Italian Greyhound Club

My thanks to the Italian Greyhound Club members and committee for offering me the opportunity to judge your Club Championship show, a real honour and a pleasure to judge your beautiful breed. I had a lovely entry of 68 dogs, with very few absentees, so feel I had a good overview of the breed.

Overall, I have to compliment very good temperaments, only a couple playing up or not enjoying themselves. Almost all were in good muscular condition. I worry about movement, while many were sound and parallel, there were too many lacking the typical IG high-stepping front action, something to watch out for.

For BIS I could not look passed the beautiful Ch Artmeis Raise The Stakes owned by Amsell & Rishworth. She’s feminine, elegant, balanced and very well made, delightfully typical in shape. Just the ideal head, long, narrow and flat, slight stop and fine muzzle, with large expressive eyes that demand reward. Long and graceful neck that add to her presence as she moves. Deep chest, long rib cage, arched over the loin, well angulated hindquarters and in excellent muscular condition which gave her the propulsion required to complement her high stepping action in front. Lovely coat and supple skin.

RBIS went to Guyton’s Ansanda Winter Bird. Lovely, shapely and sound. A most appealing head, lean, clean and with a fine muzzle. Large and expressive eyes. Well placed, soft ears. Her shape is ideal, with good depth and length of rib, arch over her loin, low set tail, and well muscled hind legs with a good bend of stifle all combined to give her a typical action.

Best Opposite Sex was Thorne’s Boccalupo Lucky Luciano. A most appealing male, masculine and retaining the elegance and refinement required of the breed, just as he was waiting to come in to the ring to compete for the DCC, he turned to look at me and caught my eye for a moment with his classic head, perfectly set and shaped ears and those gorgeous eyes giving an “aren’t I fabulous” expression. He is balanced throughout, with good reach of neck, leading to well laid shoulders. Deep chest with sufficient length of rib and an arch over the loin, nicely set and carried tail. Moved with real style and typical action.

Best Puppy in Show was Mack’s Alura Prince to Minitopo. Loved his head, long, narrow and flat with a slight stop and a fine muzzle. Large and expressive eyes, neat, soft ears set on the back of his skull. Long and graceful neck. A little too pleased with himself on the move, but forgive this as he’s a puppy. Lovely outline, topline, low set tail, nicely angulated and muscular hind quarters. Look forward to seeing his progress.

VD 1 Bird’s CH Tamiskene Rhumba JW. Most lovely head and expression, long narrow with a fine muzzle. Well set back ears, long and graceful neck leading to well laid shoulders and a good topline. Moved soundly with parallel action and correct high stepping action in front.

2 Henshall’s CH Gemolli The Magician. Most appealing movement, high stepping action and propulsion from his hindquarters. Appealing, long and narrow skull with fine muzzle, good reach of neck, a tad long in loin for balance, but otherwise a very quality champion.

3 Bradley’s Newill Gold Lightening at Turigner.

MPD 1 Hadjas’ Marchwind Piccolito Mr Broadway. Graceful, elegant and fine boned. Long, narrow skull with some room to develop still, large eyes and appealing expression. Very keen and energetic on the move covering the ground easily with a quick and high stepping action.

2 Doherty’s Littlebriton I Dont Care. Nicely boned and elegant, long and narrow skull, large eyes, good topline, well set and carried tail. A little untidy on the move, hopefully this will settle with maturity. Low set tail, carried well.

3 Bradley’s Littlebriton I See Fire Emmzar.

PD 1 Mack’s Alura Prince to Minitopo.

2 Hadjas’ Marchwind Piccolito Home Sweet Home. Shapely, elegant and fine boned, good reach of neck, large and expressive eyes. Neat and well set ears, good reach of neck, moved with style. Preferred the size and overall balance of 1.

3 Henshall’s Aelaro A Bit Of Magic by Gemolli.

JD 1 Thorne’s Boccalupo Lucky Luciano.

2 Weston’s Crystaldrift Neo Lythix. Sound and well-balanced overall, good depth of rib, preferred the more refined head of the winner. Nicely angulated hindquarters, low set tail, moved well.

3 Wyatt-Hughes’ Littlebriton Lay It All On Me

ND 1 Doherty’s Littlebriton I Dont Care.

PGD 1 Amsel & Hayden-Smith’s Artmeis Wild Card of Regallust. Elegant, refined head, narrow with a fine muzzle. Large and expressive eyes, neat and well set ears, good reach of neck; would prefer some more length to his ribs, nicely arched over the loin with a well set and carried tail. Nicely angulated. Moved well.

2 Hadjas’ Marchwind Piccolito Home Sweet Home.

3 Carmody’ Littlebriton Dragon Queen.

MLD 1 Steed’s Laborghini Under Your Spell for Gianni. Nicely balanced in outline, fine muzzle, large eyes, ears neat and correctly set at the back of the skull, graceful neck,

2 Wallace Horne’s Skylar's Chico. refined and elegant head, with slight stop and fine muzzle, large eyes. Would have preferred more length of rib, moved very well, with parallel action and energetic in profile.

