Windsor championship show

Thank you for a brilliant entry in terms of numbers & quality. The overall standard was v high & as a result many gd handlers had to go cardless. Its encouraging to see so many young people enjoying showing their dogs and many can definitely show the adults a thing or two! Some very competent handlers still let themselves down by making the simple mistake of dropping the lead; as soon as you do this you have lost all control of your dog, and remember the golden rule, never come between the judge and your dog. Keep practising, watching & listening but most importantly enjoy!

First Day 6-11 yrs 1 Lyndsey Moffat, Rottweiler, did not put a foot wrong. She used the large ring to its maximum, ensuring that she got the most from her Rottweiler on the move. Her turns were neat & did not break the dogs stride. Her focus was on me & her dog at all times never losing her concentration on the job she was there to do. When completing her gaiting patterns, she presented her dog at the correct distance away from me. 2 Francesca Lord, OES, was a confident handler who coped very well with a larger, quite difficult dog. She gave her dog verbal instructions and used praise where necessary. Don't be afraid to use more of the ring when moving a large dog. 3 Rebecca Tulip (Bearded Collie). 12-16 yrs 1 Jodie Harrison, did a fantastic job handling a Bearded Collie. She was v professional & difficult to fault. Jodie wore a red trouser suit which enabled me to have a very clear picture of the outline of the dog without any distraction of problem of camouflage. her ring patterns were neat, as was her lead control. She made use of the ring as she entered which gave a gd first impression. When moving all together she didn't over shadow the dog in front. 2 Jane Cryer, BSD (Terv) I am sure regularly takes 1st place but I had to be so critical when the standard of handling was as good as it was in this class. Her appearance was v practical, yet smart. Again with a large dog when carrying out her triangle used the ring to full advantage. When moving all dogs round the ring, just watch that you don't crowd the dog in front which in turn restricts your dogs gait. 3 Joanna Juneman, Border Collie. Second Day 6-11 yrs 1 Joe McDonald, Irish Red & White Setter, looked like he thoroughly enjoyed his handling from the moment he walked into the ring and this was gd to see. Remember it's a hobby & one should be enjoying themselves & without doubt your mood does go down the lead! he spoke to his dog, giving instructions & praise when required, Joe was polite to fellow exhibitors and made sure his dogs were presented correctly at all necessary times. He kept gd control of the lead which, along with a smart well chosen colour suit, presented an attractive over all picture. 2 Alexandra MacBain, Field Spaniel, really got the best out of her dog. The dog was always correctly stood & gaited at the correct pace. After completing her ring patterns she presented her dog at the correct distance away from me allowing a clear view & moved around the dog accordingly so as not obstruct my view. 3 Charlotte Eustace, English Setter. 12-16 yrs 1 Louisa Rogerson, German Spitz (Mittel). The handlers in this class were exceptional and my five placings were all of a professional standard. However Louisa thoroughly deserved to take top honours here. Her concentration did not wander at any time. In a large class she made sure she had adequate space, allowing me to move around her & her dog if required. She showed me the bite correctly & moved the dog at the correct pace, favourably using voice control rather than a jerky lead which breaks a dogs gait. 2 Jodie Harrison, Standard Poodle, again did a brilliant job. I couldn't fault her on presentation. Both her and her dog were immaculately turned out. The dog was stood perfectly when necessary and didn't over fuss. I just felt on the day that she didn't get 100% out of her dog on the move. Her lead control is so tidy that you wouldn't even know the dog had one on! 3 Kate Vincent, Flatcoated Retriever. Third day 6-11 yrs 1 Emily Thornton, handled a beagle and caught my eye as soon as she entered the ring. She was aware I was watching the handlers as soon as they entered and made sure she used this opportunity to start showing her dog. She was encouraging to her dog and appeared to be enjoying what she was doing. her ring patterns were tidy & she didn't come between myself and the dog. 2 Madeline Johnson, handled a Pug and they had a very good rapport between them. She did not obstruct my view of the dog at any time. When carrying out the required ring patterns, she made sure I had a perfect view of the dogs rear, side & front movement. 3 Toni Gillmon (Afghan). 12-16 yrs 1 Bryony Heim, Saluki, came across as very calm but exceptionally competent handler. The ring was used to its maximum and the dogs gait was not stopped at any time during her ring patterns, allowing continuous flowing movement. She kept her own space when in the line up, never allowing her dog to interfere with others. I was also able to move freely around the dog if required. Again more voice control was used rather than a jerky lead.2 Chantelle Prior, Whippet, caught my eye when I first asked all dogs to move around the ring together. She waited until the dog in front had given her enough space and then moved her dog to the correct pace, allowing me to have a clear picture of the dog on the move without crowding the dog in front. Ring patterns were continuous , with straight lines & sharp corners. 3 Devon Grey, Whippet.
Suzy Roffey

