The Last ‘Spring Day’ in Reading for the Dachshund Fanciers Association of Berks County (11/17/2013)
Download this page in PDF formatI arrived in Reading, found my hotel and waited for Janie Fowler, the Club president, to get back from the show site. When she did, she had a whole stack of old pictures for us to scan and admire the things that used to be so highly prized by Dachshund fanciers . That is always a treat and then we went out to dinner where we discussed many problems with the breed, but, unfortunately, could not solve all of them ourselves. After dinner, we returned and I started scanning all the fantastic pictures we had of so many of the great dogs she brought me and I just hoped that I was going to see some of that same quality the next day.
This was my third time judging for the Specialty- once at the local All Breed show, once at their Specialty right after I lost my dad and now here I am again after my illness from last year. I was very glad the club asked me to do a critique as I feel any explanations are needed and can help exhibitors sort through my mind as we go along.
The Dachshund Fanciers Association of Berks County Show started with Catherine Thistle doing Puppy and Veteran Sweepstakes and, when she finished, I started out with Junior Showmanship. I had a Novice Intermediate and an Open Intermediate to choose from and awarded Top Junior to Brielly Cipriotti, the Intermediate Junior who did a nice job with her older dog, always keeping contact, watching the judge and presenting her dog in the best possible light. The other competitor was Brooklyn Smetzer who also presented her dog nicely, but could use some more eye contact with the Judge to place higher.
The Longhairs started out with some very nice dog classes which contained some entrants we needed to watch in the winners class. For Winners Dog, of the five entered, I awarded Winners to the 9-12 month puppy, Klein Teckel Rumour Has It,a red Miniature, owned by Lorraine and Nelson Newnam, who was a very sprightly mover, having that front that we seek in the Show ring, with a level topline, great underline, nice neckset, beautiful croup, great head and really was quite nice going around the ring. For Reserve, the 12-18 month dog, a red Standard, Dollidachs King of the Khyber Rifles, owned by Dianne, Andrew and Kandice Kostic, was the choice. He was a biggish one who looked great moving, keeping a nice outline, great topline and underline and a nice rear. His front kept him from the top spot, but I am sure his time will come in the point department.
Of the twelve that were entered, the 12-18 month red Standard bitch, Briardach’s Keep Me Guessing, owned by Monika and Paul Martin, from 12-18 Month class was a fine one to see in that Winners selection. She was shown by Kandice Kostic who got her to show so beautifully that she easily beat the others in the Class. She was a flawless mover, with pleasing head, great neckset, beautiful front and rear, outstanding topline and underline and she could out move the wind in that department. She looked very nice, to me that day. Reserve Winners Bitch was from the bred by class and she herself was another red Standard, Briardach’s Lucky Guess, again owned by Monika and Paul Martin. She shared many of the good traits of the Winners Bitch, great front and rear, prettier head, nice outline, beautiful mover, but not quite as good in the front. I would love to choose between these two all day as you could not go wrong if those were your only choices.
Veteran’s Dog was awarded to CH Briardach’s Uncle Sam who looked great, loved to show and was an outstanding mover. He again was owned by Monika and Paul Martin and was another red Standard dog who also had great construction and beautiful movement. Since Best of Variety competition was later, I will proceed with those descriptions as they occurred.
Winners Dog Smooth, the only class entry, was a Standard Chocolate male, Spellbound Kochana Count Chocula v Dollidachs, owned by Dianne, Andrew and Kandice Kostic. He looked very nice standing, but could use a little more work in gaiting. Winners Bitch of the ten entered was a big red Standard from the Open, standard class. She was Kochana’s Moment in Time, owned Laureen Gerloff and Diane Poranski, shown by Ms. Erloff, and was a big nice bitch with all the right pieces including that front we should all seek for showing. She was long and low, with a great outline, nice croup and very balanced, topped off with a pretty head and neck, all set back in the proper place. She, again, was a quality bitch, indeed. Reserve Winners was another red Standard Smooth, Hacienda The MardiGras’ Epiphany, owned by Rhonda Doty and shown by Tara Kreiger Hartman, a smaller bitch, with another great front, pretty head, nice neck and stunning outline, but her front was just not as strong as the Winners Bitch. Both were bitches I would have taken home. Also in that Winners class were a couple of very nice puppies that were in contention until the end and they were Sandwood Bounty, a B&T Standard 9-12 month bitch, owned by Nancy Dougherty, and Turningpt Hot N Saucy Talkin Trash, a B&T Standard Bred By Bitch owned Drs. Randy and Pete Eltringham who had what we were looking for and really both were attractive on the move, having the correct parts , like fronts and rears, and knowing what to do with them. These four were all very nice and could win any day, I would imagine.
After the classes, I had the B&T Standard DCH Turningpt Nothin but Tail Lites RN CGC entered as a Vetseran and a Field Trial bitch where she was awarded First and brought her typy outline and quality movement to the Variety Competition.
After a nice lunch where I had a great talk with Fred Reifsnyder and my ring steward, Al Stoudt, we started Wires. Winners Dog was a Wild Boar Standard dog, Jake’s Willowood Chances Are SW, owned by Nancy Sutphen and Donna Maloney and the only one entered. He was a great dog to see on the move and knew what to do with what he had. In bitches, Winners Bitch was best of the three entered and was the red Standard Bred By, Legibach Double Crunch SW, owned by Patricia Leone and Gina Leone Middings, shown by Gina. I found her to be a hard one to fault as she had a gorgeous front, great coat, beautiful head and neckset, beautiful outline with great topline and underline and a terrific rear. Combine that with fantastic movement and you sort of got what you were looking for in this lovely bitch and I was greatly impressed by her quality . Reserve Winners was the second place Bred By, a nice Wild Boar Miniature, Doxwood’s Leading Lady MW, owned by John Merriman who had some challenges to beat the WB, but was a nice mover with a level topline and a pretty rear going away.
