Golden Retriever Club of Scotland
Champ Show – 12 April 2025
Lanark Market.
Firstly, I’d like to say a massive thanks to GRCS for the invitation of judging Dogs at my “home” club.
It was an absolute honour to get my hands on some of my favourite dogs. I had a ball.
My thanks also go to the committee and officers who really do work very hard to put this show on.
To my stewards Jen & Jennifer who kept me on time and the ring flowing.
Lastly, everybody who entered under me and allowed me the privilege of judging their dogs.
The dogs were shown in a very good clean condition. The dog’s temperaments were great. I wish I had more first place cards as in many cases I was splitting hairs. Quite a few classes gave me slight headache and goosebumps.
I was delighted with my entry.
Couple of things that we must watch out for in our breed are incorrect mouths and dogs flying their tails. This is a pet hate of mine and I see this creeping back into our breed. The mouths should have the correct scissor bite and their tails should flow level off the back when on the move. But in the whole the quality of the dogs has really come back into the limelight for all the right reasons. I am sure that there are a few “future” champions in the making for some of these boys.
BABY PUPPY DOG (1, 0 abs).
1st Ms K Sauvage -WEISFORD CALL OF THE OCEAN. What a little darling he was. I would have taken him home in a flash. 5 months old Mid gold boy with plenty of bone. Really enjoyed his day out. Good black pigment. Compact and stood 4 square. A lovely held topline held on the move and nice lay of shoulders. I will watch this young man in the future. BEST BABY IN SHOW.
VETERAN DOG (5, 0 abs).
A lovely class of Boys all enjoying their day out and showing the youngsters, they still have it.
1st – Mr & Mrs R Maynard – CH CHINNORDALE CUE CARD JW. This boy is a firm favourite of mine. 8 yrs old. Dark gold coat. Fit as a fiddle. A true masculine head. Lovely movement and holding a level topline. Free stood and attentive to his owner. Lovely lay of shoulders from his good flow of neck. Good Fore chest. Nice deep ribcage strong bones and lovely tight feet. Tight Elbows. BEST VETERAN DOG
2ND – Mrs C McShane – RIGERIN GONNAE NO DAE THAT. -8 ½ yr old mid gold boy. Moved well around the ring. Held his topline while on the move. Good lay of shoulder. In good coat.
3RD – Mrs L Ogilvie – LINIRGOR PLAY MY SONG FOR GLENBUIE
VINTAGE DOG (4, 0 abs).
Another lovely class of boys and they certainly weren’t showing their age.
1st – Mrs M Loverock & Mrs L Waldron-Smith – LOVISSA SPACE DUST ShCM VW – Another boy I have always admired and certainly couldn’t believe he is now 10 ½. Light gold boy with a dead level topline. Fit and stood on nice tight feet. Good flow of neck into lovely shoulders. Moved very well around the ring.
2ND -Mrs C Gray – KNOCKOTHIE FAIRWAY – A lovely dark gold boy who I have watched from the ringside previously. Well-muscled. Fit as a fiddle. Nice level topline with a good deep chest. In good coat. Feet Firmly tucked under him. Moved with drive and ease.
3RD – Mr & Mrs C Wright – PALTON PANETELA VW
SPECIAL WORKING DOG (3, 0 abs).
Oh My. This was the First headache class. Two of my favourite dogs headed up this class giving me goosebumps as I seen them enter the ring. On another day the placings could have changed. I knew these dogs were going to be good. But I also knew that I was going to be splitting many hairs in my decision.
These comments apply to both of these super boys. Both Fit and well-muscled. Nothing much separating them. Both lovely male heads. I like my boys to look like boys. These 2 did. Both in lovely full coats. Both covering the ring soundly and with ease holding their toplines as they did. Both have nice deep chest and good spread of Rib. Exactly what is needed when out on in field on a day’s work.
1st – Dr E Bardossy – INT/SWISS/AUT/CRO/SWE/GER CH SHAMROCK PRINCE OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS SGWC WGA – This boy was free-stood four Square. Constantly wagging his tail. Attentive to his owner and commanding everybody’s attention. Lovely upper arm and good forechest. Good lay of shoulders and correct tailset. Nice a compact. CC & Res Best of Breed.
