Scottish Kennel Club

Scottish Kennel Club – General show May 2026

Firstly may I wish the original judge, Ian Dawson, all the best because I know he would have enjoyed his day here, had his health allowed it. I had two lovely excellent stewards who helped my day along. Thank you very much.

It is sometime since I’ve been to a show and so most of this entry was new to me. You could say that makes for an interesting day because I could see the dogs objectively and with fresh eyes. Thank you to all the exhibitors who brought their dogs for my evaluation. Remember that is what a dog show is about. Evaluating future breeding stock. It is not really about who wins and who doesn’t, it’s about assessing the dogs against our breed Standard. Of course there is some prioritising of certain features by different judges and what they regard as more or less important points from our Standard. From my point of view the question is could I see that dog functioning as a working gundog. We regard heads/expressions, coats and tails as being breed features of importance. But overall if a Labrador can’t function as a working animal then it is not a Labrador, regardless of whether you actually work your dog or not.

Generally it is not easy to find overall conformation that enables a dog who could work with ease these days. If a dog isn’t made right then it will find galloping, jumping, climbing, squeezing under and over obstacles over hard and varied ground more difficult and put undue stress on bones and soft tissues. Two of the main features that disappointed me were the dogs with what people regard as correct coats in that they have a lot of coat. A Labrador should have a coat that is dense and has a definite harder (not harsh) feeling top coat and a thick dense undercoat. The coat should be close fitting and not stick upwards loosely. Just because a dog has a lot of coat doesn’t make it a correct coat. The other thing I found a lot of was heads/expressions that don’t look at you as a Labrador should. Labs should have an intelligent but gentle expression. Too many were overly broad with fairly short muzzles and dark eyes. Again an overly dark eye is inclined to give a hard and rather blank expression. The eye can go a long way to tell you what is going on in that dogs head. So many critiques these days praise a ‘lovely dark eye’. No it’s NOT a correct things in a Lab. The other thing I found in heads was too much filling around and below the eyes. Flatter cheeks give a much more typical look to the dog.

Having said all this please don’t think I couldn’t see positive things in this entry. Keep an eye on the weight of some of the dogs. We have perhaps improved on this over the last few years but there are still some who would benefit from losing a few lbs. Generally things such as feet, bone, ribs, toplines, tail sets and carriages were pretty good overall.

Minor Puppy Dog 7 (2 ab)

1st Parker’s Bruadarach Ballachulish. Coming up to 9 months choc male. Well formed head with a kindly expression and good eye colour, blending in with his coat colour. Plenty of reach of neck. Good bone and feet. Plenty of scope and not too mature in depth of rib yet. Short enough in loin. At the moment a little bum high but it’s to be expected as pups grow week by week. His tail set and carriage was good and tail shape excellent. Hope he’s done most of his growing, he’s a promising puppy.

2nd Druggan’s Balladoole Captain Taboo. Yellow puppy of nearly 7 months. Nice size for age, liked his head profile, he’s strong enough when you look at him head on. Perhaps I’d have liked a bit more length of muzzle. Strong neck and enough length. Plenty of bone but not too much. Nicely shaped feet and well sprung ribs. He could stand a wee bit straight behind but as he matures and relaxes into his stifle this should improve. His tail is yet to thicken but he carried it well. Sensible showman.

3rd McGillivray’s Crawcraigs Gazovik of Antonine

Puppy Dog 7 (2 ab)

1st McGillivay’s Antonine Paw Patrol. 10 month black puppy. A really good stamp of a dog and very well balanced all through. Might prefer a bit more length of muzzle to be critical. Correct amount of bone, good length of rib and loin. He is still in his puppy coat so will need to change it to fully know what it will become. Certainly he has depth to it now. Good otter like tail which he carries level with his back. He moved soundly and striding out covered the ground without effort. His hindquarters and strong and this contributed to his ease of movement. A promising puppy.

2nd Percival’s Sudeo Lucky Strike Wynfaul. Yellow Also 10 months and balanced differently to 1. I really hope he doesn’t grow any more but I liked his length of leg and not too deep in chest for this stage in his life. He was one of the fittest dogs here today. Excellent coat texture, and tighter fitting than many here today as well. Masculine head and kind expression. Again I’d perhaps have liked slightly more length of muzzle. His quarters and thighs are well developed and he moves soundly with drive from behind.