After that, I was ready to bring in the Champions for Best of Variety competition so we started out with Longhairs and brought in two Male Specials, four Bitch Specials, a Veteran dog and the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch and, when they all lined up, a very nice picture was made and they proceeded to go around the ring, still looking great. I started gaiting and examining them, going over each one, then I gaited them all again just as a reminder to remember what I liked about each one and chose a few to stay in for closer examination. I wound up, after re-gaiting them a few times, with DC Doxdane’s Aviance Krewe Du Vieux, a red Standard male who made a gorgeous picture stacked with a nice profile, beautiful withers and neckset, nice topline and underline, great feet and a nice croup . He was nice moving from the side and, to me, was the obvious choice for Best of Variety. My WB, Briardachs Keep Me Guessing, was the Best of Winners and Best of Opposite and she kept that gorgeous outline and terrific structure during the whole Variety competition, even after moving with the WD, the bitches and the BV dog! For Select Dog, I chose CH Briardachs Uncle Sam, the veteran dog who gave the Variety dog a run for his money. He was sound coming and going, had great side movement and was structurally so correct. I sent him and the BV around and the Select Dog’s topline just was not there at that point in time, but he made a great run for the prize and was a great second choice. Select Bitch was a red miniature, GCH Baybreeze Can’t Go With Rum, owned by Cassandra Williams, who was again nice moving, structurally sound with a great rear, nice outline and a pretty head and neck, but just not as strong in front as the BOS bitch. I really admired all these dogs for their structure and movement and their joy in showing it.
In Smooths, we had three male Specials, three female Specials, a Veteran bitch , Winners Dog and Winners Bitch all combining a lot of quality and great movement for this type competition. After gaiting them and going over them on the table, I soon narrowed down competition for Best of Variety to a B&T Standard, CH Turningpt Hot As Blue Blazes, owned by Randy and Pete Eltringham, shown by Gina Leone Middings, and a red Standard bitch GCH Hildisvin Wurdig Lightning Bug SS, owned by Denise Siemssen and Jimmie Lloyd, shown by Angie Lloyd. Both were nice moving , had the correct structure and knew what to do with the front and rear, however both had faults that you have to see past. The B&T one was a tad soft in topline, but moved great and the red was a bit uneasy in the ring and that bothered her in the ring so, as a result, I went with the B&T one, CH Turningpt Hot As Blue Blazes for Best of Variety and the red one, GCH Hildisvin Wurdig Lightning Bug SS as Select Bitch. For Best of Winners, I awarded that to the Winners Bitch who was, type wise, very similar to the BV and Select Bitch winners and was a great mover as well and she fit in quite nicely. For Best of Opposite, I chose a B&T Standard, GCH Sandwood Sleek Schooner who was a very nice mover, just not up to the two bitch Specials today. Select Dog was CH Dachrolls Traveling Man, a B&T Standard who was quite pretty standing, just not quite as good on the move.
Best Brood Bitch was next and it was won by DC/GCH Turningpt Nothin But Tail Lites RN CGC, owned by Randy and Pete Eltringham who was the dam of the BV winner and the First Place Bred By dog. It was very nice watching them move around the ring together.
Wires were a different story with four male specials, two female specials, Winners Dog and Winners Bitch all gathering for the best to be picked out. It was a nice decision and I wound up awarding GCH Legibach Captain Crunch SW, owned by Sally Sweatt, Pat Leone and Gina Leone Middings, shown by Angie Lloyd, Best of Variety. I loved the dog on the table with his pretty head, nice front, great neckset, pretty outline and a great croup and , when he moved, he kept all these positive things going for him and was extremely pleasing from the side as well as coming and going. He was a great Best of Variety for me. The Winners Bitch, Legibach Double Crunch SW became the Best of Winners and Best of Opposite in this division of the competition. I found her to be very strong in all I was looking for as a great looking Dachshund : strong moving and strong standing! My Select Dog was CH Wildwood Boris Badenough MW, a wild boar Miniature, owned by Cynthia Werthamer and Kathi Wood. He was one who was beautiful standing there, but lost a little shape on the go round.
For Best of Breed, the three Best of Variety winners all came into the ring and, after reworking them, it was obvious that my choice for Best of Breed was the Wire , CH Legibach Captain Crunch SW, owned by Sally Sweatt, Pat Leone and Gina Leone Middings, shown by Angie Lloyd. He was still a moving machine with a nice front and rear and just a little better than the Longhair who was his nearest competition.
For Best Opposite, I kept the Smooth bitch and brought in the Longhair and the Wirehair Best of Opposites and compared them standing and moving. After that, I chose the Wirehair, Legibach Double Crunch SW, owned by Pat Leone and Gina Leone Middings, Best Opposite as she, again, was just a great little mover and equally nice standing or in motion. She was one I would have taken home.
For Best Bred By, the Longhair dog and bitch, the smooth bitch and the Wire bitch all came back in and I chose the Wirehair Standard bitch to be Best Bred By in Show and it was a nice honor for Legibach Double Crunch SW to end up with.
Best Veteran was the Longhair, CH Briardach’s Uncle Sam, owned by Monika and Paul Martin, shown by Paul, who claimed the award over the other entries. He was another nice one and one who made himself look great going around the ring. I could have watched him move all night long!
After the show, I enjoyed taking the pictures and seeing these dogs come back in to stack and admire how they looked to me. I was very proud of the Winners, wishing everyone could have won something. They certainly were a treat for me to judge