North West Border Collie Club

North West BC Championship Show Bitches 20-10-24 Judge Ross Green Arrodare & Fayken I would like to thank the exhibitors for accepting me as a last minute replacement judge and the sporting manner my decisions were accepted. A special thank you also to my steward for her super efficiency. I seek a keen and biddable moderate dog built for short speeds and endurance work who excels in angulation equally in front and rear. Of high importance is the overall shape both standing and moving. The dog should be slightly longer than high and have a graceful flowing outline from rear of skull through neck, withers, back and croup through to the tip of tail that reaches beyond the hock joint. Movement should be balanced with equal reach in front and rear with no lift. For the past few years there has been an alarming trend in the show ring of Border Collies becoming heavy in bone, uncharacteristic heavy heads with huge deep stops, longer length to height ratios and movement more similar to that of a generic dog rather than the low light-footed action of a Border Collie. Today my principal winners could never be mistaken for another breed even if viewed from a distance – their shape and style of movement defines them as a Border Collie. It was also pleasing to see multiple promising youngsters coming through. Minor Puppy Bitch 4 (2a) Two very promising puppies. 1st Gregory’s Tonkory Spring Time Appealing expression on this 7 month old B/W, tipped ears, dark brown eye, good neck, correct lay of shoulder, good ribs and loin, well angulated rear, correct low set tail of good length. Moved very well out and back with nice profile on side gait. 2nd Leslie’s Tonkory Spring In Your Step Among Windwalker B/W litter sister to 1st. Quality head pattern, kind well shaped and positioned eye. Very good shoulder and upper arm, Ok ribs and correct length of loin, ok rear angulation. Another that I really liked and I thought she might be my winner standing but still needs to tighten in movement in both front and rear, good in profile. Puppy Bitch 3 (2a) 1st De Cree & Schevenels Broadmeadows Jaz-O-Mine 10 month old B/W with nice head proportions, kind and alert expression with ok eye shape and tipped ears. Good shoulder and upper arm, correct bone for size, good feet, excellent rear angulation, good tail set. Moved really well out and back with excellent side gait showing good extension in front and rear. Best Puppy Bitch and in agreement with my co-judge BPIS. Junior Bitch 8 (2a) 1st Arans Mikami True Karma Nice style darker 14 month B/W. Excels in head with correct muzzle/skull proportion and planes, well defined moderate stop, correct eye placement, tipped and active ears making a lovely expression. Good lay of shoulder, correct bone, good length and depth of rib cage, very good rear angulation with correct set and length of tail reaching beyond the hock. Close but sound moving away, correct coming towards and in side gait. 2nd Fawcetts Laceway Breaking Waves 14 month B/W, another with good head properties, tipped alert ears, excelled in neck and shoulder, correct bone for size, good ribs, ok rear angulation. Was somewhat excited on the move which ultimately meant she had to settle for second today as she lost balance in front and rear in side gait. Good movement coming towards. Was close up to 1, just needs to settle to the task. Yearling Bitch 1 1st Houghton Parker’s Wykdsunrise Sieze the Dae Head proportions good with true Collie expression, correct in moderate bone, excellent front angulation and very good rear angulation. Tail a touch high set and would prefer more length. Moved well coming towards. Novice 5 (1a) 1st Gregory’s Tonkory Spring Time 2nd Surridge’s Roydenbark Casablanca Appealing head with good eye shape and position. Active prick ears, OK shoulder, correct bone, good rib cage with correct balance in loin. Moved steadily. Graduate Bitch 3 (1a) 1st Fawcetts Laceway Bottoms up 14 month old alert B/W with good head properties and correct bite. Correct moderate bone, good neck, ok shoulder and upper arm, good rear angulation, sound out and back with good reach in side gait. As she matures will need to drop into gait and lower her head carriage. Very promising. 2nd Garside Davies Starside Tina Turner Good head, kind eye, correct bone, good front assembly. Correct moving towards, handler needs to encourage her to extend more in side gait. Post Grad 4 (2a) 1st McConnachie’s Your Still The One At Thistleskye Lovely type Tri bitch. She has a super head with correct eye shape and placement and a defined stop that is not excessively deep. Correct bone, balanced angulation in front and rear and her overall outline depicts the true graceful balance of a Border Collie. She moved soundly out and back. I would have considered her for higher honours but today her side gait lacked the energy and extension I desire. 