• Show Date: 01/10/2022
  • Show Type: Championship Show
  • Judged by: Diane Stewart-Ritchie Contact Judge
  • Published Date: 28/07/2023

Scottish Kennel Club

Breed: Spaniel (English Springer)

SCOTTISH KENNEL CLUB 

1ST OCTOBER 2022

ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIELS

Judge: Mrs D Stewart-Ritchie


I came to this appointment bearing knowledge of what a working Springer is supposed to do. Not just in its attributes in the field but having spent many a day training and working these dogs for the most sensitive disciplines. In my profession, failure in their job could have serious consequences. The essentials of construction for me in this working breed are, without question, a necessary requirement. So I came here looking for a beautiful show dog who was fit, typey, and of moderation whilst still showing the capabilities to do a days work. Excess denotes weakness. Today, I found some dogs who were rather over emphasised in rear assembly and some boys and girls were questionable on their height. I had a picture in my mind of a couple of beauties whom I had admired over the years; these lovely champions were my benchmark. Thank you to those who afforded me the opportunity to judge your lovely dogs and thank you also to those who accepted my decisions in such a sporting manner. My opinion is only one, you always take the best dog home.


Class PD (4 Entries) Abs: 2


1st: Wilson, Ms L & Connor, Mrs A. PINEREOCH NO STUNTS LARRIE. Liver and White. Super head and eye. Correct head planes with enough stop and good finish to foreface and enough work throughout. Almond shaped eye with kind expression. Long, low set ear. Good strength in neck with slight arch leading into good front assembly. Level topline and excellent tail set. Good in upper arm and straight when viewed from front and plenty fill in chest. Good quarters, short from hock to heel. Compact and has an easy open gait on the around.


2nd: Chandler, Miss E. ELAZLAN TRIBAL CRAFT. Black and white. Level topline on the stack, good tail set. Pleasing head with correct ear set and good eye colour. Good in upper arm, has plenty depth. Still needs to develop on in rear. Quite a nice package. Not as efficient on the move as 1. 





Class YD (1 Entries) Abs: 0


1st: CALVERT, Mr & Mrs M O. CALVADALE SCARAMOUCHE JONES JW. Pleasing head and eye with nice chiselling throughout and good pigmentation. Correctly set ears of good shape. Good shoulder and forehand and enough fill in front. Good length and depth of rib to short muscular loin. Good width over the quarters as well as plenty width and length over croup. Moved well on the away and okay on the around. He has a good shape and has plenty breed type. 




Class PGD (1 Entries) Abs: 0


1st: Topliss, Mrs T. SANDYLANDS STAND N DELIVER. Pleasing head with good proportions, just lacks a little pigment at the moment. A shade wide through the front and not so tight at elbow as I would prefer, but the chest is deep and has good enough fill in front. Long ribs extending well back to short, muscular loin, also good spring and depth of rib. Not as moderate in hindquarter as I would like, but is well muscled. Moves with some carriage and enough reach and drive on the around.





Class LD (4 Entries) Abs: 1


1st: Casey, Mr E & Jayes, Mrs E. SANDYLANDS XPRESS DELIVERY. This exhibitor certainly knows how to condition his charges. This one presented here today was in really good coat and condition as well as super muscle. He has an appealing head which is balanced and of correct planes. Correctly set ears of good length framing the face. He is super on the topline and tail set - so correct. Excels in shoulder and upper arm with plenty fill in front. He has big ribs extending well back to strong loin. Good width over first and second thigh, just a shade long from knee to hock for my preference. Moved well when he settled into his stride at the correct speed.


2nd: Terry-Richardson, Mrs Y & Richardson, Mr P. CHERISHYM DOFIDA. Black and white who has a pleasant head which is well balanced. He has good ear set, length and carriage. Would prefer a shade more chiselling throughout. Complimentary front and rear with good fill in front and good width over the croup. 


