Midland Collie Club Open Show 22/07/2018

Thank you to the club for inviting me to judge today, I am sorry that the entry numerically was so very disappointing. I hope you all enjoyed the picnic, the committee worked hard to make this a social event.

I will not pass comment on the breed as this was not a representative entry, however, I will pass comment on the current show  scene. When I judged at my first club show - back in the day - the entire entry for today would have filled ONE class. A sign of the times. Whether it is 'show fatigue', the continued heatwave, watching expenses, start of summer holidays, distance to travel, the venue, 'middle of the road judge' so the extremes of type stay away, the downward spiral of entries is ever more apparent. There are still a large number of shows for an ever dwindling number of exhibitors. Consequently those exhibitors are spread very thinly around. The shows themselves become 'non events', for the judge and exhibitor alike. A class of 1 entry is no fun to judge, nothing is learnt; for the exhibitor the red rossette is meaning-less. Let's make our shows an 'event' again & if that means less shows, so be it. Please folks, don't let apathy win the day, stay passionate about our breed, we all need each other, judges & exhibitors alike.

My thanks to Sophie for her capable stewarding. The hall & matting saw most collies shuffling about rather than stepping out, so assessing movement was limited.   To all those exhibitors who did come along today, I always enjoy judging ALL of your lovely collies, so thank you for making the effort.

Veteran (0)
Minor puppy dog (3:2)
1st Fuller's Hanvale Arthur Shelby With Damos. 6 month old bright golden sable at his first show. Very immature in body but was correctly made & moved very well given his age. His head was a delight & very well developed compared to the rest of him! Good wedge shaped profile, good chin, lovely flat skull, correct eye, beautiful ears which he showed to advantage. Gave a soft sweet expression that was appealing. Needs to develop in one other very important area for a male but given his current raw state, time is most definitely on his side. Full of promise, shall watch with great interest as he develops. BPIS.

Puppy dog (2)
1st Hanvale Arthur Shelby with Damos. 2nd Shipped No More Heroes du Clos de Seawind. More developed sable of different type, showing all the time. Presented a balanced outline, with decent length of neck & back. In good coat & condition, he moved soundly enough out & back. Good flat skull & good ear carriage, pleasing eye, think he needs to develop in foreface to balance out stronger skull. The younger puppy's head type was more appealing.

Junior (0)

Novice (1:1)

Graduate (0)

P.Grad (2:1)
1st McLaughlin Moondance De Cabrenysset for Brihow. Super quality blue boy rising 2yrs. Most attractive head with sweet but all male expression, neat ears well used, almond eye correctly placed, flat skull, no depth of flare with just the right amount of stop. Well rounded foreface with good underjaw. Showing attentively to handler but does tend to stand with hind legs under & scrunch himself up, slightly spoiling outline. Strong well made body, good ribbing & depth of chest, nice angles at either end, good reach of neck. Strong medium bone. Would like to have seen him move outside as he did just enough within the confines of the hall. Needs another year on his back & then he will be looking at top honours, quality dog that I was honoured to judge. BD & RBIS.


Limit (1) 
1st Kenny's  Lanlin Benji at Leesaund. Dark sable boy now full mature, in good coat & condition. Attractive head that was well balanced, with well placed ears  & flat skull, eye correctly placed. Would prefer better foreface & chin. A little steep in shoulder, but had good rib cage & rise over loin. Moved straight out & back but in profile he was short stepping due to shorter upper arm. Well presented & shows steadily.

