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It is always an honour and privilege to be invited to judge a Club Show especially when it is abroad and in a
country like Switzerland. Having just hosted the spectacular OES Euro Show I was expecting something special and we were not disappointed. The venue was the
regional agility hall and we shared with the Bearded Collie Club who were celebrating their 25th anniversary. The building which was light and airy had a
bouncy synthetic floor which aided the dogs movement. An entry of 40 is pleasing anywhere in the world at the moment, so I was grateful to have the services
of Barbara Muller as my ring steward and critique writer.
The FCI system of judging is superior to any other in my opinion and a full detailed critique of
every dog was provided along with an assessment of whether the dog was "excellent", "very good’ or ‘good". These words do not carry their meaning very well,
as in practice exhibitors consider "very good" to be "not very good" and "good" to be ‘below standard’ or worse. As the standard of the OES presented to me
was high I only found 3 that I considered to be less than ‘excellent’. All the ‘excellents’ are placed in the ring for prizes and many left with cups and
rosettes and packets of dog food provided by the sponsors Pet Plan and Hills Nutrition. The Club trophies on offer made a super spectacle with all the
rosettes donated by the Argovian Kennel.
At 9.30 all the exhibitors met for a welcome and a glass of wine, hellos were exchanged and with a friendly
atmosphere set up we started judging at 10 am. The quality of the dogs was generally ‘excellent’ overall and a close inspection of the individual critiques
will reveal that eye colour varies from light china blue to the darkest brown. Eye colour usually follows coat colour and skin colour. I prefer the warmth of
a pair of darkest brown liquid eyes and these were rare today. Pigmentation was very good and most heads were correctly square with a good stop. Ears were
generally small and correct in shape but many were not set on correctly, they had too many folds and were fly-away, that is sticking out from the skull. This
is not always so easily seen as the head coat usually covers the problem up. Teeth were excellent and most mouths were clean and correct. A few had the two
bottom incisors leaning out or below the general bite line but I do not penalise these minor problems. Jaws and muzzles were good, only a few had weak
forefaces or thin muzzles and button noses were nowhere to be seen. Necks were a little disappointing. Only a handful had a really good reach of neck and
the swanlike length has almost gone. We will never have a well-balanced OES without the correct length of neck. Breed for it. Shoulders were generally good.
A few had them upright, too many had overweighed them with Swiss chocolate and other goodies and were far too heavy. A well laid back shoulder with clean
points at the withers is the criteria. Fronts were pleasing with lots of good heavy bone of the correct flat quality. The distance between the front legs is
important as this determines front movement and the correct extension and reach. Most were up on their toes and the pads were clean and tight. Many had
clipped the hair from between the pads and this helps with spotting for grass seeds entering the foot. Briskets were good and deep with spring on most. This
gives plenty of lung room essential in a working dog. Do not confuse substance, quality muscling with excess weight, fat, call it what you like. The rise is
a breed characteristic that must be kept and accentuated. The OES is the only breed asking for a rise. So we brush our dogs up to give them an exaggerated
look, but I want to see and feel a real rise to the loin. Rear ends were specially pleasing. Good muscles and angles, with only a few poor hocks. Driving
movement was however a rare thing. Despite having a good floor with good grip and a fair sized ring too many dogs take a hurried mincing step and do not
reach out in front or drive from the rear. Although I prefer to see the bobtail judged outside in a larger grassed ring, handlers should always use every
millimetre of space in the ring to stride your dog out and show off the movement of your charge. I think that hocks are getting longer in the breed and many
do not have the angulation that leads into a good sweep up into the stifle. As I have already said, the muscles were so strong in so many and there is plenty
of exercise being given. Overall the grooming and presentation was excellent and I was happy to go along with the club’s request to ban brushing in the ring.
Long coats need constant attention and we are in the beauty business, but as a judge who enjoys getting his hands to do the work it is good to be able to go
over a specimen without the constant flicking of every hair into place. Those that were typical and well balanced did not need an outline being given by
excess trimming and brushing into shape. I wish breeders would put more thought into breeding a quality coat, rather than the soft jackets that are being
worn by so many top winners. A harsh wiry texture is demanded and only a few had something approaching the ideal. The bobtail is a slow maturing breed and
many are at their best at five years old, so many top winners are still wearing their junior coats when they win Championships. I was looking for a finished
mature specimen in the peak of condition and my best dog Ch. Manrose Power of Love and best bitch Ch. Argovian Cherry Blossom fitted this description. The
dog I have always admired, and I notice he has won at this show two years ago. The bitch is on the small side but complemented the dog and they looked a
beautifully matched pair, full of breed type and quality. It was further testimony to the overall quality of the breed that both were Swiss bred, and as we
had a number of international entries on the day it was fitting that the BIS was a local boy.
Ray Owen. |
