was impressive.  

2 McKenna’s Warringah’s Kobble Creek.  Grand head and expression, well ribbed back and short coupled.  Presents a pleasing outline as he is well balanced and moved soundly.  

 Limit 

The first three were all shown in hard muscular condition.  

1 Autey’s Chadfrith Alcazaba.  Well balanced and typey with excellent bone, legs and good tight, well-padded feet.  Pleasing head with kindly expression, good depth of chest, well ribbed back.  Sound and free moving.  

2 Metcalfe’s Trenow Rio Grande JW.  Although sound not quite the ground covering action of the winner and I suspect he would be better outdoors.  Lovely type and blanced with a good double coat.  Well ribbed with firm topline and good typical tail.    

3 Rose’s Briwed Magic at Leospring  

 Open 

1 Rose’s Leospring Gold Gili.  Really looked as though he could do a day’s work.  Well balanced and shown in good muscle tone and coat.  Clean, strong neck, firm topline and good depth and breadth of chest.  Moved soundly covering some ground.   

 Special Beginners 

1 Jenner’s Lyjansen Simaba’s Savannah.   

2 Godden’s Woodmist Coldplay 

3 Stringer’s Tumbledown’s Sole Pretender 

 Veteran Dog or Bitch 

1 Rees’ Sh Ch/Ir Sh Ch Thurbajen’s Flighty Fennel with Eremos ShCM.  I have a real soft spot for the Veterans and this lovely bitch really filled the eye with her good head and expression.  Well bodied and ribbed but not excessively so.   Double coat.  Moved well with a true, free action.   

2 Wilmhurst’s Mandamay Beyonce ShCM.  Perhaps a little more matronly in outline but she too impressed on the move with an easy, true stride.  Attractive head and expression with good nose pad.  Well boned with good cat feet. Pleasing balance. 

3 Godden’s Springbuds Speckled Wood 

 Field Trial Dog or Bitch 

1 Rose’s Briwed Magic at Leospring.  Active, agile and game for anything!  Workmanlike with good bone, good breadth and depth of chest.  Well ribbed.  A true, easy mover.   

2 Venturi-Rose’s Leospring Tay.  Well balanced with a fairly harsh, double coat and good tail.  Very typical in outline and kind expression.  Just tending to pace a little on the move.   

 Special Working Dog or Bitch 

I thought this was a good class. 

1 Burnell’s Rotherburn Ulysses. Fit, active and agile and present a lovely outline when standing, unexaggerated with good bone, decent feet.  Excellent double coat.  Grand head and expression. 

2 Venturi-Rose’s Leospring Bunty Choconut.  Lovely type, well balanced with a very good head and expression, well ribbed and short coupled.  Fairly harsh double coat and moved out easily with a true, sound action.  

3 Cox’s Ramalley Flutter 

 Special Show Working Dog or Bitch 

1 Jenner’s Rossacre Trail Blazer at Lyjansen.  A handsome dog of good type and quality.  Well boned, good breadth of skull and kindly expression.  Decent neck and sholder, well ribbed and moved soundly.  

2 Rose’s Leospring Gold Gili.   

3 King’s Linthwaite Cleopatra JW 

 Bitches 

 Minor Puppy 

1 Metcalfe’s Baileydale Ooh Betty.  Beautifully balanced and she showed to good advantage.  Excellent bone, legs and feet.  Grand head and eye with kind, intelligent expression. Short coupled with good breadth and depth of chest.  Moved out well with a free, sound action.   

2 Digweed’s Baileykin Honey Bee at Willowkin.  Typey with a lovely feminine head and expression.  Good bone and forehand, well ribbed but not quite as firm in topline as the winner as yet.  Good quarters, double coat of good texture.  Moved well. 

3 Longhurst’s Hurstmeion Bit of a Pickle  

 Puppy 

A good class with some lovely puppies. 

1 Metcalfe’s Princess Leia at Baileydale (Imp ITA).  A free moving, well balanced bitch of excellent type.  Strongly built yet feminine with a lovely expression.  Well boned with good legs and feet.  Strong well ribbed body and good tail.  True and sound on the move.  Best Puppy and Reserve Best Bitch. 

2 Rees’ Eremos Moment in Thyme.  It’s an old cliché I now but she was unlucky to meet the winner.  Not quite as developed in body as the 1st as yet but she has all the essentials.  Grand head with a kind intelligent expression.  Good forehand, well ribbed for age, decent tail.  Moves extremely well. 

