Estrela Mountain Dog Club (UK)

 Estrela Mountain Dog Club (UK) Limit Show 15/05/2022

As a replacement judge I was honoured by the quality and number of entries. I left the show feeling truly excited about the future of the estrela in the UK. A massive thank you to my steward for keeping things running smoothly and most of all thank you to the exhibitors - we had a mix of novice and experienced handlers and everyone was so patient and sporting.

NB: We had some gusty wind which was blowing exhibits tails up/down/sideways so if you are looking at photos, only one dog had a tail that was genuinely carried over the back.

V D/B (2 1)

1 Reid’s Milagre Ice Ice Baby BViS 10 year old, reddish gold, long coat bitch presented in lovely condition. Still conveying the impression of being vigorous and hardy. Alert, intelligent expression with dark eye. Muzzle moderately tapered. Topline of muzzle almost straight, with slightly aquiline nose. Ears small, thin and carried rosed. Short loin and correct, gentle rise on the underline. Withers higher than croup, tail well set with correct length and shape. Movement free and easy, giving no hint of her age.

 PD/B (4 0)

 1 Cooper & Ralph’s Milagre Skyforce BPiS pinstripe brindle, short coat male. 7 months old and most ‘together’ of the four brothers. Lovely, intelligent expression, dark eye with correct oval shape, moderate stop midway between nose and correctly defined occiput, skull only slightly domed. Muzzle almost straight and only slightly tapering, parallel to the skull and showing excellent proportions of length to depth and breadth. Lovely rose ears set on correctly. Good length of rib cage. Broad, well-muscled loin. Slightly sloping croup with good length and tail set. Underline very gently rising. Rear pasterns vertical. Moved straight and true in a typical, easy, purposeful jog trot.

  2 Reid’s Milagre Icon, tiger brindle, short coat male. A bit more stop than 1 but still with excellent planes and proportions of skull and muzzle. Narrower in front than 1, still with good length of rib cage, loin and croup. More angulation behind than 1. Epitomising the correct mastiff type but also epitomising gangly, raw boned, youth at the movement, looks like he has quite a bit more growing still to do than his brothers.

 Showed some promising paces when settled but not as together as 1 at the moment. One I look forward to seeing in future.

 3 Willicombe & McKenzie’s Milagre Revolution, pinstripe brindle, short coat male. Another lovely male who moved beautifully. Very similar to 1 but a touch smaller. Showing a little pink in the inner corners of the eyes - hopefully just from growing.

  YD/B (2 0)

1 Tychowski’s Cossus D’Domus Stella (IMP PRT) red brindle, long coat male, only just 1 year old. Lovely head with broad skull, only slightly domed, developed occiput, parallel planes, moderate stop and correct proportions. Big, black nose and dark amber eyes of correct shape. Lovely thick neck set onto well bladed and laid back shoulders with nice return of fore arm allowing him to stand well over himself. Great spring of rib, short coupled, moderate angulation and tail with fixed hook. Good bone, thick coat. Not moving with the greatest confidence but straight and true, fore and aft. Another one I look forward to seeing mature.

  2 Tychowski’s Super Number Initiating red gold with extreme black mask and subsequent black shading on chest legs, long coat bitch. Not the length of skull of 1 and diverging planes giving less stop. Short thick neck into good shoulders. Nice breadth and depth of chest, ribbed well back, short coupled with good bone. Well balanced angulation, moving straight and true but a little hesitant.

  SBD (2 0)

1 Wilson’s Moon River da Ponta da Pinta (IMP PRT) BSCiS pin stripe brindle short coat. Good length of leg, angulation and overall proportions, of mastiff type. Skull broad, long and slightly domed, amber eye. Rose ear set on correctly. Thick neck into powerful looking shoulders - could do with dropping some weight to show to best advantage - ribbed well back with short, broad loin into slightly sloping croup. Moved straight with a free and easy jog trot.

  2 Hall’s Estjak Riodouro bright gold fawn with black mask and dark eye. Gives an attractive profile with moderate stop, skull equal length to muzzle which is slightly aquiline and rose ears. Good depth of chest and spring of rib. Good bone. Moved freely and with vigour. Scimitar tail of good length.

  LD (1 0)

1 Willicombe & McKenzie’s Milagre Revolution.

SOSCD (3 0)

1 Wilson’s Moon River da Ponta da Pinta

2 Reid’s Milagre Icon

3 Willicombe & McKenzie’s Milagre Revolution

OD (2 0)

1 Payne’s Rico das Terras d’Cister (IMP PRT) Shaded red fawn with black head and heavy long coat but of correct texture.This boy gets aloof just right. Lovely, long powerful head, broad and masculine but not too deep or heavy. Correct dark amber eye with fantastic expression. Distinctive rose ears set on correctly. Excellent spring of rib, length of rib cage, underline and broad, short loin. Moderate angulation which showed in effortless, straight, balanced jog trot with level topline and head held in line. At the cobbier end of the spectrum but with so many qualities he was a well deserved BiS.

  2 Hall’s Estjak Riodouro

LB (2 1)

1Tychowski’s Thailla (IMP PRT) Fawn long coat with black head and associated shading. Gorgeous, calm, intelligent expression with correct dark amber eye. More aqualine profile with great length of skull and muzzle, head broad and powerful but still feminine and not deep or heavy. Plenty of bone and substance throughout with balanced angulation, naturally stands four square, lovely shoulder with desired return of forearm, moderately deep and broad chest and loin. Great balance which showed in straight, easy jog trot. Fixed hook in tail making it look shorter than it is. BB & BOS.

 OB (2 0)

1 Roberts’ Garregddu Agua Red fawn, long coat with black mask extending over the skull. Dark eye, embodying alert today, lovely small, neat rose ears. Good length of rib with correct, gradual rise of the underline and short, strong loin. Well let down

 hocks, short, almost vertical pasterns, moved straight and true with great purpose, reach and drive. RBB

 2 Edwards’ Nabica da Casa da Thuya (IMP PRT) Pale fawn long coat with black mask. Lovely balanced head and expression, amber eye, only wanted to carry one of her ears rosed. Gentle rise to the underline and well let down hocks. Hook in tail.

  BD/B (3 0)

1 Roberts’ Garregddu Agua

2 Reid’s Milagre Ice Ice Baby

3 Tychowski’s Super Number Initiating

NBED/B (1 0)

1 Edwards’ Nabica da Casa da Thuya (IMP PRT)

B (1 0)

1 Wilson’s Moon River da Ponta da Pinta (IMP PRT) & Milagre Big Dipper Father and son, short coat brindles, moved well together and certainly made an impressive couple of sturdy, powerful looking dogs.

SOFD/B (1 0)

1 Roberts’ Garregddu Agua

SOBD/B (1 0)

1 Tychowski’s Cossus D’Domus Stella (IMP PRT)

 SOD/BFR (5 0)

1 Payne’s Rico das Terras d’Cister (IMP PRT)

2 Cooper & Ralph’s Milagre Skyforce

3 Willicombe & McKenzie’s Milagre Revolution

4 Reid’s Milagre Ice Ice Baby

5 Edwards’ Nabica da Casa da Thuya (IMP PRT)

Judge: Nichola Marshall (Drimbea)