West Of England Border Collie Club

WEST OF ENGLAND BORDER COLLIE CLUB – 17th November 2024

BEST BABY PUPPY IN SHOW – Murfet & Oliver’s Tambuzi Guess Who’s Back. Classically marked b/w 5.5 months, balanced, well grown, nice bone for age, head of good shape and size and ears were placed high and were sensitive in use, ample neck, firm back, compact feet with slight slope to pasterns, rear quarters moderately angulated, tail set was low and she carried her tail low on the move. A promising baby who is very well schooled and confident yet controlled. A lovely prospect.

PROGENY - 1 Sh Ch Arrodare It’s Now or Never JW. I awarded this boy a CC 6 years ago and it was such a pleasure to get my hands on him again. To see him head a group of progeny was a sheer delight. He’s passed on so much quality to each of his four children. All showing balance, excellent heads with alert and intelligent expressions, they are particularly very good moving to and from, but as a group watching them move round the ring with correct Border Collie driving action and minimal lift of feet was wonderful.

2 Sh Ch Tambuzi Stryka Blow JW. Certainly no disgrace coming 2nd here as this progeny group made up of 6 was also an excellent example of a quality male truly stamping his type on his children. Nothing was exaggerated on any of the dogs, they all moved with good reach and drive, all with good length of body, excellent reach of neck, long tails and with medium bone.

ADULT HANDLING – 1 Ann Marie Taylor. Handling a male who was full of himself and carried his tail rather high on a few occasions, but Ann Marie showed such a lot of skill in this performance, never flustered, carrying out each task with minimal fuss and with a polite and friendly attitude, she only ever moved a leg if it really needed to move, showed me how she can free-stand and part stack her dog, her lines were very accurate on the reverse triangle and up and down, was very impressed indeed with her line work, her smart navy blue suit perfectly completed the whole picture. 2 Shiobhan Lea. Another super friendly and smart handler who worked very hard on her performance, just her focus and perhaps nerves got the better of her, but she has a very beautiful female to work with and clearly has done a lot of work putting in the training. I loved the correct pace and stride when she moved the dog and her lead control was also very good. Just needs to slow down a little when stacking the dog, finished a little close in the final present and remember to always set your dog up from front to back.

BIS – Akester, Akester & Wiltshire’s Sh Ch Thwaitlake Buzzman. It was very nice to judge this super four-year-old male again having awarded him the CC and BOB in the summer of 2023. He has matured on as one would expect. He has the most attractive profile, is balanced and presented in a smooth but profuse double coat, beautifully turned out, not a hair out of place, his head is extremely attractive, with great width and breadth to his skull, medium stop and slightly tapering muzzle, his expression really appeals, really keen and always alert, his muscle condition is excellent under his clean coat and featherings, long, low set tail, he knows his job on the move, head down and off he flies, but with so much extension and accuracy. A wonderful dog who I’m sure will keep on doing very well.

RESERVE BIS AND BOS – Green & Ratcliffe Sh Ch Fayken I Am Here JW. A very worthy contender here and these two CC winners looked a picture on the move together. She is nearly six years old and surely in her prime, in full coat but not the length of the male as you’d expect. Balanced head with perfectly tipped ears, her expression is keen and ever-ready and waiting for her handler’s command. She presents a balanced outline, has a very good length to her rib, strong loin has a strong back end with good width, she moves out with an effortless stride, holding her topline and extending in front and driving from the rear.

BPIS – Green, Green and Ratcliffe’s Borderpride Laced in Truth by Fayken, almost coming to the end of her puppy career, what a gorgeous classically marked black and white who oozes quality in spades, presented in beautiful condition, coat is straight and smooth and accentuates her correct body proportions, topped with the most marvellous head and expression, plenty of length to her foreface, with such a captivating expression, she moved very efficiently in all directions carrying her tail low and with good forward propulsion.

BEST OPPOSITE SEX PUPPY – Barwick’s Tobermoray Touch Of Class. 8 month old black and white who I see is by the BIS winner, he has plenty of substance, is of good size and has a really nice head developing, presented in beautiful clean condition, he’s showing excellent reach and drive in profile on the move and is incredibly accurate going away, needs time but a really lovely prospect.

BVIS – Smith & Ratcliffe’s Sh Ch Arrodare It’s Now or Never JW. Have watched this dark boy in the past few years from ringside defying his veteran years (11!) and thought how good he still looks and he’s just as smashing to go over as he was 6 years ago, when I awarded him the CC. Today he looked as good as ever and powered round the ring, just dropping and driving and oozing breed type, his full double coat is gleaming and he’s still in the picture of health and clearly loves showing. A very special dog and one I could’ve taken home!

BEST OPPOSITE SEX VETERAN – Fawcett’s Sh Ch Laceway Echo Falls JW, another lovely veteran who I’ve admired for some time, of a totally different type to the male, always on her toes and has that sparkle in her eye, she’s ultra feminine and such a showgirl, moving out and back with such accuracy and covering the ground so well, holding her tail beautifully low.

BEST WORKING – Wettern-Bloomfield’s Alpana Strike A Pose, 8 year old pretty petite black tri, balanced outline, coat accentuating her virtues. Her smaller head matches her body, enough neck, good depth of chest, good spring of rib, sloping croup leading into a long tail, well angulated rear, she moves with a very smooth gait and holding a level topline, can sometimes be a little proud of her tail.

BEST AOC – Spurr’s Dreamwork Collat’ral Beauty, 6 year old red merle who has a workmanlike appearance, is on her toes and keen and very alert, she is of a good size, has just enough substance, ears are high set and certainly sensitive in use, she moves well in all directions with no sign of any excessive bounce, holding a level topline and minimal lift of feet.

Judge: Marina White.