National Show Judges Report

20^th March 2016

Paul Spooner

The National Show is the final and most prestigious show of the season and I consider it a great honour to be asked to judge.

All the top breeders prepare their animals with the National Show in mind, to be at their best for this occasion. Without exception the best animals in the UK are exhibited at the National Show and I wasn’t disappointed, 170 plus animals, breeders from large to small, made for a great show.

We split the Standard animals into their correct colour phases, medium, medium dark, dark and extra dark and started as usual with the Young Standard Females. The Medium Dark Class comprised four animals but just one stood out, a 1^st ribbon from Kerry Bradburn having good size, conformation and clarity in good show condition, with strong fur and even veiling and going on to take Best Young Standard Female, Best Young Standard, Best Standard and eventually Grand Show Champion. Quite a surprise that the first award winner of the day should turn out to be Grand Show Champion!

The Medium Young Females could only produce a 3^rd ribbon, the Darks were better with another 1^st for Kerry with an animal of good size and conformation, tight (dense) fur but slightly down in clarity and condition but good enough to go on to take Reserve Best Young Standard Female, Reserve Best Young Standard, Reserve Best Standard and Reserve Grand Show Champion. 2^nd to this also good size and conformation but again slightly down in clarity.

Just one animal in the Extra Dark Class achieving another 1^st for Kerry having good size, conformation and clarity, in good show condition and with fine silky fur.

Onto the Young Standard Males. The Medium dark Class produced another 1^st for Kerry having good size and conformation, very slightly down in clarity, tight fur in reasonable show condition. 2^nd to this was from Andrew Lee four and a half months old, a bit narrow in the neck and a strong open fur.

Four Dark Young Standard Males produced another 1^st for Kerry with good size, conformation and clarity, long fur but slightly out of condition, but going on to take Reserve Best Young Standard Male and the 2^nd to this had good size, conformation and clarity and shorter but denser fur. The Extra Dark class produced another 1^st for Kerry with good size, conformation and clarity, long silky fur, lots of eye appeal and going on to take Best Young Male.

Onto the Adult Standard Females, a disappointing class of eleven Medium Darks could only produce a 2^nd ribbon and the Mediums were similar producing just a 2^nd for Jean Beardshaw, a bit small and narrow in the neck. The Darks were better producing another 1^st for Kerry having good size, conformation and clarity, strong stand up fur in good show condition taking also Best Adult Standard Female and Best Adult Standard, 2^nd to this suffered a drop in clarity, but good size and conformation with strong fur.

Onto the Adult Standard Males, four Medium Darks produced a 1^st for Jean Beardshaw having good size, conformation and clarity but open fur, 2^nd to this from Kerry having good size and conformation, open fur with a slight drop in clarity. The Extra Darks produced a 1^st for James Buchan a bit small but good conformation, good clarity and nice silky fur, taking also Best Adult Standard Male. 2^nd to this from Kerry had good size and conformation, tight fur but a slight drop in clarity, taking also Reserve Best Adult Standard Male. Two Darks produced a 1^st for Kerry with good size and conformation, clarity ok, tight fur and good show condition.

Onto the Young Mutations. Five Wilson Whites produced a 1^st for Kerry with good size, conformation and clarity and strong fur. A 2nd for Jean Beardshaw had good size and conformation, silky fur with good clarity.

A class of nine young Beiges produced a 1^st for Kerry having good size, conformation and clarity with strong dense fur and a 2^nd for Sandy King having good size, conformation  and an open silky fur.

Three Violets produced a 1^st for Barber/Pearson, 4 month old, good size and conformation but slightly down in clarity. 2^nd to this from Andrew Lee had good size, conformation and clarity but out of condition.

Six Black Velvets produced a 1^st for Kerry with good size conformation and clarity, excellent coverage, tummy a little grey but going on to take Best Young Mutation and Best Mutation. 2^nd to this and a drop in quality from Lorraine Prince, good size but a little narrow in the neck and not as good veiling coverage as the 1^st ribbon.

Three Ebonies produced a 1^st for Lorraine Prince with good size and conformation, ok clarity with strong fur.

The AOC class (Any other colour) produced a 1^st Pink White for Kerry with good size, conformation and density, going on to take Reserve Best Young Mutation.

Onto the Adult Mutations. Seven Wilson Whites produced a 1^st for Kerry with good size, conformation and clarity but open fur.

