HVC Open Show
Hungarian Vizsla Club Open Show
15th March 2015
I was honoured to be asked to judge this show and my thanks go to the committee members of the Hungarian Vizsla Club for inviting me. I would like to thank my two very hard working and efficient stewards who kept proceedings running very smoothly and not least my thanks to all the exhibitors for such a super entry and for the sporting way they accepted my decisions. I felt on the whole the quality of the exhibits was good, some exhibits looked stunning when stacked but let themselves down on the move and so were penalized for this. Although there is only one breed standard and all the points need to be taken into account, it is open to the personal interpretation of the judge, we are all different and we will place more importance on different aspects of the breed standard, judging is subjective, if it wasn’t and we all thought the same then dog showing would be extremely boring. Incorrect untypical heads, poor, weak fronts and bad movement are points of the standard which I find hard to look past. Looking at my final line up I was very pleased with the quality of the exhibits, I wish them all well and I’m sure they will all go on and achieve many high accolades in the future.
Minor Puppy Dog. 1st Savage’s Karaszy’s Falco Peregrinus at Silvestre. A happy confident puppy of just seven months, pleasing head and expression, well laid shoulders, balanced front and rear angulation, good forechest and depth, well off for bone, good feet, moved soundly holding his topline, for me he stood away from the other youngsters and I was pleased to award him best puppy in show. 2nd Carrington’s ReidolValley What a Card, six month old puppy built on finer lines than my winner, kind expression with good eye, good feet, moved steadily keeping topline. 3rd Atkin’s Topaeris Master Blaster.
Puppy Dog. 1st Carrington’s ReidolValley What a Card. 2nd Bennett and Howard’s Artilysminiz Wisteria, Nine month old puppy, rangier type than my winner, correct head proportions with good eye shape, well off for bone, nicely muscled with correct coat texture and colour. 3rd Gibbon’s Silvestre Blazing Saddles.
Junior Dog, No entries.
Special Yearling Dog, 1st, Harper’s Hubertus Hungaricum Adal at Pitswarren ( Imp Hun ), Super dog of just eighteen months, for me there was nothing to dislike, masculine head yet with a gentle expression, correct front angulation, tight elbows, plenty of depth and forechest, well sprung ribs, strong topline, good width of upper and lower thigh, by far the best feet of the day. His sound positive movement just completed the overall picture making it my pleasure to award him best dog and best in show. 2nd, Da Silva’s Bournehouse Crispin, another quality young dog with lots to like, a balanced dog with lovely head and expression, plenty of depth, good spring of rib.3rd, Lutra Lord Admiral by Arunszvar.
Post Graduate Dog, 1st Underdown’s Zahur Zambala, very happy dog enjoying his day, a masculine built dog but still not coarse, good head proportions, dark eye, correct front and rear assembly, moderate bend to stifle , good feet, strong topline held well on the move. 2nd, Delf’s Broadsedge Dream Lover, a balanced dog built on finer lines than my winner, has a good head with pleasing expression, correct coat texture with rich colour, for me the winner had the edge on movement .
Limit Dog, Two very different types in this class with plenty to like about both, 1st, White’s Parcroft Piros by Arunszvar, heavier built dog, loved his head and gentle expression, well off for bone, good depth of chest, well sprung ribs. 2nd, Barnard’s Daxpack Court Case, taller dog who has the most aristocratic air about him, again a beautiful head, balanced with good movement, difficult decision between these two, just preferred the front assembly of the winner.
Open Dog, 1st, Savage’s Bitcon Skymaster with Silvestre ShCM, very masculine dog with kind expression, lean neck leading into well laid shoulders, tight elbows, good bone and feet, well sprung ribs, balanced front and rear angulation, plenty of depth, moved with purpose. 2nd, Northwood’s Hookside Gabor, nothing exaggerated about this dog, balanced fore and aft with positive free movement keeping topline, good bone, well muscled. 3rd Barwick’s Bournehouse Hawkeye to Bequerelle.
Veteran Dog, 1st, Barwick’s Sh Ch Bequerelle Coopers Creek JW ShCM, an old favourite of mine who I have judged before, now eight years old and showing a little grey but still has accurate, positive movement holding his topline well, beautiful classic head with gentle expression, well balanced front and rear angulation, plenty of depth, nothing overdone here, a quality Vizsla who I was pleased to award reserve best dog in show. 2nd, Roe’s Vizslanya Rebusz at Pirospoint ShCM, another eight year old dog and hard to believe he’s a veteran, again a lovely head and expression, well angulated front and rear with enough depth, prominent breastbone, well muscled body, good width of first and second thigh.
Field Trial Dog, 1st, Leeman’s Hookside Gergo, a very happy dog enjoying his day out, a masculine dog, well off for bone, good coat colour, nicely muscled, good depth of chest, ribs well sprung.
Minor Puppy Bitch, Two pretty seven month old pups, 1st, Digby’s Alsziv Laurona, I thought this pup more together which won her the class, well balanced, lovely feet and moved out well for her age. 2nd, Delf’s Nicael Miss Ginger Rogers, balanced in front and rear, tight elbows, good coat colour, was not as positive on the move as the winner but it was lovely to see such a happy pup enjoying herself.
