Scottish Breeds Canine Club

Scottish Breeds Canine Club Championship Show – 29th March 2026

Many thanks to the society for the kind invitation to judge at this unique, well run and relaxed Championship Show in the breed’s country of origin. Despite the low entry in males, I did not consider the necessity to withhold the CC or ResCC and mentally would have graded both males as “excellent”. Open Bitch was a lovely class, and I would have been happy to award a CC to any of the 4 of them; an old cliché of course; but such was their relative merit that it meant minor decisions split them.

Limit Dog

Entries: 1 Absentees: 0

1st) Tiny Winne Argon Targaryen (Imp Swe) (Mrs K D Simpson), cream with good points & colouration; good size and shape, strength to his head and powerful jaws, acceptable dentition. Decent neck and forehand, forelegs could be a little better, good ribbing which went well back & he has strength to his loin. Well-angulated behind, full of muscle & went with a good action, even if he could carry himself better, but he has a better outline moving rather than standing. In good coat of the correct texture. For his type and quality, I would have graded him excellent, so he was awarded the ResCC.

Veteran Dog

Entries: 1 Absentees: 0

1st) Ch Esgia The Exciseman ShCEx (Mr T Pringle), lovely chap; not a new dog to me and I have judged him a few times now. Always presented to perfection, in excellent cream coat. Very strong head and expressive eye, earset could be a little tighter but it doesn’t really detract from his otherwise lovely head. Good neck and shoulder, tidy enough in front & he is well ribbed back. Firm topline which he keeps at all times. Excellent hindquarters producing good driving action & he is very fluid in side stride. Presentation simply first rate as ever, by his very experienced and capable handler, delighted to award him a well deserved CC & BOS.

Puppy Bitch

Entries: 1 Absentees: 0

1st) Y`rinnes Les Ecossais Du Lac (Mrs I Bicane), cream bitch rather on the wild side of coat development but what she had was of good colour & she has lovely points. Very expressive head and eye with good strength and balance, decent neck and shoulder & very good forelegs. Keeps her topline standing and moving, and she is fairly well ribbed back. She is very tall & I do wonder whether she will finish up just a little too tall for ideal & she carries her tail higher than I would prefer. Sound and accurate on the move up and back; but her tail does detract in profile.

Junior Bitch

Entries: 3 Absentees: 1

1st) Rom/hun Ch Flanagan One in A Million Jch Hu/be (Mrs M & Mr R Kanasova & Kanas), very lovely dark grey drop bitch, and a really interesting one. Having looked at her incredible breeding – it is like a step back in time and I am not surprised I liked her so much. Beautiful head and eye, fabulous drop ears & whilst she is feminine in head, she does not lack strength in any way. Good to go over, clean neck and shoulders, decent chest and forelegs, firm topline & good ribs for age. Very good hindquarters & she moves very freely in both directions and keeps her shape perfectly in profile. Quite breathtaking when stacked. Young yet, but with a good career ahead of her. BJIB.

2nd) Y`rinnes Les Ecossais Du Lac (Mrs I Bicane), see Puppy Bitch.

Graduate Bitch

Entries: 3 Absentees: 0

1st) Struanmore Aos Si (Ms G O'rourke), I loved the type of this silver, nothing exaggerated just a lovely honest bitch. Good head and eye, very good strength to her jaws; enough neck and tidy enough in front, well ribbed back & keeps her topline both standing and moving. Very sound & easy on the move, and that is what gave her the edge over 2.

2nd) Vindovala Loch Lomond at Coirelagan (Mrs M & Ms R Kidd), black bitch who is quite typical, a touch shorter in body than the winner & not so good in topline. She has a good head, I might prefer a little more strength to it, but for basic balance and expression, she is fairly typical there. Decent neck and shoulder, well ribbed back & in good muscular condition; beautifully textured coat and very well presented. Sound on the move, a little closer behind than ideal, but keeps her basic shape and outline.

Post Graduate Bitch

Entries: 1 Absentees: 0

1st) Struanmore May Queen (Mrs R Moir), I see she is sister to the winner of graduate and she shares a lot of her attributes. I really liked them both and shortlisted this one to the final 3 for the CC, along with the Open and the Veteran, who I now see is her grandmother. Very typical of their breeding; very good head and eye, lovely neck and shoulder & tidy enough in front. Well ribbed back, firm topline and short loin; excellent hindquarters. Very sound and free moving both ways, and lovely in profile. She carries her tail a mite too high for ideal. BSBIB & BSBIS. Well done.

