Irish Water Spaniel Association

The Irish Water Spaniel Association Championship Show

Saturday 15th July 2023

It was an honour to be invited to judge this show and I thank the exhibitors for their entries. Also, thanks to Kirsty Biggs who stewarded and Angie Biggs whose small team worked indefatigably to stage an excellent showcase weekend for the breed. It is good to see the club showing encouragement to enthusiasts new to the breed – this is the future. Once the rain stopped and the sun showed its face, it was great to be outside to judge most of the bitch classes and take advantage of the spacious ring. Males were thin on the ground but I was more than happy to award the CC and RCC; there was more depth of quality in the bitches, with the four shortlisted in the challenge being full of type – I wish them well in the future.

BIS was Bradley’s Sh Ch Stanegate Stage Debut with RBIS and DCC being awarded to the young junior, Smith’s Goldenacre Jubilee Lord of Leonardston, BPIS was Davey’s Santarocco Derry

Minor Puppy Dog: no entries

Puppy Dog: no entries

Junior Dog (1):

1. Smith’s Goldenacre Jubilee Lord of Leonardston, just over 13 months of age, this dog is full of breed type and breed character, what an extrovert he is! He is well made all through being very well angulated front and rear, correct coat and correct feet, well bodied with excellent topline standing and on the move, well carried tail, sound fore and aft, going with reach and drive and having the roll that comes with correct barrel shaped rib, he is a great showman and in the challenge it was he who kept taking my eye, CC and RBIS, I wish him well with his future career;

Novice Dog (1):

1. Green’s Brown Snout, compact dog of nearly 18 months of age, pleasing body and rib, well presented, moved very well behind, going with drive from the hock, would prefer a more masculine head and rather narrow in front;

Graduate Dog (2):

1. Triffitt’s Foulby Rafferty at Byjazz, yearling with very good coat, bone and correct feet, good barrel shaped rib, pleasing topline, overall presents a pleasing picture, moves soundly, has a lot of promise, but rather lacks enthusiasm and could be a little more positive behind;

2. Andrews’ Woodrock’s Patriot Paddy for Antdela, has some very pleasing breed characteristics such as pleasing size, good coat, barrel rib, needs to grow in confidence to reach his potential;

Post Graduate Dog (1):

1. Duckmanton’s Patamischief Eliminator, upstanding, masculine dog who is certainly “full of himself”, correct shaped feet, strong head, rather loose in eye, would prefer better shaped ribs and coat could have more ringlets;

Limit Dog (2):

1. Duckmanton’s Cuboglach Sandy Wave, this dog edged ahead as his size and overall type appealed and he scored in hind action, driving from the hock, short level back, good width to loin, could have tighter ringlets and would prefer a darker eye;

2. Latheron’s Fynder Reacher, taller, more upstanding dog who is quite different to 1 but who does have some key virtues and pushed hard, preferred his coat, good topline, well boned with good feet, pleasing head shape, just a little weaker behind with longer hindquarters;

Open Dog (1):

1. Andrews’ Kenisal Ringlets In A Lake for Antdela, this dog has some typical breed qualities, he is a pleasing size with good overall balance, very nice head and eye, correct barrel rib, short broad loin, excellent coat and has a super temperament, on his toes and a typical extrovert, full of character, he is a great showman and presents a typical picture in repose, moves soundly although could be more positive behind, doesn’t quite maintain his static outline on the move and tail carriage could be better, still worthy of RCC;

Special Working Gundog Dog (1):

1. Hempstead’s Cuvana Quills Precious Gift, the first of several exhibits from this exhibitor who all had the same ‘look’, were all sound, well presented, handled beautifully and had typical dispositions, he did push hard in the challenge and was seriously considered;

Good Citizen Dog Scheme Dog

1. F Reacher

Minor Puppy Bitch (2):

1. Davey’s Santarocco Derry, 8 months and had the edge by virtue of having better body qualities and more bone, sound moving and with lovely temperament, feminine all through, I hope that he coat improves as she matures, BPIS;

2. Stoddart’s Cambridgcurl Oread Echo, shown in lovely condition, not quite the body or bone of 1, needs time to gain in confidence to be handled;

Puppy Bitch (no entries)

Junior Bitch (4):

1. McNaught, Andrews and Blades’ Malanis Bettina at Risalpur, this bitch really had appeal, liked her all through, overall outline and size is correct, full of type, good temperament, pleasing in head shape, coat, body and rib, well angulated hindquarters, sound moving, shortlisted to last 4 in the challenge;

2. Hempstead’s Scrumpy Dabinett at Cuvana, another of very good type, excellent topline held on the move, good well muscled hindquarters, extrovert and showed beautifully, just preferred coat and rib of 1;

