WICANI: The home of happy collies!

ROUGH COLLIES 

I would like to thank the committee and all concerned with this show for the warmest welcome I have ever experienced when judging, it was a wonderful and unforgettable experience. I was looking for elegance and refinement in head and construction, for me the Collie standard demands a look of impassive dignity that permeates every area including expression. Sweetness alone is not enough, and to gain the elusive combination of sweetness and dignity requires length..!!

Baby Puppies

1)       Moyhill Ruby Tuesday.

 Sable puppy bitch of nice size. Good bone and excellent front legs and feet. Nice head type with excellent under-jaw and firm lip-line. Sweet well placed and shaped eye gave a soft, feminine expression. Very mature in skull and stop, clean in cheek, nicely placed ears which she used. I just hope she lengthens out a little all over as she grows, but at five months she has lots of time for this to happen, a promising puppy.

Minor puppy dog

1)       Kynan Valhalla

Well grown golden sable dog that was a little unsettled and excited in this class but in the challenge collected himself together to show off his virtues. Nice length of head with the correct amount of stop, good finish to chin and lip-line and clean through the cheeks. Obliquely set eye gave a glorious expression, both sweet and dignified. Grand neck but would prefer more length of body; hopefully this will come when his hind angulation matures. Superbly presented and sympathetically handled by his owner. Movement ok for a puppy. I shall be interested to see how he matures. BEST DOG and BEST PUPPY.

Puppy Dog

1)       Kynan Valhalla

Open Dog

1)       Rowlands Prince of Bellville

 Masculine Shaded sable dog with neck of fair length, harsh coat, good bone. Balanced head, masculine expression. Hind movement ok but front movement rather close.

Puppy Bitch

1)       Rosschell Shadow of Black

 I really liked this tricolour bitch and when she and her handler gain more experience I feel she could trouble the best. Beautiful type with the elegance of construction I am looking for. Super neck, length of body, line of croup and sweep of stifle, strong hocks. On the move she holds her top-line and powers from the rear. So many pull from the front but not this young lady. Absolutely loved her length of head which was refined and in perfect harmony with her general body shape. Needs time to develop through the stop, but this type of head will never coarsen with age, and when she settled sufficiently she proved to have a glorious sweet yet dignified expression. Pressed very hard for Best Puppy and only lost out as she is still a little unsure of herself. If she continues to mature in this mould, will make an excellent bitch.

   2) Caronlea B Witched.

 Golden sable puppy of totally different type, profuse coat, very confidant and in perfect unison with her handler. Immaculately presented. Nice length of neck, good bone and substance, neat feet, sweet eye, exquisitely feminine. However, for me the lack of overall length in head, body and leg detracts from the look of impassive dignity and elegance I am searching for.

Junior Bitch

1)       Copamage Jasmine

Shaded sable bitch without her full wardrobe but with nothing to hide. Superb length of head and finish to skull, correct stop, well finished chin and line of lip. Dark, well placed eyes gave off an appealing, sweet yet dignified expression. Very attentive to handler, good length of neck and well formed withers, correctly shaped ribcage. Still needs to mature and let down further in hind angulation, but the length of bone is ideal and I am confident this will happen, when it does her tail will settle on the move. Having said this, she moves out confidently, stylishly  and without effort, and I was pleased to award her Best Bitch and BOB, and thrilled to discover she was placed second  in the group…well done.!

Limit Bitch

1) Slievemac Pretty and Precious

Gloriously coloured shaded sable of lovely breed type and another without her full attire. Very elegantly constructed. Fabulous length and arch of neck, shapely withers and top-line, correct croup, sweep of stifle and short strong hocks. Balanced head of nice type although I would prefer more finish to her chin which just spoils the profile, but having said that her virtues outweigh this. Ultra sweet eye is obliquely set and in combination with the length of head, this enables a sweet look of dignity typical of our breed. If only she would move with the oomph her conformation suggests…..pushed hard for Best bitch but had to be content with Reserve spot.

2)       Labasheeda Sole Survivor

Blue merle bitch, dripping in coat of clear blue colour and harsh texture. Good

Bone and substance, nice length of neck and body. Well moulded head with clean        stop and flat skull, sweet eye. A little too short on the leg in comparison to her depth of body, and just lacked the overall refinement and elegance I was looking for. Later discovered she is in whelp which probably didn’t help her, moved freely.

Open bitch

1)       Rowlands Calin Brown

Shaded sable bitch with harsh coat and fair construction. Balanced head, skull although flat was too strong preventing the eye from being obliquely set. Moved a little close.