Blackpool & District Canine Society

Spaniel (Cocker)

I was thrilled to be invited to judge at this prestigious show. Thank you to the Blackpool Championship Show Committee members for their hospitality. The weather forecast was suggesting that this was to be the hottest day of the year, with dire warnings. Sensibly some exhibitors stayed at home which affected the absentee rate on the day. In the event, the morning was warm, but pleasant with a breeze. We managed to judge all the dog classes in an outside ring. Then the heavens opened, and it rained! Bitches were judged under cover. The tent was open at both sides with a breeze keeping us cool. However the inside ring was small and dark, which may have affected the placings. There were some wonderful cockers to judge, and I was most pleased with my winners.

Minor Puppy Dog

Entries: 5 Absentees: 3

1ST Glowhill Hot Toddie (Mrs J E Mitchell) Masculine headed, compactly built seven month blue roan puppy of great promise. Good angles front and back, firm loin and well muscled quarters. Moved nicely.

 2ND Trinitron Columbia (Miss A & Mr B Smith & Mcqueen) Immature blue baby of six months. Nice feet. Currently at the legs and wings stage in coat and body. Shows promise.

Puppy Dog

Entries: 1 Absentees: 1

Junior Dog

Entries: 11 Absentees: 0

1ST Ryallcourt Grand Slam (ai) (Ms P Whitehead) Most striking, young, lightly marked black and white, with coat of a silky texture. Mature for his13 months. Typical head, with deep muzzle of a length that equalled the length of skull. Long, low set ears. Grand Slam presented a square outline. His balanced angulation enabled efficient, sound movement with a lashing tail. A merry cocker. CC.

 2ND Oktumi Opportunity with Worlewood NAF (Mr A & Mrs E Murray) Dark blue dog of quality. I loved his deep padded feet. Strong neck leading to well angulated shoulders. Short deep well-ribbed body, with substance and a firm loin. Enough turn of stifle to enable muscular quarters. Excellent mover. Unlucky to meet 1 today.

 3RD Whinburn Dearg Aurora (Mrs W C Bodzak)

Yearling Dog

Entries: 4 Absentees: 2

1ST Lynwater Mad Hatter at Quattrozampe (Mrs F & Mr A Sewell & Hunt) This lovely-headed orange dog got his act together and moved so much better than in the previous class. Straight front. Short, deep and square. Balanced angulation. Had the silky coat typical of the oranges.

 2ND Chativore Ocean Commotion (Mrs S Gladman) Nicely marked blue dog of excellent type. Good substance. Topline sloping gently down to set-on of tail. Typical head and eye with soft expression. Moved OK.

Graduate Dog

Entries: 6 Absentees: 2

1ST Galibar Goldeneye (Miss C Jarvis) I really liked this attractive well-coated red. Silky, and really shining in the sun. He was masculine in head, with soft expression and well-placed ears. Firm deep body. I liked his feet, but would have taken a bit more hair off them. Moved well with drive.

 2ND Quettadene Stars Aligned over Bordacity JW (Ms S Watson) Very compact, shiny-coated black. Excelled in legs and tight, thick feet. I thought that he needed to develop more in skull and foreface to look more the part. Moved OK

3RD Plaiglen Follow That Bike to Scapafield (Mrs J F Wiggins)

Post Graduate Dog

Entries: 3 Absentees: 0

1ST Oktumi Star Chaser (Mrs Lm & Mr G Jones) Standing four square on good legs and feet, this lightly marked blue, presented a balanced picture. I would have preferred a deeper, squarer foreface. However he won the class on his sound driving movement, handled on a loose lead. Well done.

 2ND Canyonn Black Caviar JW (Miss D & Mrs S Young) Big-ribbed, compact, black dog. Super head. Correct topline, falling gently over the croup to set-on of tail. Looked to have a difficult coat. Sound.

 3RD Jennobar Greatest Showman (Miss C Nutter)

Mid Limit Dog

Entries: 4 Absentees: 1

1ST Aisza Figaro for Laurellakes (Mrs D Bindza) One of the dogs on the day that will stay longest in my memory. An exuberant liver dog, which despite the heat gave everything. Attractive head. Fantastic feet and bone. Deep body, short and firm in loin. In glorious well-looked-after coat he really looked the part. Well done.

 2ND Laurellakes Are You Reddy (Mrs G Kent) A red dog with a very attractive head, kind eye and gentle expression. Nicely trimmed jacket showed him off to advantage. Maybe slightly longer cast than the winner, he made up for it by moving with good extension and drive on a loose lead.

