South of England Irish Setter Club Championship Show on Saturday 19^th July 2019

Judging Report – Dogs

First of all, my thanks to the officers and committee for inviting me to judge at their well run and friendly show and a special thank you must go to my stewards, Lynda and Julie for looking after me during the day, enabling me to concentrate on the job in hand. Thanks also to the exhibitors for bringing their precious boys under me for my consideration.

I was pleased with the overall quality of the dogs, which made my job both enjoyable and difficult. One prevalent problem is the lack of front angulation and, in particular, sufficient return of upper arm.  There were a couple with very loose eyes which affected their expression. Also, proud tail carriage seems to be on the rise again (no pun intended) and spoiled a few outlines on the move. On the whole movement was acceptable

Please do not be too disappointed if you were not placed as highly as you hoped, I judged ‘on the day’ and some decisions were very tight and all exhibits were clean and well presented.

Judging is always a compromise as it is unrealistic to expect to find everything you want in just one dog. Some things please or displease more than others, but overall I was looking for sound breed type, topped off with balance and an amount of style.

MPD (2,1)

1. Smith’s Sametsuz You’re My Hero. Six month old and quite a handful for his owner. When he did manage to stand still he had a pleasing outline, strength to his frame and with gently sloping topline. Pleasant head and mischievous expression, with correctly set dark eye, lovely low set ears. Good neck and shoulders. Difficult to assess on the move, but he definitely enjoyed his day out. It will be interesting to watch him ‘get it all together’ as he matures.

PD (3)

1. Longbottom & Stewart-Ritchie’s Gwendariff Smart Red Jacket. An attractive ten month puppy that I have watched with interest, already showing lots of potential. Compact, pleasing dog in super coat and condition. Excellent quality form the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. Lovely head with that melting Irish expression that says ’look at me’. Good front carriage with pleasing angulation. Gently sloping topline, good depth to chest, strength through the loin. Correct tail set and showing plenty of stifle. Finished off with lovely tight feet. He used his strength and balance to drive round the ring with easy elegant strides.
2. Holehan’s Loganrish Lets Go Crazy. Different type to 1 and standing taller on the leg. Maturing nicely and will need time to reach his full potential. Good shape to his foreface with plenty of stop, raised brows, ears set neatly and pronounced occiput. Clean neck into good lay of shoulders. Straight coat. Handler and dog in unison on the move.
3. Smith’s Sametsuz You’re My Hero

JD (8,1)

Lovely class to judge with all exhibits having lots going for them.

1. Edwards’ Gwendarfiff Ucan’tmissme Bonhomie. This is a lovely dog who is already well on the way to fulfilling his great potential. Nothing to dislike in this boy, he was presented in fabulous coat and condition. Showing great maturity for his age, every part fits neatly into the next. Head shape correct, good depth to muzzle, raised brow, lovely shape to the eye with correct colour. Clean over the neck and shoulders, lovely straight front. Strong over the croup and powerhouse rear quarters. Moved very well.
2. Stewart’s Gwendariff Look No Further. Another boy with potential. Unlucky to meet 1 on the day. Not as heavily built as the winner, but showing great scope throughout. Angle structures are complementary both in fore and rear quarters, As usual from this breeder’s stock, he moved out with drive and enthusiasm pleasing his owner.
3. Williamson’s Bluesprings Picture This

YD (4)

1. Gardner’s Danwish On High (AI). Young boy, maturing slowly, but plenty to like in this dog. Clean throughout with no exaggeration. Lovely head with dark expressive eyes, strength through the neck and shoulders, good straight front. Gently sloping topline into correct tail set. Lovely tight feet. Needs time to drop into his stifle. Keen mover.
2. Bailey’s Danaway Desert Song. Rangier, more substantially built than 1. Lovely head with plenty of work dark expressive eye with raised brows, plenty of stop and pronounced occiput. Excellent spring of rib and deep chest. Moved out with drive. Just preferred the overall balance of 1 at this stage.
3. Fauvrelle’s Oakdene Remy Martin (Imp Bel)

MD (3)

1. Williamson’s Bluesprings Picture This. Pleasant young dog who stood third in his first class behind two lovely boys. Compact 12 month boy with all parts fitting neatly together. Pleasing head into clean neck and strong shoulders. Has good body properties and sound limbs. Smooth topline into good tail set. Good bend to stifle. Stands square on tight feet. Moved out with drive.
2. Hemmings’ Orlanset A New Flame. Not the overall balance of 1 and will need some time to mature. Not quite as refined over the shoulders. Good depth through the ribs. Needs to drop into his quarters. Moved steadily.
3. Brown’s Bluesprings The Tide Is High

ND (6)

1. Williamson’s Bluesprings Picture This
2. Holehan’s Loganrish Lets Go Crazy
3. Hemmings’ Orlanset A New Flame

DD (4)

1. Williamson’s Bluesprings Picture This
2. Holehan’s Loganrish Lets Go Crazy
3. Hemmings’ Orlanset A New Flame

GD (10,2)

1. Russell’s Lynwood Hocus Pocus At Settesoli JW. Headed a class of lovely top quality dogs, I really was spoilt for choice. Two year old boy, maturing nicely and in lovely coat and condition. Appealing and balanced in head, with lovely gentle expression. Quite rangy in frame, with good front carriage and lay back of shoulder. Great depth to his ribbing. Tail flows from good topline. Sweeping bend of stifle which he uses to real effect on the move. I am sure a good future awaits.
2. Naylor & Morrison’s Anlory Duncan JW. Another excellent specimen. On the day he was unlucky to meet 1. Different type to 1. Masculine and proportionate in head, moderate and unexaggerated throughout, with an attractive flowing outline. Clean limbs, strong bone and the best of feet. Shown in strong muscular condition, which he used to advantage, with a sound driving action on the move.
3. Holley’s Wynjill Snap Dragon