3. Scrimshire’s Scrumptious Sweet Coppin

Special Beginners Bitch (3):

1. Cambridgcurl Oread Echo, 2nd in MPB;

2. Scrumptious Sweet Coppin, 3rd in last class, most endearing and extrovert temperament on this one, ever-wagging tail, just felt she was rather taller and narrower all through;

3. Williamson’s Finchsmill Secret Surprise

Novice Bitch (4):

1. Hempstead’s Shimmering Brooke at Cuvana, another typical, well presented and handled exhibit from this kennel, shown in super condition, fit and hard, pleasing head and coat, good front and excellent hindquarters, pleasing coat, scored in movement here and kept her outline in profile;

2. Foody’s Lospith Storms Over at Cairtela, another pleasing one with good coat, excellent barrel rib and pleasing head, just a little sluggish on the move;

3. Cambridgcurl Oread Echo

Graduate Bitch (4):

1. Wilson’s Cambridgcurl Calypso at Eldarrah, very nice type and takes the eye immediately, has a presence about her and great extrovert personality, pleasing size and outline which she kept on the move, very pleasing head, good eye colour, barrel rib and strong hindquarters which drive from the hock, sound mover, shortlisted to the final 4;

2. Weaving’s Stanegate Cast A Spell, another shown in super condition, pleasing overall outline, just a little plainer and longer cast than 1, sound true mover, good in profile gait;

3. Cambridgcurl Oread Echo

Post Graduate Bitch (4):

1. Bannister’s Ta An nNeifinn at Banysun, very nice bitch of super type, size and overall outline, pleasing head shape (eye could be darker), good length of muzzle, strong through body with barrel rib, good coat, sound mover in all directions, shortlisted to the final 4;

2. Foody’s Kendenner Louisa at Cairteila, beautifully schooled and handled, this bitch has a pleasing head, good length and strength of muzzle, pleasing coat, a little longer and not quite the hindquarters of 1;

3. Morris’ Caliway Dollyl Varden

Limit Bitch (4):

1. McNaught, Andrews and Blades’ Eldarrah Dream of Spring, mature, upstanding bitch whose super barrel ribs, excellent profile gait and overall type really appealed, has femininity and strength, with very pleasing head, kept outline on the move where she covered the ground, although could have been a little more positive behind;

2. Andrews’ Famous Crowds Secret Parade at Mudlarks, only two years of age, this bitch has a lovely head, pleasing eye with length and strength of muzzle, pleasing coat, well presented, sound mover in all directions, sure will be mature on to advantage;

3. Rollo-Jones’ Stanegate Repeats the Magic

Open Bitch (3):

1. Bradley’s Sh Ch Stanegate Stage Debut, this is an outstanding bitch and a real class act, the overall picture that she portrays screams IWS, added to this she has an air of real quality and is well made all through combining the breed’s essential breed characteristics in a package that is impossible to ignore, beautiful head and eye with long, strong muzzle, lovely eye colour and shape, well angulated front, well boned, correct feet, barrel rib, well angulated, muscled and strong hindquarters, super coat presented beautifully, covers the ground effortlessly in a sound, true action fore and aft, a pleasure to judge and to award the CC and BIS, sure she will win many more;

2. Smith’s Sh Ch/Ir Sh Ch Foulby Niamh at Leonardston, worthy title holder who has a great character, temperament and showmanship, has confidence and attitude, taller and slightly longer, but a lovely bitch with pleasing head, length and strength to the muzzle, pleasing eye, well laid shoulders, super topline, angulation to hindquarters, another super mover in all directions, going with drive and freedom, just edged in front of a couple of the younger bitches to win RCC;

3. Weaving’s Kandalin Golden Storm

Special Working Gundog Bitch

1. Hempstead’s Riverforest Irish Eider at Cuvana, mature bitch of 7.5 years, shown in fit, hard condition, so well muscled, has a very good coat, excellent topline and hindquarters, great extrovert character, shown and handled to advantage, sound mover;

2. Hempstead’s Scrumpy Dabinett at Cuvana, another pleasing one of good type and overall outline, moved soundly;

Good Citizen Dog Scheme Bitch (3):

1. Famous Crowds Secret Parade at Mudlarks, 2nd in Limit

2. Morris’ Caliway Dolly Varden, feminine bitch shown in super condition, pleasing outline standing and on the move, not quite so positive behind as 1;

3. Cambridgcurl Oread Echo

Brace (1):

1. Ms J Hemptead, very well matched pair with similar qualities and overall stamp.

Progeny (1):

1. Cuvana Quills Precious Gift, a very uniform group of offspring from this dog, of similar type, size, with good toplines, pleasing coats and sound movement.

David R Craig (Judge)