Scottish Utility Breeds Club

Scottish Utility Breeds Club, Open Group Show, 5th October 2024 

Thank you to the SUBC committee for the invitation to judge at your open group show and your warm hospitality. Thanks to my two very efficient ring stewards, Fiona and Joan. Thank you also to the competitors for your entries and the opportunity to go over your lovely dogs. Finally, thank you to the Dalmatian Club of Scotland for the breed supported entry. 

DALMATIAN 

Puppy Dog/Bitch (3) 

1: Wilkins, Salvadorada Kinky Boots. 7 month old well constructed L/S bitch with much to like. Balance head with the kindest, softest expression, nicely framed by her ears. Well developed fore-chest and super bone and substance all through. Good height to length ratio. Tight feet. Beautiful liver decoration enhances all that she has to offer. A confident puppy, she was completely chilled, happily doing everything her handler asked of her. She flowed around the ring, showing rhythmic economic paces with some elasticity to her steps and a bit of puppy roll. BP. Later I was thrilled to see her go BPIS.

2: Shepherd, Sevenmoons Treasured Maple for Dalfire. 8.5 month old B/S bitch built on a finer frame than 1. Pretty, feminine head, with alert expression. Good set on of ears, which she used expressively. Good length of neck, well balanced with her body. Would prefer more width to fore-chest, depth to brisket and more substance all through. She is lean and still very developmental, and needs time to develop more in body and build muscle. She has well distributed decoration, but would prefer more depth of pigment. Won her place with a sound, steady performance on the move.

 3: Wilkins, Salvadorada King of Hearts 

 Post Graduate Dog/Bitch (4) 

1: Valentine, Dvojica Fizzy Pop. Almost 18 month old B/S bitch. Appealing head with pretty spotty muzzle, sparkling dark eyes and nicely broken ears. Decent reach of neck, well defined withers. Straight front, and good depth to brisket, well ribbed back, nice tuck up. Strong and athletic, with good substance, but still very feminine. Eye catching, well spaced bold decoration. Displayed powerful drive with her well muscled rear legs on the out and back and had a good rhythmic stride in profile.

2: Locke-Mcfadzean & Locke-Mcfadzean, Alphadirato Rising Star Over Sassafras (Imp Est). 3 year old pretty L/S bitch. Spotty, well balanced head. Endearing expression, well set and carried ears. Good length of neck, well define withers, decent depth to brisket. Liked her for height to length ratio. OK feet, but clearly suffering with the wet, as they were very pink! On the move she covered the ground well with a steady rhythmic gait. 

 3: Wilkins, Salvadorada Kinky Boots 

 Open Dog (2) 

1: Wilkins, Salvadorada Heads Will Roll JW. 22 month old L/S dog who is well grown and full of substance. Masculine head, with a soft, kind expression, though I would prefer a slightly larger eye. Good length of neck into well defined withers. Lovely fore-chest, moderate depth to brisket. Nicely balanced in angulation. Good topline and set on of tail. Evenly distributed decoration, making him appealing to the eye. A steady economic mover that easily covered the ground without unduly wasting energy and with a nice elasticity to his steps. BOS 

2: Grant, Kevin Dude of the Glen. 3 year old L/S dog. Well balanced head, with nice set on of ears. He is finer in type than 1 but has enough bone for his frame. He has a decent length of neck into a body of good height to length ratio. I would prefer more width to fore-chest, and more depth to brisket. Pleasantly decorated. On the move he was steady and showed adequate ground coverage. 

 Open Bitch (5/1A) 

1: Locke-Mcfadzean & Lopes, Fortuna Phoenixx Rising Over Sassafras (Imp Usa) JW. 20 month old ultra feminine B/S bitch with look at me qualities that draw your attention. Beautiful head with the sweetest expression and gorgeous dark eyes. Lovely length of neck, which is nicely balanced with her body. Well defined withers, good top line and tail set. Good depth of brisket with elbows held close. Decent bone and the best of tight cat feet. Bold decoration with excellent pigment. She was light on her feet, with an effortless, smooth and economic movement and easily covered the ground. BOB. And later delighted to see her go RBIS. 

2: Christie, Sophtspot Sugar Plum. 16 month old B/S bitch. Another lovely bitch with much to like with a feminine head and the darkest of eyes. Would prefer that she was more expressive with her use of ears, as today she wasn’t carrying them to her advantage. She is nicely balanced with good reach of neck into a well conditioned body with decent width to chest and depth of brisket. Nice topline, shapely underline with good tuck up. Lovely for bone and substance, excellent neat feet. Beautifully decorated, with a super depth of pigment. On the move she displayed a huge effortless reach but wasn’t as smooth and rhythmic in her action as 1. 

3: Pratt, Gatfulls Honey Bee of Lyndalia

 Judge: Fiona Hajee