Saturday, 6th September, 2008

Judge: Miss P Young (NSW)
of Dumbledeer Dalmatians

Thank you to the Club Members for giving me the opportunity to judge this show. Thanks also to the Club Officials, whose tireless work allows the show to be held, and to the show officials, especially the stewards, who are invaluable to the smooth running of the show.

I was impressed by the high overall quality of the exhibits and the excellent temperament throughout. The most consistent faults I observed were light eye colour and poor feet. Size of exhibits was also a concern, bitches ranging from undersize to oversize, but most dogs were oversize.

A common fault in Dalmatians generally is a low tail set. This was not so evident in these exhibits. Care must be taken not to go too far the other way and get flat toplines with high tail sets, of which I did see here. The Dalmatian Standard requires a LEVEL BACK, not a straight topline. A straight topline might catch a judge's eye but it is incorrect and does not have the suppleness required of an endurance dog.

DOGS

Class 1 – Baby Puppy Dog
1^st  Paceaway Kando Kahryzma - FEL Matthews
Baby Puppy in Show
Evenly spotted, 4mth black puppy. Good size for age with lovely bone. Topline was firm, correct depth of chest for age, well angulated fore and aft. Forelegs should straighten with maturity. Not quite as straight in movement to and from as he could be.

Class 2 – Minor Puppy Dog
1^st  Stablemate Cody Sun (AI) - J Bolton
6mth old black spotted pup with lovely balance. His action is free and easy with a good length of stride. His topline should firm up when he looses his puppy fat. Strong round bone and good angulation. Good body shape. Head still has to develop but he has lovely dark eyes.

Class 3 – Puppy Dog
1^st   Topspott Jupiters Gold - BC Spencer
Puppy in Show and Reserve Challenge
10 mths old, well balanced, strong and muscular dog. Missing a little bit of nose pigment which may still close in. Lovely arched neck flowing into a firm topline and correctly set tail. Good prosternum, and good depth of chest. Correct angulation and well defined hocks. Evenly distributed spots of good liver colour on clear white background but could have a few less spots. Excellent extension on the move, sound behind. If his front feet and pasterns straighten with maturity, it should improve his front movement.

2^nd  Instride French Connexun - Mr & Mrs RW Harrison  
A lighter spotted black dog, 11 mths old. Pressed the winner hard. Rather tall and more elegant fellow with a lovely long neck flowing through to good shoulders and correct topline with good set of tail. Chest should drop with maturity and this may tighten his front movement. Length of stride was reasonable but fore extension could be improved by better angulation of the upper arm.

3^rd   Jazzanda Lethal Weapon - S John
9mth well-spotted black dog. Not as happy in the ring and, unfortunately, a slight limp in the hind. Strongly boned and solidly built. A bit heavy in head but a lovely dark eye. Good front and well-developed chest with fill and depth. Good topline and tail set. Overall well balanced but a bit overweight.

Class 4 - Junior Dog
1st   Instride French Revolutn - Mrs KA Harvey
A darker eye could improve the expression on this lovely headed fellow. Beautifully marked black dog, 11 mths old and well up in height. Excellent bone going right through to lovely feet. Good neck into correct topline (when free stood), good tail set and correct length of tail. Rose slightly in the hindquarter on the move and a little close behind but moved straight.

Class 5 - Intermediate Dog
1^st   Aust Ch Paceaway Rum Ruffian - Mrs FEL Matthews
Intermediate in Show
A correct sized dog that is well balanced on the move. Good liver colour, nice sized spots but unevenly marked with heavier spotting around ears and neck. Well let down chest and good height to length ratio. Would like to see more angulation in upper arm and topline is too flat, giving a high tail set. Toed in slightly on the move.

2^nd  Aust Ch Paceaway Newz Flash - B C Spencer
Lovely balanced black dog that did not have the extension on the move as the winner. Another one with a lovely head spoilt by light eyes. Spotting around the eyes and darker ear markings exaggerated the eye colour. Well-angulated dog with good body and good hindquaters. Tends to throw the front legs when moving to and from.

3^rd Ch Instride Legend Has It - Mrs KA Harvey
Almost 3yrs, a big dog, a bit too broad and strong. Head in keeping with his build. Lovely ear set and good length of neck. Chest well developed and good depth. Tended to stretch out too far, sloping off the topline. Well balanced on the move but could have better extension.

Class 10 - Australian Bred Dog
1^st   Aust Ch Topspott Rendezvous - Julia Mills
Aust-Bred in Show
A taller, more elegant, liver spotted dog with a lovely temperament. Nice long neck, good lay of shoulder leading to a level back and good tail set. Good deep chest. Hindquarter angulation is adequate. Upright upper arm caused him to lift the front legs a bit high and reduced the length of stride but very true to and from.

Class 11 - Open Dog
1^st   EST LV RUS ESTV07 Ch Alphadirato Future Brand (Imp Nwy) - Leelo Ratas & J & S Marshall
Best In Show, Open In Show, Challenge Dog
Stood alone in the class. First impressions count and he is a very striking looking dog. A very solid boned dog, strong in head, powerful arched neck and broad across the shoulders. Skull is flat, muzzle powerful, lovely dark eye and well set ears. Good layback of shoulder but upper arm a bit short and upright, bringing the foreleg forward on the chest, reducing the fill in front. Chest has good depth, is well sprung and well ribbed back. Level back, strong loin, good tail set, powerful hindquarter with good angulation and well defined hocks. Covers the ground on the move but a little close behind. Lovely coat with good dense black spots on a clear white background. Would like better separation of spots. He does have more substance than I prefer.