3rd: Ganarin, Mrs B. BERKENBAR GIOVANNI





Class OD (5 Entries) Abs: 0


1st: Topliss, Mrs T. SH CH BERESFORD LOCKDOWN (CC). This boy had immediate appeal for me. He is not too big, neither too small. He is strong, yet compact and is balanced throughout. He has a rock solid topline which he maintained at all times whether stacked or on the move, which leads seamlessly to his correct tail set. He feels really good under the hand, each part fitting nicely into the next, unhindered. My notes say “ has all the important essential breed points” . He has a good layback of shoulder but I might like a shade more length of upper arm, however, no dog is perfect and it was easy to forgive him this as I liked so much more about him. He particularly excels in his rear assembly which for me is paramount in this popular and traditional worker in the gundog group. After all if the engine isn’t strong the rest of the body is challenged. He is strong over the pelvis in breath and length and has superb width of first and second thigh and is well angulated but definitely without excess. Has good ribbing, depth, length and spring to his short, strong loin. He was put down in the very best of order. With good muscle and clean, correct coat. He is well off for bone and tight compact feet well up on his pads. I really liked his head and eye with desired kind expression. Sound out, back and around with good head carriage and such an easy attitude as his construction dictates. I’ve never heard of this one or this kennel before. I was surprised by the deafening silence when I awarded him the CC and more than delighted to see that he is a Champion in my catalogue thereafter. Thank you so much for bringing your lovely charge to me today.


2nd: Eyeington, Mrs J & Eyeington, Mr S. SH CH MEADOWDALE DAISYDALE LIGHTNING BOLT (RCC). Black and White. Bigger boy, who was presented today in the epitome of musculature and conditioning. He has good head proportions although a shade deep in flew for my preference. Enough stop and chiselling throughout which gave him good appeal and a really nice expression. Nice forehand, good ribbing all through to short, muscular loin and excels in width over first and second thigh. Excellent topline and tail set and I particularly liked the width over his pelvis as well as the length. He is strong and solid there. Moved well with enough showmanship. He has much to like, just from a bigger mold than I usually go for. Pleased to award him the RCC. He is most certainly from the top drawer.


3rd: Terry-Richardson, Mrs Y & Richardson, Mr P. CHERISHYM DRACONIS.





Class PB (5 Entries) Abs: 1


1st: Jenkinson, Mrs K. BARECHO FAME QUEEN AT EASTRIDING NAF (Swe Imp). My notes say “Gorgeous, typey, what a mover”. I loved her moderation, balance and she’s so full of type. Most expressive and appealing head. Excellent topline and tail set. Standing on the best of bone and feet. She is compact, strong, and feminine and to my eye, totally typifies her breed. Loved her size, shape and her overall stamp. Fit for function she sure is and such a cracking wee mover already. BPIB


2nd: Terry-Richardson, Mrs Y & Richardson, Mr P. DAENERYS MOONDANCER TO CHERISHYM. Pleasant head. Good topline and tail set. A shade wide in front. Good length and spring of rib. Very good width of quarter. A little long from knee to hock joint. 


3rd: Rose, Mrs E. PINEREOCH AMETHYST OF ROSANNOCH





Class JB (1 Entries) Abs: 0


1st: Weyman, Mrs J. SPUFFING PROSECCO. This young lady had balanced head proportions, was clean and square on the lip and has nice finish on her cheeks. Good ear set. A shade wide in front, excellent ribbing to short loin. Good topline and tail set. Good width of first and second thigh. Just a shade overdone in rear for my preference.





Class YB (3 Entries) Abs: 0

 Two lovely bitches headed this class, although of differing styles. Both have much to commend and both presented in the best of condition.


1st: Calvert, Mr and Mrs M O. CALVDALE FLUTTER JW. This girl had immediate appeal. I loved her overall construction. She is teemed with quality, is extremely eye catching on the stack and all for the right reasons. She is not overdone in any department which is why she immediately appealed. Really lovely head with correct almond shaped eye of good colour. Correctly set ears of good length and shape. Her head is well proportioned and with enough stop and plenty chiselling. She has a reachy neck which is strong and muscular and has a nice arch adding that extra bit of class. Level topline through to correct tail set. Stands on good bone and feet. Correctly angulated front and rear and with good ribs and plenty fill in front. Tidy little mover out and back and she performed well in her class. Just couldn’t match the CC winner in front extension in the challenge. Pleased to award her the RCC.



