Crufts

Crufts

Pekingese

I very much enjoyed this appointment, one which came as just as much of a surprise to me as it no doubt did to you! Thanks to our efficient & friendly stewards.

Bearing in mind the points of concern attributed to the breed, I was delighted to find that heavy breathing was not a significant issue today. Breeders have done a good job in aiming for a more moderately sized eye but at the same time retaining the expression which is so much a part of breed character.

Fronts, as ever, varied considerably. I am sure that people from more ‘conventional’ breeds have no idea how hard it is to produce a perfect front in a breed such as a Peke, combining all the elements such as heavy bone, large, flat feet, the correct amount of bow round a wide chest & especially firm elbows. To get all these together, resulting in a dog that stands true on its legs, is quite an achievement, so well done to those who have managed to do so.

I am well aware of the differing opinions on coats. Personally I appreciate glamorous fringing & a distinct mane, but beyond that prefer a coat which reflects rather than conceals the breed’s unique shape, & can’t help feeling that the breed might be more likely to return to its traditional popularity were less extreme coats more prevalent. In addition it was noticeable that the more sensible coats were often associated with drier, less overdone hair on the wrinkle which can only be a good thing.

The main issue is the same as ever - hindquarters. Fortunately none were so bad as to warrant reporting under the KC scheme but the fact remains that many could be firmer &/or better muscled. Just imagine what some would look like if the dogs didn’t have coats to hide them!

Temperaments were universally charming, with a few typically stubborn! Presentation ranged from good to exceptional. Great to see some talented younger handlers.

I was delighted with the CC winners who for me epitomised a classic Peke of each sex.

