The Italian Greyhound Club

Judge Mrs. A.Marshall

BEST OF BREED : 968 AMSEL, Mrs & RISHWORTH Miss H Artmeis Kaaliya
Dog CC : 984 FRENCH Ms G K Mostabull Black Shadow Of Keelindee
Res Dog CC : 999 LOCKIE, Mr T & SPENCER Mrs P Rilloby Head Over Heels
Bitch CC : 968 AMSEL, Mrs & RISHWORTH Miss H Artmeis Kaaliya
Res Bitch CC : 1012 SPENCER Mrs P Rilloby In A Gentle Way
Best Puppy : 1010 RUTTER Mrs K Chrisford Forced Entry

It was an honour being invited to judge this ancient and beautiful breed again at the LKA after 32 years in 1978.

The breed has had many changes over the years and today is numerically smaller then it use to be. Never having been over popularised and commercially bred, the Italian Greyhound has always had and will have its admirers. There have been improvements brought about by allowing taller, sounder I.G to be included in the breeding programs, contributing better bone structure and a more typical movement. The biggest problem in the breed is size and my main concern as always, was the size today.

The quality in the smaller I.G was not up to standard and again the taller dogs were just that, too tall. Here I quote from the standard to illustrates my point:

“SIZE – Ideal Height: 32-38 cms (12½ -15 ins) at withers. Ideal Weight 3.6-4.5 kgs (8-10 lbs). Overall type and elegance essential.“

Some exibits were decidedly over size, just taller then the standard recommends, this in both dogs and bitches.

I can forgive a top size dog providing he has elegance, but find it hard to admire size, in an untypical bitch. Its not only the height in a tall animal, it’s the larger features such as the head, the length of body and the bone ,it all follows through and makes a bigger dog, all round.

Class 125 PD (3 Entries) Abs: 0

1. RUTTER Mrs K Chrisford Forced Entry – nice sized fawn/white, excellent expression, eye color & stop, neat ears & correct earset,nice straight front & good feet. Good depth of brisket for age, we angulated & let down quarters. Long whip tail carried low. Nice fine skin.Lovely shape on the move & stacked , correct temperament, promising youngster. Best Puppy.
2. HENSHALL Mrs C M Gemolli Make A Wish – typey fawn who must not grow on much more, dark eye, good ears and set, longer in body then 1. Good bone and long tail. Lovely fine skin. Nice outline.
3. PLEDGE Ms N Shadedmoon’s First Ray Of Sun

Class 126 JD (5 Entries) Abs: 1

1. FRENCH Ms G K Mostabull Black Shadow Of Keelindee – CC – beautiful black youngster, with so much to commend him. Clean lines, real houndy type. Lovely well proportioned body & head with very good expression, good eye and & ears lovely reach of neck, nice straight front, good feet, excellent depth to brisket, good quarters and positive movment,fine & supple skin Long fine tail. Moved with style, to top the dogs.
2. LOH Mrs L Anjuskar High Chaparral at Caccia – nice type deep fawn, good size with nice outline, good head & dark eye, neat thin ears. Good reach of neck and set, straight front and lovely neat feet. A bit upright in shoulder. Compact body. Not so precise in movement as 1.

Class 127 PGD (3 Entries) Abs: 1

1. MELLIS Dr J M Louis Amybon – red fawn of good type, well balanced with good straight front and neat feet. Typical head, good eyes & ears. Good body and balance, fine skin .Moved wide behind
2. DOHERTY Miss J Littlebriton Captain Jack – big fawn dog, nice for size and all essential features. Lovely soft expression, good ears & skin and condition. Just too big for me

Class 128 LD (5 Entries) Abs: 1

1. PALMER Mr K & Mrs C Chrisford Rocket Pack – stylish red dog, a bit too heavy in head ,good expression, fine neat ears, dark eye. Straight front, but down in pastern. Good body and condition, moved well.
2. BULPIN Mr S Gioia Red Rum At Fauvic – tall red dog, lean head, well placed ears, good eye, nice front & good feet, a bit too long cast, good feet and tail. Moved well
3. DOHERTY Miss J Littlebriton Captain Jack

Class 129 OD (4 Entries) Abs: 2

1. LOCKIE, Mr T & SPENCER Mrs P Rilloby Head Over Heels Res.CC – big, sound well constructed fawn /white dog. Well balanced with excellent angulation. Long fine head, expressive eye ,neat ears, good reach of neck. Straight neat front and good feet. Lovely skin & condition. Moved with style and drive.
2. BULPIN Mr S Chrisford Mont Orgueil – well made red /white dog of nice type, good head & expression. A bit long & flattened on the move. Nice fine skin and lovely condition. Tail was a bit gay.

