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MASTIFF ASSOCIATION OPEN SHOW

SUNDAY 28th SEPTEMBER 2003

Judge: Mr Glynn Payne (Fearnought)

Thank you for the fantastic entry of 88 dogs making 134 entries of which 59 dogs were present. This was an entry only beaten by Crufts and the MA Championship Show. With the amount of dogs present it gave me the chance to assess the Mastiff in depth of quality.

During the last few years Mastiffs have gone into the Group Ring and represented the breed well. We have even had Mastiffs win high placements in the Champion Stakes. Before that period Mastiffs were regarded as a laughing stock by exhibitors of other Working Breeds. A lot of the time our Best of Breed Mastiff would not even represent us in the Group Ring, and when we did the overall opinion of exhibitors was that Mastiffs were so unsound. today most Mastiffs in the Group Ring give good account of themselves, but I am looking at the breed as a whole.

People say that when I judge, I only judge on movement and that Mastiffs are a head breed. My answer to that is that Mastiffs are more that a head; there are other breed characteristics to take into consideration. The temperament, the combination of grandeur and courage, the length of body and the powerful easy extension on the move. All these should be taken into consideration. What is the point of having an excellent head on a mastiff if it is unsound? An unsound Mastiff will never be able to do it's job properly. The dog with the slightly weaker head but is sound and moves with power and drive will do the job it was bred for. Therefore construction, conformation and movement are very important to me, as long as a breed type is there.

Looking at the overall quality of the Mastiffs present, I was quite shocked. Yes I had some excellent winners, but overall depth of quality is not there. So many dogs were unsound; nervousness was quite evident in the lot of exhibits. dogs were shown with long wavy coats which the Standard does not call for.

There is no quick solution to this, but breeders can help by assessing their bitches. Is she really good enough to breed from? Doea she show enough breed characteristics to help improve the breed? Judges should only be awrding top honours to Mastiffs that show both type and soundness and it is these dogs that will ultimately decide the future of the breed.

What I have said is my opinion and I am not being vindictive - it is meant as constructive criticism. The Mastiff is a breed I am very passionate about and if this gets people talking then hopefully good will come of it. Please feel free to come and discuss what I have said, I am only too willing to sit down and discuss my comments about this fantastic and much derided breed.

BIS - Ch. Dajenis Peacemaker of Dobunni
RBIS & BOS - Klanzmun The Sorcerss
BDog - Dajenis Peacemaker of Dobunni
BBitch - Klanzmun The sorceress
Res. BDog - Domas Calthorpe from Delbeech
Res. BBitch - Thunderfoot Lady Lucretia
BPIS - Bredwardine Barden

Class 1 - Veteran (4/0a)

1st - Cenninpedr Princess Venus at Quixhill (Sargeant)
8 1/2 yr old brindle whose mevement puts a lot of younger dogs to shame. Her attitude belies her age, she was so full of life, and her side profile is only spoilt by a slight dippy top line. She has good front and rear angulations and good muscle tone. Viewed from the front sha has good width of fore chest. Her head plains are strong and correct but she keeps her femininity. Pleased to award her:
- Best Veteran in Show -
2nd - Silverside Saxons Shadow (Pickering)
Another sound mover and at nearly 8 yrs age this fawn dog covered the ground with ease. He has the correct length of body in relationship to height. He has a level top line both static and on the move. His head was not as strong as Venus so had to settle for second place.
3rd - Ankerston Rothesay (Sarjeant)

Class 2 - Minor Puppy Dog (4/2a)

1st - Faerdorn The Wizard (Harvey)
8 month brindle whose movement was sound but it needs to be controlled. His head is developing quite well with good eyes, good placement of ears and good dentition. he has a good front assembly with good bone and neat tight feet. I would have liked a firmer top line and also a tough more rear angulation.
2nd - Chevelu Lucky Lad (Gates)
At just 6 months this fawn dog looks so impressive when he is stacked up. He portrays power, the looks says I am a Mastiff. He has such a strong head for one so young, he has a fantastic front assembly. A wide fore chest, massive bone and good feet. He has the correct body to height ratios with good depth and spring of rib even at this young age. But then it goes wrong, his rear end is cow hocked, and on the move he moves so close behind and without any drive. If I was judging heads he would win easy, but because of his rear conformation and bad movement he had to settle for second place.

