Leeds City & District Canine Association

Gundog Group

Leeds Championship Show

Thank you to Leeds for giving me the opportunity to judge the Gundog Group for the first time and for their hospitality on the day. Mrs Stannard and her team work indefatigably to stage a great show, proven by this year’s new layout which was a great success.

I was very pleased with the quality of the group overall which, interestingly, contained several beautiful youngsters who will be stars of the future. The shortlist consisted of the Brittany, Pointer, Flatcoat and Labrador Retrievers, Cocker, Italian Spinone, Irish Water, Welsh Springer, Spanish Water Dog and Weimaraner, all so sound, well-constructed and typical of their breeds.

Group 1: Siddle’s Pointer, Sh Ch Wilchrimane Frankel, immediately took my eye as she entered the ring with her beautiful outline and carriage on the move, all Pointer for type and temperament, lovely head, super construction fore and aft with long clean neck and muscular hindquarters, correct body and ribs, she really is a series of graceful curves, so sound on the move and comes into her own in profile where her carriage is superb, holding her head just right, such beautiful balance and quality all through, totally exudes class and quality, loved her!

Group 2: Bradley’s Irish Water Spaniel, Sh Ch Stanegate Stage Debut, gave her top honours at the club show a fortnight ago where she really impressed, a bitch who is so typical of the breed and very correct all through, the right size and proportions with lovely head and eye, super legs, bone and feet, correct coat, shown and presented in top condition, totally sound and has the typical and unique temperament of the breed, top class;

Group 3: Alcorn and Ingram’s Weimaraner, Sh Ch Gunalt Hendricks, another who impressed immediately, imposing, upstanding and aristocratic dog who has real presence, masculine without a hint of coarseness, well made all through with good balance overall, shown in mint condition, really excels on the move where he is so sound out and back and has super side profile, pushed hard;

Group 4: Anderson’s Flatcoated Retriever, Sh Ch Feldkirk Dior of Kazval, beautiful quality bitch of lovely size, nothing to excess and conveys beautifully the impression of “power without lumber and raciness without weediness” , again so well made all through and in gleaming condition, lovely outline standing and on the move where she covers the ground effortlessly and where her charming temperament shines through;

David Craig (Judge)