Midlands and Northern Rhodesian Ridgeback Club

The First Rhodesian Ridgeback Club to Gain Championship Status in the UK

CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW 2009 - RESULTS & CRITIQUE

CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW  19th July 2009
Judge - Mrs T Agnew

The Club Championship Show was held at The Kennel Club Building, Stoneleigh where our judge was Mrs Toni Agnew (Mwenga)

Best in Show - CH GUNTHWAITE DIAMOND LIL JW
Reserve Best in Show - FAAHAC FUMBAA AAN N’GAI AT MUDZIMBA
Dog CC - FAAHAC FUMBAA AAN N’GAI AT MUDZIMBA
Reserve Dog CC - SONSTRAAL CHOCOLATE STORM
Bitch CC - CH GUNTHWAITE DIAMOND LIL JW
Reserve Bitch CC - BRUET SING THE BLUES TO KASENGA
Best Puppy in Show - BAWABU AZIMA AHADI AT TUKELA (Imp. Fin.)
Best Puppy Dog - BAWABU AZIMA AHADI AT TUKELA (Imp. Fin.)
Best Puppy Bitch - JOCEBEC JUSI ELITE
Best Veteran in Show - CH BRUET SONG OF KASENGA

Photograph courtesy of Sarah Nix

 

BIS Ch Gunthwaite Diamond Lil JW

 

JUDGES CRITIQUE

I had been looking forward to this appointment since being invited to judge in January 2006. I mention the date because I had heard comments from certain quarters criticizing Committee members for judging at “their own “shows. I was not elected to the post of Membership Secretary until February 2008 and I have deliberately distanced myself from the preparation and planning of this show. It is 5 years since I last awarded C.C.s in the breed and I had not accepted other invitations in between in order that I would not have previously judged the majority of exhibits, I think my experience was all the better for that. You will notice I have not mentioned individual mouths, ridges or crowns; all placed exhibits were acceptable in that regard. What I did notice were short tails and loose pasterns, a short tail may not prevent a Ridgeback from doing the job he was bred for however soft pasterns will. I was pleased with the overall quality of my entry and on the whole my decisions were accepted in a sporting manner, though some felt the need to show exactly what they thought!  I thoroughly enjoyed my day and thank you all for the opportunity to judge your beautiful hounds.

M.P.D. (4)

A lovely class of babies all at different stages and mixed in type.

1st Pearce’s Veldtkammer Rock me Chick.   Red wheaten boy, at just 6 months he was the most forward in this class. He is developing along good lines, decent body shape and well- boned limbs. Feet good ‘though he needs to strengthen in pastern. Moved steadily when settled. Best Minor Puppy in Show.
2nd Selby’s Eilack Chato. Clear red baby lacking the confidence of my winner, with time and patience this should come. Neater sort than my winner but same comments apply regarding body and limbs. When his handler got him going he showed a good stride ‘though like my winner he needs to tighten up all round.
3rd Haley’s Hespa Gold Dust

 

P.D. (3)

1st Dunn’s Bawabu Azima Ahadi at Tukela (imp Fin). On first looking it would be easy to “fault judge“ this dog but that would be to dismiss all that is good about him. He is of a lovely type with typical head, good body and limbs and he has lovely easy movement when he gets into his stride. He is also accurate coming and going. His tail set is good, pity he can’t “loose” the last 2 inches!! But it does not in my opinion prevent him from doing the job he was bred for. When his experienced handler got him moving at the correct pace he showed how well he can move and I was pleased to award him Best Puppy Dog and ultimately BEST PUPPY in SHOW. I wish you well with him.
2nd Bates’ Burncote Bushman Well- grown red wheaten boy that impressed from all angles. Lovely head with well set ears and good eye shape and colour. Strong in neck with well laid shoulders he has an excellent front assembly, well filled front and elbows close to ribs. He has a good top line and well developed hindquarters. Though his shape indicates he should move well, today he lacked the drive of my winner on the move.
3rd Cyprien & Williams’ Jocebec Jelani Elite 

 

J.D. (13-2)

1st Davis’ Jaloumi I am Legend from Hesslewall An eye- catching red wheaten that is hard to overlook in any company. He has that typical Ridgeback gaze. Impressive head, strong clean neck and lovely front assembly with well developed fore chest. Level in back and strong in hindquarters he moves with ease around the ring and is straightforward coming and going. He is beautifully presented and very well handled.
2nd Smith’s Trendsetter Ujanja. Smaller and more compact than my winner he is also balanced in outline. He has a masculine outlook though I would prefer a little more length to his foreface. He has good depth through the body and keeps a level top line on the move.  Elbows fitting close to brisket give a tidy front action complimented by a good rear action.
3rd Jeffery’s Mutoko’s Mangusta