3rd Givan’s Sudeo Game Changer

Junior Dog 7 (1 ab)

1st Litherland’s Oakhouse One Night Stand. I really liked this 16 mth chocolate male. In fact he came close to the RCC. He is a fairly raw youngster and just lacked that finish for the RCC. Raw is good, at least in my eyes. These early maturers finish too early and go over the top by the time they are two to three years old. This dog won’t do that. He’ll go on slowly maturing to reach his best at several years old, as they should do. A workmanlike male who isn’t flashy, he’s really well balanced all through. His expression is kindly, head is to broaden a little and gain a little work in it as he matures. His muzzle is a good length and his cheeks are not too full, as some were. Good in bone and feet. Ribs are well sprung and topline firm with his tailset carrying on the line of his back and not carrying his tail high. Covers lots of ground with little effort. A really promising youngster and I hope he isn’t penalised for being a slower maturing type.

2nd Druggan’s Dylsonleight Oberon over Balladoole. 14 month yellow boy who is confident in the ring and works well with his handler. At the moment his head is a bit out of balance with the rest of him. In time this will hopefully correct itself. He’s very well made all through with decent front and rear angulation. Excellent reach of neck and flows down to the tip of his tail. Bone continues right down to his pasterns as well. Good ground coverage and moves with ease.

3rd Mckee & Evan’s Eastdew Rewrite the Stars with Eminala

Yearling Dog 4 (2 Ab)

1st Beckley’s Swiftpeace Marksman at Godruo. Yellow male. One could say a bit of a handful which doesn’t help a judge see the real dog. Hopefully he’ll settle a bit in time. Some of these young males need firm handling. Pleasant expression, and in good condition. Enough bone, he is inclined to turn his feet out a little. He has a dense coat, and he is fit and has strong quarters. Persist with him and keep up with the training and hopefully he will settle to the job in hand a bit more.

2nd Chiu’s Brankstonlee Arcturus. Black male who is the type we would have said, some years ago, keep at Open show level. At least for now. He is quite immature and needs time. His handler and him need to learn how to work as a team. There were glimpses of it when they came together so keep practising. Maybe ringcraft classes might help. This dog was in good condition and had a decent topline. He could do with more bone and definitely a denser coat. Maybe try some Open shows.

Grad Dog 7 (1 ab)

1st Mitchell’s Darmilye Dare to Dream. Black. Definitely a Labrador. Not one of these flashy modern types for sure. Masculine head that need to break and develop. Strong in neck. His upperarm could be a shade longer but he still had plenty of reach in front. He has correct of bone for his size, and compact feet. Firm topline yet not an overly straight one, it has give in it to enable him to jump and gallop over rough ground. Perhaps his ribs could be a little more sprung but he has time for this to come. Short coupled yet a good length of back. His coat texture was good to feel and should be weatherproof. He carried his tail quite well, though perhaps it was a little untidy underneath.

2nd Mclellan’s Saranden I’m on Fire. Yellow dog who really responds well to his handler. Not a big dog, or should I say tall. He has a substantial body and muscular hind quarters. He gives the look of a dog with plenty about him. I would have preferred a shorter tighter fitting coat, both on body and tail but it was in excellent condition. He covers the ground well and uses himself on the move.

3rd Mullet’s Seatallan Damson

Post Grad Dog 2 (1 ab)

1st Meissner & Gadja-Meissner’s Saorsa Rio Bravo. Strong masculine male in very good condition. Head a bit strong for me but it sits upon a medium length strong neck that the flows into his shoulder and topline. One foot especially could be tighter. Very well sprung ribs, short in loin, good broad backside and he had power to move out well.

Limit Dog 8 (4 ab)

1st Morley’s Carpenny Paddy at Rockledge. Black who was one of the few dogs I’d seen before. And boy has he come on. Now in his prime he looked spot on today. He’s been a slower maturing dog but worth waiting for. He is a genuine type of dog, no flash, just honest and I loved the way he stood four square with no fuss from his handler. She just let him stand himself up which he does as he is made right. Masculine but not overdone head, enough neck, decent front and this shows itself off by the fact his handler doesn’t continually bait him with his head too high and back. He drops it down nicely in front of him. Good length leg and his chest has now dropped. Short in loin and excellent topline and tail set. He has enough coat of a decent texture. His quarters have been the slowest part of him to come but he now has a more developed second thigh. Not the thick chunky thighs that the modern Lab tends to have but functional well developed thighs. He strode out at a nice speed and when it came to the RCC I was happy to award it to him.

