• Show Date: 10/10/2025
  • Show Type: Championship Show
  • Judged by: Angela Aulton Contact Judge
  • Published Date: 04/01/2026

South Wales Kennel Association

Breed: Retriever (Golden)

Thank you to the Association for providing me with some excellent stewards and to exhibitors for a cracking entry.  I was disappointed by the number of high tail carriages, but was delighted by the overall quality in the bitches.

VETERAN (10,2 abs):  1st  Crookes & Jenkinson's Quakerhall Victory Jubilee JW.  Fit, balanced 10-year-old with lovely outline, very good angulation, good width & depth of chest, tight feet & up on her pasterns.  She had a beautiful feminine head with open eye and moved effortlessly.  BVIB.  2nd  Rodgers's Sh Ch Rojillair Evening Magic of Odarla JW.  I found all the same attributes in this bitch as in 1, just preferred one's shape & balance.  3rd  Pounds-Longhurst's Rosgar Dolly O'dare among Mossburn VW.

MINOR PUPPY (11,2):  1st  Mandley's Maltqudos Vanity Fayre.  Super 7-month-old with very good conformation & balance, well boned & well muscled for age.  She had a beautiful, feminine head & was the best mover in the class.  2nd  Jackson-Haines's Leighsham Legally Blonde.  Lovely baby, same age as 1 with a longer outline, slightly heavier head & less positive on the move.  3rd  Garbitt's Genmavor Penny To My Name.

PUPPY (15,5):  1st  Hewitson's Seruilia Society Girl.  2nd  Brown's Louellabrook Love Star.  Two 11-month-olds with very nice outlines, balance and very good angulation.  Both had width & depth of chest and enough muscle tone, and both moved with drive & reach.  I just preferred the expression of 1.  3rd  Sanderson's Orlagold Glamour Girl.

JUNIOR (8,1):  1st  Ball's Shearstone Live In The Dream at Fivelms.  Balanced, good-sized 14-month-old with very good angulation, correct topline, short coupled, well boned & well muscled.  She had a feminine head with correct eyeshape and flowed round the ring.  2nd  List's Haydengold Latest Gossip JW.  Another great mover with many of the same attributes as 1.  Just preferred the balance and head of 1.  3rd  Rains's Lillieslea Princess Elsa with Gunhills.

YEARLING (5,1):  1st Russell-Bond's Rosinante Guinevere JW.  Beautifully balanced 22-month-old with super outline, excellent conformation, depth & width in chest and well muscled.  She had a melting expression and drove round the ring effortlessly.  2nd  Clarkson's Drumkilty Nollaig Shona JW.  Fit & balanced with very good conformation, she also moved very well.  Just preferred the shape and head of 1.  3rd  Rees's Drumkilty Merry And Bright for Catenae JW.

SP BEGINNERS (10,3):  1st  Ball's S Live In The Dream at F.  2nd  Buckles's Brazenbeacon Artemis.  Balanced 16-month-old with good angulation, well muscled & a bit narrower in chest.  She had a pretty head with correct eyeshape & moved well.  3rd  Sanderson's O Glamour Girl.

NOVICE (10,2):  1st  Ball's S Live In The Dream at F.  2nd  Hewitson's S Society Girl.  3rd  Brown's L Love Star.

GRADUATE (9,2):  1st  Magson's Castlegolden Classy Girl JW.  Very balanced 2-year-old with very good angulation & lovely outline.  Well muscled, tight feet & up on her pasterns.  She had a beautiful head with gentle expression & moved very well with drive & reach.  2nd  Robbins & Rowark's Brekswood Honey Bee JW.  Very similar, but not quite the outline or expression of 1.  She too moved very well.  3rd  Russell-Bond's Rosinante Here We Go Again JW.

POST GRADUATE (11,2):  1st  List's Haydengold Gossip Girl JW.  2nd  White's Wildbryher Snow Bear at Forbendale.  Both had superb outlines, very good angulation front & rear, very good fronts and were very balanced.  Both had feminine heads with gentle expressions & both moved very well.  1 was in better coat.  3rd  Crookes & Jenkinson's Thornywait Royal Story for Quakerhall JW.

LIMIT (15,3):  1st  McDonald's Lamancha Question The Truth ShCEx.  Mature, very balanced 5-year-old with very good conformation, excellent outline, tight feet and well muscled.  She had a beautiful head with correct eyeshape, giving that soft expression.  She moved effortlessly with drive & reach.  RCC.  2nd  Turner's Amilone Pinkster (AI).  A strong, well-muscled 5-year-old, longer in the back, with excellent front angulation.  She had a feminine but more domed head and also moved very well.  3rd  Drury's Bencoe Book Of Time.

OPEN (16,6):  1st  Mell's Sh Ch Sansue Love Actually at Meloak.  This 4-year-old epitomised balance with no exaggeration, elegance with strength, and effortless movement.  Her excellent conformation was matched by her muscle tone and super head & expression.  CC & although a little lacking in coat BOB.  2nd  Clarkson's Sh Ch Drumkilty Yours Truly JW.  Another beautiful bitch, slightly lacking in maturity against the Open and Limit winners, & I just preferred their heads.  3rd  Archibald's Sh Ch/Ir Sh Ch Abinvale Arrieta (AI).

G. C. D. SCHEME (6,0):  1st  Ball's S Live In The Dream at F.  2nd  Riley's Jasrolyn Doe Ray Me among Wylloh JW.  Balanced, well angulated 2-year-old.  Pretty head with correct eyeshape and moved with drive & reach.  3rd  Clunie's Warrentor Abilene JW.