HOUNDSHOW 2023

Judges Critiques

Carol Neale Whippet Dogs

Judging: Hound Group

Whippet Dogs

I felt very honoured to have been invited by the Hound Association to judge Whippet Dogs on what was to be my final appointment. I last judged Whippet Dogs at the Hound Show in 2014 and due to the inclement weather judging took place inside. Unfortunately, this time, also due to bad weather, judging took place inside Bingley Hall. During the day 

there were torrential downpours,  which together with the noise inside the hall unsettled some of the dogs.

Over the last two weekends, there have been four Whippet Breed and one General Championship Shows, two Open Breed Shows, and one Limited Breed Show which have probably affected the entries, with more Ch. Shows taking place later this month.

I had some lovely dogs to judge although some classes were mixed in type. I was looking for a balanced, well-constructed dog with a curvy outline and sound movement, fitting the breed standard as closely as possible with no exaggeration in conformation or movement and being  'fit for purpose.' Flat toplines and overlong bodies are incorrect but are regularly rewarded by judges, and fortunately, they weren't a problem on the day -I guess that they went elsewhere! On the plus side, size was good with only a few being too big, and mouths, pasterns and tails were excellent. Some prominent breast bones and too many upright shoulders affected the front assembly and movement, but they were in the minority. Coats varied, I would have liked to have seen more of the short fine glossy coats that typify a whippet but maybe the recent weather conditions are to blame but all were in a clean condition and I finished with clean hands!

In some classes, I made decisions purely on movement when all else was equal, and my critique of some dogs' finer points is repetitive because I was looking for similar qualities which I feel are important. I forgave some minor faults in the lower classes where the conditions on the day may have had an effect.

There were very few absentees.

I was pleased to see that the Whippet Best Of Breed, Shalfleet Bridget Jones was in the final ten for Best In Show, the Best Whippet Puppy Cobyco Catch Your Eye was BPIS, and the Best Whippet Veteran Ch. Citycroft High Society was RBVIS. Well done whippets!

Finally, I must thank my steward Jake Wilson, who kept the ring running so efficiently and dealt with all the paperwork single-handedly. He even tidied up the collar of my dress! Thank you my photographers Stu Middleton, Clara Allansson, et al.

Minor Puppy Dog  6(0)

1    McKenzie and McKenzie.  Courtbourne Natal At Aberlark (Imp Nor).  

 Fawn brindle, 8 mths, who is correct for size, lovely head with dark eyes and soft expression, long neck flowing in correct shoulders and topline. He has a deep brisket with sufficient tuck-up.  Well-developed rear end with strong hindquarters which produced good profile drive and sound movement.

2   Ellis. Citycroft Jules Rimet For Railfield, 7 mths. Elegant brindle with white trim, slightly longer cast than 1 and not as mature and covering plenty of ground. Attractive head with a long neck, good shoulders, topline and hindquarters. Just a little unsettled today but time is on his side.

3.  Holland. Crosscop Love In The Dark Taf

Puppy Dog 8(0)

1   Yacoby Wright. Cobyco Catch Your Eye

 Almost 9 mths pale fawn. What a stunning puppy, so aptly named, and already making a name for himself. He stood out as the winner in this class. He is very mature for his age and will continue to develop and improve. He has a dark eye with neat ears carried correctly when alert, long neck flowing into well-angulated shoulders flowing into a gently rising topline, and well-developed hindquarters.  He moved confidently with plenty of drive. Best dog puppy, best puppy in breed with the agreement of my co-judge Jackie Whitaker and Best Puppy In Show. Well done!

2    Richards. Richclass From Here On Out

11 mths fawn, a puppy that I really liked but was unlucky to meet the winner here. Good head and neat ears, long, elegant neck and correct front with deep brisket. Strong backend with broad second thigh and short well let down hocks. He was sound moving both ways with drive. 