Open (1) 1st Sargeants Coarhaberg Sea Hawk. Upstanding Tri male of excellent size. Very well put together, standing over plenty of ground, presenting balanced outline, workmanlike quality. Head masculine but not overdone, clean through the cheeks, flat skull, good eye & ears, now just a little deep in profile. Was the best moving Collie today, faultless & precise with drive even on the matting. He has won well under me before & I still appreciate his many attributes. Just lost out to the sweetness of the blues dogs expression today. RBD

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Minor puppy bitch (3:1)
1st Beardsworth Maysinder Empress Of India 2nd Williams Maysinder Buttons an Bows. My notes say 'peas in a pod', 2 Tri litter sisters, so very similar. 6 months old & enjoying their day out. Fairly well developed in body both nicely balanced fore & aft, with good reach of neck, correct length of back. 2 had better angulation than her sister but not needs a touch more confidence which will come with experience. Both moved positively coming & going. Very clean in head, clean cheeks, excellent ear carriage, skull needs to flatten & more definition to stop required to soften head & expression. This is where 1 scored over her sister, having a slightly sweeter eye & less straight through.

Puppy bitch (0)

Junior (2) 1st Edwards Top Less Goldmania (imp UKR) 16 month old pale sable just coming back in to new coat. Petite & feminine but with substance in her smaller frame. Lovely wedge shaped head, excellent in profile with parallel planes broken by correct stop, good chin. Flat skull, clean head no Lumps or bumps with moulded foreface. Very sweet eye, neat ears used to advantage giving soft kind expression. Good length of neck, correct shoulder placement & depth of chest, good hind angulation but another who would stand with hind legs under. Moved soundly when she got going, precise front & behind. To be hyper critical would like a fraction more length all round  but she was very easy on the eye. Her pale sable coat would need attention in another generation as it lacks intensity of colour & she already has white shading on her face. However, I was won over by her many charms & the extra 'wedginess' of her head won her over the best dog. Congratulations. BB, BOB, BIS.
2nd Tames Rahlissa Charmaine sable in good coat & condition & was trying hard for young handler. Nice size with correct bone, presented an attractive outline, good reach of neck, decent length of back, correct angulation front & rear. Consequently she moved with verve & drive. Not the head I was looking for, lacked moulding, weak underjaw & lacked blunt wedge. She had well placed ears & eye, just not the balance of parallel planes in profile.

Novice (4)
1st Bluck's Alexandr Monsolana Blue. Good coloured blue who was just over a year old. Correct size with adequate bone. Showed herself off to advantage. Was well balanced with lovely reach of neck & correct shoulder placement. Good angulation to her quarters. Balanced head with correct moulding, pleasing eye & ears right on top. Just needs better definition to her stop as breaking a little low, Good underjaw though. Moved very well with drive but coming toward was just throwing out her left elbow somewhat
2nd Edwards Elshajo Chaotic Moon, another blue of slightly differnt type, a little between coats. Pretty feminine head with attractive expression. Nicely angulated front with good reach of neck. Not so well angulated hindquarters & falls away quite steeply over her croup which spoilt her outline. Moved rather erratically.

Graduate (0)
P.Grad  (3)
1st Shipps Gillyflower Della Buca Delle Fate. Bright sable of correct type, showing very well. Very well put together giving a balanced whole. Good neck & shoulders which she knew how to use, strong hindquarters. Head with correct skull to muzzle ratio, correct stop, flat skull, good moulding & well placed ears. Thought her eye just a fraction rounded but did not detract. Moved with drive on the matting. Just wanted her a tiny bit longer in back & head was a little shorter than I prefer. But she was totally balanced throughout & in full bloom so RBB.
2nd Roswell Coarhaberg Forget Me Not at Pomenka. Lovely type blue girl of excellent size, strong but still feminine. Eyecatching silhouette with a better length of back than 1. Attractive expression from correct eye & ear set. Correct stop. Think she is a little deep in her skull than when I last judged her. Moved well enough, correct coming & going. Sadly very unsettled in ring, not in a co-operative frame of mind so not doing herself any favours.


Limit (1)
1st Edwards Jashika Shine Like A Diamond. Mature 3 yr old darker sable in good coat. Shorter head but was balanced, clean skull & cheeks, adequate stop. Ears well placed & used to advantage.  Well proportioned in body with excellent hind angulation, just wanted a little more length  in back.She moved enthusiastically & with plenty of drive off her quarters but persisted in turning out her right hock. Keen showgirl.

Open (0)

Judge Tracey Jackson