Whippet Club Championship Show – April 2018 – Bitch Critique

Bitch Critique - Championship Show line-up - Whippet Club
Whippet Club Championship Show, final line-up

Judge: Mr Michael Howgate (Palmik)


Bitch CC : Morris Mrs L & G Waddell. Ch Nothing Compares To You At Crosscop

Res Bitch CC : Yacoby-Wright Mrs L Cobyco Candy Crème

BB Puppy : Mowbray Mrs S West Chelan Quick Look At Me.

BB Veteran : Head Mrs M Ch Demerlay Regency Romance JW


I thank the Whippet Club for allowing me to judge the females at their championship show. It is as always such a well run show, at a great venue for a large entry & is always one of the premium shows on the calendar. I also thank all those who entered for giving me a challenging & welcomed entry. With the size of the classes & the quality on show not everyone can be in the cards so disappointment for some. I also thank the efficient & effective stewards for a job executed on time.

I had a very pleasing day & thank you for allowing me to go over your dogs. I found many great examples of the breed. In some classes too many to give prize cards to them all. Some classes could have had variable winners & I had to really concentrate to make a decision that I was happy with. At future shows with a different eye I am be certain that placings could be different.

By way of explanation & to save repetitive comments. I was looking as always for a moderate size hound meeting the type described in the standard. Needing to be fit- functional- curvy-elegant-unexaggerated & give the impression of being capable of rapid acceleration & turn in pursuit of their prey. Purposeful accurate movement was often the deciding factor in my placements.
Personally I would like to see them all around the size in the standard. For my interpretation the decision making negatives that are becoming more regular are inadequate infill in front, too shallow depth of body & too short length of ribbing. The consequence of these elements is that the ‘arch’ starts too forward & the topline falls away too steeply leaving the position of the ‘arch over the loin’ more varied than I would like. Together with the old chestnuts enough layback & refinement of shoulder blade coupled with enough return of upper arm but without exaggeration.


Class 15 Special Veteran B 7-9 yrs (9 Entries) Abs: 1

  1. Head’s Ch Demerlay Regency Romance JW
    Brindle. I have judged her before some years ago & gave her first CC. She has always had such great whippet type. Meeting the standard so well. Perfect proportions & profile shape. Showing no real signs of age & in fantastic condition. She still moves out so well & accurately, never showing any reluctance. I do covet her type.
  2. Mycroft’s Ch Supeta’s Dazzalicious JW ShCM
    Another fine example of the standard & it can be seen why she is a champion. Has a stand out athletic profile shape with substance & firm condition. Moved with purpose & accuracy.
  3. Mason’s Aphrael Casting Pearl

Class 16 Special Veteran B 10 + yrs (6 Entries) Abs: 1

  1. Whitehead, Smith & Mixides’ Stormburst Winter Sparkles for Citycroft JW ShCM
    Brindle. Another now older veteran I have judged her before & she again has such great whippet type. So well made & proportioned. Showing little signs of age & in fantastic condition. Moving out so well & accurately, never showing any reluctance. I do love her.
  2. Vaughan’s Shirotae Silken Lady. A pleasing quality exhibit that has retained some of her youthful virtues. Good balanced overall profile shape, well place shoulder & return of upper arm. Look like she enjoyed her day out.
  3. Whitaker-Crosby’s Mulcair Maykyn Me Happi JW ShCM

Class 17 MPB (13 Entries) Abs: 1

  1. Gillespie’s Penbriar For Pleasure
    A very well shaped & proportioned minor giving an excellent performance for age. She did everything which could be asked of her in a very controlled manner. Has the neatest of fronts with good shoulder layback & return of upper arm. Will watch her progress with interest. In the BP challenge showed her immaturity against 2 other more mature exhibits.
  2. Moncrieff’s Runaround Harmony
    Fawn of quality which took me back many years to her mums type of whippets. Lovely shape & proportions well covered & forward for a puppy. Clean & well laid shoulder & correct return of upper arm. Moved out well. Close decision with the winner.
  3. Dufty & Morland’s Triken Follow That Dream