 Limit Dog

Entries: 5 Absentees: 2

1ST Totenkopf Dutch Devotion (C V K & R Flowers) Pleasing black with a stunning outline, gleaming in the sun in his wonderfully presented jacket. Strong in head. Powerful neck leading to good layback of shoulder. Deep, very short body, standing on well-boned legs, and tight, neat feet. Got his act together by moving soundly and with confidence on a loose lead. Good dog.

 2ND Crimicar Indigo Magic to Holchancer (Mr S A Holland) Sweet-headed light blue dog, in wonderful coat and condition. For me, perhaps a little stuffy in neck, and more upright in angulation in shoulders and quarters, than the optimum. Despite this his handler got the best out of him, and he went well.

 3RD Chativore Winter Solstice (Mr N & Mrs J Marsden)

Open Dog

Entries: 3 Absentees: 1

1ST Sh Ch Lindridge Front Runner (Mrs A P Hackett) What a privilege to get my hands on this great dog! A lightly-marked orange and white of five years, in his prime. His soft, gentle expression melts your heart. He stands on well-boned legs and the neatest of feet. The most compact of bodies, deep in brisket, and short of loin. This dog has tremendous substance, and for me, today, he was carrying some excess weight. Despite this he gave his all, moving so soundly for his clever handler. Res. CC.

 2ND Wilmerella Highlander JW (Mr R & Mrs S L Williams) What an attractive blue dog! Nicely balanced head with deep stop, a kind eye, and confident expression. His steel-blue, perfectly presented, jacket fits like a glove. Straight front, and prominent forechest. You could drop a plumb line from the top of his well-laid shoulder, through his elbow, straight through to his good feet. Deep body. Strong firm loin, powerful quarters, and excellent sound movement.

 Veteran Dog

Entries: 1 Absentees: 0

1ST Chativore Winter Solstice (Mr N & Mrs J Marsden) Heavily coated, seven year old blue dog enjoying his day in the sun, and wagging his tail with great gusto, saying, “Look at me!”

Minor Puppy Bitch

Entries: 6 Absentees: 2

1ST Glowhill Candy Corn (Mrs J E Mitchell) Delightful seven month blue star-in-the-making. Of course the head needs to mature and develop, but everything else is in the right place, and just right for her age. Super feet.

 2ND Classagh's Footsteps to Chativore (Mrs S Gladman) Very pretty light blue roan puppy same age as 1. Not the angulation yet of 1., but she gained in confidence during her time in the ring, and moved well.

 3RD Hush Peggy Sue (Mrs N Hook)

Puppy Bitch

Entries: 8 Absentees: 4

1ST Manchela Soul Sister (Mr M J & Mr M F Masters & Dott) Feminine dark blue of great quality. At ten months old she has already developed in body, with depth, good spring of rib, and short firm loin. My notes say, “Super mover!”

 2ND Milalder Breeze of Grace (Mrs S L Tomlinson) This nine month old black and white was of a completely different type to 1. Looked heavier in head, perhaps because of her marking on both cheeks, and over her eyes, but nevertheless, an attractive little bitch. Lovely feet. Precise, sound, mover.

 3RD Laveris Dream Design (Miss A Vere)

Junior Bitch

Entries: 11 Absentees: 0

1ST Manchela Sister Sledge (Mr M J & Mr M F Masters & Dott) Ten months - like her litter sister in the previous class. It would be so easy just to write, “Same remarks apply.” Which of course they do! This youngster has a head and expression to melt your heart. Again, well developed in body, and perfectly presented. This exhibitor has learnt from the last time he came under me, that I like them to move. And so Sister Sledge did, covering the ground with reach and drive on a loose lead, to head this wonderful class. Just lovely.

2ND Bitcon Take A Chance for Wyndsmoor (Mr B Williams) Stockier in outline than 1., yet this bitch is very pretty, of good type, and is typical of her breeding. Appealing head, eye and expression, and correct, balanced angulation fore and aft. By the end of the class she had got her act together on the move.

3RD Lochellan Pure Kaos (Miss C & Mrs G Clelland)

Yearling Bitch

Entries: 3 Absentees: 0

1ST Glantraeth Ovation to Oktumi (Mr M K Wildman) Freestanding, free moving, this very feminine exhibit is put down in perfect condition. Short and square this happy bitch lashed her tail both standing and on the move. In the challenge for the ticket, I didn’t think that she matched the layback of shoulder of the ticket winner. But Miss Ovation is very lovely.

 2ND Plaiglen Biker Babe to Helenwood JW (Mrs J H Marris-Bray) Quality black, more substantially built that than 1. She too is very pretty in head, with a soft expression. Short and cobby, I loved her outline. She moved well despite her handler not having his best lead!