VD (1) 1 Fitt’s Chasing The Stars Sharbar, sturdy 10 years black in good body condition, wide shallow head, very good nostrils, strong bone, still has a sound front, OK hindquarters, pear-shaped body which could be a touch shorter, typical Peke choosing to move exactly how the fancy took him at that moment, tail carriage a touch erratic now. PD (2) 1 Clifton’s Yakee King Of The Kop, attractive well balanced fawn pup of quality, liked his size & overall shape, promising head, needs a bit more time to finish but liked his eyes & expression, flat skull, well carried ears, OK wrinkle, sound front, enough bone, body well slung, compact, level back, tail carried well, moved with dignity, should do well; 2 Patterson’s Moonwhispers Practical Magic at Bratilda, appealing black, good head type if not quite as shallow as 1, dark eyes, open nostrils, firm underjaw, picks up well, plenty of bone, shapely body, level back, winner slightly firmer in front & carried his tail better today. JD (8) Excellent class throughout, should make the going tough this year. 1 Baldwin & Martin’s Yakee In With A Shout, eyecatching fawn with a most impressive masculine head, plenty of width, dark eyes of the right size, well placed nose, flat skull, firm underjaw, short thick neck, super front with correct bow & good bone for his size, stands well on his feet, super body shape, OK hindquarters, well carried tail, makes a super picture going round & has the correct width in front coming towards me; 2 Stearman’s Klerkshof Early Bird, slightly bigger red of beautiful breed type, large male head with a gorgeous expression from dark eyes, well placed nose, firmest of fronts, leonine body shape, excellent tail carriage, sound willing mover at the correct pace, should give his owner a lot of fun in the ring; 3 Morley’s Klerkshof Red Rum at Lizlanmor, very compact typy red fawn with plenty of quality all through, well balanced & very ‘together’ on the move, handsome head, just preferred expression of 1 or 2 at this stage but they can change so much as they mature. Look forward to seeing how all those placed here develop with time. PGD (7) 1 Blakeway’s Klerkshof English Crown at Bellablake JW, impressive red who scored here in his intensely masculine head which is very wide as well as being shallower than it appears at first glance, beautiful expression from correct size dark eyes, nose well up between them, correct ear carriage, open nostrils, strongly boned, sound front with legs the right distance apart, typical feet, very compact shapely body, steady dignified mover. Pleased to see his lovely dam has produced well; 2 Martin’s Yakee I Want To Break Free, quality fawn with wide shallow head, well cushioned muzzle, dark eyes, pigment not quite at its best today, very wide chest between well bowed legs, liked his size, correct topline & tail carriage, typical mover at the correct pace; 3 Roberts’ Wyn-D-Hill Fabulous Frankie at Klerkshof, pale fawn I put up as a pup, still like his size & overall balance & the way he moves round the ring holding himself together, level back, true front, good expression if not quite so masculine in head as 1 & 2. LD (9) 1 RCC Hejl’s Meritorous Forever Dreamer, smaller very typy fawn, full of quality, appealing head type with dark eyes of the correct size, well placed nose, firm jaw, OK wrinkle, wide well cushioned muzzle all framed by well set & fringed ears, correct shoulders, firm elbows, wide chest, forelegs well boned, coat fits him well, level back with tail on top, moved with style & dignity retaining his shape, went particularly well in the challenge & I felt was a good match for type with the eventual winner; 2 Lund’s Yakee The Sun God with Magnetizzam, slightly bigger red fawn with such an impressive male head, well placed nose leather with open nostrils, dark eyes, unexaggerated wrinkle, sound front, better hindquarters than many with good muscle tone, sound enthusiastic mover. Close up here, winner a shade more compact; 3 Puttick & Brown’s Witchstone Ace Of Spades, darker fawn, quality head with a shade more wrinkle, a very typy ‘together’ dog with a super body shape, plenty of bone, well boned front with firm elbows, not quite as smooth on the move as 1 or 2 but I liked different aspects of all three. OD (8) Three beautiful but very different dogs presented & handled to perfection by three masters of the art. 1 Shaw, Mee & Ransome’s Ch Pekehuis Pure Magic, what I was hoping to find today, small but masculine pale red, typical head with beautifully open features, melting expression from lovely dark eyes & just the right amount of clean, dry wrinkle, soundest of fronts with absolutely firm elbows, the correct degree of bow & stands naturally true on typical feet, shapely body, level back, well set tail, better hindquarters than most, picks up well & looks the part on the move holding himself together with pride & arrogance. Excellent fringing, enough mane & a sensible amount of body coat which allows you to see his shapeliness both standing & moving. Comfortable CC winner today for me & won a close decision for BOB. Pleased he went well in the main ring; 2 Klerks-Delucchi, Stewart & Lee’s Am Ch Klerkshof EnglishMonarch, eyecatching impressive ultra-masculine slightly bigger red with a handsome head, super eye & expression, plenty of bone, firm front, strong shapely body, picks up well, moved with some style. Coat immaculate, my preference is for rather less of it - no doubt others may disagree. Another lovely son of English Rose; 3 Thomas’ Ch Meritorous Welsh Whisper, gloriously typy light red, caught my eye immediately, beautiful head & expression, superb body shape, such glamour & quality. Just preferred front of 1 & 2. Litter brother to RCC, a super pair. GCD (1) 1 Y The Sun God with M.