3 Porter’s Winnellands Black Betty  

 Junior 

1 Rees’ Eremos Moment in Thyme 

2 Coode’s Warringah Timouron Cooladdi.  Typical and beautifully balanced with a grand head and expression, excellent legs and tight, well arched feet.  Well ribbed and in hard muscular condition.  True and sound on the move. 

3 Venturi-Rose’s Leospring Magnolia 

 Maiden 

1 Beecham’s Baileydale Abracadabra.  A good moving bitch with well ribbed, short coupled body.  Good breadth of skull, kind dark eye.  Decent forehand with good bone.  Free moving with a good action both coming and going.  

2 Mount’s Buckholt Candy Clara.  Attractive and feminine with a lovely head and expression, decent forehand with clean neck and shoulders.  Not quite the feet of the winner.  Well ribbed and in shown good body.  Moved out well. 

3 Stringer’s Tumbledown Vintage Spirit 

 Novice 

1 Cox’s Ramalley Flutter.  A very good moving chocolate, workmanlike with good length of leg and excellent neck and shoulders.  Well-ribbed.  Double coat of good texture.  

2 Boulden’s Honey Bean at Rumhill.  A lovely character with a kind gentle expression.  Good bone and feet, pleasing balance.  Well ribbed but not quite as firm in topline as the winner.  Free moving but just a fraction close behind.   

 Graduate 

1 Venturi-Rose’s Leospring Bunty Choconut 

2 Hobby’s Icarus Jean Genie.  Pleasing type and balance.  Well bodied with good rib and depth and breadth of chest.  Kindly expression.  Well boned with good feet.  Moved soundly.  

3 Raynor’s Rossclyde Highland Jet 

 Post Graduate 

1 Climpson’s Othamcourt Edith Grove.  Active and strongly built with a good skull and pleasing eye. Deep, broad chest.  Ribbed well back.  Double coat. Moved well enough.    

2 Autey’s Chadfrith Azulejos.  A little softer in topline and condition than the winner.  Good breadth and depth of chest, well boned with pleasing compact feet.  Good hind angulation.  

 Limit 

1 Venturi-Rose’s Leospring Worth a Billion.  Presents a most pleasing outline, workmanlike and active with good length of leg.  Excellent neck and shoulders, well ribbed and short coupled.  Free moving with a true sound action.   

2 Porter’s Winnelland Dolly Daydream.  A fraction more matronly in outline than the winner but she is most impressive on the move with a free, ground covering true action.  Lovely head and kind expression, excellent rib, good couplings,  decent tail and double coat. 

3 Mount’s Buckholt Tap Dancer Tessa 

 Open 

1 Rees’ Eremos Perfect Pascali.  Active and agile yet in no way underdone.  Well balanced head with a kind intelligent expression.  Excellent bone, legs and feet.  Well ribbed, short couple body. Fairly harsh, double coat.  Impressed on the move.  Best Bitch and Best Opposite Sex in show.   

2 Tickner & Welford’s Othamcourt Penny Lane to Ankari.  Well balanced and typey with a very good forehand, clean strong neck.  Well bodied (maybe a tad too much!) with good rib and short coupled.  Free moving with a pleasing profile action.   

3 Coode’s Warringah’s Gurley JW 

  Special Beginners 

1 Digweed’s Notonly Black Eclipse of Moon at Willowkin (Imp ITY).  Has lots of breed essentials with her good double coat, thick rounded tail and lovely bone and feet.  Good breadth of skull, kind eye, decent body.  True and accurate on the move.  

2 Raynor’s Rossclyde Highland Jet.  A well balanced, free moving bitch of good type.  Well bodied with good breadth and depth of chest.  Decent ribbing.  Harsh double coat and good tail.  Pleasing head but I would prefer a slightly darker eye.  Shows to best advantage.  

3 Burnell’s Rotherburn Calypso 

 Brace 

1 Rees’ well-matched yellows.  I admired them both in their individual classes and here they showed to best advantage moving in unison with definite purpose.   

 Elaine Saunderson Memorial Open Stakes 

1 Climpson’s Othamcourt Edith Grove 

2 King’s Linthwaite Excalibur JW 

3 Tickner & Welford’s Othamcourt Penny Lane to Ankari 

 Judge: Tom Mather