Bournemouth championship show

Junior handling was introduced to prepare young exhibitors for the show ring. The idea is not to try and catch them out by giving them ambiguous instructions or asking for superfluous patterns. With this in mind, I asked for a triangle and a straight up & down. I was looking for a handler and exhibit as one on the move, straight lines, neat turns & well presented dog. Day one 8-11 yrs (5) 1 Stephanie Sutton, 11 yrs, handling a difficult Bernese Mountain Dog puppy. Coped well with the size & short attention span of her dog in a sympathetic but firm manner. Her lines were straight, and although her corners were a little loose, allowances have to be made for large dogs. 2 Ashton Pearmain, 10, handling a Scottish Terrier. Good straight lines and tight corners, but failed to make use of the whole ring. Would probably benefit from a dog with a bit more spark. 3 Kasey Riddel, 11, Leonberger. 12-15 yrs (7) 1 Shannon Thomas,12, Shetland Sheepdog. Another handler & exhibit who were immaculately turned out. Moved at one with her dog and was aware of my position in the ring. Produced straight lines & tight corners. Very difficult to fault. 2 Russell Marett, 14, Cesky Terrier. Produced the lines & corners that I was looking for but did not have the togetherness or style of 1. 3 Matthew Dean, 14, Boxer. 16-18 yrs (3) 1 Craig Gamble, 16, Border Collie. Both exhibit & handler moved at one effortlessly and at pace around the ring, producing the required pattern. The dog was well presented, and the handler proved that you can compete at junior handling with an animated, free-standing breed. 2 Adrian Marett, 16, Cesky Terrier. I was unable to go over the dog on the table. Must concentrate more on producing straight lines. Day two (4) Unfortunately this class fell foul of the weather and had to be judged in the wet weather ring which was certainly not conductive to the handling of gundogs. 1 Joe McDonald, 11 yrs, Irish Red & White Setter. Presented the dog with confidence and gaited at the correct speed, as dictated by the conditions, and made exc use of the small ring to produce the correct lines. 2 Samantha Dyer, 11, Weimaraner. Coped with the conditions well but was not as accurate as 1. 3 Alexandra MacBain, 11, Field Spaniel. 12-15 yrs (20) Luckily the rain ceased, and I was able to judge the strongest class of the three days outside. Some of the handlers who did not make the cut would have been well placed in the other groups. 1 Kate Vincent, 15, Golden Retriever. 2 Lucy Dixon, 15, Miniature Schnauzer. Difficult to split 1 & 2. Both performed the required pattern to perfection. Both handled & presented their exhibit precisely & without any fuss. On the day I just felt that 1 had that little extra sparkle. I have judged both 1 & 2 before and consider them to be two of the country's best junior handlers. I look forward to watching their performances at Richmond. 3 Kirsty Miller, 14, English Springer Spaniel. 16-18 yrs (1) 1 Rachel Collette, 16 yrs, Flat Coated Retriever. Moved the dog at the correct pace and free stood a difficult breed for junior handling. Needs to watch the accuracy of her turns. Day three 8-11 yrs (5) 1 Emily Thornton, 11, Beagle. Presented her dog well & executed perfectly straight lines & tight corners. However, on occasions was slightly too far ahead of her dog. 2 Sarah Matthews, 11, Pomeranian. Performed the pattern well, but needs to work on her table presentation. 3 Rachel Finch, 10, Beagle. 12-15 yrs (6) 1 Aimee Reeves, 15, Whippet. 2 Joseph Woodhouse, 15, Whippet. Close decision between 1 & 2, both moved their dogs around the ring and in the pattern at the correct speed. Both were fully aware of my ring position. 1 had slightly better turns, the class was won on presentation of the exhibit on the table. 1 set up her dog quickly and proficiently, then positioned herself the correct distance away, enabling her to remain in total control without crowding the exhibit or inhibiting the judge. 3 Amber Henshaw, 13 yrs, Pekingese. 16-18 yrs (1) 1 Susi Perry, 17, Long Haired Dachshund. Presented the exhibit well, moved at one with her dog in the pattern, performing straight lines & tight corners.
Kevan Forrest

