Crufts

Crufts 2025 Tervueren

A great privilege as a breed specialist to judge what was my first variety of Belgian Shepherds at Crufts. The breed has changed considerably in the four decades that I have been involved. Type has improved considerably with light eyes and shorter heads rareley seen. Temperament has also improved and I was able to handle all dogs. Construction however needs watching especially fronts.

VD (1/0) 1.Hermann & Macks Pliquette Blue Moon, 11 years old of moderate size and in super condition with a profuse coat of good texture. Skull could be flatter but with his ears up he has good parallel lines and good eye. Good rear angulation, and easy movement. Happy confident dog.

JD (1/0) 1.Church, Church & Monks Invanse Unapologetic ** 16 month well grown youngster who has a beautiful head. He has the combination of length of head with the correct balance of skull to muzzle, excellent chiselling, dark enquiring eye and fixed mask which come together to create a beautiful picture. Body wise he is short in back with balanced angulation, croup falls away. Excellent temperament.

PGD (4/0) 1. Potts Corsini Heart Breaker, four years old mature male with strong but balanced head, tall ears, good eye and expression, excellent pigment on lips and well split mouth. Rich red coat with heavy overlay. Square in body with good angulation, and the best front assembly in the class. Easy movement with excellent side action. 2. O’Donnells Fablehawk Farami, 22 month youngster who is still at the gangly stage and looked immature. He has a good length of head with reasonable chiselling, slightly faded mask. Eye of good shape and colour, tall ears well used. Liked his reach of neck and topline, good depth of chest but very narrow throughout. Good length of leg, pasterns need to strengthen, lovely outgoing character. 3. Craigs Hawksflight Wrap It Up*

LD. (4/0) 1. Bentley & Macandies Niavana Rambling Man, grey male of good size and substance, happy confident outgoing character. Excellent mask chiselling and pigment, well set ears, good topline, easy light movement, would like a little more leg for balance. 2. Browns Sezanne Love. Male of moderate size with a beautiful body shape, with good length of leg, defined withers, balanced angles and good tuck up. Head of sufficient length, excellent expression and good mask. Super temperament, and light movement. Would like a little more of him. 3. Elliott & Browns Sezanne Afire Love

OD. (9/2) 1.Snell, Smith and Lesters Ch Domburg Say I Can mature male of good substance and not overdone in any way. In profile he has that lovely arch of neck leading into defined wither, short back and good croup. He has a good depth of chest and tuck up with a length of leg that gives him the required elegance. He has a long head with good parallel lines and sufficient stop. Fixed mask and very good eye. His ears are tall but well used. Coat is rich and of correct texture with accentuated mane framing his head. He moved with ease and with a lovely sidegait. His temperament was excellent and I was interested to note that the BPIB was also his daughter. DCC

 2. YabsleysCh Domburg New Demand Pd’h tall, well built male who I admired for his fabulous construction. Another with a classic body, well arched neck and good length of leg. He has a heavy overlay, and coat of excellent length and texture. Eye of good colour and shape, ears are tall, well set and converge slightly. Friendly temperament and excellent movement. RCC 3. Churchs Ch Matylda’s Da Vinci at Invanse (Imp Esp)

GCD (4/0) 1. Yabsleys Ch Domburg New Demand Pd’h 2. Hodgsons Ch Domburg Verstappen Can for Ddalrus. Tall male with good body and pleasing length of leg, found him a little steep in upper arm. Liked his long lean head and excellent chiselling with dark expressive eye. His movement was very fast and slightly high stepping. 3. Elliott & Browns Sezanne Afire Love

VB (3/0) 1.Mclaren, Vandenbemden & Mcdonalds Ch Corsini Charisma BVIB, 9 years old, beautiful bitch of excellent breed type and very eye catching. Of moderate size she has an excellent body that is hard to fault. She has an excellent balance of skull to muzzle, fixed mask and lovely expression. Easy mover with typical light movement. RCC 2. Lewingtons Corsini Prelude , gray /fawn bitch, good length of head, skull could be flatter, excellent dark eye which shone with mischief, tall ears well used. Elegant neck and good shoulder, good topline, croup falls away, moved easily. 3. Pacarys Lux Ch Needyou Des Fauves Du Marais

PB. (3/1) 1.Lester, Smith, Preddy & Mackies Domburg Hawksflight Love Me Back, ten months old, well presented and full of bubbly personality. Very pretty youngster with fixed mask, excellent eye and ears set on high. She has a good body with balanced angulation, a good tailset and well let down hocks. Am sure will have a bright future.

2. Webbs Domburg All That Glitters, grey youngster with a lovely length of head and excellent parallel lines, tall ears well used. Good length of leg, pasterns need to strengthen. Today not in her best coat, angulations not quite balanced.

JB (1/0) 1. Burke & Maxwells Domburg Pure Joy for Tintigny, grey girl who is very pretty and striking with her fixed mask. Of moderate size and substance she has an excellent construction with a good topline, croup and tailset. She is very well muscled and moves with ease over the ground. Today not in coat but look forward to seeing her when she matures.

PGB (4/1) 1.Manders & Prattens Bergeau Happy Feeling for Kyann, Head of moderate length with classic mask, correctly placed eye of good colour giving excellent expression. Liked her overall shape and balance of body to leg length, reasonable neck into good shoulder, still a little narrow in front, excellent feet and pasterns. Today not in her best coat. 2. Cuddons Hawksflight Enigma of Ered, girl of good construction and breed type. Head of moderate proportions with well split mouth and good pigment. Ears well used but could be higher set. Would like a little more leg, moved soundly. 3. Pacarys Why Not Des Fauves Du Marais

LB. (8/3) 1. -Edwards & Bonds Chatmar Madam Butterfly, mature girl and I loved her shape, moderate length of head with defined mask and good parallel lines, excellent neck into good body with good height at withers and well developed front. Today she was full of beans and tended to throw her front when moving. Excellent temperament.

2. Prattens Bergeau Feels Like Home, very feminine girl who still looks immature for this class. She is tall on the leg with a long lean head, fixed mask, excellent parallel lines and well used ears. Currently a little narrow in front, good croup and tailset. 3. Mounceys Shepherds of Paradise Rich Girl

OB (7/2) 1. Mackie, Lester & Smiths Ch Domburg Made by Hawksflight, much has been written about this girl and she does not disappoint. So beautifully balanced, with square construction, height at the withers, and a gently arched neck, Moderate length of head with expressive eye and small ears that remain constantly alert. She never stops showing, never puts a foot wrong and is so sound. BCC and BOB

 2. Davies Ambrajai Eternal Dreams, grey girl who I last saw three years ago as a puppy and she has fulfilled her potential. She has a beautiful head with the correct balance of skull to muzzle, obliquely set enquiring eye and excellent chiselling. Her body is also excellent with flowing lines and good construction. Pushed hard for this class but was outshone by the winner. 3. Browns Ch Sezanne Fleur De Cristal TAF

GCB (2/0) 1.Bycrofts Niavana Odyssey , red girl with a moderate length of head, good parallel lines and typical eye. Ears broad at base and could be set higher, pleasing neck, a little straight in front. Good rib and topline. 2. Lewingtons Corsini Prelude

Deborah Penniston Fleming (judge)