Crufts

CRUFTS 2025 Labrador Bitches An honour and thrill to judge this wonderful entry of bitches. The referee was needed as both Linda and I thought very highly of our respective CC winners. She chose the dog, a top winner, who went on to do the breed well with group 3. Congratulations. Very pleased with my final line up, and 3 or 4 who could have taken the top honours. Heads mixed, some very square and without the soft kind expression we want. One of my main concerns was the very mixed movement, from pin toeing to flappy front feet. And lack of padding, giving flat splayed feet. On the positive, very few overweight, and most in good and fit condition. VB (29,9a) A lovely class of veterans, all in good condition and still, even the oldest, moving well, and enjoying their day out. 1ST - Sh Ch A Sense of Pleasures Yvli at Alkhamhurst (Mrs M A Woodley). Black of 9 years. Classic feminine head with good eye shape and colour. Clean correct neck, leading into level topline and tailset, she has length of body and leg, that gives her balance, well angled front and rear, good bone and feet. Moves very freely and straight. In excellent coat and condition. BVIB. 2ND - Kiss Me Quick Sykstus of Labgold (Mrs Pastusiak). Another black, 8 years. Close up to 1. Well balanced feminine head, flows from her clean neck into level topline and tailset, well angulated front and hindquarters. Adequate bone, good feet. In good coat. Moved well. 3RD - Sh Ch Jancet Aurora (Mrs E A Peggs) MPB (0,0) PB (17,3) Mixed class, surprised to find one bad mouth, mixed heads, not sure how they will develop, and movement poor. 1ST - Rocheby String of Gems (Mrs D M Hopkinson). Yellow, just 9 months, with a steady easy attitude. Typical head, with good eye shape and pigment. Beautifully put together, as always from this kennel, well constructed, with good front, and not over angled hindquarters, for her age and growing, she held a level topline and tailset. Correct coat. Steady easy mover. 2ND - Marchurch Solstice Kiss (Miss E Manning). Yellow, 10 months. Very similar and close up (then see she is sired by a relative of 1). Sweet feminine head, good eye shape, similar comments to 1, regarding conformation, she is slightly more mature in body, has good bone and moved very well. Both the above show promise to go on and do well. 3RD - Talard Whirlwind (Mr A, Mrs L & Miss T Douglas) JB (24,3) An interesting class, with some very nice youngsters at different levels of maturity. 1ST - Noelany Wonder Woman (Ms M V Demireva). Chocolate, with pleasing head, good eye shape and colour, strong clean neck, into well made front, layback of shoulder, well sprung ribs and deep body, not overweight, powerful hindquarters, well angled. Otter tail, and in full coat of good colour. Moved well, when she settled. Unfortunately she was beaten in her next class so missed out on challenge. 2ND - Balladoole Black Lace (Miss K Druggan). Black with a lovely head and expression, unlucky to meet 1. Excellent construction front and rear with depth to thighs, giving power. Level topline and tailset. Excellent bone and tight feet. Easy straight mover. Would like her to make a little more of herself to really draw the eye. 3RD - Noelany Winter Queen (Ms M V Demireva) YB (30,3) Wow! Fabulous class, had to really nitpick. Some really lovely young bitches here. Needed to do a couple of shortlists. 1ST - Sh Ch Farnfield Partridge (Mr R A S Stafford). Black who looked in fabulous coat and condition today. Beautiful head and expression, correct balance all through, with good neck leading into well laid shoulders and front angles. Level topline, with balanced depth and length of body. Otter tail. Strong powerful hindquarters which she uses to move with drive and extension. Excels in bone, good tight feet. Delighted to award her the RCC. 2ND - Alkhamhurst London Girl (Mrs M A Woodley). Black. Unlucky to meet 1. She has a balanced head and lovely expression, very well constructed, slightly shorter than 1, but with good angles front and rear, level top and tail.She moves out easily but not quite the front extension of 1. In good coat and condition. Shows well, with a look at me attitude. 3RD - Noelany Wonder Woman (Ms M V Demireva) UGB (38,9) A very mixed class, at least 3 incorrect bites, 1 not sound, and movement poor in some cases. Had to make several cuts 1ST - Kimbajak Flirty Gerty (Ms C M Edwards). Yellow with sweet head. Very feminine. Good neck and reasonable front, level topline and good body depth. Good hind angulation. Well set tail, adequate bone, feet ok. In good coat and condition, moved straight and freely. 2ND - Exelby Elizabeth (Miss A Gunn). Yellow with sweet head and expression. Lovely type, not as good in front as 1. Good depth of body and spring of rib. Correct hind angles. Good bone, in good coat. Moved well. 3RD - Cornishwater Springtide (Mr W & Mrs P Hosking) GB (19,1) 1ST - Rumhill Bossy Boots JW (Ms C Boulden). Chocolate, plenty strong enough in head. Powerful through neck and well made front. Has a length of body, into well set thick tail. Can stand a bit long at times. Scores in hindquarters which allows her to drive forward with decent front extension. Has good bone and feet. Moves straight. In good coat. 2ND - Diva Mera Vallis Pl J Ch (Anna Krutelewicz). Chocolate, a little strong in head, prefer more softness. Again deep through body, good front and rear angles, good bone and feet. Moved well. In good coat and condition. Close up to 1. 