Puppy Bitch, 1st Rutherford’s Kincsem Pussy Galore, a lovely pup, pretty head and expression, well laid shoulders, good depth, tight elbows, strong topline, well angulated rear, well let down hocks, moved around the ring with precise positive movement, stood alone in this class but deserved her win, best bitch puppy.
Junior Bitch, 1st, Barnard’s Daxpack Lush Lashes, pretty bitch with lovely gentle expression, very elegant lines, well balanced, good feet, positive movement which won her the class. 2nd, Sutherland’s Carnlochan Sirocco, another pretty bitch, rich coat colour, good width of first and second thigh, for me not as positive on the move as my winner.
Yearling Bitch, A lovely class full of quality, 1st, Wilk’s Nicael Flora, this bitch is so well put together, rich coat colour, typical head and gentle expression, lean elegant neck into well laid shoulders, tight elbows, ample depth and forechest but not overdone, good spring of rib, slight tuck, well angulated rear, so positive on the move holding her topline with correct tail carriage, reserve best bitch. 2nd, Cruickshank’s Topaeris Summer Love, another super bitch, well off for bone, excellent body proportions, lovely feet, ample depth and forechest, good spring of rib, beautifully angulated rear, correct tail carriage which she held on the move. 3rd, Whitfield’s Alfizsbet the One and Only.
Post Graduate Bitch, 1st, Wall’s Afanleigh Sophie at Perllanside, a quality bitch with so much to like, not flashy but a good honest bitch, noble expression, lean neck, tight elbows, good depth and forechest, spring of rib, strong topline, correct tail set and carriage, well let down hocks, I liked her a lot. 2nd, Bell’s Glaslleb Skyfall, slightly taller than my winner but another quality bitch who was so superbly handled by her young handler. Very feminine but still well off for bone, lovely head and expression, prominent breastbone, good feet, well let down hocks, excellent positive movement, well muscled. 3rd, Digby’s Nicael Rochella at Alsziv.
Limit Bitch, The first two bitches in this class were at different ends of the standard height wise but both had lots to like. 1st, Allen and Bloxham’s Gingibre Head over Heels, a taller bitch but in proportion, nothing overdone, she’s balanced with a good head and a gentle expression, tight elbows, plenty of depth and spring of rib, correct rear angulation, moved soundly around the ring. 2nd, Gore’s Helsim Over the Rainbow, smaller than my winner, well put together, rich coat colour, correct front and rear angulation, strong topline, positive movement, very well muscled. 3rd, Rutherford’s Kincsem Pretty Picture.
Open Bitch, Another quality class which made my decisions so very difficult, 1st, Mills’ Sh Ch Carwci’s Phoenix ShCM, a bitch I have judged before, gentle expression, so well made, strong body yet still retaining a feminine appearance, she has depth, good bone, correct front and rear angulation, her positive steady movement won her this class. 2nd, Harper’s Sh Ch Harper’s Pitswarren Denim Genes JW, this is the most beautiful bitch, melting expression, lean neck, well laid shoulders, correct front and rear angulation, good width of first and second thigh, I liked her a great deal but I felt the winner had the edge on movement. 3rd, Cruickshank’s Kincsem Libby at Topaeris.
Veteran Bitch, My favourite class of the day, it was lovely to see these oldies enjoying their day out. 1st, Price’s Aldom Cristal, a lovely bitch, very well put together, lean noble head, neck flowing into well laid shoulders, tight elbows, strong topline, well let down hocks, lovely feet, moved really well, she deserved to head this class of quality oldies. 2nd, Harris’ Szajani Komika, what a character, who would have thought she was going to turn twelve the day after the show, so well made, still with great muscle tone, very well balanced, strong topline and correct tailset and carriage, moved out well. 3rd, Savage’s Shelseivad Gingers gift to Silvestre.
Field Trial Bitch, 1st, Barnard’s Daxpack Thorn Bird, my notes say what a cracker and she was, she pushed very hard for top honours today, very well put together with the loveliest of heads, excellent bone, correctly angulated throughout, strong powerful bitch but still feminine. 2nd, Harris’ Szajani Komika.
Champion Stakes, 1st, Sh Ch Carwci’s Phoenix ShCM, 2nd, Barwick’s Sh Ch Salvache Hidden Glory to Bequerelle JW, a well balanced bitch, nothing exaggerated ,very feminine with lovely expression, lean, arched neck, flowing into strong level topline which she held on the move, both front and rear construction correct with good bend of stifle and straight hocks, good feet.
Brace, 1st Mrs S and Mr N S Mills, 2nd, Mr G and Mrs C A Sutherland, 3rd, Mr T D and Mrs A M White.
John Wagstaff Special Working Memorial Stakes, 1st, Smith’s Zavis Rhapsody, for me this bitch has the most exquisite head, she has a noble aristocratic air with super eye colour, well made throughout, well laid shoulders, good depth, lovely bone, beautiful spring of rib, correctly angulated in front and rear, when she moves she comes into her own and just floats around the ring with an exact effortless gait, delighted to give her this class, best bitch and reserve best in show.2nd, Mills’ Karouki Windruch D’Lyla JW, 3rd, Northwood’s Hookside Gabor.
Judge,
Sharon Bergin