LD 1 Wilcock’s Newill Haymaker. A classy dog who should make his title. Very typical head, narrow, refined, elegant and rather regal, ears set well back, good reach of neck leading to well laid shoulders, and a nice topline, arching over the loin, well angulated hindquarters, low set tail. Moved well, thought he had the better, more typical front action in this class.

2 Amsel & Hayden-Smith’s Artmeis Aces High of Regallust. Elegant, sound and refined, nice head, ears and eye, good reach of neck, well laid shoulders,in excellent muscular conditions.

3 Steed’s Laborghini Under Your Spell for Gianni.

OD 1 Lee & Amsel’s CH Artmeis Jokers Wild. Lovely outline, refined and elegant and in excellent muscular condition. Typical head, long and narrow with a fine muzzle, ears set well back and leading to graceful neck. Well laid shoulders, good topline with correct arch over the loin. Well angulated hindquarters. Good high stepping action in front. RDCC.

2 Willcock’s Newill Keep Toot. Appealing head, eye and expression. Moved very well, with clean action coming and going. Nice outline.

VB A very classy pair of veterans. Both elegant, feminine and graceful. 1 Amsel’s CH / Am CH Artmeis Golden Oriole of Regallust. Lovely head, large eye, neat and well set ears, good depth of chest and length of rib, low set tail. Moved with clean and parallel action, well angulated hindquarters. Nicely arched over the loin.

2 Dunning’s Anjuskar Zenyatta. Good for size and shape, clean front, moved well, with typical high-stepping action. Well angulated hindquarters.

MPB Some quite raw puppies in here. 1 Fryett’s Silhouettig's Nashville. Nice outline fine muzzle, large eyes, ears correctly set, moved soundly and with confidence with high stepping action in profile.

2 Read’s Littlebriton Galway Girl. Nice head, would prefer neater ears, very unsettled on the move, but she has good angulation and potential.

3 Smeath’s Bytheiad Fair Guinevere at Willingwisp.

PB 1 Guyton’s Black Baraka Ultra Violet avec Ansandra. Shapely and feminine, fine muzzle, large eyes, good reach of neck, arched over the loin, well angulated hindquarters, low set tail, moved with typical front action.

2 Mellis’ Lamoye's Creme Fraiche. Fine boned and elegant, long skull with fine muzzle, large eyes, good topline, low set tail, well angled hindquarters.

3 Read’s Littlebriton Galway Girl.

JB 1 Willcock’s Newill Swift Wind. Feminine, elegant, fine boned and graceful. Liked her head a lot, long and narrow with fine muzzle, large eyes and ears placed well back. Nicely angulated, giving good propulsion on the move. Nicely arched over the loin, good depth and length of ribs.

2 Henshall’s Gemolli One Moment In Time. Preferred the more coordinated and settled movement of the winner. Nice head, ears set, good reach of neck, well angulated hind quarters, well set tail.

3 Steed’s Gianni Go Greta.

NB 1 Steed’s Gianni Go Greta. Shapely and feminine, fine muzzle, large eye, ears set well back, good front, deep chest, arch over loin.

2 Fryett’s Kensesqui Jive to Silhouettig. Difficult to go over. Shapely, fine muzzle, well angled hindquarters, moved with typical action.

3 Read’s Littlebriton Galway Girl.

PGB 1 Read’s Littlebriton Paper Moon. On the large side, but I liked her shape, and typical head, good reach of neck, nice topline with arch over the loin, good reach angulation.

2 Bailey’s Loweroak Escape The Gossip. Shapely, but just preferred the quicker gait of th winner. Shapely and balance with good angulations, neat, correctly set ears.

3 Pendlebury’s Pendlethrine Lady Dior.

MLB 1 Steed’s Loughlum Evasio at Gianni. Shapely, of good size, balanced throughout, good reach of neck, well laid shoulders, good topline with arch over the loin, low set tail. Moved with style, parallel coming and going.

2 Willcock’s Newill Swift Wind.

3 Mellis’ Miwell Mary Quant by Lamoye JW.

LB 1 Guyton’s Ansanda Winter Bird.

2 Steed’s Loughlum Evasio at Gianni.

3 Righton’s Zephyrelli Florence.

OB 1 Amsell & Rishworth’s CH Artmeis Raise The Stakes.

2 Righton’s Zephyrelli Luciana. Shapely, correct for size, preferred the more perfected front action of the winner, but she is well built and sound, in excellent condition and her head is feminine and typical, with ears well set and large eyes giving a gentle expression.

3 Amsel & Rishworth’s CH Artmeis Three Card Trick.

Derfel Owen