2nd Bligh’s Borderbrook Princess Raya at Ravencrag B/W, Good shoulder and upper arm, ok bone, correct deep thigh with good turn of stifle and well let down hocks. In my notes I notice I commented on her correct oval and tight feet something so often overlooked but so important in a working dog. This girl has really good reach and balance front to rear in side gait. Sadly today she was carrying far to much weight for higher honours as it negatively impacted her movement overall. Mid Limit 3 1st Austin & Zolakova’s Hysteps My Irish Colleen Ok head proportions, alert prick ears, dark brown eye. She excels in front assembly with good length and lay of shoulder with correct length and return of upper arm. Good tight and oval feet, ok bone and ribs, excellent muscle. Sound out and back with good side gait when settled. Seriously considered her for a higher award. 2nd Mcconnachies’s Wish’s Emerald Star Fir Thistleskye Darker style B/W, of good type. Ok shoulder, very good rear. Moved ok out and back, with good extension. Just did not match the lower front action of the winner. 3rd Buckley’s Tambuzi True Colours Limit Bitch 10 (3a) 1st Morley & Rogerson’s Chikaramor Hall of Fame Prick eared B/W with good head properties, kind oval eye correctly positioned. She excels in front assembly with good shoulder and length/return of upper arm, correct strong but moderate bone, good set and length of tail. Sound out and back and exceled in front extension in side gait holding a nice profile. Not in the best coat and lacked energy gaiting in the challenge to be considered further. 2nd Wilshire’s Caleykiz Passion For Power B/W correct head proportions with good eye shape and position. Correct lay of shoulder, balanced rear angulation. Sound coming towards, Very good side gait with correct flowing Border Collie shape and equal balance between front and rear extension. Was very close between 1 and 2, 3rd Ambler’s Thwaitelake All That Glittaz For Jaytech Open Bitch 7 1st Akester & Wiltshire’s Sh Ch Thwaitlake Everything I Am Lovely type B/W with excellent head and eye. Good shoulder and upper arm, Ok neck, her length comes from rib cage, sufficient rear angulation, not in the best of coat today. Moved very true out and back with an excellent side gait maintaining her shape with good low reach in front and rear. Pushed very hard for the CC. Reserve CC and RBIS with complete agreement of the co-judge. 2nd Alexander, Turner & Macdonald’s Locheil Dream Come True. Almost 4 year old, BW with good head properties, correct eye shape and placement, good lay of shoulder, correct bone. Moved soundly out and back, lacked the front and rear balance of winner in side gait. 3rd Kinton’s Kinaway Dreams With Fire (AI) Special open Smooth 0 Special Open AOC Excepte Blac/White or Tri 2 1st Baldwins Breevana Queen Of Hearts Sable with good head and eye. Excellent front, correct bone, sufficient rear. Move soundly coming, close but sound away. Steady side gait. 2nd Spurs Dreamwork Collat’ral Beauty Red Merle with good front and neck. Correct bone. Not in the best of coats. Moved soundly in both directions, side gait spoilt by high carried tail. Special Open Working 1 (1a) Special Open Members 2 (1a) 1st Kintons Kinaway Kisses With Fire B/W just starting to drop coat, very good front assembly with correct lay of shoulder and length and return of upper arm, correct oval feet, ok ribs and rear. Tail set ok but prefer more length. Sound moving towards and a good side gait with minimum lift. Veteran 8 (5a) 1st Aran’s Multi Ch Karma My Mica of Green Borderline At 10 years old this excellent example of a Border Collie showed the youngsters how to move. B/W shown in super coat with correct texture, feminine proportioned head with no exaggerated stop and the most melting expression from her correctly placed oval eye. Good lay of shoulder, Ok neck, good bone and ribs, excellent rear angulation with correct slope to croup and a lovely low set long tail. Sound coming towards, close but still sound moving away. In side gait she simply floated round the ring maintaining the effortless graceful Border Collie shape with no lift in front or rear feet. She was as one with her handler, showing the alert, responsive and intelligent tractability of a Border Collie through her movement & free stand. Ultimately she just had to be my CC Winner and in full agreement with my co-judge BIS. 2nd Wiltshire’s Caleykiz Make M’Ya Aphrodite B/W with correct eye, good bone and feet, good shoulder, good rear angulation. She excels in side gait with good reach in front and rear without lift.