Birmingham & District Dobermann Club

Thank you to the BDDC for the invitation to judge, and to the exhibitors for supporting both myself and the class, with the entries going to the Club’s health fund. What a delightful class to judge! Full of quality youngsters, it was a very close decision between 1st and 2nd, with both displaying the alert, bold attitude, and physical attributes I was looking for.

1st Taylor, Taylor & Stracey’s Krieger’s In Style JW. Beautiful 20mths blk/r bitch displaying elegant clean lines throughout. Standard sized and square in profile, with balanced angulation, not overdone in any way. Neck has good reach and slight arch, could be a touch cleaner over the withers. Strong and straight slightly sloping topline, matched with tidy underline rising to correct tuck up. Brisket drops to tight elbows, with good forechest for age. Attractive well-proportioned head, with parallel planes of almost equal length, clean cheeks, flat narrow back skull and decent underjaw. Ears very good for set, size and shape. Super dark eyes giving that typical Dobermann expression with a glint of mischief. Rich rust markings throughout, but could be more clearly defined on the chest. Good straight front with legs parallel from all sides, good return of upper arm of almost equal length to shoulder. Well-filled croup into correct tailset, with pelvis falling away at desired angle. Good muscling for age, with 1st and 2nd thigh of equal length, sufficient turn of stifle, and strong hocks parallel and perpendicular to the ground. Excelled on the move, where she was expertly handled to show off her powerful movement despite the small indoor ring, displaying true movement from all angles with super reach and drive.

2nd Ingram, Tousent & Lack’s Jojavik Spangled Mob. Stunning blk/r, 13 months. Bigger bitch than 1st, but well-proportioned and another with a super clean, elegant and feminine outline. Lovely neck, long and well-arched, giving proud carriage – something of a hallmark for this kennel. Good strong straight topline and matching underline, with good depth to her brisket and a very well-developed forechest. Another lovely head, strong yet feminine with flat cheeks, excellent length to muzzle with good underjaw and parallel planes. Great expression from dark eyes, ears are well-shaped and set but I would prefer them a touch smaller. Excellent markings. Front is true, with parallel legs and strong round bone to super tight feet and short straight pasterns. Well-angled shoulder to upper arm, matched at the rear with long well-bent stifle, touch steeper in pelvis, decent croup and correct tailset. Well-muscled with strong parallel hocks. Just lost out on the move, with 1 being a little cleaner behind. However, the small ring did hinder her – I would love to judge this girl in a big outdoor ring to see the vigorous movement her conformation and attitude suggests.

3rd Tant’s Rafthouse Bundlebrent at Granadeya