3RD - Buckholt Jessie Jennifer (Mrs F Mount) PGB (16,3) 1ST - Bellamar Love Me Do JW (Ms M & Mrs B & Mr M Glaister & Bordacs & Bordacs). Black in excellent coat and condition, allowing her to stand out in this class. Feminine head, good eye shape and colour. Powerful short coupled body, with good angles front and not over angulated hindquarters. Level topline and tail straight off. Well developed hindquarters. Good bone and feet. Moved our well. 2ND - Foxrush Joyfull JW (Mr P & Mrs E I Collins). Yellow that has to be gone over to appreciate, she has a lovely head and very kind expression, correct neck into well made front, level topline into tail, which she used very gently, well angled and developed hindquarters, carrying right amount of weight. In good coat. Moved straight and steadily. 3RD - Steeleigh Heaven Sent (Mrs L Lesley) MLB (15,0) 1ST - Binnaig Buppsala JW (Ms C Campbell). Black with beautiful head, balanced, and good eye shape, using her ears to advantage. Strong clean neck into well set shoulders, has good length of body, with level topline and well set tail. Correctly angled, developed hindquarters. In good coat, moved out and showed well. 2ND - Darrabol Amphitrite with Allenie (ai) JW (Mr I & Mrs B, Mr G & Mrs L Ganney, Allen & Hess). Yellow of completely different type, but has a very feminine balanced head, is well constructed with correct length of neck into good shoulder placement and top. Well angled hindquarters. Adequate bone. In good coat and condition. Moves out straight and steadily. 3RD - Baileydale Hello Sailor JW (Mr A & Mrs J Metcalfe) LB (24,6) 1ST - Aldamity One Love (Mrs D Bartosova). One of my finds of the day. Yellow, with lovely balanced feminine head, correct eye shape and colour. Strong neck into good lay of shoulders, good ribs, short coupled, correct hindquarters and angles, good bone and tight feet. Very typey. Excellent mover, covering the ground straight and true. Considered her very highly in the challenge. 2ND - Wynfaul New Years Eve JW (Mrs M A Percival). Black who was unlucky to meet 1 today, beautiful head and expression. Correct neck leading into good shoulder placement and front, deep through ribs and body, short coupled, held level topline into good tail. Correct bone and tight feet. Looking in good coat and condition. Moved out straight and with ease. 3RD - Balladoole Skyline (Miss K Druggan) OB (31,13) Fabulous class to judge, many lovely bitches had to go cardless. 1ST - Am Ch/can Ch Gofetch Peppermint Nob (Mr P & Ms C Coady & O'brien). As soon as I put my hands on, I said to myself, wow who is this? A black so well constructed, beautiful feminine head, with gentle expression and correct eye shape. Strong balanced body, with excellent front, lay of shoulder and angles. Good ribs, holding a level topline and correct tail, well developed and angled hindquarters. Good bone and feet. In tip top coat and condition, nothing in excess on this young lady. And then she moved, so straight and effortlessly with extension and drive front and rear. Gave me goosebumps awarding her the CC. She performed well in the challenge to take BOS on the referee. Thank you to her very sporting owners taking a chance and bringing her over from Canada. 2ND - Wynfaul Dancing Flame JW (Mrs M A Percival). Yellow who had to go well in this strong class, and she did. Kind feminine head, with gentle expression. She excels in body, with well angled front, well sprung ribs, otter tail. Well developed and angled hindquarters. Excellent bone all through, tight feet. In good coat and condition. Another who moves straight and very easily. Surely she makes up soon. 3RD - Int/ltu/est/lat/balt Ch Boogie Woogie Archipelago (Mr A. Breive). Another beautiful girl in this class, that was close up. Very similar remarks to the above. FTB (9,4) 1ST - Questeleet Persephone Dee (Mr G Lowe). Pale yellow, with a very sweet head, and expression, which was saying, what am I doing? She has good angles front and rear, adequate bone, nice tight feet, a little long in rib. Good correct coat. Moved straight and powerfully. Showed steadily. 2ND - Ffynongain Pearle (Mr P Grundy) darker yellow, balanced head, good eye shape and colour, well laid shoulders, light in bone, coat was adequate. Sweet disposition. Moved steadily. 3RD - Hephzibah Queen of The Night for Questeleet (Mr G Lowe) SWGB (23,5) Mixed class, but great to have so many with a working qualification. 1ST - Ch Warringah's Pippingarra JW Sgwc (Mr D Coode). Yellow of lovely type from this well known kennel. Balanced head with kind expression and good eye shape. She is well constructed from her clean neck into a spring of ribs, and good front and rear angles, has a length of body, well developed hindquarters. Right amount of bone, and good feet. And moved out straight and with purpose. 2ND - Int/multi Ch Fee Bee Fanny Alfa Sirius (Mrs Eč Černá). Black , close up to 1. Very typey. Lovely balanced head, good eye shape and colour, strong neck into well made front. Good spring of rib, deep through body, strong well developed hindquarters. Good bone. Moved well. 3RD - Leospring East Indie (Mr C Rose) GCB (23,6) 1ST - Sh Ch Kimbajak Miss Jazz Swinger JW (Ms C M Edwards). Stood away in this class, yellow with lovely head, correct eye shape and colour. Well constructed with clean neck, good front, ribs, topline and tailset. Well developed hindquarters, good bone. Moves straight and easily. Not overdone and in good coat and condition. 2ND - Exelby Elizabeth (Miss A Gunn) as per U/G 2nd. 3RD - Rochevale Palm Reader JW (Miss Z R Davis) Judge. Jackie Hodge