Dog Critique – Whippet Club Championship Show, 1st April 2023

Championship Show April 2023 Winners Line Up

Thank you to all the exhibitors for allowing me to judge your dogs, even as a late replacement judge. I wish Maggie Holder a speedy recovery. There was a great atmosphere around the ring in this well organised show, as always. I had some beautiful dogs to judge today. Overall a Whippet should be able to do what it was originally bred for , so I was looking for a strong dog with good structure that could move well. I didn’t find any bad mouths or dirty teeth. All dogs were entire and all had good sound temperaments. My 2 very small observations were that a) although we want our dogs to be fit, some were really over muscled causing them to look a bit close behind while moving and b) Quite a few handlers were over stretching their dogs which of course made them either lean back or keep moving their legs as they were uncomfortable. This can completely spoil the topline of the dog while standing. Apart from that I had a great day. We have some very promising youngsters coming out again and it was lovely to see our ‘oldies’ looking so well.

Dogs

Special Veteran (7-9 yrs) (5)

  1. Johnston’s Ch Danluke Lord of The Dance JW (9 yrs) Well balanced and moved with so much drive. Couldn’t fault him today, although he did flag just a little bit while in the BIS challenge. Everything has been said before and I personally think he has been one of the best examples of the breed we have had for a while in the Dog ring. DCC, RBIS, BVIS
  2. Whitehead’s Ch Citycroft High Society JW (8 ) Very handsome fawn. He moved very well with drive. Good topline which he kept at all times.
  3. Whittaker’s Ch Mulcair May Contain Nutz JW ( 9)

Special Veteran (10 yrs +) (3)

  1. Smith’s Ch/Int/ Ir Ch Collooney Jayhawk (10 ) A lovely class of older boys. A bit heavier but still very fit. Nice topline with correct shoulder placement. Won class on movement.
  2. Candler’s Ch Maidenbower Make Believe (11) Another nice overall fawn. Good neck and topline esp for older dog. Lovely head & expression.
  3. Wilkinson’s Rowangarth Wind of Change by Fletchgate

Minor Puppy (7)

  1. Richards’s Richclass From Here On Out (7 mths) Really lovely ‘just my type’ pale fawn. He moved superb most of the time to & fro with great ease, although lost his topline a couple of times in profile being only a puppy. Good width at front and well developed heart room. Well handled BPD & RBPIS.
  2. Hughes & Jackson’s Penbriar Corruleam Sky ( 8 mths) A bit finer blue. Moved really true and steady . Good topline and turn of stifle. Lovely expression.
    Morris, Waddell, Mycroft & Mitchell’s Springfern Wild Thing at Crosscop

Puppy (6)

  1. Searle & Rawlinson’s Reffton Tibalt at Whipsearle JW (11 mths ) A very mixed class. Ginger fawn, nice topline, good front and length of stifle. Long neck. Moved smoothly.
  2. Price’s Kierpark Moonlight Shadow Among Silkdance (11 mths ) A bit longer in body but very nice overall. Steady movement throughout, tight feet, long neck. Good head.
  3. Sawer’s Danluke Do Ya Think I’m Sexy at Bumpkiss

Junior (10)

  1. Smith’s Florancy War Hawk. Lovely pale lemon/white puppy. Moved really nicely. Good masculine puppy dog. Correct dark eye & good turn of stifle. Look forward to seeing him maturing in the adult classes. RBPD
  2. Dillon & Bailey’s Dreamjet Float My Boat at Runforest. A bit heavier in stifle, good shoulder placement. Needs to mature a bit still for these older classes.
  3. Morris, Waddell, Mycroft & Mitchell’s Crosscop If I Can Dream

Yearling (4)

  1. Barnes’s Doddridge Caught My Eye. A very difficult class. A bit erratic to & fro but was better in profile with good reach in front movement.
  2. Bunney’s Bunehug Let It Be Me. Needs to settle down a bit as was not always moving his best. Masculine head and expression, nice deep chest.
    Arkell’s Fantastic Fred

Maiden (2)

  1. Middleton & Gilhooly’s Stormida The Brave. Nice fawn dog overall but a bit unsure of himself today. Good width of front with lovely long neck.
  2. Severn’s Boland Baloo. Close call in all of his classes. Good steady part-colour. A dog who is JUST missing out.

