Judge’s Critique:

Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to judge the Curly Club 42nd Championship Show. This was my second time, the first being 14 years ago together with the World Curly Seminar. I have been judging gundog breeds and hounds (FCI 6,7,8) on international level since 1993 but as for Curlies (being my own breed from 1986), you very seldom get as many Curlies to judge as at the breed club show of country of origin. The last years have had low numbers of puppy registrations in UK which could be seen on the day of this show, only one baby puppy or puppy being shown. Luckily the interest in other European countries has been increasing and new young breeders have come in the breed. I can see the future of Curlies very good at the moment.

The day of the show was sunny and hot, so the judging was scheduled to start earlier and be finished before the hottest afternoon hours. In my opinion the dogs tolerated the weather very well, a few were not even panting. It was probably tuffer for us people.

Some overall notes on the dogs today:

I was looking for the correct breed type: strong, upstanding and elegant. The size varied some dogs being very tall and with very heavy bone, this is not elegant anymore. Nor should they be small and light boned. Some were low on the legs which is not correct. Head: I am a little worried about the shape of heads these days (both in Uk and other European countries) being not wedge in both side and front profiles as they should, but  long and narrow in muzzle and sometimes very slight stop, more resembling the flat coat head. The correct Curly head should have strong muzzle and wide jaws and a proper scissor bite. I found mouths that didn’t close properly and open bites where the upper front teeth didn’t touch lower. When judging I am not very strict with these mouths as I know its a common thing in our breed and is affected by aging, but when choosing partners for breeding this should be kept in mind.   

To me the proper shape of chest is very important and that’s why I feel the ribs carefully when going over the dog. It’s great when they have an oval shaped ribcage, but too common is that the ribs are not rounded all the way down. These dogs are also narrow in front and lacking the forechest. The oval chest is very important for the function of a retriever. It gives volume to the lungs and helps swimming in a balanced ”floating” position. Fit for function!

The coat is of superior importance in our breed. I was happy not to see any dogs with bold patterning. Coats were mostly OK of course some bitches not in the best jacket between seasons. My BIS winner had the most perfect coat of thick mass of small tight crisp curls which topped her picture.

Movement was mostly fine, some close hind movement and lacking drive maybe due of bad muscle condition or to the weather on the day. The presentation of dogs could be improved (trained) and also grooming could have been finished a little better to get the most of the dogs presented at the show.

Temperaments were fine. Personally would have preferred to see more dogs free stacked with a wagging tail standing and moving.

I apologise that the individual critics are short. We didn’t want the dogs to stay too long in the heat.

CLASS: 1 – BABY PUPPY DOG (1,0)
1st – 46 FOXRIEVER THE SEEKER (MILLER & MILLICHAMP MR P & MS B, WHITEHEAD & WHITEHEAD MR AM & MRS DJ) 5 months, big and strong masculine puppy. Correct body proportions and angulations. Nice head and good coat for his age. Needs more confidence and a firmer topline. Movement still very unsettled.

CLASS: 2 – BABY PUPPY BITCH (2,2)

CLASS: 3 – VETERAN DOG (5,3)
1st – 45 FOXRIEVER SOLENT SENSATION AT WIGHTCURLS (MILLER & MILLICHAMP, MR P & MS B) Excellent stylish outline, reach of neck and topline. Well angulated with strong bone. Beautiful head with lovely dark eyes for a liver. Very good coat. Very good side movement.
2nd – 65 HUNTERS PRIDE JURAJSKA GWIAZDA AT TAROCKWOOD (IMP POL) (TARELLI, MR R M & MRS W) Nice type and size, well angulated front and rear. Could have a better top line. Beautiful head with correct bite. Coat is thin and the curls are open.

CLASS: 4 – MINOR PUPPY DOG (0)

CLASS: 5 – PUPPY DOG (0)

CLASS: 6 – JUNIOR DOG (1,0)
1st – 51 TESSMENE RED RUM BY KAGEMUSHA (RICHARDS & FLAHER, MR R & MS G) Medium sized liver, correct body proportions and angulations, strong bone, good spring of ribs, nice head with correct bite, dark eyes, excellent powerful loin, free movement but a little high tail. Excellent coat with tight curls.

