Southern Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club

It was an honor and a pleasure to judge the Southern Dandie Dinmont Terrier Championship show.  I extend my thanks Jane Withers and all the committee for the excellent arrangements and warm and welcoming hospitality.  Commendations to the exhibitors as well, whose enthusiasm and sportsmanship were well matched by all of their exhibits’ happy attitudes.  The early on bustle of the film crew on hand for the day bothered the dogs not at all – a few second glances at the camera equipment and they carried on as though TV productions were old hat.  My two Stewards, Graham Lambert and Beverly Deacon are professionals at the job and kept the ring running smoothly. A lovely entry with only two absentees, as a general observation, every single bite was good and temperaments superb.  The Dandies were happy, cooperative (in the main) and clearly smitten with their owners and pleased to be in party clothes and on exhibit. The vast majority moved soundly, with straight planes from hip to pad and shoulder to paw.  Overall, skulls were good, filling the hand, but there were a few more heads than I would like to have seen which lacked the correct low placement of dark, large round eye and soft expression, combined with muzzles longer than the desired three to five proportion.  Also, as a cautionary note, fronts need watching:  although with good legs and snug elbows, shoulders straighter than the called for moderate angulation and quite short upper arms are creeping in.  This not only shortens the stride and affects the balance, but plays havoc with the overall flow of the outline.

Minor Puppy Dog:
1st Hughes’ Maganbar Magic Moment; a pleasing mustard puppy with good coat for the age, low on the leg with  correct body proportions, soft curves finishing with the proper set on of tail. 
Puppy Dog:
First and Best Puppy Dog;Shore’s Swanwillow Sea Captain; lovely shaped head and winsome expression, continuous soft curves to the outline, clean shoulders and balanced quarters. In good mustard coat for a youngster, and although a bit higher on leg than his competition, his head and movement placed him ahead of #2, Maganbar Magic Moment.
Junior Dog:
1st Hunter’s Etsill Scapa Flow, a pepper  with a well shaped body and rib cage with lovely curves and proper angulation front and rear giving him a smooth flowing gait.  His nice head and eye compensated for a somewhat less than crisp coat on the day.
2nd Sleight’s Cassencarrie Bobby Vee.  This typy little mustard is the picture of the phrase, “low and curvy with a head that appears large for the size of the dog”.  A nicely muscled dog, the coat was just barely there on the day, the side gait not quite as smooth as number one and he’s a touch proud of his tail.
Novice Dog:
1st  Cassencarrie Bobby Vee.
2nd  Deuchar’s Cloverwood Dashing Dandy. This mustard has a grand soft and sweet expression and nice enough proportions, though a tad up on the leg.  When moving his side gait is better than coming and going and his coat was a bit past its prime.
Graduate Dog: 
1st  Deuchars’ Cloverwood Dashing Dandy
Post Graduate Dog:
1st Jacka-Slater’s Cassencarrie Robbie Burns, a mustard with good length of body covered with a hard coat.  .Stong headed with good reach of neck, he moved soundly and enthusiastically with proper foot placement front and rear but the moderate, slight curves of the topline leveled out a bit on the go.
Limit Dog:
1st and RCC  Jones and Skitt’s Vistca Vincent, a very typy mustard with a beautiful correct head, strong muzzle  and wonderful eye placement and expression  Nicely low on the leg, wrapped in a coat of excellent texture, he was happy and enthusiastic on the move.  With great breed type he has the correct amount of curve over the loin both on the stack and one the move. Slightly straighter front and rear with the resultant shorter stride put him Reserve to the CC winner.
2nd Culverhouse’s Cassencarrie Gandalf At Lykath, also with a head of good proportions and appealing eye and expression.  With good length of neck and very pleasing length of body, a little crisper coat and a little less weight would have helped him on the day. 
Open Dog:
1st and DCC to Buist, Chapman-King and Jamieson’s Ch Inzievar Silver Gilt This mature pepper dog came to the show in an exceptional coat.  A lovely, large and strong head  to go over, the eye placement and expression are appealing and would be smashing with a darker eye.  Well built and well muscled, he moved with authority, the proverbial picture of “asking for it” and the gentle curves of his outline are shown to best advantage on the move.  He is very well balanced front to rear.
2nd  Cadwallader’s Bettymac Sun Samba.  This long and low beautifully curved mustard dog sported a nice crisp coat. Good skull, eye and expression, a little less weight and a little shorter muzzle were needed in this competition.
Veteran Dog: 
1st Best Veteran Dog and Best Veteran in Show: Milliner’s Zannus Zachary Of Millerim.  With nice eye placement and good proportion of muzzle to skull, a head of good size and rather well textured coat, this fellow was businesslike on the move.  I would like to see a little more drop behind the withers and stronger arch over the loin.  He topped the Veteran bitch by virtue of coat condition and verve on the move.
Minor Puppy Bitch:A very nice class of puppies,
1st RCC and Best Puppy Tinsley’s Cloverwood Dozen Roses.  I found this a perfectly lovely puppy  with correct skull and muzzle, a sweet face and wonderful eye and expression. Her nicely proportioned body with good curves was in proper weight and in a very good coat for the age.  With good angles front and rear she was a pleasure to watch as she moved soundly and happily with the right tail carriage
2nd Hughes’ Maganbar Apple Blossom, also a very promising young lady. Though not quite as strong in the head as number one, this pup has a nicely long body with correct curves covered in a fine coat, quite low on the leg and will be one to watch. 
Puppy Bitch:
1st Shore’s Swanwillow Seabreeze.  This pepper bitch has a flowing smooth outline from occiput to tip of tail, a pretty feminine correct head with a lovely eye and was in fine penciled coat with tan furnishings, always worth mentioning.  Although a bit straight front and rear giving a shorter stride than one might wish, she moved soundly with enthusiasm, making the most of herself. Nicely mature for her age without being overdone.
2nd  Maganbar Apple Blossom. 
Junior Bitch:
1st Hunter’s Etsill Greenvoe.  When she would allow her young handler to show it off, this bitch has an outline of soft flowing curves and a long and low profile.  Head is feminine, neck the right length and well set into the shoulders, quarters strong and her body well ribbed and well muscled.  The coat was on the short side, but enough of it to evaluate the color and  texture.
2nd Bird’s Etsill Sapinsay Sound With Birbrinda.  This mustard was in a good textured tidy jacket, with a very appealing head and expression.  Not being as long and low and smooth in outline put her behind number one. 
Novice Bitch:
1st  Etsill Greenvoe
Graduate Bitch:
1st  Booth’s Cloverwood Candle Light.  This was a very pretty bitch, feminine but well fleshed. Good skull and eye, and a well proportioned head appropriate to her overall size.  On the move she showed good foot placement both coming and going and her correct outline remained firm on the go around.  Though not overly long, very much a quality bitch. 
2nd  Etsill Shapinsay Sound With Birbrinda
Post Graduate Bitch
1st  Morris’s Cassencarrie Miss Grace At Pennywave.  A lovely bitch with a strong well proportioned head and correct eye placement, lovely layback and rear angulation, well developed forechest and deep brisket. In the main steady and sound on the move, her coat was sketchy on the day and off the table she seemed determined to hide her ideal topline.
2nd  Hunter’s Etsill Inganess Bay, a very appealing feminine pepper.  Her head is correctly proportioned with a low set dark eye, her quarters balanced,  length of body excellent,  topline moderate with the slight rise properly over the loin and with the slight drop to the set of the tail.  On the move, she made the most of herself.  With a more upright shoulder, the outline not as clean as that of number one.
Limit Bitch
This was a wonderful class of high quality through all the placements, a pleasure to judge.. 
1st BCC and Best In Show to Tinsley’s Cloverwood Razzberry Ice.  An ultra feminine petite bitch but with plenty of substance, having a correctly proportioned head, well set eye just dark enough and particularly soft, melting expression.  Body nicely ribbed, correct length of loin and a graceful topline with a gentle drop over the croup.  In a well fitting crisp jacket, her overall proportions and balance are particularly pleasing, and she oozes girly type. She cut up a bit for her handler on the mat, but used herself extremely well when she choose to settle down.