3   Morris, Waddell, Mycroft and Mitchell. Springfern Wild Thing At Crosscop

Junior Dog 6 (0)

1   Winter, Yeates and Morland.  Zoraden Maserati

13 mth red fawn of the correct size and unexaggerated conformation. He has a balanced outline, good depth of brisket, broad second thigh and well-developed muscular hindquarters. Moved with drive in profile, and was sound coming and going, which won him this class.

2   Price. Kierpark Moonlight Shadow Among Silkdance Jw

 Quality 14 mth light brindle and white dog, rangier conformation than 1. Attractive head, scores on his long neck flowing into a well-angulated shoulder, straight front and correct topline and rear end. Just needs time to mature.

3  Saxby. Sandspring Sea Master

Yearling Dog  6 (0)

1   Morris, Waddell, Mycroft and Mitchell.  Crosscop If I Can Dream

Eye-catching 14 mth golden fawn with white trim. Masculine head with a dark eye and good depth of muzzle and neat ears, long neck, fitting into good shoulders and topline. Deep brisket with sweeping underline into strong hindquarters, broad well-bent stifles and low set hocks.  He won this class on his correct driving movement in profile, and soundness coming and going. It was just a pity that he was so focused on getting his treats!

2   Mould. Warden William

Quality 22 mth brindle, more mature than my winner A lot of my comments on the winner could apply as it was a close decision between the two. He's a well-balanced dog, and I loved his neck and well-angulated shoulders, and gently rising topline. He has a deep brisket and excellent tuck-up. 

3   Price. Kierpark Moonlight Shadow Among Silkdance

Special Beginners Dog 7 (1)

It was a close decision here between two fawns and once again movement decided my final choice

1  Lloyd. Sail On Sailor To Penwincoed 4 yr old fawn, correct size, straight front with flat bone, curvy topline and underline. Sound movement in profile and coming and going. Slightly tense when I placed him first- and didn't make the best of himself in his second class. Maybe handler and dog need to relax more and enjoy their day.

2   Birch. Bethwill Time For Change.

6 yrs. Paler fawn, more relaxed than 1 with a balanced outline, masculine head, good depth of underjaw, well-angulated shoulder with gently rising topline finishing with correct hindquarters. 

3   Royle and Fricke. Chiendetom Andante.

Post Graduate Dog 13(1)

This was a well-filled class with only one absentee, giving me plenty of choices, and although there was a variety of type I was pleased with my line up.

1   Soffe. Zoraden Macchiato Jw.

Black masked shaded red fawn and white, a son of my Res.CC winner and has some of his sire's qualities. I liked his well-constructed, straight front,  with correct pasterns and neat feet. Deep brisket, and good length of loin. He was a sound  mover in profile and coming and going. 

2   Mould. Crosscop Waterloo Sunset

Lightly marked fawn brindle with white trim. Masculine head, dark eye, longer cast than 1, but I liked his flowing topline with a gentle rise over the loin.  Well-developed strong hindquarters with excellent width of second thigh, well-bent stifles and short hocks. Sound mover.

3   Bridgman-Lewis . Shalfleet Making Waves

Mid Limit Dog 7 (0)

1   Macmillan, Morris, Waddell and Irving. Crosscop My Boy

Fawn brindle two-year-old, who caught my eye. He's completely unexaggerated and has all the curves that I was looking for. He flows from the tip of his nose to his tail. Nice head, with kind expression, neat ears, long neck flowing into a well-angulated shoulder, correct topline with a gentle rise over the loin and strong hindquarters with short hocks. He moved effortlessly in profile- and was totally sound both ways. He should get even better with maturity.

 CC and in the challenge for Best of Breed he had to give way to the more mature bitch CC winner.

2   Byron. Jasarat Gucci.

It's no secret that he's a favourite of mine, but he was unlucky to meet the winner and in the challenge for the Res.CC. he had to give way to the Open winner on movement. Evenly marked attractive fawn and white particolour, well balanced with a correct outline, he excels in a long neck fitting into well-angulated laid-back shoulders with a gentle rise over the loin. Deep brisket with a good tuck up, and strong hindquarters which gave him plenty of drive on the move.