Class 18 PB (9 Entries) Abs: 1

  1. Mowbray’s West Chelan Quick Look At Me
    A striking brindle exhibit. Has a really eye catching elegant, athletic shape & very well forward for her age. Stands over the ground effortlessly. Has the cleanest of shoulder placement, perfect depth of body & return of upper arm. Fit & firm in muscle tone, flat muscle over the shoulder blades with well developed thigh & second thigh. Moved out accurately with purpose. BPB
  2. Brown’s Ardencote Sweet Destiny for Bluestreak
    Fawn Of very pleasing type & well proportioned profile shape outline with no exaggerations. Has plenty of covering, correct bone & front assembly with pleasing overall length & height for her age. Moved steadily & accurately.  Looks the type to mature on & her time will come.
  3. Wignall’s Crosscop The Wonder of You at Starswift

Class 19 JB (21 Entries) Abs: 2

  1. Lain & Alexander’s Lolani Tennessee Honey
    Another with a classic profile shape, very well proportioned, topline placement correct, good body covering. Unexaggerated throughout. Showing more maturity than others in a strong class. Moved out well & accurately to win this class.
  2. Lancashire’s Danluke Dark Chocolate Drishaun
    Very similar type in all departments to the winner just not as mature so time should improve her. In fit firm condition. Move out steadily.
  3. Sykes & Mycroft’s Supeta’s The Special One of Veredon

Yearling Bitch (12:1)

  1. Service’s Crosscop I Love My Life
    Fawn, has a classic profile shape with a great balanced proportions. Covered the round well maintain her topline when standing & moving. Very neat, clean & parallel front with flat muscle on the shoulder blades. Pleasing bone & neat feet. Moved out really well with accuracy, reach & drive. Top drawer potential just needs time.
  2. Wheeler’s Ranveli Sandy Shores
    Brindle who is a little less tall than the winner & in most respects was similar in type. Shoulder placement over the withers was clean, uninterrupted & smooth. Has a pleasing return of upper arm. Carried more condition & not as clean in front as the winner. Moved out with accuracy & enthusiasm.
  3. Bray’s Cyangrange Latino Legend

Maiden Bitch (6:1)

  1. Bray’s Cyangrange Latino Legend
    Fawn 3rd in yearling. A near mature type very well proportioned. Has good flow of neck into sound solid body. Clean enough shoulder placement with good bone & legs to the ground. Moved out with confidence & accuracy. Kept topline on the move.
  2. Wignall’s Crosscop The Wonder of You at Starswift
    Fawn placed 3rd in puppy. Of pleasing type & well proportioned profile outline with no exaggerations. Has plenty of covering, correct bone & front assembly with pleasing overall length & height for her age. Moved steadily.  Lacks the maturity & finish of those placed in front at this stage of growth.
  3. Morley’s Layways Classic Design

Novice Bitch (10:2)

  1. Morris & Waddell’s Crosscop Let It Shine
    Fawn & white youngster who on the day won this class for her classic type & unexaggerated construction. Had not realised that she was still a puppy until the puppy challenge. Reachy elegant neck flowing into a great her front assembly which flowed throughout. Great topline, depth of body, well developed rear & well covered all over. At this stage of her development she shows obvious signs of potential & one for the future. Sympathetically handled to big advantage.
  2. Bowers’ Saraquele Sounds Like Chaos
    Brindle just out of puppy, quite immature but deserved her place here. The frame shape is there but needs to fill out, gain some covering & to become more composed when moving to give a more mature picture. Unlucky to meet winner, such a well balanced & forward puppy.
  3. Jones’ Jothryn Heaven Sent

Undergraduate Bitch (6)

  1. Whitaker-Crosby’s Cobyco Could Be The Last at Mulcair
    Brindle athletic rangy type covering the ground with ease. Has excellent body depth proportions with good layback of shoulder & return of upper arm. Long strong arched neck, well placed rise over the loin & matching underline. Scored well on these points in this class. Move out well. Still needs to mature & my expectation would be that she will improve for that.
  2. Hoare’s Tormor Many Clouds
    Fawn of pleasing different type more bodied than winner. Carrying more substance & stands slightly shorter over the ground than winner. Perhaps needs to fine off a bit to be at her best. Moved out well & a close decision.
  3. Oliphant’s Ranveli Red Alert at Edengrove

