Southern Golden Retriever Society

Southern Golden Retriever Society
13th May 2023

Special Award Classes

It is always a pleasure to judge this breed and I have done so now on a few occasions but to be invited to judge special classes at a Club Championship Show is a definite honour. Thank you to those exhibitors who entered and for bringing such quality dogs under me. I won’t mention bites in individual critiques as all were good.

Special Award Puppy Dog or Bitch (6,3)

1st Todd’s Van Gogh Of Sunshine’s Valley with Toddrosa. 7 mth D Very raw puppy but so many good points. His head is broad but still refined with correctly set ears, dark eyes and soft expression. He has a lovely length of neck and super forequarters with well laid shoulders and return of upper arm giving forechest. Good amount of bone and neat feet. Balanced in body with deep well-sprung ribs, short coupled under a level topline with correct tailset and carriage. Good rear angles with well bent stifles. Developing a good cream coat. On the move he is still such a baby but moves straight and true with good reach and drive.
2nd Pratt’s Rosyth Kind Of Magic. Another promising puppy. A 9mth B. Another promising puppy with lots to like. Feminine with good breadth to skull and muzzle with correctly set ears, dark eyes and a soulful expression. Well laid shoulders and good return of upper arm giving good forechest, straight front with good bone and feet. Deep well-sprung ribs through to a deep loin and correctly angulated rear. Correct tail set and carriage. Steady mover with good reach and drive.
3rd Warden’s Holinbrae Zoom Time at Glentochty.

Special Award Graduate Dog or Bitch (11,2)

Lovely class that made me think hard with places very close.

1st Layland’s Applecote Love In Disguise JW 19mth B. Loved her size and shape, feminine head of good breadth, dark eyes with an attentive expression. Super forequarters with lovely lay of shoulder and return of upper arm. Straight front with good bone. Level topline over deep well-sprung ribs back to a short loin and correct tailset. Dark cream coat with enough feathering. Correctly angulated rear used well on the move where she is true with good reach and drive.
2nd Williams’ Berrymeade Coeur Blimey at Busheyhall SGWC. 3yr D who ticks lots of boxes. Masculine all through with balanced head of good breadth with dark eyes and well set ears. Well laid shoulders with return of upper arm to give good forechest. Deep chest ribbed back to short deep loin. Well angulated, muscular rear and correctly set tail carried straight out on the move. Another easy true mover with reach and drive.
3rd Gerhold’s Navilis Vivat Vivaldi JW (Imp Ukr)
Res Ward’s Laurenley Jasmine
VHC Black’s Bencoe Just In Time del Avrain 

Special Award Open Dog or Bitch (8,1)

Another super class where I felt sorry having to throw 2 out.

1st Crookes & Jenkinson’s Quakerhall Flare by Pandora. This young 2yr B has the rare quality of just standing there saying ‘look at me’. And when you go over her there is so much to like. Lovely shape and size, feminine all through. Head well balanced, good breadth to skull and muzzle, correctly set ears and dark eyes. Clean neck into well laid shoulders, good length of upper arm and good fore chest. Ribs deep, with good spring and reaching back to a fairly short loin. Muscular rear with well bent stifles. Such a lovely mover. So pleased to be able to stay and watch her win her first CC and then BIS at the championship show. Congratulations.
2nd Riley’s Wylloh Lost In Translation JW. 3yr D and another that has a very nice outline. Handler needs to be careful not to undertuck him behind as this can spoil his outline. Correct proportions through head into a good length of neck. Well laid shoulders and upper arm giving good forechest. Level topline over deep well-sprung ribs to a short loin. Correct rear angles and correct tailset and carriage. True driving mover.
3rd Smith’s Thornywait Iluminati at Goldmarker
Res Bufton & Riley’s Phoslas Polly Finder
VHC Gerhold’s Navilis Nouveau Venu JW (Imp Ukr)

Ray McDonald (Roanjora)