Crufts

CRUFTS

Portuguese Podengos

It was fun to revisit the Podengos at Crufts, 16 years since my last opportunity there. They are such appealing dogs in so many ways that I’m surprised they haven’t ‘caught on’ to a greater degree. Type & proportions still vary dramatically with some quite a distance from ‘slightly longer than high’, which doesn’t make it easy for a judge to be consistent.

GCDSD (1) 1 Pinder’s Plushcourt Good Luck, smart sturdy cheerful chap responding well to handler, OK head type, dark eyes & correct shape well set ears, true front, enough depth of chest, level topline, good ribbing, well set & carried tail, moved well in front, a shade close behind, steadily going round retaining his topline but could have a shade longer stride. JD (1) 1 BD, Cross’ Kalispell's Fonzarelli Loggeta, this eyecatching smooth is not long out of puppy & needs plenty of time to develop in body but has an air of style which helped him dominate the males today. Quality refined head, dark eye, good skull/muzzle proportions, correct size & shape ears, straight front, clean outline with enough neck to balance, good topline, scored going round with a free gait & holding himself together well, happy temperament. Will be interested to watch his progress. PGD (3) 1 P Good Luck; 2 Crockford’s Befricas Kimchi at Belfalas, smart little smooth, masculine head of good proportions, typical eyes & ears, OK balance, shapely body, moved true but didn’t keep his topline today, not quite tail carriage of winner; 3 Judge’s Plushcourt Grandee, attractive headed boy of a different type, rangier in build, typical head, enough bone, good reach of neck, a shade long in rear pastern & could have had a bit more drive from the rear on the move. OD (5) 1 RBD, Boyles’ Plushcourt Count Of Chaos, smart neat smooth, good head & ears, sound front with correct angles, correct topline, well made hindquarters, tail carriage could be better but held his shape well on the move which won him the class today. 2 Sampson’s Prt/Lux/Bel Ch Morialta Ferreira, handsome masculine chap, one I’ve rewarded more than once before, still in good form at 9 years, super head & expression, good reach of neck, well ribbed, enough depth of chest, true front, cheerful mover, coat could be a shade harsher, not holding his topline as well as 1 today. Well deserved the BV award; 3 Scire’s Am Ch Marmelo de Viamonte, quality boy who I’m sure will have better days, a little unsettled today but a quality type with good overall balance & unusually good hindquarters. VD (1) 1 Cowen’s Belfus Cisco, in super form at 10 years, typical head, well bodied, sound front, good topline & tail set, a touch squarer in type, moved steadily but not quite the free side gait of the BV.

PB (1) 1 Boyles’ Blevwil Violet, pretty headed smooth baby of a taller, shorter balance, well set & carried ears, enough bone, feet turn out a little, good topline, free mover. BP. JB (1) 1 Judge’s Plushcourt Lady Benevolent, quality youngster, naughty but nice, correct head proportions & expression, soundly made, true coming & going, OK topline, correct overall balance, prefer better pigment. If she settles could do very well, hard to assess today. PGB (5) 1 Judge’s Plushcourt Pearl, very nice bitch of excellent overall balance, ears of correct shape & well carried, well constructed front & matching hindquarters, smart mover retaining her topline going round, close contender for RBB; 2 Cowen’s Plushcourt Cleopatra, smaller bitch of a more compact type, pretty & feminine but still with enough substance, typical head proportions, ears & ears, sound hindquarters, not quite so true in front as 1; 3 Sampson’s Morialta Tavira, another classy girl, lovely head & expression, true front, enough bone & overall substance, not quite so firm in topline as those above.. OB (7) Enjoyed this class. 1 Curtis’ Bel/Ger/Int/Lux/Nld Ch Stormwitch Magic Melody, just what I was hoping to find, top quality bitch of super overall type & balance, beautifully proportioned head with well set dark eyes, and correctly shaped & carried ears, the right amount of neck well carried, sound front with good feet, harsh coat, sound mover whose topline never wavered, responded beautifully to handler, great value for BOB I thought; 2 Scire & DeBlasio’s Am GChS Lipton’s It Figures, slightly bigger girl who certainly catches the eye, feminine well proportioned head, enough bone, excellent neck & topline, presented in rather more profuse furnishings but underneath is a lovely Podengo & her exceptional movement won her RBB; 3 Judge’s Plushcourt Guessing, neater more compact type with a quality look, admired her head type, neck & firm topline, well presented, moved soundly but perhaps not quite the sheer scope of 1 & 2. Three classy Podengos. VB (3) 1 Sampson’s Odisseia de Viamonte at Morialta, in amazing form & condition at nearly 12 years, excellent overall, type & balance, typical head, scored in body & topline, moved true but could have a shade more reach in front. No disgrace in losing out for BV to her handsome son; 2 Judge’s Plushcourt Gizelle, pretty feminine 8-year-old, showed smartly, classy all through, enough substance & typical outline, just preferred expression of 1; 3 Ansell’s Arranbourne Galenia, 8 years, slightly larger type in good form, correct bone & front, liked her ears, eyes & expression, could just have a shade more neck to give a more elegant outline.

SIMON PARSONS