Northern Counties Whippet Club

Northern Counties Whippet Club

Sunday 13th April 2025

Many thanks to the Officers and Committee for their kind invitation to judge dogs at their Platinum Anniversary double championship show celebrations. It was particularly enjoyable to judge alongside my mother who officiated over the bitches and it was as much to my surprise, as to many ringside I’m sure, that we didn’t require the referee once in our final decisions! Judging is so much easier when you have experienced stewards who let you focus on nothing but the dogs and I had this in Dave and Jane Howarth, so thank you! It has been almost 4 years since I judged dogs and if I am completely honest, the overall quality in this entry on the day was not as good as last time. That being said, Open Dog is currently a very strong class with today being no exception, and I was extremely pleased with my CC and RCC winners, who in agreement with the bitch judge, became BIS and RBIS.

Veteran Dog (7,2)

1. Myers & Pilkington’s Supeta’s Show And Tell Astrazone. Fawn brindle parti. This boy headed a decent class to start the day. I must admit that he was one of my pleasant surprises of the day and impressed with his smoothness upon handling and absolute soundness and accuracy on the move up and down. Long neck into very smooth and well laid shoulders. Excellent underline for a male but perhaps slopes off a bit in topline and has maximum hind angulation. He is absolutely sound up and back and covers the ground in profile, holding a better outline on the move. BVD.

2. Price’s Ch Wheelspin Silver Shadow. Fawn white trim. This male has an undoubted quality about him and is very good to go over. Lovely coat and skin. Pleasing head with a typical expression, and fine ears. He too has an excellent neck into shoulder and a very balanced upper arm. Lovely bone, pasterns and feet. Good curves to his top and underline, though I felt these could have been smoother. Would prefer stronger hocks and today, he didn’t quite have the purpose or stride of 1 on the move.

3. Russell’s Glantam Genesis at Arjuna.

Minor Puppy Dog (3)

1. Morland, Yeates & Winter’s Zoraden Midlife Crisis TAF. Red fawn white trim. 7 months. Still a raw baby but the most together out of the 3 today. Quite a moderate dog all through with a well proportioned frame to develop into and balanced fore and aft. Lovely dark pigment and bright expression. Better in front than 2 with good layback of shoulder, excellent return of upper arm and good pasterns. Super underline but can develop in topline slightly. Front movement still needs to settle but has true rear movement and goes with a balanced stride in profile.

2. Fleming’s Watergrove Wanders. Blue fawn brindle. More rangey type of dog and covers plenty of ground. Long head with good strength of under jaw and fine, well-shaped ears. Long neck and fairly well laid shoulders, though could be marginally smoother and needs slightly more return of upper arm. Shapely topline. Just needs time, which he has, to finish off in body and settle in front movement. He has super drive from the rear and a long stride in profile, holding his outline. Good job by his young handler.

3. Mallinson’s Edenwhip Oregano.

Puppy Dog (12,1)

1. Poole, Winkley-Balmer & Winkley’s Shulune Thrills N’ Spills for Edenwhip. Red brindle white trim. Very scopey male with places to go and good proportions. Lovely head and expression held on a long neck. A well made front with lovely curves to top and underline, just needs to drop a touch more in chest to complete a very nice outline. Good spring of rib. Maximum rear but has good width of thigh and stands square. True front movement, a touch close in the rear, a sound and collected profile stride holding his outline. I would prefer a better tail set and carriage. BPD.

2. Coulter & Craig’s Collooney Huckleberry. Red and white parti. Dark eye and pigment with a pleasing expression, though would prefer less width of skull. Long neck and very smooth, well laid shoulders, super return of upper arm and neat, tucked in elbows. Flowing curves to his outline with excellent depth. A bit too much rear. Sound up and back and a free and balanced stride in profile. Would prefer a touch more length of leg for ideal proportions and a little more refinement all through for my taste.

3. Luther & Buckland’s Tervanty Dragon Master. I loved almost everything about this dog and I was gutted, quite frankly, that he was not confident enough to be handled fully on the table. His movement is truly a joy with a degree of ease and suppleness to his action so seldom seen. Such long, low and free strides in profile, at all times completely holding his outline. He is bound for a champion title once he gains some more confidence, he certainly would have contended for a green and white card today.