2nd: Corbett, Miss S J. TRIMERE TIME FLY'S. Bigger bitch with many super attributes. Pretty head carrying all the essentials, balanced and typey. Reachy neck into the very best of shoulder line, good in upper arm and fill in front. I could say she had one of the best shoulder placements of the day. Well developed, strong ribcage which is carried well back to muscular loin. Correct level topline and good tail set. Wide, muscular quarters with good development of first and second thigh. A shade long from knee to hock and today she lacked some articulation in the hock joint on the around. She was straight and true out and back. Preferred the compactness of 1 and her more moderate rear assembly.


3rd: Carr, Miss Rebecca ALHAMBIAN KIRSTY MACCOLL





Class PGB (2 Entries) Abs: 1


1st: Fairgrieve, Mr R & Fairgrieve, Mrs K. ALKARUSS FORGET-ME-NOT. Black and White. This girl was quite attractive on the move, she moved out well and had some reach and drive. Pleasant head, clean in muzzle with nice finish to lips and enough work throughout. Good arch to her strong neck leading into decently angulated front although a shade wide. Excellent ribbing and loins. Would prefer a shade more bend of stifle. Really nice tail set. Stands on good bone but would prefer tighter feet.




Class LB (5 Entries) Abs: 1


1st: Casey, Mr E & Jayes, Mrs E. SANDYLANDS SEND THE ROSES (CC & BOB). Loved her for size, shape and of course her fabulous movement. Of course it’s easy to fault judge, and although there are one or two things about her that were not my ideal, she more than made up for this with all her other lovely attributes. Excellent head planes, correct in shape and balance. Good stop and chiselling throughout, clean in cheek. Her correct ear placement nicely framed her face. Reachy arched neck leading into excellent shoulder placement with enough length of upper arm. Excellent ribbing throughout in depth, spring and length through to her short, strong loin. Wide and powerful in hindquarters. She has a cracking topline and tail set and she carries it well on the move. She is devoid of excess but has quality and class which is what had such appeal. She was put down in the very best of order, in muscle, coat and presentation and is at one with her handler at all times. They are a quiet, effective team. Surprised and thrilled to ascertain that her sire is from the same kennel as my male CC winner. In the challenge for best of breed she had just gone up another level and really putting it all in as she moved freely and effortlessly around the ring never letting up and daring me to put her down. How could I? she was class and she knew it! I was more than happy to send her through to represent the breed. CC & BOB.


2nd: Dobbin, Mrs N. DONARDEN GIN FIZZ. Compact and good shape with pleasant head, correct almond shaped eye and good ear set. Good in topline and tail set. Very well laid shoulder and excellent width across the quarters. Just a shade overdone behind for my preference. 


3rd: 865 Topliss, Mrs T. SANDYLANDS SEND MY LOVE





Class OB (1 Entries) Abs: 0


1st: Topliss, Mrs T. SH CH BERESFORD NIGHT CLASS. Liver and White of good size and overall shape. Yet again from this kennel she is moderate and not overdone in any way. She has a pleasing head piece and is good in proportions with correct balance. Just a shade narrow in front and not so positive in footfall. Another whom I liked for her stamp of no excess. 




Class VB (4 Entries) Abs: 2


1st: Watson, Ms S. SH CH BORDACITY HONEY RYDER. 8 year old girl whom I would have loved to have seen in her prime. I’m sure she would have troubled many. She is well constructed throughout and has a pleasing head. She is balanced and has the correct proportions length to height as well as leg length to body depth. She is moderately angled behind and has good width to first and second thighs. She is short from hock to heel. Today her coat was showing it’s age but she can still trouble some on the move, showing off plenty reach and drive on the around. 


2nd: Weyman, Mrs J. SPUFFING MOLLY'S SECRET. A good topline, good depth of chest, well ribbed up. She stands on good bone and feet. She has good width over the quarters. Not as true in front as I would desire and today was not showing herself off on the move.