Post Graduate Bitch (17:1)

  1. Brown’s Ardencote Star Maker
    Fawn of pleasing size, shapely profile type & muscular all through. All the angles curves, topline & underline fitted together well. Good depth of body with strong well developed rear assembly. Stands four square over the ground with rear pastern vertical. Moved out steadily with accuracy.
  2. Lain & Alexander’s Lolani Light Up the Room
    Brindle white trim A close decision between different body type. Pleasing sweeping shape with correct amount & position of topline. Balanced proportions throughout, more length & elegance of neck than winner, has a more rangy profile & taller in size. Moved out well with enthusiasm.
  3. Fryer’s Collooney Swing Low at Stonefox

Mid Limit Bitch (18:3)

  1. Finch’s Danluke Lady Foxtrot at Zenobia JW ShCM
    Fawn One I have judged a while back in a MP class & placed 1st. She has developed into having proper elegant, athletic, mature shape now fitting the standard well. Smooth & shapely topline with clean & smooth lay of shoulder & correctly angled return of upper arm. Deep in body with good length of ribbing. Moved accurately & with purpose. Well handled. Was in my final four for the CC challenge & not out of place.
  2. Wheeler’s Adagio Deep Cover for Ranveli
    Brindle. More perfect size than the winner. Good layback of shoulder, return of upper. Moved well & accurately around with some zip & maintained her topline. Not as neat front. Unlucky to meet the winner in such good shape & performance.
  3. Wood’s Ardencote Aiming High

Limit Bitch (13:2)

  1. Yacoby-Wright’s Cobyco Candy Crème
    Another racy framed athletically profiled Fawn. Built on an elegant lines with ideal proportions. Excellent shoulder blade placement clean & refined flowing correctly into return of upper arm & meeting brisket at the elbow. Ideal balanced profile shape with good ribbing length flowing neatly into a powerful rear assembly with pleasing muscular definition & rear pasterns square to the ground. Her real positive is her very balanced accurate, smooth free flowing driving movement with topline maintained. Close decision with the CC winner & again for the RCC. Awarded her the RCC.
  2. Smeath’s Willingwisp Moment of Love
    Fawn & White. Pleasingly athletic type who moved very accurately & with purpose. Similar in all criteria to the winner. But there was just a touch too much of her for my liking at this level.
  3. Gillespie’s Penbriar Duchess

Open Bitch (8:1)

  1. Morris & Waddell’s Ch Nothing Compares to You At Crosscop JW
    A perfect sized fawn with ideal substance & conditioning. So well proportioned in all departments. Correct head, with strong well set jaw & dentition. Long, strong, tapering neck flowing into her excellent shoulder placement & return of upper arm. Stood faultlessly, parallel & true with her legs & rear hocks vertical. Correct bone for her stature with neat feet & appropriate spring of pastern. Excellent depth, spring & length of ribbing, overall length, underline & topline. Flowing into a strongly developed rear with correct bend of stifle. Well set tail, long & carried correctly in an unobtrusive curve. Moved out with control, accurately & enthusiasm. She has great whippet type with no exaggerations. I have judged her before some time ago & was lowly placed. She has matured now showing a different mind set with more confidence & presence.
    In the CC challenge I identified four to scrutinise further. They were all of similar type & moved with the same free low reaching front & driving from the rear. They all pleased me & I would have given any of them the award but on the day there is only one CC to give & she deserved it most for her condition, type, balance & control.
  2. Green & Pace’s Collooney Queen of Dragons with Brochinbelle JW
    Fawn & white Another great example of the breed. Has all the attributes required from the standard with no exaggerations. She matched the structural comments above. Just felt that she had a little less length covering the ground than the winner when stood & when moving. A great female who was unlucky to have some great females to be against today.
  3. Home & Fisher-Home’s Ch Citycroft Crème Caramel of Jasarat

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