Junior Dog (6,1)

1. Perkins & Van Der Schaaf’s Silkridge Black Cavier. Black with white trim. A racy and scopey male, with a clean and smooth series of curves throughout. Preferred his grace of outline over 2. He is of excellent proportions and stands over himself very well. Lovely length and strength of neck and well set into shoulders, super return of upper arm and ideal bone. Needs to settle slightly in front movement coming towards still but very pleasing, easy movement when viewed from the rear and side; admired his carriage a lot, completely holding his outline on the move. Both 1 & 2 are title worthy.

2. Wheeler’s First Class Soulad by Ranveli. Red/black brindle. Another super male, great size, all of a piece and so balanced in angulation. Loved his head, dark eyes and pigment, and neat ears. Well arched neck and excellent front construction. Enough curves for a male, if not quite as smooth or held as well on the move as 1. Long, low and balanced profile stride.

3. Samaria & Bridgman’s Nevedith Hi Jack.

Yearling Dog (5,2)

1. Morris, Waddell & Spademan’s Southpoint Who Whom Whose from Crosscop (Imp) NAF. Elegant red fawn male. A little tall but still has the correct proportions, just needs time to fill into his frame as seems to be going through a teenager stage at present. Long masculine head held on a long neck. Quite moderate in his angulation fore and aft. Has shape to top and underline, with a lovely short loin and smooth croup. Sound mover up and down but could give a little more in profile.

2. Russell’s Longmire The Lark Ascending to Arjuna. Black fawn brindle. An elegant and good sized male with lovely curves and smooth lines. Absolutely balanced in angulation. Feet a little cat-like. Moved true in the rear and fairly sound in front but lacked the stride and fluidity in profile of 1 today. Close decision.

3. Spicer’s Jothryn Parti Time.

Maiden Dog (4,1)

1. Lloyd’s Penwincoed Mr Magoo. Good for size and has just enough substance to maintain masculinity, which I preferred over 2, but lacks the ideal elegance and smooth curves of a Whippet. Well balanced, masculine head with a typical expression. Needs to body up and carry slightly more weight to ‘finish off’ his outline. Most sound coming and going in the class.

2. Blenkarn’s Crosscop Happy Valley of Hareghyll. Too tall and strong but he has the lovely smooth curves to his outline lacking in 1. Long neck and very well laid, smooth shoulder and decent return of upper arm. Pleasing depth and spring of rib. Not overdone behind, but stands a bit weak in the hock. Unable to match 1 in any direction on the move.

3. Martin’s Crosscop Waterloo.

Novice Dog (6,1)

1. Howgate & Hull’s Palmik Never Too Late. Good sized male, very curvy and elegant. Long head and lovely ears, correct eyes and expression. Smooth neck into shoulder and has excellent return of upper arm, standing well over himself. Has curves to his outline in all departments but his topline could be firmer at times. Excellent width of thigh in his rear. Would like him more true and settled in rear movement, but covers the ground very well in profile with easy strides.

2. Murton’s Cyangrange Carpe Diem. A tall but well proportioned male, if not quite the curves of 1. Has a beautiful head and expression, long neck into smooth shoulders. He just needs time to develop in body, particularly in forechest to make his front more true, both standing and moving. Free profile mover.

3. Stuart’s Hologem Moonlove for Boskenna.

Special Beginners Dog (12,2)

1. Brooks’ Collooney For Your Eyes Only JW. Silver fawn brindle. Lovely quality boy of a nice size and substance. Beautiful head and expression. Long neck set so smoothly into shoulder, excellent front construction all through. In good body and has time to develop some more curves to his outline. Has width moving up and down and does cover ground in profile, I would just prefer his overall action to be more relaxed and fluid.

2. Luther & Buckland’s Tervanty Dragon Master. See 3rd Puppy Dog.

3. Barkas’ Citycroft Fred Astaire.

Graduate Dog (6,1)

1. 1st Special Beginners Dog.

2. 1st Novice Dog.