2ND – Ms K Sauvage – CH/IR CH WEISFORD GUILTY AS SIN – This boy was extremely unlucky to have met 1st today. A slightly longer made dog. Carried himself around the ring in time with his owner. Good upper arm and deep chest. Lovely flow of neck into his correct shoulders.
3RD –Ms K Williams – BERRYMEADE COEUR BLIMEY AT BUSHEYHALL SGWC WGD
MINOR PUPPY DOG (4, 0 abs).
2 lovely puppies heading up this class.
1st – Ms S McCormack – FLYNGALEE TOPSY TURVY – A Well grown pale 8 ½ month old boy. Good bone. When settled he moved well. Needs to drop into his stifle. But he is a young man and this will come in time. Nice shoulders and good topline. Would like to see just a little bit less weight as he has a fantastic covering of coat.
2ND -Mr & Mrs T Smith – GOLDMARKER ALDERBARAN – a 6 ½ month old youngster. Free stood and compact. A lovely coat and looking as a 6 ½ month old boy should look. Nice fore arm and chest. Moved well and at one with his owner. Nice head and good dark pigment.
3RD – Mr D McGuffie – AURISTELA CLARK GABLE WITH MILLTIMBER
PUPPY DOG (7, 2 abs).
1st – Ms K Ellis – TENFIELD DUNKELD DINGO- dark gold boy of 9 months. Nothing overdone. Plenty of upper arm and nice shoulders. Good dark pigment. Nice tight feet and lovely angles. Moved well with his handler. In good coat.
2ND – Ms S McCormack – FLYNGALEE TOPSY TURVY
3RD – Miss T Vane – BLUEBRAES DRAGONFLY AMBER
JUNIOR DOG (6, 0 abs).
1st – Mr Young & Miss Grady – THORNYWAIT BRING IT BACK GLENRIOCH. This dark gold boy took my eye as he walked into the ring. Not the biggest of boys but nothing overdone. In good coat. Nice solid muscles. Good front and forearm. Deep chest and spring of rib. Compact. Good shoulders and flow of neck good level topline and covered the ground with ease. Went on to win several classes that gave him his JW.
2ND – Miss T Vane – BLUEBRAES DRAGONFLY AMBER – A lovely head on this boy. Slightly bigger in frame to 1. Nice tight feet with nice angles. Good fore arm and nice shoulders. Moved well.
3RD – Mrs F McGovern- THARPLA CLAIGAN CORAL
YEARLING DOG (8, 1 abs).
1st – Mr Young & Miss Grady – THORNYWAIT BRING IT BACK GLENRIOCH.
2ND -Mrs & Miss Porter – SHEARSTONE JANNER JW – A lovely mid gold compact boy with nice dark pigment. Good lay of shoulders coming from a nice flow of neck. Moved well and held topline while moving. Nice angles all round.
3RD – Towers & Henderson – BARICIA BELLA DIVINO JW
MAIDEN DOG (7, 0 abs).
1st – Ms K Ellis – TENFIELD DUNKELD DINGO
2ND – Ms S McCormack – FLYNGALEE TOPSY TURVY
3RD – Mr & Mrs T Smith – GOLDMARKER ALDERBARAN
NOVICE DOG (8, 0 abs).
1st – Ms K Ellis – TENFIELD DUNKELD DINGO
2ND – Ms S McCormack – FLYNGALEE TOPSY TURVY
3RD – Mrs M Hunter – KADAKA KARROT AT KYLEHOLM
TYRO DOG (7, 2 abs).
1st – Mr Young & Miss Grady – THORNYWAIT BRING IT BACK GLENRIOCH
2ND – Ms K Ellis – TENFIELD DUNKELD DINGO
3RD – Ms S McCormack – FLYNGALEE TOPSY TURVY
UNDERGRADUATE DOG (4, 1 abs).
1st – Mr Young & Miss Grady – THORNYWAIT BRING IT BACK GLENRIOCH
2ND – Mrs M Hunter – KADAKA KARROT AT KYLEHOLM- Dark gold boy. Moved well around the ring. Balanced in profile. A lovely male head. Balanced boy. Good dark pigment. Nice mover.
3RD – Mrs & Miss McFarlane – BLUEBRAES GIE IT LALDY
GRADUATE DOG (5, 1 abs).