2nd Mclellan’s Saranden Shadeuxplay. Again a black. There seemed far more blacks here today. A lot to like about this dog and again he is taking time to reach his best. Not a bad thing. Definitely a male but not overdone. Excellent coat and tail. Love the stamp of him and the flow. Good in bone and he was the right weight. If I had to change anything I’d like a little more angulation in front as it just tends to cause him to throw his front out a bit when he comes towards you. Having said that he did cover plenty of ground and he had an excellent handler quietly getting the best out of him. Wouldn’[t surprise me to see him win CC’s in the future.

3rd Woodley’s Alkhamhurst Prime Shot

Open Dog 3 (1 ab) I have to say this was possibly the strangest Open class I’ve ever judged. Just the two dogs and completely different types, though I see they have the same breeder.

1st Douglas’s Loretta Rise & Reign over Talard. Black dog I’ve not seen before. What struck me was here was a Labrador who was unexaggerated in every way. He couldn’t be anything but a Labrador. An honest to goodness Labrador, not a modern show animal. He is balanced all through and not overdone in any way. Masculine head which is well nicely balanced with an intelligent expression, correct eye colour and well set ears being quite far back and level with his eye. Well boned legs and that nice bit of give through his pasterns. Strong mid length neck, well sprung in rib with a firm topline, yet not like a table top. Tail set and carriage was really nice being a gradual continuation of his topline. He covered the ground in an efficient easy stride and presented a lovely overall picture. Pleased to award him the CC & BOB.

2nd Stafford & Carbonnel’s Am Ch Loretta Riu Dunamar, Yellow dog who isn’t a big dog but he’s definitely a male. Totally different to 1 yet has many positive features to him. He has good bone and feet. I found his coat a shade long. Maybe not quite in full coat and at that inbetween stage. He has a good front and back end with well developed thighs and a good turn of stifle. He covered the ground well and used his tail nicely on the move.

Veteran Dog 4 (1 w/d, 2 ab)

1st Beckley’s Shork’s Nordmann at Godrou. Black dog who is nice and scopey. Whilst being a biggish dog he isn’t overdone. Liked the overall picture and the nice flow from head to tail. Good reach of neck, decent front, excellent rib cage and fairly short in loin. He has a good otter-like tail too. Still in good condition and not too heavy.

SB Dog 4 (1 ab)

1st Mullet’s Seatallan Damson. Placed in an earlier class this black dog is another of the type to take his time to come to his best. He was shown at a good weight and was fit under my hands. A little short in muzzle but still has a kind expression. Good in bone and feet and has nice hard coat texture. He tends to bunch himself up and gives the impression of rising just above his croup. Moved quite well and deserved his win here. Best SB.

2nd Edward’s Frewlings John Dutton at Bearstone. 7 months old and a real baby, just hope he grows on a bit. Not overawed at all. Good expression, strong neck and short in coupling. He carries a heavy puppy coat at the moment so will need to lose it to see what it is like as an adult. Moved happily and freely.

3rd ` Chiu’s Brankstonlee Arcturus

GC Dog 3

1st Bruadarach Ballachulish (from MP class)

2nd Smith’s Flyenpyg Jurgen Chopp. Black male in really good condition. Not the biggest dog but he presents a good overall impression. He carries a male head, medium length of neck and a good spring of rib. Short in loin and not an overdone type of dog. Moved well behind but was just a bit untidy in front today.

3rd Edward’s Frewlings Gary Player at Bearstone

Minor Puppy Bitch 9 (1 ab)

1st Brown’s Ramsayville Rosetta Stone. 7mth black with all one could wish for at this stage. Typical Labrador puppy. She caught my eye on my first walk around due to her overall good conformation and balance. She has a feminine well put together head and expressive eyes. Correct amount of neck length, excels in bone and barrel shaped ribs that go well back into a short loin. Loved her broad backside when you look down on her, with strong first and second thighs. Her tail is well set and carried and she moved in a very positive way using herself all over when she moves. At the moment she has a lot of coat so it’ll be interesting to see what it’s like when she grows her adult coat. A good prospect for the future and delighted to make her BP.

2nd Druggan’s Balladoole Secret Taboo. Yellow of nearly 7 months. Another well balanced puppy. Perhaps would like a little more muzzle length for head balance but it is feminine and fits nicely onto her strong neck of good length. Well boned legs and feet OK. A good puppy coat. Her tail is yet to thicken up. Held her topline nicely on the move and covered the ground with ease. Should do well in the future.

