Bournemouth Canine Association

Bournemouth Canine Association Championship Dog Show 15th August 2022

Irish Wolfhounds

I would like to thank BCA for inviting me to Judge at this well organised and very friendly show where the layout, and cover, of the rings was good offering a good size and sufficient cover during the hot spell of weather. I was assisted by two very efficient and friendly stewards, Bill and Trisha, who helped make the whole experience very enjoyable. Thank you to the exhibitors for bringing their Hounds under me to assess, not the biggest of entries but not lacking in quality.

I was looking for a Hound whose overall appearance gave me a picture of power and strength with good flowing lines and good angulation front & rear and with the ability to reach in front & drive from a powerhouse behind. Although these dogs are exhibited in the show ring I wanted to feel that they were of a type able to hunt efficiently and fit the function that they were bred for.

A slight concern for me on a few exhibits were the teeth, the standard calls for strong jaws and a regular and complete scissor bite, level bite tolerated. Although I found jaws to be strong I was a little concerned to find in a few very small or untidy teeth, this I could not equate with the idea of an efficient hunting hound. I also found a few just lacking a bit of muscular condition & carrying a touch more weight.

It was lovely to have a ring surrounded by super temperaments in these Hounds, a couple of bitches were somewhat reluctant to be handled but around seasons girls can often suffer with hormones and become silly & this I can understand. And I would like to quickly mention whilst on temperaments, how delightful it was to see some of the Hounds trotted around the ring so well by two young handlers called in to help. A testament to the dogs temperament and hopefully the start of a bright future for these two young ladies.

Puppy Dog (1,0abs)

1st    Sumner – Dukesarum Masanobu;  very much a baby as expected, with good head planes, jaw and teeth into a good length of neck with width and strength. Good lay of shoulder & return of upper arm, elbows under & sufficient body depth for age & well ribbed back. Nice flow from croup with sufficient rear angulation which just needs to strengthen with maturity. Prefer touch more spring to pastern but moved out with reach and drive. BPD & BPIB

Junior Dog (1,0abs)

1st    Sumner – Creena Atticus Finch At Dukesarum (Imp) Aus;    long head & muzzle with good bite into a neck of good length & strength. A well laid shoulder blade with sufficient return of upper arm, good for depth of body, elbows under & well ribbed back but would prefer a touch more spring to the ribs which should come. There was nothing overdone in the rear angulation, allowing this youngster to move out well.

Post Graduate Dog (1,0abs)

1st    Pateman – Whiteorchard Atlas;  a lovely headed dog, strong jaws & teeth and a lovely length of neck with strength & muscle. A well laid shoulder & sufficient return of upper arm, his elbows are set under and a good depth of body with belly drawn up. Well ribbed back, good in loin and firm in back and topline. A lovely flow from the croup into a correct bend of stifle with width and length and hocks well let down. Strongly considered in the challenge but, on the day, felt that I would like to see him move out more putting to good use his lovely conformation.

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Limit Dog (2,0abs)

1st    Reeves – Whiteorchard Arcturus;   litter brother to 1st in PGD and feel that these two will change places & challenge each other many times to come but on the day, in the final challenge, this lad just turned it on when moving out in profile using those lovely angles front and rear to power around the ring. Good in body depth & well ribbed back, elbows under and good tuck up and another with lovely head planes, a powerful jaw and good teeth.  He could have been a touch tidier in front coming towards me but I liked his overall conformation and type. RDCC

2nd    Harmer – Dukesarum Fionn (ai) TAF;   built on slightly smaller lines this male still presents a lovely overall outline and shape. Sadly on the move he occasionally presented lame, on checking his feet nothing could be found but in the way he moved I did wonder if it was either the dry spiky grass or if he had been stung. Good head, jaws & teeth, a nice length & width of neck into a well laid shoulder, good body depth, belly drawn up & good length to his ribbing with curvy rear quarters and well set hocks.

Open Dog (4,0abs)

1st    Amoo – Ch. Sade Paris;  many accolades have already been written about this lovely Hound who had good head planes, strong jaw and a neck of muscled strength and length. A well laid muscular shoulder giving a good breadth of chest and return of upper arm. Chest deep, elbows under, with sufficient tuck up, well ribbed back & a slight arch over the firm & muscled loin. Curvy rear quarters from the croup with width across the muscled stifles of good length and hocks well let down. Delighted to award him the DCC but in the challenge for BOB I felt that he lacked the verve of the bitch on the move around.

2nd    Sumner – Dukesarum Yohji;  another lovely typey male with a good overall shape but would just prefer a touch cleaner over the croup finishing the whole picture.  Good in head with strong jaws into a lovely length neck with width, all flowing into a well laid shoulder and good upper arm. Correct depth of body, elbows set under and good tuck up and ribbing. Curvy rear angulation with width across stifles and well set hocks, just a touch untidy behind on the up and down today.

3rd    Webb – Goldswift Mission Possible For Inkleyboys.