Class 3 - Minor Puppy Bitch (8/3a)

1st - Chevelu Smarty Pants (Baxter)
Litter sister to my 2nd in M.P. Dog. She is such an impresive bitch, this Kennel really does produce such strong type. She just oozes Mastiff. Good head plains with definate stop, good width and depth of muzzle and good dentition. Strong neck into good shoulders. Correct length of body supported by massive bone and neat feet. Movement was O.K.
2nd - Friendly Fire of Dodunni
3rd - Chevelu Justa Fancy (Duval)

Class 4 - Puppy Dog (3/0a)

1st - Nobleheart Brave Excalibur (Baxter)
10 1/2 month fawn. A tall puppy that has the correct length of body to make him look balanced viewed in side profile. Viewed in front he lacks width of fore chest and depth of brisket. His body is supported by well boned legs and tidy feet. I would have liked more rear angulation and more width of 1st and 2nd thigh. This dog had the best head in this class, good width of skull, good width and depth of muzzle, good width between canines. I would have liked better rear movement. Presented and shown well.
2nd - Orkadis Aberdeen Angus of Tariya (Williams)
10 month old apricot who is not as strong in head as Excalibur. He has good front assembly but again is a touch straight behind. Top line is good except for a slight low tail set. Moved soundly and presented well.
3rd - Kumormai Dragon Charmer from Morganlefay (Bowdery)

Class 5 - Puppy Bitch (5/0a)

1st - Bredwardine Barden (McCullock & Williams)
11 month old fawn whose nervousness at first affected her movement but once settled her movement was excellent, she covered the ground with ease. This was due to her fantastic front and rear angulations and good muscle tone. Yes, some mastiffs do have good rear angulations!! She has a pleasing head with correct head plains and good dentition, was an easy winner of this class on her overall balance type, confirmation and movement. Pleased to award:
- Best Puppy in Show -
2nd - Nobleheart Lady Gwenhwyfar (Baxter)
Litter sister to my P.D. winner, body wise the same remarks apply. But I would have liked a stronger head. Credit must go to the handler for presentation of this 10 month old bitch.
3rd - Tresylyan Guylian (Tatlor)

Class 6 - Junior Dog (9/2a)

1st - Klanzmun Wallace of Theomaster (Fox)
16 month old brindle with a well developed head. Strong blunt muzzle, good clean eyes and well placed ears. Good reach and strength of neck into a good front. Good body shape and correct rear angulation coupled with good muscle tone meant that her movement was sound and correct.
2nd - Darkling Jago of Bredwardine (Johnson)
16 month old apricot that looked fantastic stacked up. Viewed from any angle he looked impressive. But looking is not good enough, he was my winner till I moved him. He was sound but there was no drive. Therefore he paid the price for it!! Both of these dogs were presented and shown immaculately.
3rd - Darkling Joshua of Bredwardine (McCullock & Williams)

Class 7 - Special Yearling Dog (7/2a)

1st - Kumormai As good As It Gets (Knight)
19 month old fawn that is full of substance. Head is developing nicely. Good width and length of skull, good stop definition, good width of muzzle finished with a blunt end. Excellent front, good width of fore chest with well boned legs. Good body length with good depth of rib, the only thing that needs improving is his top line. as he matures this dog should go all the way, he is champion material. Handler and dog as one.
2nd - Rhilaubekan Rave (Nicholson)
He has much the same qualities as the Kumormai dog, but he is smaller in every department. Also I would have liked more squareness and bluntness of muzzle. The handler needs to do ring craft to get the best out of his dog. Not all judges are as lenient as me with unruly dogs but I was not judging statues!! The quality is there it just needs to be controlled.
3rd - Jengais Gunslinger of Barbaro (Green)

Class 8 - Novice Dog (7/0a)

1st - General Balloo (McCullock & Williams)
Easy winner of this class. Although at just over a year and giving away a lot in age, his overall balance and type won him this class. He is not a large mastiff but he is very sound. Another plus point is this dog stands correctly freestanding and just shows himself off.
2nd - Dixhillon Hectors House (Norris)
At 16 months this fawn dog is larger than Balloo and his head is more developed with good plains. But Hector lost out on his rear end where he lacked angulations and width of 1st and 2nd thigh and lack of muscle all contributed to movement not being what it should.
3rd - Thunderfoot Running Bear (Dyer)

Class 9 - Post Graduate Dog (5/0a)