Post Graduate Dog (8,1)

1. Winkley-Balmer & Winkley’s Edenwhip Call Me At Night. Fawn with white trim. Excellent proportions and curves throughout. A bit too strong in head for my preference but admired his fine ears. Strong neck of enough length, excellent front angulation, particularly pleasing to see such length and return of upper arm. Short, strong loin. Maximum hind angulation but uses it very well on the move. Very balanced in his stride with low front reach. Lots of qualities, perhaps just not the raciness for my taste.

2. Martin’s Bowdonia Go The Distance for Stalwart JW. Fawn black brindle. Another who was a bit strong in head, though it is balanced. Long neck and fairly well laid shoulders but could have more return of upper arm. Lovely smooth curves to top and underline. Super rear and uses it well on the move though his stride is not quite as free and balanced as 1.

3. Whitehead & Smith’s Lancar Dream Quartz Stone of Citycroft (Imp).

Mid-Limit Dog (8,2)

1. Grisoli’s Loroli Devil’s Stone. Black brindle with white trim. An undoubtedly masculine male. Solid, all of a piece and well made all through. Beautiful head, masculine and excellent strength of under jaw. Long neck and smooth shoulders, excellent return of upper arm. Lovely underline, just enough topline for a male. Moderate rear, scoring over 2, with super width of thigh. A very purposeful mover covering good ground, just lacked the precision and fluidity of my main winners.

2. Poole, Morris & Waddell’s Falconcrag Match Maker at Crosscop. Fawn with white trim. Lovely quality to this male, a nice size and has plenty smooth curves. Typical head and expression, super length of neck. Very good front construction. Stands true on quality bone, with correct spring of pastern and feet. Excellent underline. Maximum hind angulation. Dead sound up and down on the move, but not moving with the drive and purpose of 1, and tended to flatten over the loin a little.

3. Parkes & McKay’s Jubrancy Spring Vacation.

Limit Dog (10,2) Not one of the most impressive Limit Dog classes I have seen and very mixed making it quite difficult to sort out.

1. Akerboom & Van Der Schaaf’s Emandoria Dazzling Diplomat for Crème Anglaise. Quite a scopey dog and only young. He stands over good ground and covers it well in profile too. Masculine head and pleasing expression, with small ears. Scored very well in neck and front construction. Would like some more shape over his topline. His front coming towards lets him down on the move but his profile action is very impressive. Super drive from the rear with long, low strides and excellent carriage.

2. Jones’ Jothryn Johnny Be Good JW. Lemon black brindle. Quality male of a good size but quite different to 1 in terms of proportions, I would prefer him to have some more length in the body. Beautiful head, dark eyes and melting expression. Has very good angulation of shoulder and upper arm but stands a little pinned in at the elbow. Super topline and hindquarters. In excellent condition. A very active mover, sound in all directions, would just prefer some more scope on the move.

3. Metcalfe’s Aarminias Dance Like A Dafty.

Open Dog (7,1)

1. Wheeler’s Ch Ranveli Diki Diki. Lemon brindle with white trim. An absolutely beautiful male, full of class and quality. For me, he is of the ideal strength which is coupled with absolute elegance and grace of outline, contributing to a unique finesse that he has about him. Most handsome head, with delightful eyes and pigment. Absolutely lovely to go over, so smooth with everything flowing throughout. An excellent mover, true action up and down with good width, and ground covering, low and easy strides in profile. I only wish that he had a slightly better carriage about him, but nonetheless, I think he is an outstanding example of the breed. My CC winner and in agreement with the bitch judge, Best in Show.

2. Winkley-Balmer & Poole’s Ch Edenwhip Can I Be Him. Fawn with white trim. Another superb and honest male who is full of type and quality. He is all of a piece and of excellent proportions with super length of leg. Very well made throughout and has curves in all the right places, even if his whole outline did not quite have the grace and smoothness of 1. Really impressive on the move, he is so active in profile covering the ground with low and free strides, whilst having excellent footfall on the up and down. A pleasure to award the RCC.

3. Perkins & Van Der Schaaf’s Ch Crème Anglaise’s Just Julian with Silkridge.

Mr L A Johnston