Yorkshire Gundog Club

The gundog energy was certainly present at this show, greeted by warm smiles of the Committee, exchanging views with fellow judges and seeing so many beautiful gundogs simply made my day. Thank you to the Yorkshire Gundog Club for the invitation to judge my breed and to my stewards for their efficiency. IRWS I really enjoyed judging this most cherished of setter breeds. All the exhibits demonstrated pleasant temperaments, nice short and quality silky coats, and sound dental hygiene. The appearance of the IRWS is that of athleticism and as impressive it was to see a high level of fitness this is best showcased within the allocated ring. Thank you for entering, I very much enjoyed going over your dogs. Class 33 Graduate (2): 80 JARVIS, Miss V SETTERSAY TARGARYEN LOWDON this 11 month old bitch has lovely feminine qualities with an elegant outline. Ideal size and proportionate in every way. Nice dark eye, sought after in this breed, correct length of muzzle. Good depth of chest, return of upper arm and hind quarters showing good turn of stifle. I liked her tight feet, again this is desirable in the breed. Nice red colour complementing the base white coat. Moved “freely” and with purpose. Groomed well. Placed first. Reserve Best of Breed and Best Puppy. 81 TAIT, Mrs J TALINTYRE FOMHAR REIVER at 13 months old he is a strong male on his way to maturity. Although powerful in appearance, his head was handsome and devoid of heaviness. Lovely dark eye, well set ears and sound muscular neck. Body still in development but showcases a wonderful return of upper arm, already has wide and powerful hindquarters and tight well arched feet. Movement was reflective of his age but moved with purpose. Correct colouring. Expertly handled. Placed second. Class 34 Open (1): 82 TAIT, Mrs J SH CH TALINTYRE WINTER SPICE at almost 5 years she exhibits strong feminine outline, good size and proportions. Lovely head with a dark eye. Correctly angled fore and rear quarters, lovely return of upper arm, well developed chest, and strong wide loin. Notably she moved freely on a loose lead. Expertly handled and show ready. Placed first and was my Best of Breed. Very pleased to learn that she was shortlisted for Best In Show. JUNIOR HANDLING The quality of handling was good and I would like to thank every junior handler for entering under me as well as accepting my placings so graciously. A general observation for all of the junior handlers is to honour the “golden rule” the handler must not come between the judge and the exhibited dog. This applies in the line-up, movement around the ring, on execution of patterns and free stacking. Class 130 6-11 years (5/2): 279 ELIZA DAREWESH with a Spanish Water Dog. Most impressed by this young handler who knew how to expertly execute the triangle and up&down patterns. Changed hands with ease and showcased her dog with commitment and real purpose. Dressed smartly. A confident handler with a very bright handling future. Placed first. 97 SOPHIA SCOTT with an Irish Red Setter. A truly dedicated novice handler who was clearly enjoying the moment showing for the first time a remarkably well behaved puppy. The handler executed the patterns and took full advantage of the ring dimensions. Stacked her dog very professionally. Her performance was calm and collected. With a little more experience this handler will gain confidence and go very far. Placed second. 249 SIENNA HOARE with an English Springer Spaniel. Although the youngest of the handlers she showed the most energy. Took to the patterns with a bounce in her stride, it was a real joy to see true handler/canine cooperation. Sienna is an enthused handler who I would be happy to see handle my own dog. With a little more experience this handler will be one to watch. Placed third. Class 131 12-16 years (3/1): 102 HATTIE WOOD with an Italian Spinone. Lovely handling with good execution. Certainly knew how to get the most from her dog. Once the patterns were explained the handler excelled in their execution. With a little more experience this handler will do very well with her positive outlook. Placed first. 98 ISABEL ROCHESTER with an Irish Red Setter. Presented well with attention to detail. Moved her dog well and clearly enjoyed the experience. With a little more familiarity with the patterns this handler will become more confident and do very well in the junior handler challenges. Keep up the good work. Placed second.