1st – Miss F McLeod – BLUEBRAES BIDEY IN AT ROCAMAR – Mid Gold boy who is lovely and balanced. Nice shoulders and when settled moved well. A good deep strong chest. In full coat. Although he did like to push the limits of his owner which gave me a laugh. He enjoyed his day out. Must be careful to not overstretch him on standing as he loses his top line slightly.
2ND – Mr & Mrs C Wright – PALTON PLATINO – a Golden boy with a lovely head. Good shoulders and a compact frame. Nice upper arm and elbows tucked in. lovely in profile and moved well around the ring holding onto the topline. Good tight feet.
3RD – Mrs G King – CLEDDANS DREAMING OF SUMMER
POST GRADUATE DOG (4, 1 abs).
1st –Mrs M Hunter – GLENRIOCH ROCK OF AGES AT KYLEHOLM – Another boy that caught my eye the moment he came into the ring. Free stood. Compact. Mid Gold. Lovely upper arm and good lay of shoulders. Well-muscled and nice deep chest. Really nice dark pigment. Nice correct angles all round. Moved with drive around the ring. Strong topline from his shoulders.
2ND -Mrs E Law – SANDTI BACK OF THE NET – another nice boy. A good male head. Mid gold. In good coat. Fit and with a good deep chest. Topline held when moving. Moved with ease around the ring.
3RD – Mr G Salter – RATHCLOON SAFE AND SOUND.
MID LIMIT DOG (4, 0 abs).
1st – Mr & Mrs Bolton – MEGARVEY STILL GAME FOR SHIRESMILL JW- I have watched him from the ringside and have always admired him. He is a slightly bigger boy than I normally go for and he has taken time to come into himself. He really expressed his presence in the ring. A beautiful head. Lovely clean angles all round. Good dark pigment to compliment his rich gold coat. Deep chest. Elbows held in tight. Plenty of fore chest. Moved with ease and drive around the ring on lovely tight feet. In good coat. A strong topline. His time will come for the top honours.
2ND – Mrs M Hunter – GLENRIOCH ROCK OF AGES AT KYLEHOLM
3RD – Mrs & Miss Lewis – FAIRWINDS IN SPACEMAN JW
LIMIT DOG (9, 1 abs).
1st – Mrs M Hunter – GLENRIOCH ROCK OF AGES AT KYLEHOLM
2ND – Mr & Mrs C Wright – PALTON PAVAROTTI – A slightly longer dark gold boy. Well off for bone. A good male head. Well placed shoulders. Lovely gleaming coat. A nice strong topline. Moved out well.
3RD – Mrs D Oakes – DRUMKILTY VANADIUM JW
OPEN DOG (7,1abs).
Now this was the 2nd class of the day that gave me a headache and goosebumps at the same time.
A superb class of open dogs and it was a delight to go over them all.
1st – Mr W Bernaert – MULTI CH GREY GOOSE BACK IN BLACK – Fully mature boy. Free stood four square, constantly wagging his tail and in full gleaming coat. Good hard condition. Nicely trimmed and not overdone. Very attentive to his owner and certainly said “look at me” as he glided around the ring. A lovely deep and well sprung chest. Compact and lovely tight feet. Plenty of Upper arm. Very nice angles all round. Good lay of shoulders and nice flow of neck which complimented his strong topline held while moving. Pleased to award him RCC.
2ND -MR, Mrs & Miss Layland – ShCH APPLECOTES HEARTS DESIRE. This is a young dog that I have watched from the ringside. In lovely condition and such a shame, he had to meet 1st in his class today. Nothing overdone. Compact. A sound mover with good angles rear and front. A lovely soft but male head. Well-muscled and fit. Good deep chest and strong topline. Nice shoulders and flow into neck. Very similar comments to first. But today I just preferred the stronger driving movement.
3RD – Dr E Bardossy – DEWMIST DREAM JW SGWC
SPECIAL OPEN DOG (4, 2 abs).
1st – Miss F McLeod – BLUEBRAES BIDEY IN AT ROCAMAR
2ND – Mrs A Warden – NOBLEMAN TAK THE HIGH ROAD TO GLENTOCHTY
SPECIAL BREEDERS DOG (1 0 abs).
1st – Miss T Pratt – ROSYTH KELTIC LORD JW- Dark gold boy. Very happy on the move. Good dark pigment. Nice tight feet. Level topline. Nice placed shoulders.
Judge
Jan Neilson