Championship Show, 4 June 2016

Judge: Margaret Hean, Arangold Golden Retrievers, New Zealand.

Thank you so much for inviting me to officiate at your show. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to judge your lovely Goldens.  Unfortunately, the weather wasnt the best for the handlers (or me!), it was so bitterly cold, but the dogs certainly didnt seem to mind.

Thank you also to the organising committee, my steward and to Julia and Dave for picking me up and looking after me.

Thank you all for taking my decisions so graciously, at times there was very little between placings and it could easily have been just how the dog performed at that moment in time that made the decision between first and second.

My top winners were just stunning, and I was really pleased to see the lovely toplines (which they maintained on the move) and balanced angulation in these dogs, with good layback of shoulder and length of upper arm combined with an equally angulated rear.

You have some lovely youngsters, and I will follow their progress with interest.

Please find below my critique. These are just my opinions and thoughts on the dogs as I saw them on the day I judged. I have tried to be honest so that you can understand why I placed your dogs as I did. I hope you find these constructive because this is what I have intended,  

BABY PUPPY DOG

1.       Giltedge Cats In The Cradle-A beautiful baby boy full of life and energy. Beautiful bone, nicely balanced front and rear angulation good depth of chest, true both coming and going. I think he will have a very promising future. Well handled.  I was pleased to award him Baby Puppy in Show and was interested to note that he was from my Bitch CC winner!

PUPPY DOG

1.       Kaparla From The Flight Deck (AI)-Very promising puppy with super bone. Nice layback of shoulder. A little soft in topline on the move, probably due to his growth rate, Good depth of chest, nice dark eye and expression. He was playing up a little for his handler today.

JUNIOR DOG

1.       Kaparla Call The Cops (AI)- A stunning young dog who immediately caught my eye. Lovely type, great head and expression. Beautiful layback of should and equally lovely angulation and length of upper arm. Level topline, straight hocks, good length of neck. He was a bit of a handful but was handled well in his class. I think this boy has a very bright future and I will watch his progress with interest. I was pleased to award him Junior in Show, Reserve Dog CC and Reserve Best In Show. Interesting to note that he is from the same sire as my BIS.

INTERMEDIATE DOG

1.       Ch Kaparla Game Plan-Nice masculine dog with a long ground covering stride. Good layback and length of shoulder but I would prefer to see a slightly longer upper arm. Good tail set and topline on the move but tended to pull forward over himself at times on the stack. I will look forward to seeing him again when he is in full coat and has matured. He was a close contender for Reserve CC. Well handled. Was pleased to award him Intermediate In Show.

2.       Tashanbrue Eager To Fly-Short coupled boy, not the front angulation of the first place getter. Good rear angulation, level topline, nice length of neck and correct tail set.

STATE BRED DOG

1.       Ch Tweedwater Royal Fusilier-Very masculine dog with good bone and substance. Balanced angulation front and rear, level topline and tailset. Short coupled and moved with drive. A little throaty for me.

2.       Kaparla Chainti Classico-Nice type, not the bone of first place getter, good rear angulation, would prefer more angulation in the upper arm, level topline, and a little proud of his tail on the move.

3.       Goldlake Its About Time-Nice bone, good depth of chest. I would prefer a little more length of neck and front angulation. Short coupled but slight slope to the croup.

AUSTRALIAN BRED DOG

1.       Beaucroft Show Me The Way-Very heavily boned dog (perhaps a bit heavy for me personally) Did not do himself justice in the ring. Nicely balance front and rear angulation, profuse coat. Nice length of neck and once he settled maintained a level topline on the move. A little throaty.

2.       Kaparla Ready Aim Fire- Adequate bone, level topline and good tail set on the stack, but very proud of his tail on the move which spoilt the overall picture. Good depth of chest, nice eye and kind expression.

OPEN DOG

1.       Ch Giltedge Do You Like Apples (AI)- Lovely strong, masculine mid gold dog, beautiful bone, level topline, balanced angulation front and rear.  Very nice head and kindly expression and good length of neck. Moved with power and drive, straight hocks. Went around the ring like he owned it. Well handled (At times in trying circumstances!) I was proud to award him Dog CC, Open in Show and Best In Show,

2.       Ch Oceanviews Happy Days-Nice type, short coupled, level topline, good length of neck, moved with drive. Not the angulation of the first place getter.

VETERAN

1.       Gr Ch Giltedge The Poet-A lovely nearly 12 year old boy whose movement was outstanding for his age! Moved with drive and purpose. Nice head and expression, good depth of chest, still has a dead level topline and balanced angulation. He is a credit to his owners and I would have loved to have judged him in his prime! I was pleased to award him Best Veteran In Show.

NEUTER DOG

1.       Goldlake Cause Im Happy-Nice type of dog. Pleasing head and expression, level topline, good tail set and bone but a little proud of his tail on the move. Front angulation could be better.