CLASS: 7 – YEARLING DOG (4,0)
1st – 67 V’PURPLE BUTTERFLY DU MOULIN DU PAULU NLD/LUX/BEL/GER/INT JCH [ATC BD80323FRA] (WARENDORF, MS H) Very well balanced and of good size. Beautiful outline. Well angulated front and rear. Very nice head. Excellent neck, topline and tail set. Good bone. Very good coat and presentation.
2nd – 22 VIOLETA MARIPOSA HORACE DU MOULIN DU PAULU (IMP FRA) (DOOLEY, MRS V) Excellent type and proportions. Very well angulated front. Steep croup. Strong head. Excellent coat.

CLASS: 8 – MAIDEN DOG (1)

CLASS: 9 – NOVICE DOG (0)

CLASS: 10 – GRADUATE DOG (2,1)
1st – 24 BRIGHTMEADOW MAN OF STEEL (EDWORTHY, MR M & MRS M) Big and strong liver male. Well balanced in body proportions and angulations. Sloping in croup, could have a better top line. Excellent curly coat. Movement should have been steadyer.
2nd – 23 ROWANCURL PULLMAN PORTER (DOOLEY, MRS V C & MR K M) Nice, short coupled a little low on the legs. Very nice head and expression, bite not perfect. Topline should be straighter, sloping in croup affecting his movement.

CLASS: 11 – POST GRADUATE DOG (5,0)
1st – 63 FOXRIEVER IMMORTAL SPIRIT JW (SUTTON, WHITEHEAD & WHITEHEAD) Lovely proportions strong body, beautiful head with dark eye, good topline, well angulated front and rear, deep and powerful loin, very good coat.
2nd – 20 FIRECURL EXCALIBUR (DICK, MRS N) Smaller liver, would prefer stronger bone, very nice head but could have tighter eyelids. Very good movement and excellent coat.

CLASS: 12 – LIMIT DOG (6,3)
1st – 5 KAHAWEI STAR CATCHER (BOORMAN & BROWN, MISS G & MR A) Outstanding male with stylish outline with low set hocks and correct proportions. Beautiful male head with dark eye. Good bone and angulations. Very nice on the move.
2nd – 38 KAHAWEI SEA THE STARS JW (JAMES, MISS T) Another stylish liver male, a bit taller and longer in loin than the 1st. Excellent reach of neck, lovely head, overall very nicely balanced dog. Excellent movement and coat. Very tight decision between these two.

CLASS: 13 – OPEN DOG (8,2)
1st – 36 SH CH ROWANCURL GENTLE GAELOR (HODSON, MRS H M) Extremely stylish outline. Shown in perfect coat and one of the best muscled today. Very classic in every way. Good forechest, powerful loin, beautiful expression, very sound movement with excellent drive, the best on the day.
2nd – 25 MAYCOURT HEARTBREAKER ShCEx (EDWORTHY, MRS M) Strongly built dog with correct proportions. Beautiful low set hocks, powerful loin, excellent coat. Happy dog in the ring.

CLASS: 14 – SPECIAL WORKING DOG (4,2)
1st – 4 SH CH TESSMENE TALK OF THE TOWN (BOORMAN, MISS G) Lovely head and topline. A little low on legs. Well angulated with excellent coat. Moves well.
2nd – 1 ROUGHYEDS REGAL GEORGE AT TREECAVE (ARNOLD & DOBSON, MISS R & MR) Lightly built square and lacking substance, too much tucked up. Open curls.

CLASS: 15 – VETERAN BITCH (5,3)
1st – 28 CH ALL I EVER WANTED GOLIGHTLY WITH ROUGHYEDS (IMP LVA) (FINDLOW, MR A & MRS J) Very nice and feminine with lovely head and reach of neck. Mature body. Excellent coat. Carries herself excellent on the move.
2nd – 42 FIRECURL POP GOES THE WEASEL AT BEDDGELERT (MCKENZIE, MRS J L) Lightly built, mouth showing age, also coat has passed the best years. Moves very well.