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 Challenge Dog
The Open dog could not be denied the Challenge. He showed well, stood well and moved well.

Reserve Challenge Dog
The Puppy dog pressed the winner hard and had the better extension on the move. Maturity and a better front could have seen him go higher.

BITCHES

Class 1A - Baby Puppy Bitch
1^st   Paceaway Kando Kalypso - Mrs FEL Matthews
Not overly impressed with this pup at this stage. She is going through a growth stage, that has her weak in pastern and a bit high in hindquarter on the move. Muzzle is also a bit fine. Missing nose pigment should fill in. She has a lovely dark eye. Pups can change with maturity and it won't surprise me if she grows on well.

Class 2A - Minor Puppy Bitch
1^st   Stablemate Geisha Girl (AI) - J Bolton
Minor Puppy in Show
A beautifully spotted black bitch, 6 mths and shown a bit overweight. Nicely balanced pup with strong bone and solid body. Promising youngster with a pleasing head. Good front with plenty of fore chest. Good topline and tail set. Nice turn of stifle. Lovely balance on the move and sound behind.

2^nd Whytewood Georgie Gold - Jalorca Knls
A heavily spotted liver bitch, 7 mths old. Smaller and finer built bitch. Lovely arched neck, good topline and well developed chest. Rising slightly to hindquarter but will probably grow out of this. Well balanced on the move.

Class 3A - Puppy Bitch
1^st   Instride Haute Coutre - Mrs KA Harvey
Very promising 11 mths old black-spotted girl. Well-balanced, strong bone and good feet. Good shaped head but lighter in eye colour. Chest of correct depth with good fore chest. Topline and tail set correct. Well angulated fore and aft. Nice extension on the move but moves a bit wide in front. Very close decision but lost out against the dog for Puppy in Show. Was considered for the Challenge/ Res Call.

2^nd  Paceaway Fairytales - Mrs FEL Matthews
10mth old black bitch with attractive head, fleck in left eye took away from her expression. Good neck coming into a good forequarter with lovely fore chest. Well angulated fore and aft and moved with balance. Would like to see rounder bone and better feet.

3^rd   Jazzanda Boomchicawowow - S John
9mth old bitch with good reach and drive. Good head with lovely dark eyes. Lovely neck, well developed chest with strong loin and good angulation. Rounded off in croup a little too much and low set tail. Could do with better feet and round bone.

Class 5A - Intermediate Bitch
No Entries

Class 10A - Australian Bred Bitch
1^st   Ch Whytewood Wylde Wendy - Whytewood Kennels
3yo smaller and finer built black bitch with attractive markings, particularly on the ears. Lovely dark eye. Good neck, level back but tail a bit low set. Moved with balance but could have a better length of stride.

2^nd  Ch Jazzanda Out In Spots - S John
5yo bitch with lovely outline when stacked, but shown overweight and not in hard condition. Rather solid build. Lack of angulation behind restricted her hind drive but was the sounder to and from in this class. As above, she also has a lower set tail.

Class 11A - Open Bitch
1^st   Aust Gr Ch Paceaway Iced Koffee - Mrs P & Miss L Dyer
Runner-up Best in Show, Opposite Sex in Show and Bitch Challenge
Beautifully spotted 5yo liver bitch. A lovely honest bitch free from exaggerations and so well balanced. Lovely head planes, well arched neck, defined wither, level back and good set on of tail. Well filled in front, with well boned, straight front legs, good feet, chest only just to elbow with good length of body for a bitch. Correct angulation. Covered the ground well on the move, when made to, and moved straight to and from.

2^nd  Aust & NZ Ch Rothkeal Flashstorm at Paceaway (Imp NZ ) - Mrs FEL Mathews
Reserve Bitch Challenge
Another top class 5yo bitch. Excellent black spotting on a clear white coat. Feminine head, lacking a little in muzzle. Long neck, well angulated fore and aft, topline straight but a little flat over the loin, tail set a bit high but carried well. Elegantly built bitch with well-developed chest. Plenty of reach and drive. Stands over a bit too much ground.

3^rd   Aust Grd Ch Pampard Phrench Kisses - Mr & Mrs J and Mr I Marshall
Yet another top class bitch, making this the hardest contested class all day and these 3 place getters could easily be swapped around on another day. Again, a more elegantly built bitch. 4yo typically spotted liver. Could do with a few less spots of larger size and better definition. Good length of skull and muzzle but could be broader right through. Good length of neck coming into sound shoulders, well developed chest and well ribbed back, longer loin gave her plenty of room to move, which she did well. Well-set on tail. Nice bone and good feet. Tendency to overstretch, sloping off the topline and standing over too much ground.


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Challenge Bitch
The Open Bitch was the bitch to beat. Superb outline and the soundest mover to and from in this line-up.

Reserve Challenge Bitch
2 ND in Open Bitch, as with the winner, had the maturity and movement over the other exhibits.

BEST IN SHOW/RUNNER-UP:
A very masculine dog and a feminine bitch. Both exhibited lovely arched necks, correct topline and tail set, correct angulation and lovely body proportions. I forgave the dog his extra substance to award him Best in Show on his better free flowing movement. The bitch's sounder front gave her Runner-up over the Reserve Dog.

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