Novice (6)

  1. Arkell’s Swister Baileys Cream. A close call again. All 5 were very different with varying good points. Lovely handsome dark brindle dog. Correct shape overall but a bit too heavily muscled at back for his correct size maybe.
  2. McConkey’s Barmoll Billy Joel. Another quality handsome dog. Dark fawn, looks like he can go out and run all day. Lovely to see. A proper sound dog.
  3. Birch’s Bethwill Time For Change.

Undergraduate (6)

  1. Blackburn’s Silkridge Ceylon. I’ve watch this dog with interest since a puppy and he has come on very well thanks to his handler’s commitment. I hope he bodies up now ready for the higher classes. He moved outstanding, especially in profile with great front extension to win this class easily.
  2. Price’s Kierpark Moonlight Shadow Among Silkdance ( 2nd in puppy)
  3. McConkey’s Barmoll Billy Joel

Post Graduate (11)

  1. Morris, Waddell, McMillan & Irving’s Crosscop My Boy. A very nice class. Could not really fault this dog at all. Very smart ‘old fashioned’ type dog in great condition. Moved very well. Brindle Long neck, Masculine. Good shoulder & stifle
  2. Wilton-Clark’s Shalfleet Making Waves. Very steady mover showing great promise. Nice correct size. Handled well to get the best from him today.
  3. Shepherd’s Kidaruka It’s Showtime at Oxana JW

Mid Limit (6)

  1. Dillon & Bailey’s Collooney Eat My Shorts at Runforest JW. Great quality showing through, although just missing out on top honours as not quite ready in body. A promising future still. He moved out really well, showing great drive.
  2. Perkins’s Southgrove Keep It Moving at Zeglynn. Not quite as sound as winner but still nicely built, with lovely outline. Moved out well keeping his topline at all times.
  3. Winstone’s Lolani Moonshine Over Monelli JW.

Limit (13)

  1. Martin’s Bowdonia Go The Distance For Stalwart. I just loved this boy as soon as he walked in the ring. He did not disappoint when I went over him or while moving. Handled with precise perfection to get the very best out of him. I hope he now goes on to keep winning. Correct front, head & expression. Well angulated, lovely shoulder placement & tight feet. Presented in beautiful condition. I was happily surprised to see he is the son of my CC winner. RDCC
  2. Perkins & Van Der Schaaf’s Creme Anglaise’s Just Julian With Silkridge. Another dog I have admired before that I have placed well before also. So well handled to get his outstanding movement. A strong dog who could keep going all day I would think. Couldn’t fault him.
  3. Daniels & Bridgman-Lewis’s Elmanash Glenburge. (This dog has made such outstanding progress since I last judged him as a youngster)

Open (11)

  1. Wilton-Clark’s Shalfleet Heatwave. Yet another dog I have long admired and placed highly before. He was very unfortunate today to not win even more. He has the perfect profile for me. He moves so sound. Lovely correct size as normal for this kennel. Good shoulders, leading to correct topline at all times. I hope he takes more top honours in the future.
  2. Perkins’s Ch Silkridge Just Joey. Again, another top class dog from this kennel. I have judged before and he still does not disappoint. Moved with so much power, very fit, but still showing lovely graceful strides. Another outstanding dog.
  3. Dillon & Bailey’s Stonefox Ice Pick Willy At Runforest JW.

Open Racing/Lure Coursing (5)

  1. Webber’s Denimblue Willdo JW. Showed very well and moved with ease & drive. Well worthy of his win.
  2. Yeates & Winter’s Zoraden Bright Star. A very typical racing type dog maybe. Very handsome, topline good.
  3. Hoddinott’s Laguna Luna’s Lynx.

Judge:- Anne Defaye – April 2023

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