Critique for Great Danes, SWKA CH show
Carol Gray – Great Danes
I would firstly like to thank the committee of the SWKA for inviting me to judge Great Danes. I was very pleased with my entry of 57 dogs/ 60 entries, which was a good number for this particular show.
As has been the case for quite a few years now, the quality of the bitches far surpasses that of the dogs, but having said that, there are some exciting youngsters in both sexes that will hopefully strengthen our bloodlines in the near future. I was very happy with my principal winners, two young males who have the balance and quality I was looking for and two lovely bitches who stood out for their breed type and quality. Interesting to see that 4 out of the 5 of my principal winners were sired by the same dog, what a credit they are to him & his breeders !
Class. Veteran Dog No Entry
Class. MPD 1 Entry
1st Dyson’s Samdice One and Only
8mnths old pale Fawn with Bl/Msk. My notes start off by saying ‘Love Him’ and he didn’t disappoint. Well grown for his age and undeniably male. Excellent bone and substance, correct head with good length of foreface. Lovely length and crest of neck into correct lay of shoulder, well filled front, level topline which he holds on the move and correct angulation for his age. Moved with ease around a good sized ring. Please to award him BPD & BPIB I could easily have taken him home with me and will watch his progress with interest.
Class PD 4 Entered, 1 Abs
1st Lawton & Farquhar’s Primus Walter Scott at Thornbrae
9 mnths Fawn pup with Bl/Msk , 9 mnths old. Well off for bone and substance. Lovely head and quizzical expression, good length of neck, well filled front, correct topline. Shorter coupled than the MPD but in proportion with his length of leg. Sufficient hind angulation. Moved with drive. Another one to watch
2nd Tovey’s Roychamp Fortunate Son
11mnths heavily marked harlequin. Lighter in frame than 1st but has sufficient substance, moves well once settled but unfortunately flies his tail which spoils his topline. Could improve with time and some effort by the owner attending a proper ringcraft club that can guide her in the right direction.
3rd Bielecka’s Alegriagiant Fiescobaldi
Class JD 7 Entered, 3Abs
1st Baker’s Kinnergans Bodyguard for Preveli
Lots to like about this Fawn Bl/Msk boy. 17mnths old and developing nicely. Correct parallel head planes with good length of neck into correct lay of shoulder. Straight front, good topline which he holds on the move. Correct angulation both fore and aft. Moves well when settled. In truth he is a tad long cast through the loin but this doesn’t distract from his overall quality and balance and I was pleased to award him the RDCC.
2nd Cubitt’s Zefathers Wreck It Ralph for Zebeldane
Different type to 1st. 14mnth well-
3rd Stevarah Manhattan Magic
Class PGD 2 Entered, 1 Abs
1st Hitcham’s Belarosedane Satchmo Bowe at Chamith
4 and a half year old substantial black dog. Well off for bone. Masculine head with good planes, strong neck of sufficient length into well filled shoulders, straight front, good topline. Correct angulation. Moves well
Class LD 4 Entered
1st Wright & Cranfield’s Zefathers Two Faces With Irieusdane JW
Fawn Bl/Msk almost 2yrs old. One who’s progress I have watched since he was a small pup and I wasn’t disappointed when I went over him. Not the biggest built but definitely all male. Very clean head planes with good length of foreface. Crested neck of good length into correct lay of shoulder. Good topline, croup and tailset. Correct angulation. Moves really well with excellent side extension. He had the balance of outline I was looking for, not overdone in any way and I was pleased to award him his 1st CC.
2nd Donnelly’s Primus Spokesman
Substantial Fawn Dog almost 27 months of age. Lovely dog and definitely all male. Lovely clean head of correct proportions, strong neck into well filled shoulders. Straight front and correct angulation front and rear. Has a tendency to stand bum high which distracts from his overall quality. This does even out somewhat when on the move but it cost him the class today. Other than that I loved him.
3rd Nunn, Patch & Nunn Roshanun Conquistador
Class OD 4 Entered
1st McGuinness & Nelson McGuinness Dinahtron The Omen
3yr old Fawn Bl/Msk. Another dog I have admired since he was a youngster. Bags of substance and all male. Good head with correct planes, strong neck, correct lay of shoulder. Straight well filled front, good topline, correct front and rear angulation. A difficult dog to handle but moves well when he settles. Considered him for the RCC
2nd Pocock & Pavlou’s Bubba Von Pao Eberjager With Tamzdane
26mnth old Mantle. Nice to see a correctly marked mantle in the ring and one that doesn’t disappoint when you go over him. Clean white front and collar with no flecking. Lovely head with correct length of foreface and parallel planes. Good reach of neck into correct lay of shoulder, well filled straight front. Good topline and hind angulation. Moves well.
3rd Simpson’s CH Renescent Bewitched JW
Class Good Citizen 1 entry
1st Pendleton-
3yr old Golden Brindle. A well worthy champion ! nothing overdone about him. Lovely head with clean head planes, crested neck. Good lay of shoulder. Straight front, good topline, correct angulation. Moves very well.
