Labrador Retriever Club of Western Australia

Championship Show

11 June 2011

Judge: Mr Max Martin (Balarishnan Labradors)

It is always an honour to judge your own breed at a Speciality Championship Show. I would like to thank the Club for the appointment and hospitality shown to my wife and myself during our stay in Perth. I would also like to extend my special thanks to the exhibitors for a quality entry and the good spirit in which they took my decisions.

In commenting generally on the exhibits, I was impressed with their quality. The silhouette of all exhibits showed good breed type. The hallmarks of the breed (head, coat and tail) were also strongly evident. Generally speaking, the structure of all exhibits was consistent with the breed type. Nearly every exhibit showed the correct angulation. There were also a couple of exhibits where I would have preferred shorter coupling however, most exhibits were short coupled. The hindquarters on most exhibits were correct, that is well developed and not sloping to the tail. I was particularly impressed with the quality of the coats (double coated) and the otter tails, which are distinctive features of the breed. The heads were well proportioned, that is, the length and breadth of most heads were consistent with the breed type. Most heads also had a defined stop and clean cheeks. Another pleasing aspect was the leg length. I do not recall any exhibits that were short on leg. The majority of the exhibits movement was true coming and going and covering adequate ground.

In concluding, I must say that it was a pleasure to judge a quality entry.

Best wishes

Max Martin

DOGS

Baby Puppy Dog (exhibits 1)

1st 1 Cladaghring Fly In High (AI) (Baby Puppy in Show)

Black puppy with promising head, coat and tail. His silhouette / outline was very good and consistent with good breed type. Another pleasing aspect was that he was well angulated front and rear. He exhibited good movement, that true coming and going.

Puppy Dog (1)

1st 2 Brumfitt Snow Drift

Cream puppy dog with a promising head, coat and tail. Well angulated forequarters. Level top line on the move and covered ground adequately.

Intermediate Dog (3)

1st 4 Caranthar White Magic (Intermediate in Show)

A cream dog with a well proportioned head and correct eye colour. Good coat and tail. Balanced forequarter and hindquarter angulation. Moved very well, true coming and going and covering adequate ground.

2nd 3 Devonshire Outback Jack at Blackboy (Imp USA)

A quality yellow dog with good head, coat and tail. Good proportions. Preferred the expression and tail carriage of first placegetter. Moved true coming and going and covered the ground adequately.

3rd 5 Burberry Balvenie Q.N.D.

A black dog with good coat and tail. Preferred the angulation of the higher placegetters.

State Bred Dog (5, 2 Absent))

1st 9 Courtsum Arctic Tiger

A yellow dog showing good breed type. Good balance, deep chest and short coupling. On the move, the exhibit covered the ground adequately. The head was broad and showed a keen and intelligent expression.

2nd 6 Ch Blackboy Comic Strip

A yellow dog of good breed type. Good proportions throughout showing good silhouette & breed type. His head was well proportioned, coat and tail good. Preferred the ground covering movement of the first placegetter.

3rd 10 Rondelay Special Agent

Another quality yellow dog exhibiting good breed type. . Head proportions were good. Good double coat and a correct otter tail. The dog appeared to be unsettled on the move. Preferred balance and movement of the second placegetter.

Australian Bred Dog (4)

1st 12 Cinderset Ad Infinitum (Australian Bred In Show)

A yellow dog of very good type with good head proportions and an intelligent expression. He moved with a level top line and good reach and drive. Coat and tail were good.

2nd 11 Burberry Baggins End

A cream dog of very good type with good head, coat and tail. Well balanced. Preferred movement of first placegetter.

3rd 13 Wescoast Nuts N Bolts

A black dog of good breed type with good head, coat and tail. Good balance. Preferred size of the first and second placegetters.

Open Dog (5, 1 absent)

1st 15 Mallorn's Double Choco (Imp Finland) (Best In Show, Best Dog, Best Open in Show)

A chocolate dog of excellent breed type. He was strongly built. A very good head with a keen and intelligent expression. The exhibit had an excellent double coat, that is, a dense undercoat and harsh texture top or outer coat. Excellent balance, good angulation, broad and deep throughout with correct well sprung barrel ribs and short coupling. Bone and feet very good. Otter tail with correct set on and carriage. Covered adequate ground on the move, true coming and going.

2nd 19 Ch Rondelay Special Force

A black dog of very good breed type. Very good head, coat and tail. Very good balance. Preferred the body and tail carriage of the first place getter.

3rd 17 Burberry Rumours Abound

A yellow dog of good breed type. Head, coat and tail good. Preferred angulation of the second place getter.

Challenge Dog

15 Mallorn's Double Choco (Imp Finland)

A quality chocolate dog excelling in breed characteristics. See earlier comments in class judging.

Reserve Challenge Dog

19 Ch Rondelay Special Force

A quality black of very good breed type. See earlier comments in class judging.

BITCHES

Baby Puppy Bitch (4)

1st 20 Blackboy Foto Finnish

A promising black baby puppy bitch with good bone. She had a femine head. Coat and tail showing promise. She was well angulated in the front and her proportions were in keeping with breed type. Her movement was adequate.

2nd 23 Cladaghring Over the Top (AI)

Another quality black baby with good bone. Promising head, coat and tail. Well angulated in the front. At this stage I preferred the movement of my first place getter.

3rd 24 Rondelay Ive Got Rhythm

A quality yellow baby with good proportions. Showing lots of promise and confidence. A good head, coat and tail with correct proportions. Not as mature as the higher placegetters.

