The South of England Basset Hound Club, Sunday, 21st February 2016

Thank you to the committee for the appointment and hospitality, which I thoroughly enjoyed.                                                                                             The atmosphere appeared to be relaxed with lots of ringside chatter. Thanks also to the exhibitors for a lovely entry. 

Eye conformation has improved significantly with only one very mild inflammation and I found no skin issues of concern.                                              However, I found quite a few hounds whose eye colour could be a shade or two darker.                                                                                                      Fronts and feet are another criticism as I found many otherwise well-constructed hounds with uneven fronts and many                                                        of those with splayed toes. Shoulder layback in a number of hounds could be better with many showing a lack of forward                                                reach and drive from behind. A lack of occiput was evident, so needs watching and one hound was scraping toes.

 

PD (4. 1abs) 1. Armstrong’s Lauralee Code Red. Black blanket tri of just 6-months with an appealing outline. Pleasing head, prominent occiput, clean eye, nice length of neck, well placed shoulders with tightish elbows, keel still developing, good shape and depth to ribs, rounded thigh. Still a bit raw as you would expect from such a young hound but everything where it should at this stage. He scored in front and when settled moved true both ways. BPD & BPIS          2. Storton, Melbourne & Isted’s Diheath Oz. Traditional 10-month tri-colour of greater substance. Pleasing head, nice ear set, fold and texture and strong neck, level back, nice hind angulations, apple bottom and also when settled, moved well.                                                                              

3. Maybank-Walsh’s Shelby’s Boy.

JD (3) 1. Proud & Wells Kortebin Dark Power. A developing black blanket male on 15-months and there is much to like about him. Soulful and masculine head with good planes, deep lip, good ear set and texture. Strong neck of medium length, scored in shoulder placement and prominent keel. Strong and level back with good spring and depth of ribs, shortish loin area and a nice apple bottom. Moved soundly and looks very nice in profile and was very close up to the BD. Has time on his side and sure he will do well. RBD

2. Newman’s Ivinghoe Von Der Kreuzbriete via Woferlow. 2-yr tri-colour male with a pleasing head, earset, fold, texture, neck of medium length and rounded quarters. Lay of shoulder could be a better.

3. Gwyer’s Kortebin Dwarf King.

ND (1) 1. Gwyer’Kortebin Dwarf King. Black blanket tri who was 3rd in previous class. Pleasing head, medium neck length, strong topline and good ground clearance. Not the substance of his litter mate and had looser feet. He is a bit forward in shoulder and tucked up through the loin and this tends to make him look long and rangy.

PGD (1) 1. Price’s Wellsbayview Oracle. Red & white with a masculine head with a dark hazel eye and liver nose, well placed shoulders with tight elbows. Level back, good depth to ribs but would like more spring - moved positively using his stern.

LD (3. 1abs) Beale & Newman’s Woferlow Kanye West. Very nice 3-year old black blanket male that looks to be reaching maturity and presented in excellent condition. He is strongly boned and full of substance but is not overdone. His expression is masculine with a strong neck and tight elbows fitting nicely against sprung ribs of correct length. Back is broad, strong and level and leading to well angulated and muscled hindquarters. Being critical I felt his lay of shoulder could be a tad better but this did not seem to hinder his strong and free movement. BD & BOS

2. Huntley’s Woferlow Bruno Mars in Springvalley. Litter brother to first and also nice head properties. A slightly longer cast dog who I feel has not quite reached maturity. Good lay of shoulder and an elegant neck, ribs of good length, a touch extra length through the loin with the permitted slight rise. Moved out well.

OD (4) 1. Price’s Livorno Avaleur Du Sabre. Red & White of substance. Nice head, clean hazel eyes and liver nose, ear set well, near level planes. Elbows fitting snugly against sprung ribs of good length. Good forward reach. 

