Basset Griffon Vendeen Club

Special Junior Dog or Bitch – 6 entries

1. Blance’s Soletrader Tina Turner – 7 month old bitch who is from the top drawer and everything I would want at this age. Excellent head with correct low set ears and lively expression. Good length of neck leading into well angulated shoulders. Well sprung ribs with compact body and strong loin. Excellent rear angulation which she used so well on the move. Still a baby but as sound as they come, showing good reach and drive in profile. Super jacket. Showed so well for one so young.

2. Cadmore & Neill’s Soletrader Times Square – 6 month old dog who is very special and behaving as a puppy this age should! He will surely be a star when he matures and decides to cooperate with his handler. Good head with appealing expression, lengthy neck leading into excellent shoulders. Excellent rear. Compact in body and showing his lovely movement when settled.

3. Bartley’s Erylan Poseidon De La Mer – 14 month old dog of good type but slightly on the big side for me, masculine head, good length of neck leading into well angulated shoulders, well angulated rear which he used well to move with good reach and drive.

Special Post Graduate Dog or Bitch – 7 entries

1. Reid’s Maudaxi Joanie Loves Chacha – This very cheeky bitch almost threw this class away by not cooperating at all with her handler who did so well to keep her cool. However, she is a really lovely bitch, so correct and sound when she decides to play nice! Lovely head with low, well shaped ears, lengthy neck leading into a compact body with good angulation both front and rear. Super on the move showing good reach and drive and parallel actions front and back.

2. Allen & Gilluley’s Ballencrieff Figgy Pudding – 2 year old with an attractive head, good length of neck, decent ribbing and compact loin. Very sound on the move with balanced reach and drive. Preferred the shoulder angulation of 1.

3. Gilluley & Allen’s Ballencrieff Jingle Belle – Excellent coat on this lovely headed bitch, good dark expressive eyes, lengthy neck, slightly less compact that 1 & 2. Sound on the move with good reach and drive.

Special Open Dog or Bitch – 11 entries, 4 absent

This was a really lovely class to judge and many thanks to all the exhibitors for bringing a super selection of dogs, many of them top class champions for me to judge.

1. Robertson’s CH Soletrader Happy As Larry – Loved this masculine boy who exudes breed type for me, well-balanced, short-legged, rough-coated, compact hound with an alert outlook and lively bearing. He was effortless on the move with sound parallel action coming and going and super reach and drive. Loved his angulation both fore and aft with good forechest which was lacking in some and short, neat hocks.

2. Cooper & Cadmore’s CH Soletrader Missy Elliot JW – Very close up to 1 and another who epitomises the breed standard and no doubting she is a bitch as she is feminine through and through. Excellent head with large dark eye and low set ear. Good length of neck, compact in body with short strong loin. Really sound on the move with parallel fore and aft movement and plenty of reach and drive in profile. So difficult to split these 2 and on the final go around just preferred the slightly longer reach in front of the dog.

3. Cadmore & Major’s CH Soletrader Flora Good Time – Another beautiful bitch who is very appealing but just a bit too much of her for me, super type with a good head, lengthy neck leading into well angulated shoulders. Compact body with ribbing extending well back, short strong loin. Balanced rear angulation which she used to power round the ring.