VB (1) 1 Dosedelova’s Int/Multi Ch Clarietta Blackie Cinsky Demant, rather fell for this charming 9 years black, so pretty & feminine, delightful head, wide & shallow with beautiful dark eyes so important especially in a black, solid shapely body which really is surprisingly heavy to pick up, level back, high tail set, moved in a stately aristocratic fashion befitting a queen. Well deserved BV. PB (5) 1 Thomas’ Meritorous Classi Sassi, very appealing young f/br whose body shape & air of togetherness I really liked, so compact & shapely, super topline, quality head with dark eyes, well placed nose & good cushioning, sound front, well carried tail; 2 Martin’s Yakee Hocus Pocus, lovely substantial fawn with superb bone, wide chest slung well between the legs, handsome head in proportion to her body, looked majestic going round. Winner perhaps a shade more compact. Both should do very well; 3 Morley & Hitchcock’s Lizlanmor Midnight Sky, who could fail to fall for this one? Such a personality & so feminine & so well handled. Smaller typy f/br, pretty head, well set & carried ears, level back, sound, winners had a shade more bone. JB (4) 1 Morley & Hitchcock’s Shardlow Come On Over to Lizlanmor, what a lovely pup, red fawn of beautiful type & balance, most impressive head which just needs a shade more time to finish, correct size dark eyes, flat skull, well cushioned, well set & fringed ears, scores on body shape, wide chest tapering correctly to a distinct waist, level back, super tail set, plenty of bone, enough bow to the front legs, stands true on good feet, looks majestic on the move. BP; 2 Poole’s Kocho Dolly Daydream, high quality red who like 1 is very good to go over & picks up heavy, admired her impressive head type, dark eyes, unexaggerated wrinkle, bone in proportion, shapely body, moved soundly, winner just had that shade more style going round; 3 Poole’s Kocho Primrose Promise, classy feminine fawn litter sister to 2 with a good wide head, dark eyes, well cushioned muzzle, her sister scored slightly in underjaw & was firmer in front but this one also has a correct body shape with good ribbing & a correct tail set. PGB (9) 1 Blakeway’s Rickennys Tigerlily at Bellablake, slightly smaller type than the other female winners but so exquisitely feminine that I couldn’t resist her here, low to ground & well proportioned pale fawn, beautiful dark eyes in a pretty open face, good width through the front, level back, has a lovely way of moving with a degree of dignity; 2 Poole’s Kocho Shooting Star, another from this excellent litter, red fawn not in her best fringes today but very nice to go over, picks up very well, super bone, shapely body, handsome head, looks the part going round, winner a shade firmer in front; 3 Loup’s Luxury Secret Patricia, quality type fawn, typical head & expression, could have a shade less wrinkle, another with a distinctly pear shaped body, level back, moved true, picks up heavy, perhaps a shade close in front. LB (4) 1 Poole’s Jigglypekes Dianthus, I see I’ve judged this fawn before when I used the word ‘robust’, & I’d reiterate that today, she has matured well into a good looking substantial girl with a wide handsome head, good eye, ear & nose placement, arrogant expression, super bone, picks up like lead, looked the part going round, the sort that you’d hope might prove to be a good producer & I see that is the case with three classy daughters to her credit on show today; 2 Shaw, Mee & Ransome’s Pekehuis Daydreamer, so typical of this kennel’s type, red, not over-coated but enough for my taste, beautifully feminine head, correctly spaced features giving a delightful expression, super topline & tail carriage, sound front, held herself proudly on the move. Different type to winner whose bone & substance just won the day; 3 Driscoll & Aldred’s Rickennys Pheobe, fawn of excellent overall type, sister to Tigerlily, beautifully balanced, low to ground, enough bone, typical expression in a shallow head, not quite the sheer style on the move of winners today. OB (5) I Morley’s Ch Lizlanmor Essence Of Pearl JW, wasn’t I lucky today to find both a male & female who were just what I was looking for. This is a gorgeous Peke with a glorious head & expression, superb dark eyes, good open nostrils well positioned, unexaggerated wrinkle, ideal cushioning to a wide muzzle, well fitting lips, all framed by super fringing on well set ears, wide chest slung between beautifully boned legs on which she stands true. well placed shoulder into a substantial, shapely body finished with decent hindquarters & a super tail set, red coat fits her well, in a super class she scored on her exceptional overall balance. Doesn’t disappoint on the move, with a justified air of importance in addition to absolute soundness. CC; 2 Waters’ Ch Jadape Raindrops On Roses, another who has matured really well, like 1 has that tremendous solidity & superb bone & is a pleasure to pick up, gives away nothing in head quality & looks a dignified picture going round & again with the correct width through the front. Unexaggerated fawn coat of good texture, A strong contender here & beat some very good females to take the RCC; 3 Klerks-Delucchi’s Klerkshof Starina, have admired so many from this kennel since it took the UK scene by storm some years ago, & here is another classic, red with a super head & a particularly appealing expression, well boned, like 1 & 2 has a superb topline & tail carriage, decent front & a typical mover. Winners picked up a shade heavier but this one should surely make up. GCB (1) 1 Marina’s Marinbox Murder By The Book, pretty feminine fawn of an appealing overall balance, good general head type, wide, shallow & with open features, compact build, moves smartly, perhaps could have a shade more bone & substance.

SIMON PARSONS