Leeds championship show

Firstly I would like to thank all my exhibitors for their entries. Secondly I would like to explain what I was looking for in my judging, I wanted to see handlers whose priority was the welfare of their dog, especially in the hot weather we experienced over the course of the show. I was looking for quiet, professional handling, with no 'dancing round the dog', some handlers have practically turned shadowing into ballet and they were penalised for this. dress was generally good, some handlers need to keep an eye on excess jewellery or make-up which can distract the judges eye from the dog. Footwear was in the main acceptable, although there were one or two pairs of sandals and high heels. Finally, one or two handlers did lose places on the questions. The KCJO handbook does state that handlers should know about there breeds, and I had two good handlers who lost placings because they didn't know the purpose of their breed. This is a basic element and should not be overlooked, having said that, the overall standard was very high, keep up the good work. Day One 8-11 yrs (9) 1 Jodie McDaniel, Dobermann, very neat & accurate handler who stood her dog correctly and had a lovely rapport. Would like her to make slightly better use of the ring on her triangle, but nevertheless a very promising young handler. 2 Lorna Dandy, Border Collie, gd on the move, talking to her dog and performing patterns accurately. Needs to pay attention to her dogs front, as this was not always displayed to best advantage. 3 Leigh Gibson, Smooth Collie. 12-15 yrs (8)1 Thomas Barnett (Great Dane), this is not the easiest breed to handle, but this handler made it look effortless. He had a super rapport with his dog, and his gentle perseverance when she began to tire was what won him the class, together with his smooth and accurate handling. 2 Kelly McWilliams, Dobermann, a very precise handler, hard to fault both standing and on the move. A very close decision in this class, well done to both of you. 3 Elizabeth Mirecki, GSD. 16-18 yrs (7) 1 Nicola Hall (Australian Shepherd), simply could not fault her, exactly the kind of handling I like to see. Lovely rapport, talked to her dog where appropriate and was a precise and unobtrusive handler, well done. 2 Evelyn Little, Border Collie, lovely quiet handler who was very kind to her dog and performed neatly & precisely. 3 Jane Cryer, Border Collie. Day two 8-11 yrs (9) 1 Emma McLoughlin, Papillon. This was an extremely gd class. A neat & tidy handler who knows her job & does it efficiently without fussing. She talked quietly to her dog when necessary, did everything I asked, and is, I'm sure capable of handling as any adult in her breed. 2 Sarah matthews, Pomeranian. Much the same remarks apply. her dog is superbly trained and this pair barely put a foot wrong. Splitting hairs, i would have liked to see a bit more encouragement for her dog on the move. 3 Hayley Pigden, Shih Tzu. 12-15 yrs (16) 1 Thomas Michael West, WHWT. A hard working young man, who never stopped trying to get the best out of his dog. Very pleased to see a Terrier handler displaying the right amount of tension on the lead, remember that if your dog is too strung up its movement will be affected, as was the case with the others in this class. Sympathetic handler who I'm sure will go far. 2 Claire Robinson, Pug. Another handler who put her dog first, presenting it without fussing or unnecessary shadowing. Beautiful presentation on the table, just lost out to 1 on movement. 3 Kirsty Young, Standard Poodle. 16-18 yrs (4) 1 Shona Taylor, Shih Tzu. 1 & 2 were very close in this class, both quiet attentive handlers who performed accurately & neatly. i just felt that 1 had the edge when they moved as a group, as her spacing was slightly better. 2 Nicola Hall, Tibetan Terrier. Very sound breed knowledge! Same remarks as previously! 3 Laura Lucas, Schnauzer. Day three 8-11 yrs (11) 1 Charlotte Nickel, Whippet. Calm & professional young lady who handles with confidence. Accurate on the move & making the best use of ring space. hard to fault. 2 Rebecca Ellrich, Basset Hound. Lovely rapport with her dog, perhaps not the polish of 1, but a natural, quiet handler who made the most of the ring on the move and looked after her dog. 3 Heather Rose, GWP. 12-15 yrs This class was the hardest to judge of all three days, I could have happily given places to the majority of the class. Well done to you all. 1 Sarah Dunmall, Golden Retriever. this young lady is a credit to her breed, quiet & natural, yet still accurate & professional. She looked after her dog impeccably and the pair of them worked perfectly together. never put a foot wrong, well done. 2 Adam Rose, GSP. Would've preferred slightly better use of ring space on the triangle, but his consistently professional handling, without fussing or unnecessary shadowing, earned him his place. 3 Michelle McAngus (Hungarian Vizsla). 16-18 yrs 1 Alayna Morland, Whippet. handled a young dog in this class, but managed to keep him looking good whenever necessary by not working him when it was unnecessary. Lovely demonstration of correct breed handling, without any of the unnecessary fussing that has crept into handling. made good use of her ring and showed her dog to its best advantage. 2 Gemma Bettis, Irish Setter, both dog & handler were beautifully presented. I would have preferred slightly quieter handling but could not fault her the way she had her dog looking superb whenever my eye was on them. 3 Susi Perry, L/H Dachshund.
Jenny Shorer