These were two quality dogs of the type that I was looking for.

3   Sail On Sailor To Penwincoed.

Limit Dog 12 (1)

This class varied in type and I found it difficult to find a line up that was balanced in type, and moving well, so some dogs that were too big and did not fit my criteria were unplaced.

1  Daniels and Bridgman-Lewis. Elmanash Glenburgie

Correct size fawn. He's not a flashy dog but I liked his overall quality, he has a balanced outline with corresponding deep brisket and underline and flowing topline finishing in well-angulated hindquarters. Correct front with a good head with dark eye and neat ears, long neck flowing into well-laid-back shoulders. He moved with drive in profile and was correct coming and going.

2   Wood. Ardencote What A Rogue.

Fawn/white well-marked particolour. A heavier built dog than the winner and lost out in neck and shoulder. Masculine head, good bone, gently flowing topline, good length of loin and deep brisket with good tuck up. Strong hindquarters with correct bend of stifle and short hocks. He covered the ground when moving in profile and was sound coming and going. I liked both of these dogs.

3   Tyson and Tyson. Starceylon Summer Bran

Open Dog 8 (2)

1   Winter, Yeates and Morland. Ch Lolani Cafe' Amore. 

Shaded fawn who caught my eye with his lovely curves - no flat back and tabletop topline here! He's the correct size, masculine, but without any exaggeration. He has a lovely head, good depth of underjaw, neat ears and a long neck. Correct width of front, with bone down to his pasterns and finished with well-knuckled feet. His brisket is down to his elbows giving him a sweeping underline into strong hindquarters. He moved with great drive and soundness and I was pleased to award him the Res. CC

2   Price. Ch. Wheelspin Silver Shadow Among Silkdance Jw.

Another favourite of mine who I have been in close competition with recently. Fawn well-balanced dog standing over plenty of ground, with a long elegant neck, correctly angulated shoulders, good straight front with correct width between the legs. He has a really deep brisket giving plenty of tuck-up. Nice curve over his loin, strong hindquarters and good width of second thigh, which is sadly lacking in so many today, and short hocks. He moved soundly in both directions.

3   Brew. Crosscop The Show Must Go On

Veteran Dog 9 (3)

My first two in this class were full brothers from different litters, and both are Champions.

1   Whitehead. Ch. Citycroft High Society Jw.

Well-known 8yr old fawn just pipped his brother to the post. Lovely head and a kind expression, long neck fitting into correctly angulated shoulders. Straight front, and he has a really deep brisket giving him plenty of tuck up.  Good topline with a slight rise over his loin and he has good hindquarters and short hocks. He moved effortlessly around the ring coming and going. Best Veteran In Breed and Res. Best Veteran In Show. Well done!

2   Shepherd. Ch. Citycroft Sundae With Oxana Jw Sh.cm.Shcex.

7yr old rich fawn with white trim who has many of the attributes of his brother. He stands over more ground as he has slightly more length of loin, correct front and deep brisket and a good underline.  He has well-muscled hindquarters, with broad second thighs and short hocks. He moved with plenty of drive in profile and was sound coming and going. 

3   Allansson and Macdonald. Nattah Echo In The Mist Over Macalldon.

Special Racing/Lure Coursing Dog 3 (1)

1    Blenkarn. Relight My Fire.

Blue fawn, correct size, with a long neck flowing into a good layback of shoulder and upper arm. Correct front with bladed bone carried down to his pasterns and feet. deep brisket with a well-defined underline. Flowing topline, strong, muscled hindquarters and short hocks. Moved with drive and he looks as though he can do a day's work in the field.

2   Winter and Yeates. Zoraden Bright Star.

Striking red fawn /white, with a short, shining coat. Very fit as I would expect from a coursing dog and my comments on 1 also apply. Correct straight front, with good depth of brisket. Elegant neck and well-sprung ribs and strong loin and hindquarters. Sound mover.

Carol Neale (Judge)