Puppy Bitch (2,0abs)

1st    Sumner – Dukesarum Lyudmila;  a difficult class as both in different stages of maturity and age but on the day preferred the front of this bitch for her angles and elbows set under. Good in head and jaws, neck of good length but has yet to fully muscle and strengthen, all flowing into a well laid shoulder & sufficient return of upper arm. Has length of body and ribbing with sufficient depth for her age and tuck up into firm loin. Rear quarters nicely angled with good length of stifles yet to fully muscle, moved out well.

2nd    Wilkinson – Rainster Eilex among Hunacres;  for me this puppy bitch just lost out on 1st place today as she presented slightly loose in front stood and on the move and is obviously at a stage where maturity and settling into her frame is needed. Good in head & jaw, lovely length of neck into her front and has good depth of body, nicely ribbed back with good tuck up with just a touch more firmness needed in the topline. Correct rear quarters with width coming across the stifles.

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Junior Bitch (3,1abs)

1st    Sumners – Eriu’s Beverley (Ger Imp);  initially on entering the ring I did consider placing these two slightly different bitches the other way round. But on examination and moving them again I felt that, on the day, this bitch just had the edge. She is a lovely headed bitch with a good jaw & strong teeth, good length & width of neck flowing into her well laid front. Body of depth with good ribbing, good tuck up into firm loin. Can stand a touch steep in croup but has strength behind in correctly angled rear with width across the stifles.

2nd    Sheppard & Shephards – Gaelmarque Treasured by Goldswift;  lots to like on this bitch, good head planes & jaw set on a neck of strength & length flowing into her nicely set front with muscle and width between. Sufficient depth and well ribbed back, good tuck up but just a touch more firmness in back when standing would finish the picture. Good fall to the croup and curvy stifles with width across, second thigh just needs to develop a wee bit more.

Post Graduate Bitch (2,0abs)

1st    Heathers – Whiteorchard Aurora JW;   I found it heartbreaking that this lovely bitch was difficult to go over, but I eventually got there! She was just what I was looking for in overall type, conformation and movement. Lovely in head, jaw and bite set on a lovely neck of strength and length flowing into her well laid shoulders and good return of upper arm. Body deep, well ribbed up with correct and firm loin and good underline. Correctly angled rear quarters and shown in good muscular condition, just a wee bit unsure on the move.

2nd    Campbell-Woodford – Whiteorchard Adhara at Kilmacduagh;  another being silly today which spoilt her overall outline standing and moving, I am sure that she will get her act together soon. Another with a good head and jaw, neck of good length & width flowing into her nicely laid shoulder & return of upper arm. Lovely depth of body, well ribbed back, nice tuck up and firm loin. Great width across the stifles and presented with good muscle tone but sadly just very slightly tucked her croup under on the stack today.

Limit Bitch (3,0abs)

1st    Heathers – Whiteorchard Ad Astra JW;   my tingle moment of the day was when this bitch came into the ring proudly presenting herself and so free and easy on the move with reach & drive. Lovely head, jaw and bite, clean lines down her neck of length and strength into a super laid shoulder, return of upper arm and breadth across. Her firm topline flowed through to her well set croup to her stifles giving a shapely picture overall. Super depth of body, well ribbed back, lovely tuck up, firm muscular loin into correctly angled stifles with good muscular condition. She moved around the ring extremely well, especially in profile where the ring allowed her more space, and I could easily see her out hunting. Delighted to award her BCC & BOB

2nd    Sumners – Dukesarum Lilybet;  I have admired this bitch before but just felt that today she was dropping her top line a touch behind the shoulders but it had become quite hot by this point. Another with lovely head planes and a good under jaw, neck of length with strength & width into her well angulated front with width across. Well ribbed back, firm in loin and with good underline but just felt that her croup dropped somewhat at the pin bones. Lovely width across the stifles and good second thigh, she moved out well.

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3rd    Campbell-Woodford – Kilmacdaugh Aednat

Open Bitch (2,0abs)

1st    Sumner – Ch Dukesarum Chiara;  this lovely bitch powered into the ring using her super front & rear angulation to advantage. Lovely head planes and strong jaw, strong neck of good length flowed into her well laid front. She has length to her ribbing with a firm loin, lovely depth of body but would have preferred a better tuck up to slightly finish the picture. Flow over her topline to her croup into curvy unexaggerated stifles of good width across, hocks well set on nice feet. On the move she uses herself well but in the challenge I just felt that the LB presented a better overall outline. RBCC

2nd    Sumner – Dukesarum Meg Ai;  another lovely bitch and although presented a curvier outline especially on the underline the winner just had the edge on movement and I felt slightly better for pastern and croup. Good headed bitch with a neck of length & strength flowing into her well laid front with width across. Good for depth and tuck up, well ribbed back into a firm loin and firm back. Correct rear angulation of stifles with width across and presented in muscular condition. Moved out well if just a touch closer behind today.

Veteran Bitch (1,1abs)

Judge Mrs Ann Snelgrove