NORTH REGION CHRISTMAS SHOW Birdwell 15 December 2002
Judges Report: Ron Gardner

Novice Show
Only 8 animals contested the award for best novice animal - 3 standards and 5 mutations. They were all young animals and I awarded 3 1st ribbons. The 1st standard had good veiling coverage and shape but the colour needed improving, the 3rd ribbon animal had a fuller neck, had good conformation but was light on the hips and out of prime. In the mutations the 1st ribbon pastel had good size, conformation and colour and ultimately took the award for Best Novice, owned and bred by Roger Nowill. The other 1st was a brown velvet of good size and colour. I awarded a 2nd ribbon to a good sized charcoal with full neck, but spoilt on the day by priming lines, but should do well in the future.

Main Show
My comment at the beginning of the main show when confronted with the young females was, "If these are the quality of the rest of the show, I shall be a happy man!"

The 1st in the medium dark phase was an excellent chin, with strong silky fur, in prime and took the award for reserve young female and reserve young standard for Aileen Cook. The 2nd in the class had better conformation but not such strong fur and the 3rd also had good clear colour and strong fur. The 1st in the medium dark phase was a well covered animal with a good neck, the 2nd ribbon was a better colour but would not get up off the wire. ( I learned later that it had no front feet!) The 3rd had good fur type but it was short and at 4½ months old needed to be bigger. The 1st ribbon in the dark class was in good condition, had a good neck and conformation, a clear bar and took the award for best young female and best young standard also for Aileen Cook, a just reward for her long journey from Kirkaldy in Fife, which started at 1 am and ended at goodness knows what hour, all with a young family!

There were 18 young males in 3 phases, but generally not in such good order as the females. The 1st medium had a good neck and was well covered and took the award for best young male for Eddie and Richard Crutchley. The 2nd ribbon was just 4 months old, had a good neck and bright colour and took the award for reserve young male once again for Aileen Cook. The 3rd Ribbon also 4 months old had good conformation and a clear bar. The medium class were not such good quality, were very light on the hips and not destined to make good breeding males. The 1st in the dark phase was in better prime than the rest, the 2nd had a lot of fur but was breaking badly and the 3rd, although small, at 4 months had potential with bright, clear colour.
2 colour phases of adult females produced only one 1st ribbon for a female with a good clear belly and plenty of fur, the 2nd not having as much fur in the neck, had good coverage but was down in colour. The medium phase produced only and HC, therefore the 1st and 2nd medium dark took best adult female for Paul Spooner and reserve adult female for Aileen Cook.

The adult male medium dark produced 2 very nice, big, blocky, well furred chins, the 1st could have been brighter in colour, but did well enough to take reserve adult male for Eddie and Richard Crutchley and the 2nd was in excellent condition considering the weather we had been having. The dark class winner was a lovely big standard with all the necessary attributes for a good breeding male, coverage, conformation, fur quality and colour, a very worthy winner of best adult male, best adult standard, best standard and ultimately Grand Show Champion for Jane and Roman Gesikowski. The 1st in the medium phase was also a big blocky chin, but the colour was not good, the 2nd in the class was brighter in colour but wedgy in shape.

The young mutations again began with the Wilson White class. The 1st being clear and blocky but down in colour to the second, but good enough on the day for reserve young mutation and reserve mutation for Eddie and Richard Crutchley. The Beige 1st ribbon was a pretty animal, in prime with a full neck and all round good quality - best young mutation, best mutation and reserve show champion for Joyce Garvey. The 2nd and 3rd were weak in the neck and not as good in colour.The 1st AOC was quite a pretty animal (Brown velvet), a nice colour but a bit wedgy in shape. The 1st Violet was well furred with good colour, plenty of neck and a clear belly. The young Black velvets produced a 1st animal that had mutation fur in the back but a grey neck and the 2nd had better conformation but was down in colour and lacked mutation fur.

The adult mutations again began with a class of Wilson whites. The 1st being big, blocky and in good condition, took it through to reserve adult mutation for Paul Spooner. The 2nd in the class was a better colour but had a weaker neck and the 3rd was clear but woolly furred and out of prime. The 1st ribbon Pink white was not the best colour but had strong fur and good confirmation, the 2nd being attractive and in good condition, but weaker in the neck. The 1st Beige was in prime with a full neck, big and blocky and was good enough for best adult mutation for Joyce Garvey. The 2nd was a better colour but small and the 3rd was similar to the 1st but not in prime. The Violets were disappointing. The 1st ribbon having good fur strength and quality but no blueness in its colour. The 1st Brown velevt had loads of fur. but its colour was not good, having a haze across the fur, again no blueness. The Black velvet had good tight fur, excellent colour but lacked a little in coverage to the 2nd, but was in better condition on the day, the 2nd was a cracking chin, but had gone over for condition as had the 3rd.

A good day, coupled with the 'Christmas Spirit' was had by all those who attended and with 110 exhibits my task was very enjoyable. The number of entries was reminiscent of all shows a few years ago and it would be nice to think we could achieve this sort of support at all our shows. My thanks to all the workers on the day, including the very important kitchen crew, whose efforts are always well received. RON GARDNER

A snippet of interest
During the Christmas show I was speaking to Joan Davies, who told me the reason why A24, 2nd in the medium class of young females, would not lift off the bottom wire. She had no front feet! Born in early July, one of a litter of twins, she had no front feet when Joan discovered her. Joan has no idea what happened and several theories were put forward. However this 'handicap' has proved to be no such thing as she has grown normally, has no trouble in getting about or feeding herself, although she cannot hold a pellet and has achieved 2 ribbons at shows, an HC in November and a 2nd today, a case of triumph over adversity!