Limit Bitch

Entries: 1 Absentees: 0

1st) Voici Maggie De La Foret De Carency at Marrcrieff (Imp Fra) (Mrs K Smith), silver bitch of a good basic size and shape. Enough strength to her head; but her ears could be better set. Nice big teeth. Decent neck and shoulder; could do with a little more chest. Firm enough in topline & decent ribbing. A little wayward on the move today so difficult to assess, presentation could be a touch better.

Open Bitch

Entries: 4 Absentees: 0

1st) Sk/cz/be/it/hr/ro/hu/at/slo/int Ch Flanagan The Day After Jch Sk Euw 2024 Gch Sk/ro/hr (Mrs M Kanasova), I enjoyed judging this class very much & only minor details separated the 4 of them. I would, in all honesty, have been happy to award a CC to each of them & a case could be made for any of them. The winner was ultimately this cream bitch who fought off the competition as the more I moved her, the better she got. She is a beautiful shape & size, and has quite an arresting outline when stood. To go over, she is all of a piece and there is little to want to change. She is very feminine, but retains the strength and functionality of the breed. Excellent head and eye, good lengthy neck & perfectly proportioned and angled forequarters. Excellent front and chest. Firm topline which she keeps both standing & moving; and she is very well ribbed back. Super hindquarters for both muscle and angulation; and she has an excellent tail for both set and carriage. Jacket presented to perfection and of the correct texture. Such precision and accuracy on the move both directions & in profile. Beautiful bitch. CC, her third I understand & BOB. Shortlisted in BIS.

2nd) Ella Elle L' Moravia Campanula at Rhoderns Imp Cze (Mr Rod & Mr James Mclean & Weir), when talking about outlines and glamour, this black has clearly read the rulebook! She has a smashing outline standing, and she can turn her head with such arrogance she looks like she has come straight from a L’oreal advert! Beautiful head and eye, such strength and femininity; good neck and shoulder and firm in topline; full of muscle and in the peak of body condition. On the move, she goes with excellent, free and easy strides in profile, carrying her tail correctly & keeping the same shape she has when she is standing. I made her not so clean as the winner up & back, and this is how I separated them. Notwithstanding, she is a real glamour girl & I imagine she will carry a title with ease.

3rd) Ch Rhoderns Ananke (Mr Rod & Mr James Mclean & Weir), very similar to 2 but not quite playing ball today which made my job a little easier; and 4th here is a really super drop who I have admired in the past & another who would make a worthy Ch, just not quite in peak coat condition on the day.

4th) Esgia Cry Freedom (Mr & Mrs G Mcleod)

Veteran Bitch

Entries: 3 Absentees: 0

1st) Esgia Glen Scotia of Borcho (Ms G O'rourke), I see the grandmother to the Grad & Post Grad bitches and she is clearly quite prepotent as even two generations later, her granddaughters still look like her! Lovely typical bitch, good head and eye, very good neck and shoulder & tidy enough in front. Well ribbed back, firm topline and carries herself well on the move, keeping her shape and outline. Excellent coat of correct texture, and she has a lovely, easy temperament. Cut for CC & BVIB.

2nd) Ch Esgia First and Fairest (Mr T Pringle), I thought this bitch would be the winner of the class on first inspection, as she is another that I have judged before & have rated highly. She is very similar to her brother, and like him I think her ears could be a little tighter; but this does not detract from her otherwise lovely head. She has a lengthy neck and good shoulder; and a very good front for the breed. Well ribbed back & keeps her topline both standing and moving, but she very clearly likes her food! Sound and free on the move, but I just preferred the outline of the winner on the day. Presented to absolute perfection with not a single hair out of place – remarkable.

3rd) Esgia's Lone Wolf (Mr & Mrs G Mcleod), I see the dam of the Drop in OB, and she too is another lovely old girl.

Special Beginners Bitch

Entries: 2 Absentees: 0

1st) Struanmore May Queen (Mrs R Moir), see PGB.

Evan L Ryan (Cavallibrook/Feorlig)