BIRMINGHAM NATIONAL – GREAT DANE  10.05.24

Cath Gilbert

It was a great honour to be invited to judge Danes by the Birmingham Committee and I thank them for the lovely hospitality provided. Thank you also to my two superb stewards for their assistance in keeping the ring running smoothly, making my day much easier.

It is always a privilege to be asked to judge my beloved Danes and I thank all the exhibitors for the super entry and for allowing me to go over their dogs.

I have seen a great improvement in what is being presented in the show ring in both dogs and bitches, though the majority of bitches are superior in quality, there are one or two males that are top notch and today I found my DCC & BOB in the Mantle male; Uk Swiss, Lux Ch Tamzdane Empower Mint JW.  When it came to the challenge he had the lithe, springy and free movement that to me is essential in our breed and I could not deny him BOB

I had super entries in PGB, LB and OB with many going cardless, and there were several I could happily have taken home. It is very unfortunate that one cannot place more, or acknowledge the quality of those that weren’t placed.  Many will swap places and are worthy of gaining their titles.

MPD (1,0)

1. McGuiness & Nelson,   Dinahtron The Omen 6 month fawn presented and handled sympathetically to allow him to settle.  Nicely proportioned head of good width and length. Dark eyes.  Lovely reach of neck. Adequate angulation for his age and will fill his frame as he develops. Stood on well arched feet. Moved well once settled and in challenge for BP he just had the edge on the move. BPD / BPIB

PD (1,1)  Absent

JD (4,3) 1. Pendleton-Watkins,   Goldania’s King of Drago  4mth brindle, with well-defined stripes. Going through a rangy stage and needing to body up.  Strong head with good length of foreface and square drop of lip.  Nice straight front. Soft in topline at moment due to lack of condition and moving close behind, but he has time on his side.

PGD (7,2) 1. Bailey’s   Primus Party Like Gatsby Beautifully proportioned fawn, Loved his square shape and clean lines.  He has a super head with correct balance of muzzle and skull with square drop of lip.  Dark expressive eyes, good ear set and crested neck of good length. Straight, well filled front and deep brisket.  Standing on catlike feet. Firm topline, held on the move, with good desired reach and drive and good ground covering. Maturing nicely. RDCC

2.Walton’s   Novavida Hellboy By Ravendane Harlequin, clean white front with torn patches, stronger made than 1, excellent shape. Straight front with slight slope to pasterns, standing on tight feet.  Well filled chest, solid topline and good croup.  Parallel head planes but would prefer a tighter eye. Good ground covering on the move. 3. Marriot’s   Shlarra Blast from The Past

LD (5,1) 1. Lipman & Booth’s   Rimor Aurelius Brindle of good size and elegance. Head of good length and breadth set on crested neck.  Firm topline with rise over loin and correct tail set.  Correct depth of brisket but overall needing to fill his frame. Moved ok just lacking a bit of dash and dare today. 2. Searle’s   Murrayvhayle My Main Man Fawn. Stronger built than 1. Super head with clean, square drop of lip, broad muzzle, correct stop and parallel plains. Slightly broad in skull but had triangular, medium sized ears and dark expressive eyes.  Good length of neck and lay of shoulder, level topline with rise over loin. Still maturing and needs to fill in front . Movement Ok.   3. Henshall’s   Calchas Bryan The Brave
OD (7,2)  1. Pocock’s   UK, Swiss, Lux Ch. Tamzdane Empower Mint JW
Striking mantle shown in hard condition and gleaming coat.  He is maturing well and won this class and BOB on his balance and movement.  Head of good proportions, parallel plains. To be critical, I would prefer less drop of lip, but it wasn’t too excessive. He had dark, well fitted eyes, no haw showing. Lovely length of neck into well sloped back shoulders. He had correct width throughout ,with super angulation front and rear which gave him the reach and drive required in our breed and he had the dash and dare that I was looking for. Pleased to award him DCC and BOB