2. Grimshaw’s Feorlig Bolt from The Blue. Another red & white of nice type with excellent ribbing and I preferred his outline but couldn’t match 1st on front/feet and less settled on the move.

3. Allchorne’s Brackenacre Intrepid.

PB (6. 1abs) A nice class of puppies. 1. Fryer, Melbourne & Storton’s Diheath Scrumpy. 8 Month tri colour with a melting expression and clean eye. Nice ear set and texture, parallel planes, nice shoulder placement and tight elbows. Sprung ribs of good length, nicely rounded thigh and an apple bottom. Moved true up and back with good reach.

2. Newman’s Tanneron Skypaws. Lots to like about this pretty red blanket bitch, who was very close up to 1. Feminine expression with hazel eye, nice ear set, fold and texture, true front with a developing sternum, tight elbows, excellent ribs, strong and level back. Moved very well.

3. Armstrong’s Lauralee Out of The Red.

JB. (4.1abs) 1. Huntley’s Wellbaysview Athen in Springvalley. A r&w bitch just out of puppy. Gentle expression, good reach of neck, shoulder placement good and tight elbows, level back, angulated quarters. Uneven in feet but moved out well.

2. Newman’s Woferlow Penelope. Black blanket bitch of a slightly smaller mould but very pretty head. Good shoulder placement giving a decent sternum, tight elbows and good ribs, level back. Needs to fill in front, as she is looking a tad wide coming on.

3. Wellsbayview Nemesis.

NB. (2.2abs).

PGB. (3.1abs) 1. Allchorne’s & Feher’s Nerina Avaleur Du Sabre. A very pretty 2 year old r&w bitch from a smaller mould who appeals greatly for type. Close to ground and would benefit from more length of fore arm and a touch more length of back. Moved with freedom and a parallel action.

2. Price’s Houndsbay Daphne. Tri-colour bitch just over 4yrs with a good front and shoulder placement. Taller and heavier type than 1 and not as rounded in the thigh and rises a bit too much over the loin/croup.

LB. (7. 5abs) 1. Huntley’s Majalis Miss Molly in Springvalley. Very balanced black blanket of nice proportions. Feminine expression, fractionally light but clean hazel eye, correctly set and folded leathers of good texture, nice length of neck and scored in shoulder placement. Well placed feet, tight elbows, sprung ribs of good length, strong and level back with well bent stifles. Moved well but would like a bit more front reach and drive behind. Presented in excellent condition.

2. Storton's, Melbourne & Isted’s Diheath Czechin. Slightly more compact, pretty r&w bitch with good leathers, neck, level back and good hind angulation.

OB. (5. 2abs). 1. Beckett’s Woferlow Tickety Boo at Beckshounds. Lovely 4.5yr old tri-coloured bitch and looks to be at full maturity. Not a big bitch but so well put together and that all “of a piece” look about her. Pretty bitch with the darkest hazel eye of the entry and for me this makes such a difference to the expression. Strong neck, excellent shoulder placement, best front and feet of the entry, prominent sternum, tight elbows, lovely ribbing, strong and level back, shortish loin area, rounded hind quarters and an apple bottom. I loved her clean lines and the substance without excess. Spot on for parallel movement with good forward reach and drive behind and she did not put a foot out of place - a real show girl. Perhaps a touch more length and a more prominent occiput would complete the picture but she could not be denied. BB & BIS.

2. Newman’s CH Woferlow Tinker Bell. Another quality bitch that I have judged previously and given top honours to and is a litter sister to the class winner. Many of the same attributes apply. I particularly like her head and the fact she has a more prominent occiput. She moved well but on the day couldn’t quite match her sister but easily enough for RBB & RBIS.

VD/B. (5) 4abs. 1. Allchorne’s Brackenacre Gorgeous SH CM. Dark tri-colour bitch of nearly 8yrs. Lots to like about her, pleasing head, arched neck, level back, good ribs and good hind angulation – happy mover. BVIS             Andrew Scott