 3RD Valefell Frosty Starlight (Mrs D Fairhurst)

Graduate Bitch

Entries: 11 Absentees: 4

1ST Manchela Little Mermaid of Annaside JW (Mr P & Mrs M Davies) Almost two years old Little Mermaid appears to be maturing nicely. Attractive foreface. Matching, slightly domed skull. Low set ears. Deep in body and short in loin, she has an attractive square outline. Her topline is level, only sloping at the croup to the tailset. She showed well, and moved freely. Well handled.

 2ND Milalder Lady Madonna (Mrs S L Tomlinson) Good coated light blue with a very pretty head and foreface. Big ribbed with a good depth of body, she moved happily and soundly.

 3RD Pendledell Mia Tesorino (Mrs J Henderson)

Post Graduate Bitch

Entries: 11 Absentees: 2

1ST Canyonn Classic Vision JW (Miss D & Mrs S Young) The exhibit that I would have taken home. So aptly named. In my mind Classic Vision took me back forty years. This perfect-sized classic black cocker, combined quality without weediness, and substance without cloddiness. Her strong neck flows into sloping shoulders. Her back is short. Her topline is level. She has neat feet. And she moves merrily. Well handled. What’s not to like?

 2ND Annaside You Are My Sunshine (Mr P & Mrs M Davies) This lovely red really did bring sunshine into a darkened tent with rain tipping down outside! Wonderful well cared-for tight golden jacket, with feathering of a lighter shade. Pretty head. Matching angulation front and back. Deep, short body. Powerful, well-muscled quarters. This was a wonderful class.

 3RD Laurellakes It’s A Miracle (Mrs D Bindza)

Mid Limit Bitch

Entries: 5 Absentees: 1

1ST Kyna Touch of Magic to Holchancer (Mr S A Holland) Blue roan cocker in tip-top coat and condition. Sweet, feminine, balanced head with typical expression. Touch of Magic conjured up for me the lovely outline of a true, square, deep-ribbed cocker, with neat feet. Well laid shoulders, and a good turn of stifle gave width to the quarters enabling this lovely bitch to go really well. Well handled.

 2ND Annaside Winter’s Moon (Mr P & Mrs M Davies) Two blue bitches of quality, with little to separate them. I am sure that they will change places on many occasions.

 3RD Wensum Let's Dance JW (Mrs B M Ward)

Limit Bitch

Entries: 10 Absentees: 2

1ST Glowhill Chiquitita (Mrs J E Mitchell) A blueprint - pun intended. If I were to talk about our breed at a seminar, this is the cocker I would use to illustrate the standard. Totally without exaggeration, this workmanlike bitch has nothing to hide. What you see is what you get – lovely head and expression, square body, adequate angulation fore and aft, enough coat, and is a very merry mover. This is the bitch from the entry today that I would most like to take shooting. Res. CC.

 2ND Inverella Mistletoe Kiss (Mr M & Mrs M Lawrie) I loved this black. As a former breeder of blacks I had to be impressed by her flat coat, and her perfect presentation. Very pretty, short and compact, this clever, newish breeder has stamped his type already on the breed. However her movement was stilted. She was “pitty-patting” and going nowhere. Her handler, a big man, was taking short steps to match her. I suggested he increased his pace and his stride, and try her on a loose lead. The transformation was immediate. This cocker became a gundog worthy of the name. Well done.

 3RD Wensum Dancing in The Dark JW (Mrs B M Ward)

Open Bitch

Entries: 8 Absentees:

1ST Sh Ch Zheridons Blanche (Mr D C & Mr M D Todd & Rahman) This very beautiful red bitch proved herself as sound as a pound as she did her triangle. I suggested then that she be allowed to “go and flow”. This powerpack cocker became Miss Duracell. As she floated effortlessly around the ring, my non-cocker-folk stewards were astounded that a cocker could move with such drive and grace. We could have watched her all day. What can I add to what has been written about this remarkable cocker? Well, I just loved her substance, and her thickly padded, true cocker feet! CC, Best of Breed, and Gundog Group.

 2ND Oktumi Painted in Diamonds for Jernito (Mrs J Nolan) Very feminine blue, which had to be unlucky to meet the winner on the day. Well built, well presented, and such a happy little dog.

 3RD Riondel Solitaire (Miss C Morris)

Veteran Bitch

Entries: 4 Absentees: 1

1ST Wintonia Hidden Gem at Quattrozampe VW (Mrs F Sewell) Eight years old in her prime. Sturdy, mature, and very pretty dark blue. Short and well angulated with muscular quarters. Moved well.

 2ND Misperros Sophia Loren (Mrs J & Mrs M Fairbairn & Madigan) Seven year old blue.in excellent coat and condition. Sturdy neck, (she could carry a pheasant no problem). Compact body, with good angulation both ends. Moved OK.

 3RD Annaside's New Moon (Miss C Nutter)

John Irwin (Judge)