Paignton & District Fanciers' Association

First of all, I would like to thank the great hospitality of the Paignton Show Society and my two very kind hard-working stewards and secondly to everyone who entered.

I would like to address a point that worried me, many exhibitors were pulling their exhibit’s hind legs out too far. I know that this is a popular thing to do in the showrings of Europe, but do you realise what this does? It changes the outline of your saluki, the rise over the back is lost and it tends to straighten their shoulders making them look more upright because there is more strain on them to hold the body up. I moved the feet back in on some exhibits as I was going over them and in most cases the exhibitor took the hint. Look at your saluki when it is standing naturally and take note where the back feet are in relation to the pelvis and then try to recreate this positioning when you are showing them.

I was very surprised that I had to make so many tough decisions. In both sexes there were four strong contenders for the CC such was the quality. Thank you everyone for entering it filled my heart with joy to see such lovely specimens of our breed.

Dogs:

Special Beginners (1)

1. Williams’ Fencruiser Prince. Very raw youngster who needs to drop in brisket and also needs more cover over his bones. Very steep set to his pelvis but despite this he moved well when settled.

Puppy dog (1)

1. Bater’s Jarletts Arlo The Brave. Very deep red coloured with black fringing with good bone. Nice set to shoulder and correct feet. Rather steep in the pelvic area which reminded me more of an Azawakh which reflected in the movement.

Junior Dog (2)

1. Chippendale’s Flytesfield Hyddwn. Very attractive black fringed fawn. Good head with width over the skull, ears set on well. A continuous line down from his neck, over his shoulders and up over his back and rising over his loin. He posses good shoulder placement and has a deep brisket, strong in quarters, pasterns and stifle. His movement was true and ground covering. This boy has a bright future. RCC

2. Williams’ Fencruiser Prince.

Post Graduate Dog – no entries

Limit Dog (4)

1. Rickard’s Velourias Las Vagas. Grizzle dog. Lovely expression and correct head with ears set on well. Good strong neck running cleanly into a well set shoulder. Good depth to rib cage and good width between his pelvic bone. Moved very freely and pressed very hard for the RCC

2. Martin’s Mumtaz Pallas For Stalwart. Black and tan heavier set than 1. Strong neck which I found a little bit short. Would have preferred a little more lay back to his shoulder. Good depth of chest and well ribbed back. Would prefer a little more angle to his stifle and hock. Moved true.

Open Dog (5)

1. Copperthwaite’s Ch AlCaliphs Anjal Bey. Cream dog with a lovely classic head. Good length to neck running cleanly into well set shoulders. Deep brisket with plenty of heart and lung room provided by his well ribbed back brisket. When standing naturally he looked magnificent. When moving he was a delight to behold with long ground covering strides that gave the impression of him floating. CC

2. Ulyatt’s Fernlark Legend of Cornhaze JW. Lovely grizzle dog with a great outline, good brisket and great condition. Lost out on movement which wasn’t as ground covering as the winner. He pushed very hard for the RCC

Veteran Dog (1)

1. Ullyatt’s Ch Fernlark L’Aunisien in Cornhaze. Moved with ease around the ring. Good width to his head. Good shoulder and outline and great quarters.

Bitches

Special Beginners (1)

1. Alecock’s Jarlettes Special Lover. Black masked red. Would prefer a slightly better return of upper arm and slightly less angulation to the pelvis. Again, I was put in mind of the Azawakh rather than the saluki which reflected in the movement. BP

Puppy (1)

1. Alecock’s Jarlettes Special Lover.

Junior Bitch (1)

1. Cole’s Wazifi Aiza Aakifa. This bitch took me back in time to when we had the finer type of saluki in more abundance. She had lovely proportions with good length of neck and correct shoulders. Good depth to her brisket and she moved freely and true. RCC

Post Graduate bitch (3 – 1 abs)

1. Layton-Smith’s Velourias Tutti Vrutti. Lovely grizzle bitch who moved really freely and covered the ground well. Possesses a good length of neck and correct shoulder placement. Would like to see her with a bit more covering over her body but she presented a good outline.

2. Bater’s Sadifa Khatam Magma. Cream bitch. Correct shoulder and upper arm placement but they were set a bit too far back probably to make room for her wide rounded chest. Her topline sloped away instead of rising and she had far too much angulation to her rear which affected her movement.

Limit Bitch (4 – 1 ab)

This class gave me a headache! Three very nice bitches. In the end it came down to ease of movement.

1. Layton-Smith’s Velourias Dee Dee Vine. A very attractive black grizzle with economic movement that really covered the ground. Her outline flowed from head to tail. Good shoulders with the correct angle to them, deep chest that was well ribbed back and strong quarters. Good strong feet. To my eye she was the epitome of an “English saluki”. Not “old fashioned” but correct, the type breeders have been producing over the past 100 years. CC and BOB

2. Cole’s El’Ubaid’s Zulu (Imp NLD). Black fringed fawn of nice proportions with a good lay of shoulder and a nice strong neck. Correct length of brisket and good feet presenting a pleasing picture. Moved well but didn’t cover as much ground in her strides as the winner.

Open Bitch (3 – 1 abs)

1. Hamilton’s Lux Ch Alishamar Roxane (Imp BEL) JW. Grizzle. Nice size and proportions. Good length of neck and good lay, a little straighter in upper arm than I prefer. Good length to brisket with sufficient heart and lung room and in extremely good condition.

2. Williams Tigsisle Totally Unique. Cream of quite large proportions. Good lay of shoulder into upper arm. Her topline fell away due to her over angulated back legs and I prefer more strength in the pasterns.

Karen Fisher
Judge