Friday October 4, 2024

Sweepstakes-Danielle Rubin

6-9 dogs

  1. #7  Handsome and athletic red sable feathered boy. Loved his proportions and muscling. Strong & long neck that flows easily into his withers. When he got over the silliness his movement was light and efficient. I am really excited to watch this boy as he matures!

18-24 month dog- This was a tough class as both these boys had attributes I liked

  1. #217 Tri feathered boy, excellent underline and tuck-up, incredible strong, moderate rear-with fantastic muscling and strong 1stand 2nd thigh.  He was dead sound coming and going and used himself well on the move. Good pasterns. Loved his overall proportions. I appreciated his long neck and smooth transition of neck into shoulders. He was the most mature in the class. Best of opposite sex in sweeps.
  2. #23   A  very handsome fawn sable feathered male, a little finer in bone than #1 but still a very athletic dog. This male also had a great outline, strong rear, nice leg and was moderate throughout and used himself well on the move.

6-9 month bitches-these girls were having a bit too much fun in the ring today! I loved to see them enjoying it so much, even though it made some parts of judging them a little bit hard to evaluate. Hope they keep up their enthusiasm as they mature!

  1. #16   Fawn smooth-beautiful face. This girl had the best front assembly in the class. She is clearly young but already showing a beautiful outline and nice deep chest with tuckup with great muscling. When she got her move together she was balanced front and rear.
  2. #18  Cream feathered. Different style than the other 3 girls in the class. Loved her type, smoothness of her body, and her shoulder set on her body! She already has a deep chest with good tuck up. She was unfortunately not behaving the best so it was harder to evaluate her one the move. Great pigment and sweet expression.
  3. #6   Cream feathered, littermate to #1-a lot to like about this bitch! She has great muscling and a long neck that transitions well into her front, and low hicks.  She was having a GREAT time in the ring, which unfortunately made her movement harder to evaluate.
  4. #8  Smooth fawn sable, another pretty face, littermate to #1 and #2. She is a little longer in body but has many of the same pleasing qualities as her littermates. Again, great muscling on her. Glad to see her enjoying her time in the ring so much as well!

9-12 month bitch

  1. #10   A single entry in this class-a red sabled feathered girl with a sweet expression. Great proportions on this bitch and sound on the down and back. I liked her shoulder layback and upper arm return. His overall presence gave me the impression of a strong huntress that can do the job she was bred to do.

12-18 month bitch

  1. #12  Excellent muscling on this cream feathered girl and used herself well front and rear on the move. Very sound down and back. Long neck that flowed well into her shoulders and loved her thickness of her 1stand 2nd thighs. She was a contender for best in sweeps. Another one that looks and feels like she can hunt.

18-24  month bitch-two beautiful littermates

  1. #28   Sabled fawn bitch, dead sound, excellent light movement front and rear. This girl had it “all” for me. Slight muscle arch over the loin, long legs, good pasterns, excellent feet. When she was standing, everything about her just flowed into each other. I loved her dark eyes and pigment giving her a striking appearance. She had the most effortless side gait out of all the puppies. I was thrilled to award her Best in Sweeps!
  2. #40  A feathered grizzle bitch, a little larger in size than her sister but has many of the same qualities. I preferred the front movement coming at you of number 1 today. She also used herself well on the move. Loved how much leg she has!

Veterans

7-9 dog

  1. #41    Gold feathered male, great underline and tuck up, light easy movement, very sound on the down and back. Smooth neck into shoulder transition with well laid back shoulders and upper arm return. He had substance which I appreciated. An overall excellent Saluki! Best of opposite in veteran sweeps

9-11 dogs

  1. #43  Cream smooth male with light easy movement. This boy  has a great deep chest and tuck up with excellent muscling. When I watched him move around the ring, I could imagine him hunting in the desert.
  2. #45  I also loved this grizzle feathered boy, who had a great tuck up and held his outline well on the move. Nice shoulders on this male and excellent croup. Good pigment. This was a very tough class and they could have switched places easily on another day.

7-9 bitch

  1. #60    Fawn sable smooth-excellent shoulders and outline. Beautiful face with dark eyes and pigment giving me the impression of deep faithful, farseeing eyes. Loved her head with parallel planes and deep chest. Moderate, square, and sound.
  2. #56   Loved this cream smooth bitch as well, she moved well around the ring and was also sound on her down and back. Her neck into shoulders was very smooth and again had a beautiful deep chest and good tuck up.
  3. #58  Super stylish red sabled bitch that had an outline I really appreciated. Loved her expression and smoothness of her body.
  4. #226   Feathered fawn sable-loved her size and she looks like a speed bullet. I would have loved to place her higher but she was doing something funky with her rear movement today. She is a super cute little girl with excellent muscling!

9-11 bitch

  1. #64   This bitch had it all for me, moderate throughout, light easy and sound movement. Low hocks, deep chest, with tuckup, good pasterns, dark pigment and everything about her just flowed. She screams saluki to me. She definitely looks like she can still hunt. Going around the ring was a treat to watch how effortless she made it look. Best in Veteran Sweeps. I was tickled to learn after judging her daughter was my best in puppy sweepstakes!
  2. #68 Beautiful tri girl, showing her age a little more than 1st place. Moved well and sound. Loved her expression and smooth outline.

11+ Bitch

  1. #74 Black and silver bitch looks exceptional for her age. She wasn’t moving as well as the other dogs in the best in sweeps line up, but loved her moderateness and how she held her outline on the move.