Five Pink Whites produced a 1^st for Teresa Moir with good size, conformation and clarity and lots of strong, dense fur, going on to take Best Adult Mutation, 2^nd to this from Kerry had good size, conformation and clarity, taking Reserve Best Adult mutation.

The Adult Beiges produced a 2^nd for Sandy King.

Ten Violets produced a 1^st for Sandy King having good size and conformation, good clarity and strong fur, Sandy also taking 2^nd in this class.

Six Black Velvets produced a 1^st for Kelly Buchan with good size, conformation and clarity, strong fur with good coverage, 2^nd to this from Kerry with good size, conformation and clarity and strong fur.

Judges Report Scottish Show 21^st February 2016 Maddiston

Paul Spooner

A 6am start and I arrived at Maddiston Community Centre in plenty of time to have a couple of cups of coffee before starting to judge.

A warm and friendly welcome as usual from the Scottish members.

Five Young Standard Females made a Medium Dark class, the 1^st ribbon from David Blakey having good size and conformation, strong fur but slightly down in clarity, taking Best Young Standard female and Reserve Young Standard, 2^nd to this, also from David having good size and conformation, good clarity, fine fur, but not in as good condition as the 1^st ribbon, taking also Reserve Young Standard Female.

Onto the Young Standard Males, again five animals total to make one medium dark class. The 1^st ribbon from Jean Beardshaw having good size, conformation and clarity, strong fur but lacking veiling coverage in the neck, going on to take Best Young Standard Male, Best Young Standard and Reserve Show Champion.

Onto the Adult Standard Females, just three in the group to make a medium dark class and another 1^st for David Blakey, a bit small but good conformation and coverage, slightly down in clarity, taking also Best Adult Standard Female.

Onto the adult Standard Males, four animals in the group to make a medium dark class, the 1^st ribbon from James Buchan having good size and conformation and strong upright fur going on to take Best Adult Standard male, Best Adult Standard, Best Standard and Show Champion, 2^nd to this, again from James, having excellent clarity, lots of eye appeal but out of condition, taking also Reserve Adult Standard Male and Reserve Adult Standard.

In the Novice Adult Standard male class just one animal from Kelly Buchan receiving a 2^nd ribbon, ok size, silky but slightly weak fur.

Onto the Young Mutations, 6 beiges were disappointing and received no awards.

A Novice Brown Velvet from Astrid Carss, was awarded a 3^rd ribbon being small, with narrow conformation and down in clarity.

3 Wilson Whites produced just a 2^nd ribbon for Wendy French.

3 Violets produced a 1^st ribbon for Jean Beardshaw having good size and conformation, down slightly in clarity and showing slight fur weakness, going on to take Reserve Young Mutation.

A deutsch violet from David Blakey received a 1^st ribbon, good size and conformation but slight fur weakness, and a self black (ebony) from David received a 1^st with good size and conformation but slightly down in clarity, good enough to take Best Young Mutation.

In the novice Young Mutations a Black Velvet from Kelly Buchan received a 1^st ribbon, just 4 month old and a little narrow but showing potential for improvement.

Onto the Adult Mutations and a nice class of Pink Whites produced a 1^st ribbon for Teresa Moir, having good size, conformation and clarity and going on to take Reserve Adult Mutation and Reserve Mutation, 2^nd to this from Wendy French having good size and conformation but slightly down in clarity with signs of fur weakness. Two Wilson Whites produced a 1^st and 2^nd for Teresa Moir, the 1^st having good size and conformation, strong fur but just slightly down in clarity, good enough to take Best Adult Mutation and Best Mutation.

In the Novice Adult Wilson White class Kelly Buchan received a 2^nd ribbon for an animal that was a bit small but good conformation and clarity, but slight fur weakness. Two adult Violets could only produce a 2^nd ribbon for Jean Beardshaw.

A class of four Black Velvets produced a 1^st and 2^nd for James Buchan the best having good size and conformation, good clarity, strong fur and good coverage, 2^nd had good size and conformation but a slight drop in clarity.

Two Novice Black velvets received a 1^st and 2^nd for Kelly Buchan  the best having good size and conformation but slightly down in clarity, the 2^nd having good size but not quite the coverage of the 1^st.

 Southern Regional Chairman  Mr Andrew Lee info@bathwickchins.net

 Northern Regional Chairman Mr. Paul Spooner 01457 856945

 West Midlands and Wales Editor Mrs Sian Allcoat 01926 641337

Scottish Regional Chairman Mr James Buchan 01346 514276