Minor Puppy Bitch (2)

1st 26 Brumfitt Snow Drop (Minor Puppy in Show)

A quality cream puppy with a very pleasing and intelligent expression. The head proportions were good and the black pigmentation highlighted the head qualities. Well angulated in the forequarters. Good bone. Moves correctly. Coat and tail showing promising breed qualities. Would prefer shorter coupling but the puppy is full of quality.

Puppy Bitch (2)

1st 28 Brumfitt Melody (Puppy in Show)

A very impressive yellow puppy bitch. Her silhouette showed excellent breed type. There was good depth in chest and the ribs were well sprung for her age. She was short coupled and had a good level top line on the move and when standing. Well developed hindquarters. Her tail carriage was excellent and she was correctly angulated in the forequarters and hindquarters. She showed a good double coat and otter tail. Movement correct. I was very impressed with her overall quality.

2nd 27 Driftway Midnight Special

Another typie black bitch. Full of quality but was reluctant to show. She had a very good and well proportioned head with a keen and intelligent expression. Typie silhouette with good body proportions. Level top line. Hindquarters well angulated and allowing the tail carriage to be correct. Quality coat and tail. The exhibit was unsettled and this affected her performance. Preferred the movement of the first place getter.

Junior Bitch (3)

1st 31 Caranthar Charmed One (Junior in Show)

A quality yellow bitch. Showing good head proportions and an intelligent expression. Deep and well sprung ribs. Good bone. Coat and tail exhibiting good breed qualities.

2nd 29 Labradell Muddy Puddles

A quality chocolate bitch. Showing good head, coat and tail qualities. Correct body proportions and coupling. Preferred the movement of the first place getter.

3rd 30 Cinderset Destiny's Child

A quality yellow bitch. Good head proportions. Correct otter tail. Preferred the coat of the second place getter.

Intermediate Bitch (5)

1st 32 Burberry Maiden Issue

A quality yellow bitch with good body proportions. Head properties good. Coat and tail exhibiting good breed properties. Moves correctly.

2nd 36 Tobela An Affair to Remember

A quality yellow bitch with good body proportions. Head properties good. A good double coat and otter tail. Preferred the movement of the first place getter.

3rd 35 Wescoast Kandy Kisses

A quality bitch with good body proportions. Head proportions good that is showing good breadth of skull to length of head. Close decision but preferred the coat and tail of exhibit 36. Movement was adequate.

State Bred Bitch (4)

1st 40 Ch Brumfitt Haleys Comet (State Bred in Show)

A very good quality yellow bitch with good body proportions and a level top line. Her head was broad and clean cut cheeks (not fleshy). Her expression was correct (keen, intelligent and biddable). She was well angulated front and rear which was evident when she moved. Showed very good double coat which was fairly hard to the touch. A good otter tail which was carried level with the top line on the move. Her movement was correct true coming and going and covering the ground adequately. Overall she was very good breed type.

2nd 39 Caranthar Copacabana

A quality yellow bitch with good body proportions. Her head exhibited good breed qualities. Her coat properties were good but I preferred the coat properties of the first place getter. Her tail properties were good and she cover the ground adequately.

3rd 38 Ch Blackboy Copper Farthing (AI)

A good typie chocolate bitch. Good body proportions. Head and coat properties were good. Her tail was good but I preferred the tail properties on my second place getter.

Australian Bred Bitch (3)

1st 44 Rondelay Special Reward

A very good quality yellow bitch. Strongly built and good depth and width of chest and ribs. Short coupled. Good head, coat and tail properties. Moves correctly.

2nd 43 Ch Wescoast Freeway Miss

A quality black bitch with good head, coat and tail properties. Her outline was consistent with good breed type, (good body proportions and angulation). Preferred the movement of the first place getter.

3rd 45 Ch Blackboy Licence T Thrill

Another quality yellow bitch. Good head, coat and tail properties. Preferred the movement of the second place getter.

Open Bitch (3)

1st 46 Ch Blackboy Copper Penny (AI) (Runner Up Best in Show, Best Bitch)

A quality chocolate bitch exhibiting very good breed type. Her expression was keen and intelligent. Her head was well proportion (length, breadth and depth) and cheeks were clean. Eye shape was correct. Her neck was clean & strong and set into well placed-shoulders. Good length of leg. She had a good body, that is, there was good width and depth of chest, well ribbed back and short coupled. Well developed hindquarters. She had a good double coat and a correct otter tail. Movement correct. Overall, she was impressive.

2nd 47 Ch Blackboy Lap Dancer (AI)

A quality yellow bitch showing good breed type. She had a well proportioned femine head; double coat and otter tail. Her outline was good with her proportions consistent with good bred type. I preferred the movement and angulation of the first place getter.

3rd 48 Ch Brumfitt Roughs Pride

A quality yellow bitch exhibiting good breed qualities. Preferred the coat and tail of the second place getter.

Challenge Bitch

46 Ch Blackboy Copper Penny (AI)

Very good to excellent type - refer my comments on class judging.

Reserve Challenge Bitch

40 Ch Brumfitt Haleys Comet

Very good breed type - While she was slightly taller than my challenge winner she showed very good breed type on the move and free standing. (Refer earlier judging comment on this exhibit). Preferred the movement of the challenge bitch.

Best in Show

15 Mallorn's Double Choco (Imp Finland)

Runner up in Show

46 Ch Blackboy Copper Penny (AI)