BREED

Cynthia L. Brown-Basra Hounds

Critique for the Saluki Club of Greater San Francisco on Friday October 4, 2024

The Central Valley and Sycamore Kennel was the sight for a wonderful 50th Anniversary weekend for the SCGSF.  It certainly was a hot one but there were cooling fans and lots of shade. The Sycamore Kennel was a beautiful setting with a pond, training building, dock diving, kennels and enough room for a large ring, set-ups and parking.

My first class was the Bred by Exhibitor Puppy, #7 was a single entry.  This young boy did everything correctly.  His down and back revealed a sound puppy and not a single wiggle front or rear. He placed first.

The second class was the BBE Adult, a class of 3.  First place went to #15 a sound dog, short coupled with very smooth movement.  Second place was awarded to #17 who was not moving as well as first place but had nice shoulders and rear.  Third place went to #11 that had a nice outline but wiggled more than I prefer on the down and back.

The American Bred class was next with an entry of one.  First place went to #19 a sound dog but I would have preferred more reach.

Open dog was next with an entry of 6.  First place went to #23 a compact dog, short coupled but nice easy movement.  Second place went to #33 more upright in the shoulder than the first placed dog, not as much reach as I prefer.  Third place went to #25 a pretty dog with well-covered hip bones, movement not quite as nice as first and second.  Fourth place went to #21.  He had a nice outline and had more wiggle on the down and back than the other placements.

Winners dog went to #23 from the Open class.  He had a more balanced easy movement that I prefer than the other class dogs.

Reserve dog went to #7 the lovely puppy he also had a balanced easy movement but lacked maturity.

On to the bitch classes and first up was the 6-9 puppy with an entry of 2.  First place went to #8.  I felt on this day that she was moving a little nicer, had a nice shoulder and rear.  Second place went to #6 she had a little more wiggle on the down and back than first place.

The next class was the 9-12 month puppy with an entry of one.  First place went to #10, a sound girl with nice movement.

The 12-18 month puppy class was next with an entry of one.  First place went to #12 she had a nice outline but wiggled more on the down and back than I prefer.

The next class was the BBE puppy with #16 out moving #18 so #16 was first and #18 placed second.

The next class was the BBE with an entry of 7.  First place was awarded to #28 a lovely bitch, nice outline, and easy sound mover that I prefer.  Second place went to #32 a sound bitch but her movement was not as nice as the first place bitch.  Third place went to #34, again a very sound bitch but her movement was not as nice as first. Fourth place went to #26 nice outline but not as much reach as I prefer.

The American bred bitch class was next with an entry of 2.  First place went to #38 a lovely bitch, sound body, nice side gait and an easy mover.  Second place went to #40 pretty but had more wiggle in her down and back than I prefer.

The Open bitch class was next with an entry of 5.  First place went to #50, nice shoulder and outline, moved soundly on the down and back.  Second place went to #44, nice outline, nice movement but I prefer more reach.  Third place went to #30 nice outline but longer in the loin than I prefer.  Fourth place went to #26very nice outline but wiggled more than I prefer on the down and back than the other placements.

Winners bitch was #28 from the BBE class she is exactly what I prefer in a Saluki.

Reserve bitch went to #38 from the American Bred class another bitch of the type I prefer.

The Veteran classes were next with 12 entered across the ages and two absent that is a tribute to the longevity of our breed.

Veteran Dog 7-9 years was next with an entry of one.  First place went to #41 a sound dog with a lovely outline and easy moving.

Veteran Dog 9-11 years was next with an of 2.  First place was awarded to #43 a sound dog, easy moving.  Second place went to #45 he had a more upright shoulder and wiggled a bit on the down and back.

Veteran Bitch 7-9 years was next with an entry of 3.  First place was awarded to #60 with a nice outline, short coupled and a nice mover.  Second place went to #56 nice outline, not as balanced as first place.  Third place went to #58 a little longer in body than I prefer with nice movement.

Veteran Bitch 9-11 years was next with an entry of 4 with one absent. First place was awarded to #68 a sound bitch, nice outline and easy movement.  Second place went to #64, she has a nice shoulder and outline but her movement was not as nice as first place.  Third place went to #62, she has a nice outline and wiggled more on the down and back than I prefer.

Veteran Bitch 11+ years was next with an entry of 2 with one absent.  First place was awarded to #74 a nice outline and lovely movement.

The Coursing Bitch class was next with an entry of 2.  First place was awarded to #228 a balanced, short-coupled bitch with nice movement.  Second place went to #226 with a nice outline but wiggled more than I prefer on the down and back.

Best of Breed was next, the climax of the show, the best of the best and all the entries lived up to it.  As a judge I look forward to an entry of this quality and on another day Best of Breed could have gone to a different Saluki but on this day, I chose #207.  He is a beautiful dog with nice shoulders and outline. His movement was just what I wanted.

Best of Winners went to the BBE bitch #28.

Best of Opposite Sex went to dog #204 a smaller version of the Best of Breed, nice outline with balanced movement.

Select Dog went to #205 a sound dog with easy balanced movement.

Select Bitch went to #202 a lovely compact bitch with a nice shoulder and easy balanced movement.

Five Award of Merits were selected:

#219-a sound dog and easy movement

#210-again a sound easy moving bitch

#211-nice shoulder, short coupled and movement I prefer

#215-a pretty dog with an easy gait and great shoulder

#60-the Veteran bitch from the 7-9 class

 

Best Owner Handler went to #205 the Select Dog

Best Veteran went to #60 the Veteran Bitch from the 7-9 class.

Best BBE was the Winners Bitch #28

Best Puppy was #7 the Reserve Dog

Thank you to the members and friends of SCGSF for the wonderful hospitality, judge’s gifts and making my judging experience special. A sincere thank you to the Exhibitors for your entry of the many wonderful Salukis.  Hug those hounds.