3rd Percival’s Wynfaul Tango

Puppy Bitch 6 (2 Ab)

1st Givan’s Sudeo In For A Penny. This class headed by two litter sisters. It could have gone either way. Nice type of puppy, feminine head and a kind expression. She is well balanced overall and has good bone down to her pasterns and compact feet. Good angulated in front. Well ribbed back and short in loin. Holds her topline nicely and she has a well turned stifle. Good dense coat.

2nd Givan’s Sudeo Sassy Sapphire. Black littermate of 1 and little between them. Liked her head, eye is dark enough. Good bone like her sister. She was a little slacker in pastern but this is probably a growth stage and it’ll strengthen. Good big ribcage giving her plenty of heartroom. Holds her topline well on the move and covers ground. Her coat was a little soft but as a puppy it should change in time. Breeder should be proud of the three littermates.

3rd Edward’s Driffwold Make A Wish at Bearstone

Junior Bitch 6 (1 Ab)

1st Lewis’s Crammondkirk’s Oh So Sassy. I love the type that this kennel consistently produces. They aren’t big flashy types, just genuine well made Labradors. They show quietly and their handler gets the best out of them. This black is another in the same mould as the others I’ve judged before. They flow from nose to tip if their tails. She head is well shaped, wouldn’t want her eye any darker, and it flows straight into her clean neck. Many Labs these days are rather throaty, this is not one of them. Bone is good for her size. Length of back, rib and loin really good. Her tail is nice set on and she carries it correctly by not being too high. One can imagine her out out in the field working and not sticking out as one of those ‘heavy show animals’.

2nd Mitchell’s Darmilye Diaga. Another typey black bitch. Not quite as together as 1 yet and like her brother her head should break and develop in time. She carries an excellent coat of correct texture. Decent bone and feet. Good in thighs and stifle which she uses when moving. She is inclined to prance a bit when moving and this throws her front out a bit. Her tail could be more closely clothed but overall this is a good bitch.

3rd Mckee & Evan’s Eastdew Sky Full of Stars

Yearling Bitch 6 (1 ab)

1st Grummitt’s Manorwell Mustang Sally. Here was a completely new one to me. Black. I really loved her older type of head. She looks at you as a Lab should. Feminine expression with balance from skull to muzzle. I liked the fact that the front of her muzzle is slightly cut away and not the modern overly square shape. Good reach of neck into a correctly angulated front with a decent length of upperarm. Something that we seem to be suffering with in Labs at the moment is a short upright upperarm. This restricts front freedom of movement. This bitch strides out well in a sensible way. Her handler shows her quietly and doesn’t rush around the ring. She has a good coat texture and it fits tightly to her. Good functional feet with correct amount of turn of stifle and strong through thigh areas. She was close to the RCC and just needs a shade more time to finish. Nice bitch.

2nd Edward’s Frewlings Dairy Maid at Bearstone. Less mature and less all over. She has a nice feminine expression and her bone is OK. She was losing her coat but from what she had I would think it’s a good coat when its fully in. Well ribbed back and short in loin, yet she has a good length overall. She moved well when not leaning in to her handler.

3rd Jones’s Hafnau Odette

Grad Bitch 10 (3 ab)

1st Fisher’s Afinmore Alamosa. Choc bitch so typical of this kennel. She possesses a lovely outline and is a well balanced bitch. Attractive expression in a balanced head with a correctly coloured eye. Good in bone and feet. She carries her tail nicely when moving and it is set as it should be. Her outline when moving is exemplary. A good overall typical Labrador.

2nd Tinlin-Thompson’s Tintho Flavia. Decently shaped head and a good outline overall. She does tend to stand in a bit of a heap and would benefit from being stretched out a bit to stand fore quare. Her topline is OK when she does do this. Her bone and feet are OK, as is her coat. Decent tailset. Her rib shape is good and so is her depth to it too.

3rd Bryson’s Kurudah Make A Wish

Post Grad Bitch 7 (1 ab)

1st Gunn’s Exelby Elizabeth of Weachyburn. Such a nice unexaggerated bitch of an older type. Medium size, she was shown at a good weight with a waistline and I could feel her ribs. Loved her older style head shape and expression. Honest is how I’d describe it. Good in eye, bone and feet. Coat was of a good texture and I appreciated her tail set and carriage, being level with her back but not in a ridged way. A real Lab.

2nd Maclean’s Afinmore Aquilegia. Choc bitch. Again a real Lab and probably only beaten on slightly less angulation in front than 1. She would keep throwing her head and neck back when standing but lessened this when moving. Perhaps I’d have liked a bit more width to her head and muzzle but she has a good expression. Strong in neck, rib, bone and feet. Nice close coat, she carries her tail well too. Was a bit prancy when moving today but I’m sure when she settles she is fine. A good typical Lab bitch.