Class 130 PB (10 Entries) Abs: 5

1. AMSEL, Mrs & RISHWORTH Miss H Artmeis Me Myself And I – beautiful 11 months red fawn bitch of lovely size & type. Fine chiselled head, expressive dark eye, well placed neat ears. Long neck, deep brisket, good top line and angulation, in lovely firm condition with long whiptail, fine skin. Moved with such mature style.
2. BRYAN Mrs S Chrisford Madame Butterfly – very pretty & nice sized youngster, she is all of a piece, in great condition, ran winner very close, only conceding in age & experience being just 6 months. Liked the way everything ” fell into place “. Sweetest head & expression, long neck, straight front, excellent body properties. Lovely movement. Litter sister to best puppy dog. One for the top.
3. HENSHALL Mrs C M Gemolli Joie De Vivre

Some other puppies in this class could not be handled, it was there for unfortunately impossible for me to judge & place them .

Class 131 JB (6 Entries) Abs: 0

1. SPENCER Mrs P Rilloby In A Gentle Way Res.CC – stunning fawn & white bitch of highest quality, just the sort of Italian Greyhound I think fits the standard perfectly. Her quality is evident in every department from her exquisitely shaped head, dark expressive eye, neat ear. To her long well set neck, straight neat front, sweetest little feet. Deep brisket, well sprung rib, good loin and angulation, well let down in rear, with long fine whip tail. Finest of coats & jackets. Lovely free and typical movement. A star !
2. LISTER Miss H M Ch Florita Tipitina – this lovely bitch presented quite challenge in the placings, as I thought her beautiful & typical. Today I felt she had lost some of her sparkle. So well put together though, lovely head & expression, long neck, neat front & feet, correct body proportions & angulation. Lovely skin and condition. Good precise movement.
3. ROUND Miss K Dalinset Elisabetta

Class 132 PGB (8 Entries) Abs: 3

1. FRENCH Ms G K Southblue Chiquitita Of Keelindee – tall blue bitch of reasonable type, head short in muzzle, with very small eye, neat ears. Short in neck which she made little use of, nice front. Good proportions to body. Good skin. Moved well, but without any enthusiasm.
2. WHD WITHHELD

As judges, we are bound by the text in our Judges book which states:

“In assessing dogs, judges must penalise any features or exaggerations which they consider would be detrimental to the soundness, health and well being of the dog. “

After due and considerable consideration, which I did not take lightly, I felt unable to place the other bitches entered in the class. My reasons were in some instances, excessive size, incorrect structure, incorrect angulation and untypical movement. I also feel that by withholding these prizes, breeders and owners in the future, will familiarise themselves with the I.G standard in order to be guided to breeding and showing typical Italian Greyhounds.

Class 133 LB (6 Entries) Abs: 3

1. AMSEL,Mrs & RISHWORTH Miss H Artmeis Kaaliya CC & BOB & Group 3 (video of the Group final)- this bitch came into the ring and captivated me, her style, her movement and her attitude under me, will have replicated it self under the Toy group judge, enabling her to win a very worthy 3rd placing in a very strong group. This beautiful bitch also is close to the Standard in all departments. Gorgeous head of lovely length with that soft expression we admire. Dark eye, neat fine well placed ears. Lovely reach of neck, set into perfectly laid shoulders, straight front, neat feet, excellent depth of brisket, good loin and well angulated and let down quarters, long fine whip tail. Best coat & jacket, movement précis, typical and a pleasure to watch. A lovely bitch.
2. LISTER Miss H M Florita Tarantella – very well made bitch of lovely size and conformation, neat head and chiselling, nice eyes, fine ears a bit on the big & floppy side. Nice fore assembly and angulation,good quarters. Long fine tail. Lovely condition, moved well. Unlucky to meet winner today.
3. STEARN Mr & Mrs T F & R Aermachi Joy Jewel

Class 134 OB (6 Entries) Abs: 4

1. DOHERTY, Miss J E & SPENCER Mrs P Rilloby Miss Sunshine JW – nice medium sized fawn, with plenty of good breed attributes. Sweet head & expression, nice shaped dark eye, good front, feet and pasterns. Excellent body proportions, Looks specially good from side view with lovely curves and angulation. Moved with great style.
2. AMSEL, Mrs & RISHWORTH Miss H Ir Ch Sumobi Love Me Tender Artmeis – worthy Champion, very stylish and elegant, lots to like about her. In beautiful condition. A little upright in shoulder on the day. Stylish mover so well handled.