Withholding a CC is not every judge’s dream and it is far easier to just hand out the big green card regardless. The recipient loves you and the ringside just thinks you’ve lost the plot or in my case – “she would never show a dog moving like that”.

Friday placed me in just that position. An excellent entry on paper, but in reality the males in general were a disappointment. I have stood round the ringside and expressed my concerns for the quality of the males for a while but I always hoped that the dog of my dreams would be waiting in ring 27 at the LKA.

My ideal Collie must have shape and outline, nothing must be exaggerated or out of proportion, there should be a quality look about the dog and it should move freely and easily. Not a lot to ask for!

For myself, I try to reach my dream dog in what I breed and exhibit. I try to show dogs who have shape, can move and look like a decent type of Collie. I think I succeed to a greater or lesser amount and if one of my dogs hasn’t the best conformation in the world I am the first to criticise.
I also give lectures on Conformation and Movement and the Breed Standard on behalf of Rough Collie and Sheltie clubs. This puts me in the invidious position of “he in glass houses shouldn’t through stones”. Something of a no win situation when faced with Friday’s dilemma.

If I could have judged the classes without moving a single male my line up would most probably be quite different. Unfortunately, the breed standard requires the dog to move and this was problem number one. Not only were the dogs struggling to get round the ring but the handlers were in some cases no better. I asked for a simple triangle (not too difficult, only 3 points to aim for) pose the dog then a circle round to join the last seen dog. I did this for every dog but even by Post Graduate bitch I had handlers whose idea of a triangle varied greatly from mine.

In one of the dog classes I had an exhibit who came close to what I was looking for in conformation but when asked to move his handler shuffled along and given the boy was a decent size male he really struggled to get his act together. I asked the handler to try again emphasizing that her dog was a good size Collie with excellent conformation who really needed a fast pace and a longer stride than she was giving him and being as she wasn’t overly tall perhaps she should run with him. She moved up and down and the dog’s movement visibly improved but when asked to circle to join the rest she went back to her old habit. I gave her 1st place because her dog’s make and shape justified it but not for his performance, which was not down to him. What I had managed to see movementwise had to do.

When it came to the challenge, I had one dog who stood and moved with his back feet turned out, one dog who moved adequately but stood with his ears falling forward from the side of his head, the previously mentioned dog whose handler had reverted to the old tactics, a young dog whose movement wasn’t his fortune but was adequate enough to win his class although a change of handler from a gentleman in the class to a lady in the challenge brought about a disastrous change in what was already not the best movement in the world, a young dog who still needed to fill out and mature, a puppy who was only days past nine months so again needing a lot of time and the minor puppy who eventually was the best of sex purely because he was the best mover in the challenge but at 8 months he still has a long way to go and his head is not yet finished.
Not exactly the ideal recipe for awarding a CC.

The judging book contains an explanation of what the KC expects of judges when awarding the CC and Reserve CC, not least that the judge should believe the dog to be worthy of the title of Champion. Given my description above could you say that? I certainly couldn’t, but then we had an interminable wait while my steward ran to the secretary’s office to get the appropriate Best of Sex and Reserve Best of Sex cards because they were not in the Judges wallet that I collected prior to judging. I personally believe that there should be a set available at every judging table where CCs will be awarded in that ring.
On a happier note I loved judging the bitches. The Minor Puppy B class was quite stunning and there were babes that weren’t placed that will make a name for themselves. After I had judged the Post Graduate class my steward commented that I looked a lot happier now!!!!! In the Limit B class I could have given 1st prize to every dog placed and was literally splitting hairs to separate them.

On a general note, there were far too many fat exhibits. I think my dogs are kept on the heavier side weightwise but they are like Twiggy compared to some of the dogs I had to judge. This spoils the outline of the dog both standing and moving and in the hotter competition of the bitch classes it cost some exhibits further consideration.

I think we also need to be mindful of rear action. A lot of exhibits were moving quite close behind to the point that the hocks although moving parallel were touching. This also seemed to link with exhibits who were a little narrower across the pelvis. A little worrying, given that the bitches will be used for breeding and there is not an abundance of stud dogs who can correct this problem. The males too seem to have a tendency to be narrow through the pelvis which is probably why I was so disappointed with their movement.

I am not proud to have withheld a CC in this lovely breed but it is because I care about what I openly admit is my first love when it comes to dog breeds and it grieves me to see the deterioration in the breed and the lack of stud dogs in particular. Having been privileged to have seen some stunning dogs in my 33yrs of exhibiting Collies and having watched them for a lot longer I feel qualified to pass this comment.
Some will understand where I am coming from. If you don’t, then I feel sure that in 33yrs time you will. Judging like breeding is a very personal thing but we have to remember we are just small parts in a very big wheel and we are entrusted with the breed for only a small time.

Gwen Beaden.
Judge. Rough Collies LKA 07