3rd Pollock’s Pollham Bracara

Limit Bitch 15 (4 ab)

1st Lewis’s Crammondkirk Oh My. Another black so typical of this kennel. A half sister to the Junior winner. There is so much to like and appreciate about them. A feminine expressive head with a really good reach of neck which carries on the flow to the tip of her tail. Correct back and loin length and well ribbed back. Plenty of bone but not too much and good feet. She moved out well with no fuss and bother, covering the ground and presented a very balanced picture.

2nd Druggan’s Balladoole Black Lace. Black. If only she had been in coat but it does matter at this level. She is a lovely bitch who has balance and flow. No sharp corners I would say. She is definitely a Labrador. I liked her head and expression and she owns a good reach of neck and firm topline. Good bone and feet. I liked her rib and loin length, not too short. She really covers the ground when moving and keeps her shape whilst doing so. Once back in coat she should make up with no problem.

3rd Percival’s Wynfaul New Years Eve

Open Bitch 10 (3 ab) This was a good class with several I’d have been happy to give a ticket to.

1st Woodley’s Sh Ch Alkamhurst London Girl. Black bitch who is totally exaggerated. Not the biggest of bitches but with her conformation I could easily see her out in the field beside me doing the job she is bred to do. She is definitely a Labrador and nothing else. Expressive expression and nicely moulded head. Medium length of neck, not overly heavy in bone. Her coat texture was hard and close, though I don’t imagine she was quite in full coat. Firm topline and well carried tail. She moved well without flash. Labs should not be raced around the ring like some breeds are. If I had to change anything then maybe a bit more turn of stifle but she fits the bill (or Standard) in so many ways. I see she has her title already and it doesn’t surprise me at all. She fully deserved the CC today.

2nd Stafford’s Sh Ch Farnfield Partridge. Again a black. Very typical and as 1 was unexaggerated in every way. So many comments are the same about the two if them. This bitch was slightly heavier (substance not fat) all over and I mean slightly. Part of this was her denser coat as well and she had a lovely rib under that. Weighing up the two of them was so hard. In the end I felt 2 carried her head and neck a little high and it may mean 1 had a bit more upperarm. Still a lovely bitch and delighted to give her the RCC.

3rd Coode’s Ch Warringah’s Pippingarra

Veteran Bitch 4 (1 ab)

1st Litherland’s Oakhouse Our By Our. Yellow bitch who is certainly all Labrador. Surprised she hasn’t got her title but I gather she is a CC winner. She is an older type of bitch with that bit more length that I appreciate, especially in bitches. Her head is feminine yet has strength and not too much width. Good in rib and loin. She comes into her own and was one of the best movers today, covering the ground with no effort at all. If she had been in full coat who knows….. An absolutely lovely Labrador.

2nd Tinlin-Thompson’s Corridgebarn Tiger Lily. Choc. I liked her expression and ear placement. Bone and feet were fine. Well sprung ribs. Coat was dense but rather soft. She moved out well and I liked her type.

3rd Park’s Kinchyle Hit The Heights

SB Bitch 10 (6 ab)

1st Edward’s Frewlings Dairy Maid at Bearstone. 2nd from Yearling.

2nd Grant’s Ellukine Sweet Moments. Substantial yellow bitch who I felt could have had a longer muzzle. It would balance her head a bit better. Moved well covering the ground. Well boned legs and tight feet. Coat a little soft. Presented a good overall picture.

3rd Morrow’s Ruembers’s Rose To Fame

GC Bitch 5 (3 ab)

1st Cameron’s Bowstones Waltzing Matilda Around Camisky. I liked this darker yellow bitch. She had been in a hard Limit class but well deserved her win here. Her head is typical and she looks at you as a Lab should. Her front could be a bit more angulated but it didn’t really stop her ground covering movement. Maybe show her standing off you a bit more to allow her head and neck to drop down. She has an attractive expression, enough neck, bone and feet, though she would keep turning them out a bit. A close well fitting coat and she has very well muscled quarters. A workmanlike sort of bitch who has a lot to like about her.

2nd Davis’s Rochevale Palm Reader. Black. Liked her type and balance. Eye a little round but pleasing expression none the less. Good ear placement. Strong neck and well sprung ribs. Strong topline, tail set and carriage. Legs well off for bone, her feet could be a bit more compact. Nice bitch.

Anne Taylor (judge)