The Midlands Irish Setter Society Championship Show

I was delighted to be able to judge dogs so soon after judging bitches so that I could make comparisons between the sexes. Overall I felt that the bitches still have more quality in depth and consistency of type than the dogs. Quite often it seemed that in many dog classes the quality between the first 3 places and the rest of class seemed vast. Although this also occurred in bitches it did not seem to happen so frequently. Generally movement was still very disappointing with a few incorrect mouths and untypical heads starting to creep in.

MINOR PUPPY DOG (12,4 )

1^st. Smith’s Reddins Tiller Man. Promising typy puppy. Pleasing head with correct eye shape, good reach of neck. Ample spring of rib. Well angulated front and rear, nice tailset. Well boned. Moved okay.
2^nd. Luto’s Rappatty Bobby Dazzler. Decent head and expression. Nice straight front. Probably superior in overall balance than the winner but just preferred the angulation of 1. Decent topline. Moved well.
3^rd. Reece’s Follidown Dunlin

PUPPY DOG (21,4)

1^st. Holley’s Danaway Discreet. Super type, very mature for his age. Scoring with a lovely head and soft expression. Well arched neck set well into laid back shoulders. Good angulation front & rear. Super in profile with nice sloping topline. Moved very happily and soundly around the ring. Very promising. Pleased to see him go BPIS
2^nd. Evan’s Goldings Casanova. Pleasing head and expression. Correct straight front with well placed shoulders. Ample depth of chest. Adequate topline. Good quarters. Moved well, if a little proud of his tail at times.
3^rd. Bell & Barker-Bell’s Balintyne Home Lovin Man.

VETERAN DOG (8,3)

1^st. Bott’s Sh.Ch. Shenanagin Some Might Say It’s Bardonhill JW. Worthy champion who has had many judges praise his attributes before, but nevertheless I will add mine as well !!. Delightful well chiselled head with raised brows and soft expression, good reach of neck, nice deep chest. Superbly balanced stylish outline. Shown and presented in beautiful coat and condition. Even though it could be said that he is now in the twilight days of his show career he was still able to show the younger ones a thing or two. moving seemingly effortlessly with drive around the ring. Well deserved CC and very pleased to see him eventually go BIS.
2^nd. Kenny’s Burrenmist Riverdance. Another lovely type. Super refined skull and expression. Nice eye shape and colour. True front with well laid back shoulders. Good spring of rib. Super topline which he held on the move. Adequate quarters. Good coat and condition. Moved well.
3^rd. Vant’s Barleydale Rondo

JUNIOR DOG (13,2)

1^st. McVey’s Lochfrae Ralph Lauren. Super type with decent head and kind expression, nice dark eye. Well constructed throughout presenting a elegant stylish outline. Good reach of neck, nice straight front and deep chest. Good quarters and nice short hocks. Moved soundly with drive around the ring. Presented in excellent coat
2^nd. Lucas’s Braidmount Gentle Guy At Amberlight JW. Very similar type to the winner being perhaps slightly longer cast and just preferring the refinement in the head of 1. Soft expression, correctly shaped eye. Decent profile, good straight front. Adequate angulation, strong hindquarters. Moved well.
3^rd. Stocker’s Kirkavagh Nijinsky.

SPEC. YEARLING DOG (16,2)

1^st. Willet’s Caspians Disraeli JW. A very strong class. Lovely finely chiseled head with a gentle soft expression, nice dark eye. Good straight front and deep well ribbed chest. Well angulated. Super in profile. Presented in good coat and condition. Moved steadily using the ring to advantage
2^nd. Savage’s Tagamagos Survivor. Pushed 1 very hard, similar type but preferring the head of the winner. Good body properties. Excellent profile, well off for bone. Good spring of rib, nice deep chest. adequate angulation, strong hindquarters. Not quite the coat of winner. Moved well.
3^rd. Edward’s Barleydale Lumiere.

MAIDEN DOG (13,5)

1^st. Holley’s Danaway Discreet
2^nd. Luto’s Rappatty Bobby Dazzler.
3^rd. Stocker’s Kirkavagh Nijinsky.