 

S.Y.D. (6)

1st Jones’ Veldtkammer Bollinger He is a young dog (20 months) that appealed for his overall balance. Masculine head with good ear set and eye shape. He is developing well in front and has good limbs and feet. Good backline and rear quarters are typical. Well muscled up he certainly looked “fit for purpose” When moved at the correct pace he produces a pleasing lengthy stride in profile and on the “down and back” he was quite precise. He was also 2nd in the P.G. class.
2nd Kelly’s Veldtkammer Bottle of Bolly From the same breeders but a different type and lots to like about this boy. He has a lovely “old type” head with calm expression. He could be cleaner in throat but his neck is strong and of good length. Deep and well developed in front his limbs are straight and strong and he has neat feet. Good depth to body and correct top-line. On the “stack “ his owner tends to let him “lock out” behind but he comes into his own on the move where he uses his well muscled hind quarters to give an easy positive hind action. Another one that benefits from being moved at the correct pace!!
3rd Lennie & Temporal’s  Jengachenga Akili

 

N.D. (3)

1st Jones’ Wingsdancin Red October Moderate red wheaten boy, masculine in head I would prefer more length to foreface to achieve the correct balance with back skull. Straightforward front assembly, shoulder could have better layback and his nails need attention! He is deep enough through the body and has good hindquarters. Steady enough on the move to win this class.
2nd Cyprien & Williams’ Jocebec Jelani Elite This young man (11 months) is at that “awkward” stage. He’s done his growing and now needs to lengthen and develop on. That said he is a good sort with lots to like. Masculine in head, clean through neck and shoulders and well boned to ground, he stands on good feet. At the moment he is “bum high” hopefully as he matures on he will “drop” his hindquarters and level out. Movement rather uneven at present but time is on his side.
3rd Doran’s Doberidge Duck and Dive

 

P.G.D. (10)

1st Aitken & Reid’s  Sonstraal Chocolate Storm.  Lovely rich wheaten who appeals for his overall balance. Typical in head, he has a strong clean neck of good length set on well- sloped shoulders. Front assembly is spot on and is complimented by well- developed rear quarters. He looked a picture of health striding round the ring and was true coming and going. I appreciated such good rapport between dog and handler, pleased to award him the R.C.C.
2nd Jones’ Veldkammer Bollinger (see S.Y.D)
3rd Davis’ Imola Imac

 

L.D. (12-2)

1st Tearne’s Faahac Fumbaa Aan N’gai at Mudzimba. He is a lovely type, moderate in all departments. Masculine in head with a good eye and well set ears. Strong neck and clean over shoulders, well fitting elbows and good limbs. He has plenty of heart and lung room and good length and depth to body. Correctly angulated hindquarters complete the picture of a very well balanced hound. On the move he was straightforward going away and back and he showed his paces in profile with an easy effortless stride. I’m sure he’d enjoy a days hunting! I was very pleased to award him the C.C. and R.B.I.S.
2nd Lynn’s Tsjakka Just Joey. Another moderate dog, slightly more compact than my winner. He too has good angles, pleasing height to length ratios giving an overall balance. Strong in back and over the loin he has well muscled hindquarters and low set hocks giving a positive hind action. Like my winner he has easy profile movement coupled with a correct action on the down and back.
3rd Harrower’s Jimaans Jinky Johnstone

 

O.D. (16-2).

All sorts and sizes in this class and quite a challenging class to judge.
1st Dickson’s Ch. Walamadengie Chieftain. A lovely moderate dog and in his prime. I find so much to like about him, no “flash and dash” but a dog I feel could work all day. He has a typical masculine head with a lovely expression. He is excellent in front, good through his body with correct top and underlines and moderately angled behind. Shown in good order and well handled, however in the challenge he was not completely sound, a great pity.
2nd Woodrow’s Mirengo’s Mukwela. Another moderate dog, everything “fits” together well. He is typical in head with a good length of neck and excellent shoulders. He has well- boned forelegs but his good feet spoilt by long nails!  Elbows fit close to rib cage, which is deep and long. His hindquarters are well angled and hocks are well let down producing an accurate if somewhat lazy action. Lovely to watch on the move, he moves true coming and going and is free striding in profile. I just wish he showed more animation!
3rd Jeffery’s Mirengo’s Mikura  

 

V.D. (6-2).