CLASS: 16 – MINOR PUPPY BITCH (0)

CLASS: 17 – PUPPY BITCH (0)

CLASS: 18 – JUNIOR BITCH (5,2)
1st – 57 TUSEPO MISS SCARLETT (SPRAGGINS, MR N & MRS S D) Very high quality class. Between the two first it went to the better coat on the day. Lovely head, topline and underline.
2nd – 44 CRIMWELL TROUBLE MAKER AT STORMACRE (MERCER & THOMAS, MISSES C & L) Super outline, very promising junior. Lovely neck and topline. A little extreme hind angulations. Today out of coat.

CLASS: 19 – YEARLING BITCH (3,1)
1st – 44 CRIMWELL TROUBLE MAKER AT STORMACRE (MERCER & THOMAS, MISSES C & L)
2nd – 41 MYNDTOWN TUOMOTO HIRA (LAWTON, MRS A & MR P) Smaller liver of good type but needs more practice for a show. I was not able to check her mouth, she was just unexperienced.

CLASS: 20 – MAIDEN BITCH (0)

CLASS: 21 – NOVICE BITCH (1)
1st – 41 MYNDTOWN TUOMOTO HIRA (LAWTON, MRS A & MR P)

CLASS: 22 – GRADUATE BITCH (3,2)
1st – 21 FIRECURL REDWING (DISLEY, MR D R) Smaller, good body proportions, excellent neck and topline, balanced angulations, good under line, excellent tight curly coat. Moves very well from all angels.

CLASS: 23 – POST GRADUATE BITCH (3,1)
1st -18 MAYCOURT COVER SHOT (COURTIER, MISS D M) Strong beautiful bitch. Stylish head. Well angulated, good forechest and spring of ribs. Good bone. Good curls even if in short coat. Moves and shows well.
2nd – 21 FIRECURL REDWING (DISLEY, MR D R)

CLASS: 24 – LIMIT BITCH (9,3)
1st – 19 MAYCOURT TAKE ME TO THE TOP JW (COURTIER, MISS D M) Very stylish and well balanced in outline. She has the best and most perfect curly coat today. Shows and moves very well. Very attractive bitch.
2nd – 27 ROWANCURL BEACHCOMBER (EVANS, MR G & MRS J) Correct proportions, beautiful head. Good forechest. When standing her croup is steep but she moves with excellent drive keeping a straight topline.

CLASS: 25 – OPEN BITCH (6,1)
1st – 60 SH CH RAVENHO UP TOWN GIRL FOR BRIGHTMEADOW JW (STEPHENS, MR J & MRS M B) Beautiful balanced feminine. Nice head with small ears. Lovely reach of neck. Balanced in angulations. Excellent forechest. Good topline and underline. Nice low set hocks.
2nd – 26 KUKKASEN KEITA BY CABALLUS (EVANS, MR G & MRS J) Lovely feminine presented in excellent tight curly coat. Very nice feminine head. Would prefer less tuck  up for her age. Moves very well.

CLASS: 26 – SPECIAL WORKING BITCH (1)
1st – 30 ROUGHYEDS GOLD STICK CELLAR SGWC (FINDLOW, MR A & MRS J) Beautifully balanced  with excellent proportions. Lovely head. Very well angulated front and rear. Good spring of ribs, good underline. Shows very happy with wagging tail. Moves very well from side. Very good coat.

CLASS: 27 – BRACE (3,1)
1st – 58 Mr J & Mrs M B Stephens Two black outstanding curlies, a couple of great quality, moving nicely and well balanced around the ring.

CLASS: 28 – PROGENY (5,4)
1st – 26 Kukkasen Keita by Caballus Mother with two progeny. Very similar in type. Lovely heads. Dog is masculine and the daughter feminine like the mother.

Tiina Illukka (Caballus)