Southern Golden Retriever Society

Special Awards Classes

I was delighted to receive this unexpected appointment at the Dobermann Club Training & Showgrounds in Hertfordshire. My first time at the venue and it is a great setting for a breed show – I loved it! The day was very hot for early May, and the high temperatures meant that many of the exhibits had to seek shade and shelter during their classes.

Puppy (5, 1a): 1 Pietrykowski's It Takes Two Anarchia Box Wondertemple (Imp), 9 months dog, well put together, everything slots into place without anything being askew, presents a picture of balance, clean neck, good bone denoting the strength of his gender, stands on tight round feet, evident spring to ribs, level topline standing & moving, best mover in the class; 2 Weeks & Brown's Sylahra You Are My Sunshine, bitch of 11 months, appeals in outline with good strong topline & bend of stifle. Good bone for size, lovely pigment across the eyes & nose, strong rear pasterns vertical to the ground. Not quite the ground covering stride of 1 but think she was also feeling the heat – as were we all; 3 Clarke's Sunnyoak String Of Pearls.

Graduate (16, 8a): Well filled class – it was difficult to keep track with everyone hiding under trees from the shade but I found my winner in 1 Youngson's Linirgor Adeline at Treeveville JW, 23 months bitch, a picture of balance both standing & moving, strong but feminine, stands on lovely tight found feet, pretty head with lovely pigment, good spring of rib, strong through the loin, in good body & coat condition, excellent turn of stifle. Moved out well – nothing overdone or exaggerated; 2 Middleton-Collins' Berrymeade Dream On With Jasperleigh JW SGWC, dog of nearly 2 years, holds a good level topline, correct bend of stifle, well muscled thighs, strong rear pasterns vertical to the ground – balanced all through. In good body & coat condition. Struggled with the heat but really scored on movement & didn’t flag; 3 Ball's Shearstone Live In The Dream at Fivelms JW.

Open (7,2a): 1 Middleton-Collins' Berrymeade A Fool In Love of Jasperleigh JW, stood out to me as soon as he came in the ring, very well put together, masculine boy without being coarse, he stacks up well with everything slotting together and nothing going askew, he is well muscled throughout including his loin so holds a strong topline, in lovely condition, holds himself with some self-importance – well balanced all through, easy mover; 2 Poile's Thornywait Starshine at Cherrimar, coped with the heat more so than others; holding her topline standing & moving, good bone for size, brisket down to elbow, good turn of stifle, rear pasterns strong & vertical to the ground, handled to advantage; 3 Crookes & Jenkinson's Thornywait Royal Story for Quakerhall.

DANIELA PINTO TRANQUADA (Judge)