NOVICE DOG (9,3)

1^st. McVey’s Lochfrae Ralph Lauren
2^nd. Hillock’s Spirit Of The South To Jonola. Smaller overall build than the winner but nevertheless a nice type. Decent head and expression. Good reach of neck flowing into well laid back shoulders. Let down a little by his feet. Moved okay
3^rd. Langley’s Caspians Zhivago

UNDER-GRADUATE DOG (13,3)

1^st. McVey’s Lochfrae Ralph Lauren
2^nd. Smith’s Caskeys Premier. Another nice type with good overall balanced profile who I thought was the class winner on my initial inspection. However the lack of refinement in his head and eye colour was a critical factor in the placings. Correct shoulder placement. Well off for bone. Good angulation front and rear. Presented in excellent coat and condition. Moved well.
3^rd. Willet’s Caspians Giancarlo

GRADUATE DOG (10,5)

1^st. Chorley-Newton & Hardy’s Kerryfair What A Cracker. Delighted to have to make difficult decisions between the first two in this class. Although quite different in type, each excelled with their own virtues. However the head of 1 was the deciding factor in the end, having a very refined head with kind expression. Good reach of neck, deep brisket. True front, firm sloping topline. Well angulated front and rear. Neat feet. Balanced profile. Shown in good coat.
2^nd. Heron’s Caskeys Vaguely Scottish JW. Another excellent type, but just preferring the head of the winner. Good overall body proportions, if slightly longer cast than 1. Pleasing masculine head yet retaining a soft kind expression. Well angulated shoulders, correct tailset. Moved well
3^rd. McAvoy’s Cymbeline Fiseal

POST GRADUATE DOG (16,5)

1^st. Hall’s Harreds Ghillie. Caught my eye immediately upon entering the ring. Substantial type scoring in overall balance but with no exaggeration of any kind. Pleasing head and soft melting expression, nice low earset. Good reach of neck. Good front, correct topline, excellent profile. Well off for bone, nice tight feet. Good angulation all round. Moved soundly if a little at odds at times with his handler.
2^nd. Fry’s Strathmead April In Paris. Pressed 1 very hard, just loosing out on overall balance. Good refined head, nice reach of neck flowing into well laid back shoulders. Good spring of rib, nice sloping topline. Adequate angulation, moved well.
3^rd. Lucas’s Caskeys Persuader From Amberlight.

MID-LIMIT DOG (12,3)

1^st. Rodda’s Teramour Happy Go Lucky. Very close decision between the first two. Long lean balanced head and pleasing expression, low set ears. Lovely reach of neck, flowing into well laid back shoulders. Good straight front, correct topline, excellent balanced profile. Moved soundly with drive around the ring.
2^nd. Hockley & Gisby’s Suteresett Billionair Bear. A more compact type but probably possessing the best head of the day with that very rare soft melting expression. Adequate reach of neck flowing into well angulated shoulders. Good spring of rib, nice firm topline. Super outline, adequate rear angulation, nice neat feet. Moved well using his tail.
3^rd. Bailey’s Covarney Monello JW

LIMIT DOG (13,4)

1^st. Foster’s Shanoah Highly Delighted. Another very strong class with quality in depth. I am sure the first three will no doubt change places on another day. Super overall type with excellent body proportions. Good head and expression, good reach of neck, nice deep chest, good angulation. Well off for bone, good powerful quarters, moved well
2^nd. Luto’s Rappatty Winter Flame. A similar type who pushed very hard just losing out in overall balance. Pleasing head with soft expression. Well laid back shoulders, nice deep chest with good spring of rib. Excellent firm sloping topline and stylish profile. Shown in good coat and condition
3^rd. Condron’s Covarney Chocolate Mousse

OPEN DOG (6,2)

1^st. Thirwell’s Sh.Ch. Shandwick Amethyst At Ferndell. A super class with little to separate the winners with 1 winning on overall style and proportions. Classic head and soft expression. Solidly constructed throughout. Good reach of neck, well sprung ribs. Sweeping topline maintained on the move. Strong loin and quarters. Moved well with drive. First class presentation. Pushed hard in the challenge but could not match the steady, seemingly effortless, fluid movement of the Veteran class winner. Res.C.C.
2^nd. Edward’s Sh.Ch. Cedrus Solitaire. Decent head and expression. Excellent well balanced outline, well arched neck, nice deep chest, good croup and tailset. Superior furnishings to 1. Moved adequately around the ring, but could not match the animation of the winner.
3^rd. Willet & Oakley’s Sh.Ch. Caspians Palmerston.

Peter Armstrong - Judge