It’s always a pleasure and a privilege to judge our “senior” dogs, thank you for entering them today.
1st Woodrow’s Ch. Mirengo’s Muko Mako.  A handsome wheaten male in his 9th year, kennel mate to my second in the previous class and of a similar type. On the stand he presents an overall picture of a balanced, athletic hound built to last! On the move he is a pleasure to watch using his long easy stride to cover the ground. Again he could benefit from a pedicure.
2nd Bowlus’s Ch. Sofala Jefferson. Another handsome upstanding wheaten male and his owner is to be congratulated on his condition. As with my winner he is easy on the eye when moving and presents a picture of overall balance when “stacked”. A close decision between 1st and 2nd, I just preferred the profile movement of my winner.
3rd Grayson Wood’s Isiqa’a Ijsa  

 

M.P.B. (4)

 These girls were all of a similar age and as with my “baby boys” were all at different stages. Overall they were typical in head, they had good limbs and feet and at this stage though movement in some was erratic it was straight forward enough. All showed promise, a nice “crop” of youngsters.
1st Bucknell & Conlon’s Priorpark Zula I just preferred her overall shape and size to her litter sister. Hopefully with more experience both puppy and handler will have an enjoyable time in the ring.
2nd William’s Priorpark Kainda Bigger girl than her sister and perhaps as with my 3rd place she will take more time to come together, it will be interesting to see how they mature on.
3rd Parsons’ Priorpark Yakini  

 

P.B. (5)

This class was called just as heavy rain hit the glass roof, not an ideal start as rain gushing down an internal drain un-nerved a couple of the puppies.
1st Nugent’s Jocebec Jusi Elite Attractive red wheaten girl of 11 months, pleasing in head she has well set ears and a good eye shape and colour. Well off for bone and with good feet her clean straightforward front assembly is balanced by strong rear quarters. While trying to assess her movement she was completely unnerved by a heavy downpour. I gave her experienced handler enough time to calm and reassure her in order that she should finish this experience in the ring on a positive note. Contrary to “round the ring gossip” I would have done this for any other exhibit in any other class! Once focused on the task in hand she showed well enough to head this good class and take 3rd place in the Junior class. She won the challenge for Best Puppy Bitch and I declared her Reserve Best Puppy in Show
2nd Campbell’s Nyassa Everlasting Love Another very appealing puppy though of a different type to my winner. Pretty head with dark expressive eyes and well set ears. She too has good bone, neat feet and a pleasing front assembly. Shapely in body she has a good top-line and is developing well in her hindquarters. She moved well in profile and going away but coming towards me she needs to firm up in pastern.
3rd McCarthy & McCarthy-Booth’s Jarhiba Ikshula

 

J.B. (10-2)

1st Lawless’ Fahaac Farenya J.W. Sh.C.M. Hard to fault this girl, she has strength in head without compromising her femininity, good dark eyes, ears of correct size and shape. Well- shaped neck leads to textbook front assembly and great body shape though her underline was a little soft today. Well- constructed and toned rear quarters gave a good driving action. She won this class with room to spare. Decided she had done enough when it came to the Challenge for best bitch what a pity.
2nd Tuttle’s Trendsetter Amara at Tutridge Another that appealed and she is similar in type to my winner though not as forward. Her head, neck and front assembly are good though she needs to develop in fore chest. With pleasing height to length ratios and good hindquarters she presents a balanced picture when standing and on the move.
3rd Nugent’s Jocebec Jusi Elite

 

S.Y.B (6)

1st Farleigh’s Kinabula Axua Bahati Beautifully presented wheaten bitch of excellent proportions. She has an appealing head with a dark expressive eye, clean well- developed forequarters and good feet. Her body is deep and well ribbed back leading to well muscled hindquarters though her tail set is a little low. Her movement is free active and straightforward.
2nd Bird’s Dame Snowbell A red wheaten girl she is more compact than my winner and is neater all round. Good head and eye, clean through neck into well- sloped shoulders. She has correct bone, feet and a good front. Her hindquarters are well muscled with sufficient angulation to give a positive steady action though she could not match the freedom of movement of my winner
3rd Wigglesworth’s Nomuula Namaqua at Ranginui

 

N.B. (3-1)

1st Tearne’s Faahac Fayola for Mudzimba  Pretty red wheaten girl of 16 months and though similar in construction to her litter sister (see Junior bitch) she is not as far forward in development. Her head is good and she is well made in front. She is a little immature through her middle piece but her rear construction is good, she needs time to pull everything together. Though rather erratic on the move she did enough to win this class.
2nd Nash’s Mutuko’s Morgan  A well- grown wheaten girl just nicely out of puppy and like my 2nd in Novice dog she too has hit an awkward stage and is standing “bum high” she therefore appears to lack hind angulation, hopefully this will be rectified as she levels out. She is quite strong in head but has a pleasing expression helped by a good dark eye. Well off for bone she has a good front assembly and well knuckled feet. Though she moved out well enough I preferred the rear angles of my winner on the day.