BITCHES

BABY PUPPY BITCH

Two lovely babies, half-sisters at both ends of the age spectrum, with the younger one being the better behaved of the two!

1.       Beaucroft It Had To Be You-Lovely nearly 6 month old baby. Lovely bone, pretty head and expression, moved well in short bursts but was rather naughty. Won the class on maturity but there really was very little in it.

2.       Fetchpoint Call Her Squshy- Beautiful well behaved deep gold baby. Lovely topline, good tail set, balanced angulation front and rear, good tail set. I will watch her progress with interest. Beautifully handled.

MINOR PUPPY BITCH

1.       Kaparla Safe Onward Journey-Beautiful girl just the type I love. Beautiful head and kindly expression. Balanced angulation front and rear. Level topline, tight feet. Pretty pale gold coat of correct texture, Moved well. I would have happily taken her home with me! I was happy to award her Minor Puppy In Show. Well handled.

2.       Heathbrook Love Me Do- This little girl was very naughty and didnt do herself justice! Consequently, it was hard to judge her. She has a pretty head an expression and good bone but it was hard to see her movement or to go over her properly.

PUPPY BITCH

Two very nice girls who it was hard to choose between,

1.       Naragold Coco Chanel (AI)-Pretty feminine bitch puppy. Lovely head and expression, level topline, balanced angulation, good tail set and nice depth of chest.

2.       Giltedge When The Cats Away-Another lovely puppy with level topline, good depth of chest, balanced angulation, good tail set.

JUNIOR BITCH

1.        Goldlake Be Happy-Pretty feminine girl with balanced angulation, short hocks, lovely length of neck and good depth of chest. Moved with drive.

2.       Oceanviews Thats Amore- This girl didnt do herself justice. A bigger bitch all over than the first place getter, she had a level topline and good bone but didnt show off the angulation that she had.

INTERMEDIATE BITCH

1.       Ch Giltedge Madame Butterfly (AI)- What a pity this girl had got into the biscuit barrell!!! She was beautifully put together with oodles of bone. Beautiful front and rear angulation, level topline, good depth of chest and moved with purpose and drive but her extra weight caused her to roll as she moved, which really spoilt the picture. Had she had a waistline she would have done much better.

2.       Heathbrook Live The Dream-Smaller more compact girl with a lot to like about her. Short coupled, level topline. Would have liked a little more length of upper arm. Pretty head and expression,

3.       Kaparla Mission Accomplished-A more scopey girl, lovely type. Not as mature as first two and I would like to see her in full coat and with more weight on her. Good layback of shoulder, level topline, good length of neck, lovely ground covering movement.

STATE BRED BITCH

1.       Kaparla Lunar Mission-Pretty feminine girl. Level topline and tail set, good length of neck and adequate bone. Balanced angulation front and rear and moved fluidly with drive. I would like to see more length and depth of muzzle.

2.       Goldlake Springtime Story-Solid girl with good bone and depth of chest. Adequate angulation, nice head and expression. I would like to see her elbows a little tighter.

AUSTRALIAN BRED BITCH

1.       Ch Goldlake Happily Ever After-Solid bitch with good angulation front and rear. Level topline, Nice head and expression, good bone, deep chest. Moved with drive.

2.       Thornclan Odds On Favourite-Pretty head and expression with good depth of muzzle. Longer and not the angulation or depth of chest of the first placegetter. Nice topline.

OPEN BITCH

1.       Ch Giltedge Theres A Butterfly (AI)- Filled the eye when she entered the ring.  Short coupled, beautiful bone, lovely head and expression, level topline, correct and balanced angulation front and rear with the correct length of upper arm which meant she covered the ground effortlessly and with style. I was pleased to award her Bitch CC and interested to see that she was litter sister to the Dog CC winner and half-sister to the Reserve dog.

2.       Ch Naragold Georgie Girl-Pretty bitch with balanced angulation front and rear. Level topline and correct tail set, short hocks, good length of neck. Good depth of chest, kindly head and expression, moved with drive. Pleased to award her reserve bitch CC.

3.       Ch Kaparla Total Recall-Pretty deep gold girl. Level topline, balanced angulation, good length of neck, nice head and expression. It was a pity she didnt want to move today as Im sure with her structure she could move well if she wanted to!

NEUTER BITCH

1.       Ch Kaparla Got Your Back (AI)-A stunning bitch and just the type I love! Beautiful classic head and expression, balanced angulation, in full coat. Not overdone in any way. Was naughty but once she settled moved with power and drive. Everything to like about her. It is such a pity that in Australia Neutered dogs/bitches are not allowed to compete for BIS at specialist shows as they are in NZ.

2.       Ch Kaparla On A Mission-Another lovely girl. Balanced angulation, good bone and length of neck, lovely neck into shoulder. Wasnt holding her topline as well today.

3.       Giltedge Evita-Another naughty one! A nicely built bitch with good bone and balanced angulation who didnt do herself justice today.