Class Veteran Bitch No Entry
Class MPB 2 Entries 1 Abs
1st Dyson’s Samdice This Is Me
8 mnths lovely brindle baby, litter sister to my BPD. Very pretty bitch with a lovely head and melting expression. Correct planes, good length of neck and carries the right amount of bone and substance for her age. Good topline. Moved well. Doesn’t have the confidence of her brother but I’m sure this will come in time. Another promising baby, I liked her a lot.
2nd Pocock’s Tamzdane Lickety Split
7mnths old Harlequin Bitch. As always from this clever breeder this bitch has a lovely clean white background with black torn patches. Lovely head and expression, correct head planes and length of foreface. Clean neck, well filled front. Lovely croup and tailset. Sufficient hind angulation for her age. Moves well when settled.
Class PB 3 Entries
1st Donnelly’s Thistledane It’s A Riot at Primus
10 mnths old pretty golden brindle bitch. Ive been watching the progress of this young lady so was really pleased to be able to go over her today. Lovely clean head with correct planes, crested neck into correct lay of shoulder, well filled front, good topline. Correct angulation front and rear, moves well. Happy to award her BPB
2nd Duncan’s Teesedane Winter Star
9mnths pale Fawn bitch. Pretty feminine head, good length to neck and topline ok when stacked. Quite a tall bitch who, as she matures, needs to gain lots of substance to fill her frame. Disappointing on the move.
3rd Bielecka’s Alegriagiant Furioza
Class JB 6 Entered
A difficult class to judge with some lovely bitches in it
1st Harrison’s Zefather’s Pretty Woman To Jasnettdanes
14mnth old Fawn Bitch with Bl/Msk. Again another I have watched closely since she was a young pup and what a lovely young lady she has developed into. Nothing overdone, super feminine head and clean planes. Good reach of neck into well filled shoulders, clean front, good topline and croup, moves with drive. Happy to award her the RCC, well deserved.
2nd Bartley’s Zefathers Freaky Friday
Litter sister to 1st. lovely brindle bitch, not quite the substance of her sister but other than that similar comments apply. Very pleased to see both handler and dog are working in unison now and I’m sure they’ll have a very bright future together, she’s lovely, keep up the good work !
3rd Bliss’s Stagbatch Storm Amy
Class PGB 5 Entered, 1 Abs
1st Baker’s Kinnergans Bridgerton at Preveli
17mnths Fawn bitch, Bl/Msk. Very pretty feminine bitch, litter sister to my RDCC winner. Lovely head with lots of expression. Good length to neck. Correct lay of shoulder. Well filled front with clean lines. Very slightly soft in topline when stacked. Makes her handler work hard on the move but once settled she moves really well. Considered her for the RCC.
2nd Hayter’s Stevarah Liberty Staton
13mnths old mantle Bitch. In my opinion the best of the 3 siblings shown under me today. Correctly marked. Clean head with correct parallel planes, good length of neck. Very good topline, croup and tailset. moves with reach and drive, a credit to her handler. Difficult decision between 1st & 2nd
3rd Wright & Cranfield’s Zefather’s Gossip Girl with Irieusdane
Class LB 9 Entered, 3 Abs
1st Bithells Vertumnus Raise Your Glass To Bourntwyn
27mnths Fawn Bitch, Bl/Msk. Top size bitch now starting to fill out her frame as she matures. Good head and expression, good length to neck with correct lay of shoulder. Clean front, good angulation front and rear. Still a bit soft in topline but this has improved greatly. Moved well enough to win this class but I think her best is yet to come.
2nd Chappell’s Casaarbals Freyja Selmalda ( IMP USA)
18mnth old pale Fawn with Bl/Msk. Totally different type to 1st but she is maturing slowly into a lovely bitch. Her American breeding dictates her ‘type’ and she displays these classic traits with the finer, longer head planes and the length of neck giving her such an elegant outline. She has an excellent topline and croup set with correct hind angulation and she moves really well. I just preferred the substance of 1 on the day but I shall watch her progress with interest.
3rd Pocock’s Tamzdane Oooey Gooey Cake JW
Class OB 9 Entered
1st Stanton’s CH Goldanias Diva Princess
3yr old Fawn Bitch with Bl/Msk. What can be said about this girl that hasn’t already been said. She is gorgeous, such a great example of the breed with nothing overdone. When you view her from the side she is square in profile, height to length exactly right. From the front she has that gun barrel front so lacking in many exhibits being shown currently. Her angulation is correct, topline true, good croup and tailset. Ive never seen this bitch underperform and she didn’t let me down, she flew round the ring. She’s a credit to her breeder / owner and handler. Easy decision in giving her the BCC and on maturity, BOB over the dog. Thrilled to learn that she also gained 2nd in the Working Group. Very well done.
2nd Ferguson’s IR/LUX/INT/SWISS CH Renescent Too Hot To Handle For Chateaudain
3yr old Blue Bitch of different type to 1st but lots to like. Much bigger in frame but still very feminine. Good head with correct length of foreface and parallel planes. Good length of neck into correct shoulders. Level topline, correct angulation front and rear. Good croup and tail set. Moves with drive.
3rd Merwick’s Taradanes Star Vision For Salaan
Class Good Citizen Bitch
1st Cope & Thorn’s Alegriagiant Furioza
12 mnth old Harlequin Bitch. Clean white background with black torn patches. Placed her 3rd/3 in PB.
Carol Gray