 

P.G.B. (15-2)

There was strong competition in this class with good bitches going cardless.
1st Harrower’s Jimaans Jiggy Jiggy A well conditioned red wheaten girl presented in top order. She appeals in head and eye and is strong in neck. Her front assembly is well developed being particularly good in fore chest, her limbs are straight and well boned and she stands on neat feet. Good in body shape, her top line is good and her tail set correct. Well- muscled rear quarters give her a good driving hind action. She moved out well in profile and she was accurate coming and going.
2nd Thompson & Taylor’s Kelshanti Penda Zula Slightly neater all round than my winner but still retains size and substance to do the job she was bred for. She has a lovely head and a clean neck set on to well-laid shoulders. Like my winner she too has a super front assembly with good depth and width to fore chest, elbows well tucked in and good limbs. Her ribbing is good and her back level with a good tail set and correctly angled hindquarters. She moved out well and pushed the class winner all the way.
3rd Hutcheson & Ogilvie’s Stardust’s Escada by Amila of Gabisa

 

L.B. (15-6)

Another good class where competition was hot and good bitches went unplaced.
1st Morris’ Bruet Sings the Blues to Kasenga  A quality bitch of ideal size she has a super feminine head, a lovely eye and melting expression. She has a correct well- filled front assembly is neat in elbow and good through her body. Her strong well developed hindquarters and low set hocks produced a good driving rear action, which combined with great front extension gave an easy profile gait. In the challenge she was just shaded by a youngster on top form and it was my pleasure to award her the R.C.C.
2nd Carlton’s Umhlandla Mbatha J.W. Another quality bitch with lots of appeal. She is typical in head with good eye and well placed ears. She has a well shaped neck of good length is clean through her shoulder and has straight well boned forelegs. Her body shape is good and her fore chest well developed. Well put together over her loin and rear quarters she uses them well on the move particularly in profile. She is accurate going away but not as good in front as my class winner.
3rd Parker’s Zuri Adia to Azuli

 

O.B. (17-4)

A lovely class to judge
1st Bates’Ch. Gunthwaite Diamond Lil J.W. Everything to like about this girl, she is the complete package. She is balanced throughout and is ideal for size. Her head is lovely, can’t fault it. She has a strong neck, well- sloped shoulders and her front assembly is spot on. Good in body her top line is good and she is strong over the loin. She has excellent hindquarters, correct tail set and good strong hocks. On the move she comes into her own and shows reach and drive giving a fluid easy action. In superb coat and condition this girl is certainly “fit for purpose” I was pleased to award her the C.C. and later BEST in SHOW
2nd Parke’s Hespa High as a Kite at Veldkammer  A stronger made girl all round but in way coarse; she has overall balance and is well presented. Her expression is typical with a good eye shape and colour. Correctly built in front she has good limbs though her front feet could be tighter. Well developed in fore chest she has plenty heart and lung room and could go all day. Level back line leads to well muscled hindquarters which combined with her powerful front assembly enabled her to move out well and with accuracy. A contender for the R.C.C. but on the day I preferred the easy stride of my Limit winner.
3rd Hewson’s Ch/Int/Bel/Ir Ch. Rekaylahn Blaze J.W. Sh.C.M.

 

V.B. (2)

1st Morris’ Ch.Bruet Song of Kasenga  Lovely wheaten girl in her 8th year and she shows no sign of slowing down! I loved her head and she is well built through her front with a good infill and good limbs. Rear angles are also correct and she has good muscle tone. Sound in all departments she is very precise in action with a lovely easy gait. It was a pleasure to award her Best Veteran Bitch and in competition with my winning veteran male she showed him a clean pair of heels to take Best Veteran in Show
2nd Storey’s Ir.Ch. Kiromol Kianga  At just 6 months older than my winner she too can show some of the youngsters how to move! Stronger in build than my winner she is also a little longer in coupling and can loose her top line on the move. That said, her angles are good and she is well conditioned. She has a lovely “old fashioned” expressive head good front assembly and is well boned to ground. Her hindquarters are good and tail set correct. Sympathetically handled she has lovely profile movement. I just preferred the overall shape and size of 1.

 

BREEDERS CLASS

2 entries and both had well matched “teams” Not much between them for being bred to type and both breeders are to be congratulated on producing sound moving animals that  are “fit for purpose” On the day I preferred the overall size and balance of my winning group
1st Lawless’ Fahaac Kennel
2nd Campbell’s Nyassa Kennel

 Judge ….Toni L Agnew (Mwenga)