2. Cranfield’s Ch.   Zefather’s Ralph Lauren JW  Really nice type, balanced head with super eye and expression.  Good reach of neck. Lovely width and well filled chest with straight front to excellent feet. Moved well, holding a firm topline. Lost out today due to a very large lump on his throat due to gland infection.  Didn’t affect his performance, but for me it just detracted from his overall balance on the day.  3. Jacques & Kirby’s   Ch Jacquir No Regrets JW
MPB (2,1)   1.  McGuiness & Nelson’s   Dinahtron Trick or Treat  Litter sister to MPD. Beautiful feminine head with dark eyes. Lovely straight front standing on excellent tight feet. Lovely length of neck and flow to well set shoulders. Lovely croup and adequate angulation for age. Moved steady.
PB (3,0)  1. Teese’s   Primus Belle Starr (ai)    BPB  10mth shapely fawn of correct proportions. Head of good length and width with dark deep set eyes. Long crested neck. Deep chest and solid topline. Excellent straight front standing on catlike feet. Moved well to win BPB but lost out in challenge for BPIB preferring rear movement of PD 2. Ferguson’s   Renescent Too Hot to Handle for Chateaudain Elegant 10mth blue, finer made than 1 but everything in the right place and developing well. Lovely headpiece with correct ear placement, set on a crested neck, just needs to fill in front. Standing on good tight feet with slight slope to pasterns. Sympathetically handled to get best from her on the move.3. Simpson’s   Renescent Fugget about it

JB ( 2,0)   1. Pocock’s   Tamzdane Oooey Gooey Cake  12mth Harli . Very promising youngster, so well put together and it showed in her movement. Loved her shape and balance. Head of good length with skull proportionately narrow and square drop of lip. Clean white neck of good length. Correct angles front and rear with good width of second thigh and good turn of stifle. Firm topline in to correct croup.2. Page & Concannon’s   Novavida Livin The Dream
13mth Black. Heavier type that 1.  Head of good proportions, dark eyes, square drop of lip. Correct square shape with straight front, deep brisket. Steeper in croup than 1. Shown in excellent condition. Moved well.
PGB (13,4)  1. Jone’s   Jacqukir Time For Change  Elegant fawn bitch of lovely proportions. Beautiful headpiece with dark expressive eyes and set on a long crested neck into nicely set shoulders. Deep brisket,  elbows well under body, nice tuck up. Solid topline held on the move. Strode out well to win a strong class2. Dyson’s   Primus Bond Girl with Samdice 19mth brindle. Loved her shape. Stronger type throughout than 1. Head of good length with square drop of lip, would prefer a tighter eye and smaller ear. Strong crested neck, well filled chest and deep  brisket. Well sloped back shoulders and excellent rear angulation allowed for easy ground covering action.3. Baker’s   Taradanes Shining Star Over Preveli
LB (14,1) Strong quality class Super strong class and many went cardless. Some bitches were carrying too much weight which I felt affected their movement and therefore my decision on the day. 1st & 2nd in this class could so easily have changed places. 1. Worsley’s   Primus Encore Avec Malpa  Quality 2 yr old fawn, shown in excellent condition. Balanced well-proportioned head on a strong crested neck. Well filled chest and deep brisket. Straight parallel front with slight slope to pasterns standing on tight cat-like feet. Seriously considered in challenge but I would prefer more  width to rear quarters. Moved with a light easy action with good ground covering. Very promising. 2. Craig & Paolantonio’s   Culseandanes Janet Weiss  I have much admired this 2 yr old from a puppy and she has many of the qualities of the class winner, but  today she was carrying too much weight and this affected her overall balance costing her the class.  Her head is of good length with parallel plains and she has dark expressive eyes. Well filled front with great angles front and rear, good width of thigh and correct tail set. Excellent spring of rib and solid topline with rise over loin Moved well.  3. Lawson’s Murrayvhayle Missbehave at Droolakiss
OB (9,3) 1. Clark’s   Ch. Garsak Summer Days At Mintrex 3yr old Fawn Shown in excellent hard condition. Head with super length of foreface, parallel plains and dark medium set eyes. I would prefer less drop of lip, but this did not detract from her overall quality and elegance. Balanced construction front and rear with level topline and correct croup, lovely straight front and tight well arched feet. Correct depth of brisket and good spring of rib. She moved with a free easy stride and head carried high. BCC      2. Windmill’s   Ch Murrayvhayle Miz Congenial    3yr old Fawn. A more substantial bitch than 1 but retains her elegance. Lovely head correct plains, square drop of lip and good ear carriage. Strong crested neck and well filled front, great lay back of shoulder and depth of brisket. The eye just flows over this bitch with her clean outline from head to tail. Lovely turn of stifle and rear angulation allowed her to move around the ring with ease. Very close decision between 1 & 2  RBCC  3. Tempest’s Adoreadane Licence To Kill (ai)
VB (2,1) 1. Tempest’s,   Ch. Adoreadane Just The Ticket JW   Correctly marked 8 yr old Harlequin. Classic, square outline, head of beautiful proportion with just right amount of drop of lip. Neck flowing down cleanly and set in to well sloped shoulders. Solid, level topline with rise over loin and correct croup. Moved to perfection by her handler and had the desired lithe springy ground covering action required in the breed.  BV

Judge:  Cath Gilbert