Rottweiler Show Results

BITCHES – It is a great honour to be invited to judge at Crufts. A big thank you to everyone who entered their dogs for me to judge.

There is a huge variation in type. Standing, the Rottweiler looks a picture but on the move it is another story. Many move close behind, pace or pin in at the front.
  Not too many almond shaped eyes & very few dark eyes & coats also cause concern. The Rottweiler should have a harsh, weatherproof coat. Teeth were often quite small & in many cases dirty.
  The current fashion for American collars does not help the dogs to move truly & they lean into their collar which tends to make them crab on the move. Tails are interesting but I wouldn’t like us to loose type while trying to improve tail carriage.
  Several of my winners showed more substance & strength, plus large teeth, which appears to be the benefit of combining continental & English bloodlines.
  The most difficult class of the day was open bitch. It was a very strong class & many quality bitches had to go cardless. I wonder if it might be time to grade exhibits as on the continent. It would make an interesting change.

In the end it came down to those animals who combined strength, substance, type & looked fit for purpose as a working dog.

V (11,3a) 1 Perks’ Shuvio Follow My Dream, well balanced bitch of 7¾ years, good colour tan & eyes, tight feet, moved well; 2 Steel’s Upend Flamin Nora, good sized bitch of 8 years, feminine head, nicely angulated, well balanced. Coat on the soft side; 3 Adams’ Jhava Tribute Of Chance, almost 10 years, this bitch is nicely put together, good eye colour & shape, good feet. Beautifully presented but finally beginning to show her age.

P (18,2) 1 Bond’s Scanian Syd Charrise at Bondzys, mature, strong headed puppy, rich tan, dark eye, good bone & feet, moved solidly; 2 Pike’s Poncheens Artemis, good size, well put together, nice colour eye, harsh coat, moved adequately; 3 Cockerill’s Alkidos Bellissa Mason, attractive head, good colour eye, surprisingly small teeth, good tail, one of the few.

J (13,2) 1 Window’s Hanbar Ismay, strong but feminine, attractive head with good eye colour, beautiful shape, casting her coat, extremely sound movement. RCC; 2 Bond’s Alldenria Dark Jewel at Kanesbrook, beautiful bitch, loved her outline, good colour eyes & coat, not overdone in any way & moved well. Just not big enough; 3 Dunhill’s Fantasa Chili Pepper, good size bitch with lovely head. Soft coat, not the movement of 1. Very well presented.

Y (28,4) 1 Hill’s Juffther Magical Touch, medium sized bitch, nicely balanced, excellent overall shape, rich tan, good feet. Coat on the soft side. Moved well; 2 Black & Hargey’s Rottsdale Dream Believer, good sized bitch with a lovely head, good feet & colour, harsh coat, moved soundly; 3 Powell’s Rottsdale Dat’s Ellie, litter sister to 2, strong bitch with similar attributes to 2, nice thick tail.

UG(12,1) 1 Veneear’s Bryjul Andromeda, well proportioned, good sized bitch, attractive head, medium eye, level topline, moved adequately; 2 Hammett’s Betty Boop at Brodecs, pleasing looking bitch, nice head & eye. Good feet, but rather long toenails; 3 Roberts’ Pendley Claudia for Roloki, small but feminine bitch. Nicely put together, good coat, moved OK.

G (16) 1 Shaves’ Estalea My Girl, pleasing head & dark eye, correct coat & proportions, moved positively. Feet could be better; 2 Mooney’s Javladare In Dreams at Dannlady, small & compact, nice head & eye, good bite, rich colour, extremely well handled by her young handler; 3 Burnett’s Thunderhead Heaven Sent, good size, lovely head & eye. Soft coat.

PG (13,2) 1 Hill’s Juffther Sweet Dreams, very nice bitch with lovely head, slightly round eye, excellent colour, good feet, moved well; 2 Davison’s Riviere Diamant avec Firemoon, attractive head, dark eye, good expression, dark mouth, tan OK, high tailset, moved well; 3 Watkins’ Jezeve Cinabar at Nineglens, feminine bitch, good proportions, rolls over shoulder, but moved well. Correct bite & coat.

ML (22,3) 1 Osborne’s Graceheim Stroller at Tianko, substantial bitch with excellent rich tan, typical head. Not the harshest of coat. Moved well; 2 McClure’s Fantasa Rock Chick, compact bitch with strong head, dark eye. Soft coat. Moved well with correct tail; 3 Urwin & Pringle’s Juffther Day Dream Believer Jianerot, well balanced girl, attractive head, slightly round eye, good feet, moved adequately.

L (22,6) 1 Benstead’s Carsal Effie, good sized feminine bitch, well placed shoulders, good topline, lovely head with slightly round eye. Not the richness of tan. Won the class on her movement; 2 Lambert & Bartley’s Jezeve Paris, well balanced bitch in good hard condition, feminine head, good harsh coat, finer bone than 1. Good tail, moved well; 3 Urwin’s Dreamrott Andromeda, attractive head, lovely dark mouth, excellent colour tan, correct coat. Would prefer more of her.

O (25,5) 1 Doyle & Kenny’s Ch/Ir Ch Hanbar Elektra at Rottsdale, very strong, substantial bitch but not the tallest. Strong head, good eye colour, tan, thick coat & tail, impressed me with her ring presence, won the class easily on movement. CC; 2 Jones’ Rostock Vanity Fair, lovely bitch, attractive head, rich colour tan, good front, shoulders, strong rearend, harsh coat, moved well; 3 Loughman & Wilson’s Gracezheim Kalusha, not the bone of 1 & 2, but a most attractive bitch. Pleasing head, clean outline, dark eye, moved well.

GC (12,1) This is a class that I greatly admire. It is nice to know that the handlers have made the effort to teach their dogs to use their brains. 1 Jones’ Dortmund Rock ‘N’ Roll for Westfalen, attractive head, dark eye, good feet. Soft coat. Moved adequately; 2 Phillips’ Rojaneva Icon, feminine head, good harsh coat, movement OK. Overangulated at rear; 3 Lucas’ Ceerott Rara Avis, finer bone than 1 & 2. Good rich tan, alert expression, movement OK.

J E KNOX