2nd  Chapman & Hislop’s Inzievar Royal Silver.  A lovely solid pepper bitch with a good feminine head,  excellent depth of chest and well sprung ribs topped by a picture book outline.  Well presented in correct coat, she showed with attitude and deferred to number one being a bit higher on leg and not quite as good going away.

Open Bitch

1st  Motler’s Wazzly Aphrodite.  In excellent coat, this mustard bitch has a pleasing head and expression, is well ribbed with a deep chest and proper length of lion.  Low on the leg with well let down hocks, her proper topline finishes with a lovely tail set and pleasantly short tail.2nd  Russell’s AusCh Jollygaze Hopeless Romantic.  Another quality bitch, this pepper has lovely length of body and an elegant topline, which held up on the stack as well as on the move.  Coat on her back of good length and texture. She has attitude and a beautiful side gait but could use more width to her chest and greater layback of shoulder.
Veteran Bitch:
1st  Bailey’s Stinchcombe Love-In-The-Mist, a sweet eleven year old, low and curvy with a nicely proportioned head and beguiling expression.  Though not in the best of coats, she clearly enjoyed being on the outing with her owner.
Brace – The winning Brace – Bailey’s – were virtually identical twins, matching in size, outline, coat, movement  and the manner in which they continually looked up to check with their owner.  An endearing pair. 
1) Bailey
2) Hunter
3)Morris
Team: Again, the winning Bailey brace added a third clone – three long low curvy pepper bitches matched in size who moved in perfect synchronization for their owner.
1) Bailey
2) Morris
My congratulation of all who brought braces and teams – not an easy task but a delight for all to see.
My thanks and appreciation to all the exhibitors.
Cathy Nelson
Pennywise USA.