PGD (9,2)

1. Roffey’s Gwendariff Lucy’s Legacy. Lovely upstanding, racy boy, who has matured on nicely and is now beginning to come into his own. Well worked head, showing plenty of stop and chiselling, clean through the throat, muscular neck set into good front construction. Perhaps a shade lighter in coat colour than I would prefer, but quite acceptable and his virtues outweighed this. Clean lines throughout. Presented in excellent coat and condition moved soundly with balance, enthusiasm and a strong driving action.
2. Dewar’s Gwendariff Here I Come. This is a very attractive dog, balanced throughout, excellent dark coat and in hard condition. Refined head showing good stop. Lovely dark eye. Arched neck flows into good topline, with tail flowing neatly from his back. His handler needs to watch she does not overstretch his hindquarters as this can straighten him through the stifle joint. In strong muscular condition enabling him to drive out with enthusiasm.
3. Russel’s Strathmead Huckleberry Of Settesoli

Min LD 3

1. Holley’s Wynjill Winner Takes All. Built on similar lines to previous class winner. Appealing dog in excellent straight coat and condition. Would prefer a shade darker eye, but it is quite acceptable and did not spoil his expression. Correct shaped head with lovely parallel planes. Good shape to foreface with correct flews and finish to muzzle. Plenty of stop with excellent arched brow. Ears set on low, arched neck, straight front. Deep chest with good spring to ribs. Strong through thigh with good bend of stifle. Moved out with enthusiasm and drive.
2. Greenan’s Anlory Aidan JW. Lovely dark coated boy showing lots of breed type. He does not have such a racy outline as the winner but he is a really sound, well made dog in excellent muscular condition. Well-proportioned head with lovely eye and expression, strong neck leading smoothly into balanced body. Another smooth, balanced mover.
3. Child’s Tredura Val Verdi

Mid LD (3,2)

1. Sloane’s Ferasheen Patriot Game. Stood alone in this class, but still worthy of the placing. Upstanding boy with lots of substance and bone, well coated and in good condition. Strong head with lovely set of ear. Arched neck into good front. Good deep chest. Strong over the loin with good bend to stifle. Could perhaps do with a tad more back length to balance up his height to length ratio. Moved as one with his handler.

LD (5)

1. Chorley-Newton, Chorley, Flinders & Gardner’s Pawsword Priceless To Kerryfair. One whom I have stood next to many times in the ring and have watched him mature into the lovely dog he is today. Stacked, he has a classical shape with no exaggeration. His head is just lovely, with no hint of coarseness. Good over the shoulder a straight front. Coat in excellent condition with permissible amount of movement. Used his strong quarters to power off round the ring and showed good reach in front.
2. Macaulay’s Caskeys Mischief Of Stylersetts JW Another lovely boy. Scores heavily with his attractive refined head, lovely dark eyes, raised brow and soft expression. Balanced front assembly, good neck into shoulder, lovely topline. Tad shorter coupled than 1 and not quite the depth in loin.  Carries himself well on the move.
3. Hemmings’ Orlanset The Rocker JW

OD (5,1)

What a class to judge. Four individuals displaying all that is good in the breed. No dog is perfect, but all exuded admirable and super breed type. All were presented beautifully and professionally, the placings were close and it came down to minor decisions to separate them.

1. Crocker’s SH CH Copper’s War Of Roses. Such excellence in construction and proportion with no sign of coarseness. Elegant and racy with good bone and substance. In tremendous coat, condition and muscle tone. His head was what I was looking for in an Irish. Beautifully moulded with that lovely melting Irish expression. Deep through the rib, great forechest and good reach of neck into excellent shoulder assembly, all without any exaggeration. His tail flows neatly off his gently sloping topline. Great bend of stifle into neat hocks. As always, he drove round the ring, demanding my attention and showing his socks off. I was pleased to award him the CC and, with my co-judge RBIS.
2. Stewart’s Gwendariff Weekend Warrior. There is no doubting this boy’s breeding and is another lovely boy from this kennel. Such a mature dog for his two years, both in body and in luscious coat. As with 1^st excels in construction with no sign of coarseness. Much of what I have said for the winner holds true for this boy. Good solid bone, absolutely firm and balanced in his frame. Holding his topline, he moved soundly round the ring with plenty of drive and forereach. Can only improve as he matures further. My RCC winner from this quality entry
3. Longbottom & Stewart-Ritchie’s SH CH Gwendariff Unknown Soldier JW. Another very admirable and worthy champion.

VD (4, 2)

1. Milligan-Bott & Bott’s SH CH Thendara Pot Noodle JW. What a fabulous ambassador this boy has been for the breed. A most handsome dog who defies age at nine years old. As always presented in excellent coat and condition and strode out with enthusiasm on the move. He really would not have looked out of place in open. There is nothing I can add to what has already been written about him, he is a picture of symmetry and balance, an admirable boy from any angle.
2. Axon’s Brinara Back in the Running. A grand ten and a half year old enjoying his day out. Compact dog with no exaggeration. Lovely dusting of grey to his muzzle. Still has a firm outline. Pleasing angulation front and rear. Moved out with a steady gait.

Ken Stockton