1st - Faerdorn Lord of the Rings (Harvey & Clarke)
21 month old impressive fawn dog. Handler has to work hard as this dog was a hooligan on the day. But I was not judging statues. I was judging a working breed that should be able to cover a lot of ground with easy flowing movement and this dog did just that. It just needs to be controlled more. I was also able to get my hands on him, so I did not penalise him for his unruly and boisterous behaviour. He had the strongest head in this class with an excellent front assembly. Good depth and length of body. I would have liked more angulations at the rear to finish off an excellent side profile.
2nd - Swainsi Hugo Boss (White)
26 month old fawn, not as large as the hooligan, but again a very sound mover. He shares a lot of the same virtues, but lost out on size. After all size does count as long as it is balanced with soundness and type. Handler as one with this dog a real pleasure to watch.
3rd - Sagacious Sebastian of Dixeylyn (Wilmott & Dix)

Class 10 - Limit Dog (7/1a)

1st - Kumormai as Good As It Gets (Knight)
See 1st in Special Yearling Dog Class.
2nd - Chevelu Land of Dreams for Heffalump (Dodd-Utting)
4 1/4 year old apricot who is all mastiff. Massive head, massive bone, good height and length of body. But as I said before looking fantastic is not enough. Soundness and movement must go hand in hand with type and sadly this dog that was handled expertly did not move well enough. But his virtues won him a well deserved 2nd place.
3rd - Jengren Babycham (White)

Class 11 - Open dog (7/4a)

1st - Dajenis Peacemaker of Dobunni (Hall & Smith)
A 4 yr old brindle that I have always admired. Whichever way you view this dog he portrays power and balance. Although not the largest of mastiffs he oozes type. This dog moved soundly and with his excellent muscle tone he should power round the ring. At times he looked a bit lathargic which frustrated his handler. I can only suggest try using Viagra!! But he moved well when it was needed and I was pleased to award him:
- Best Dog & Best in Show -
2nd - Domas Calthorpe from Delbeech (Beech)
A 4 yr old brindle who is a real handful. this dog lives life to the full! He has a stronger head than Peace Maker with a strong blunt muzzle with good width and length of skull. He has a massive ribcage, but I would have liked a firmer top line and a touch more rear angulation. His muscle tone is superb, he is such a fit and healthy dog. Moved soundly in this class. Pleased to award:
- Res. Best Dog -
In the Challenge for Reserve Best un Show and Special Brindle Class he showed signs of lameness so he was placed accordingly.
3rd - Rhilaubekan Sherwood (Raybones)

Class 12 - Junior bitch (4/1a)

1st - Santmichal Verdi Requium at Verzon (Reeder)
A 12 1/2 month apricot bitch who easily won this class. This is a quality bitch, so pleasing to the eye. Everything flows into one another. She is maturing nicely and slowly. Head plains are correct with a nice strong neck into a good front. Body wise she has good depth and spring of rib. Good top line both static and on the move. Correct rear angulations and muscle tone plus handling meant that movement was excellent.
2nd - Nobleheart Lady Gwenhwyfar (Baxter)
See 2nd in Puppy Bitch Class.
3rd - Klanzmun Lochran (Heathcote & Fisher)

Classs 13 - Special Yearling Bitch (4/3a)

1st - Nobleheart Silken Andraste (Baxter)
A 22 month old fawn whose appearance is spoilt by her rear end. She is cow hocked and her hindquarters are carried underneath her. This really did spoil her movement. She has a strong head and neck into a good front; her body is supported by well-boned legs and neat feet. Correct length of body with good spring of rib. It is such a shame about her rear end because she has a lot of good virtues.

Classs 14 - Novice Bitch (3/1a)

1st - Nobleheart Silken Andraste (Baxter)
See 1st in SP Yearling Class.
2nd - Morganlefay Adrastea (Bowdery)
A 12 1/2 month old who does lack breed type. She is weak in head, lackingwidth and depth of muzzle, there is no bluntness to the end of the muzzle. She lacks definition of stop. Her coat is too long and wavy, all this gives her the appearance of an Estrelle Mountain Dog. I would have liked more width of fore chest, but she had adequate bone. She has good rear angulations with an excellent muscle tone, which is not surprising as she is quite a handful. She is very sound but her movement needs to be controlled. Credit must be given to this owner for not shaving this bitch's coat, as this is something I have seen in the show ring.

Class 15 - Post Graduate Bitch (5/1a)

1st - Faerdorn Blonde Ambition at Cravemoor (Williams & Jobson)
A 21 month old fawn, easy winner of this class. She is maturing nicely, good strong head plains but keeping her femininity. She has good height to length ratios. Good body shape but I would have liked more width to 1st and 2nd thigh. This is a well-muscled bitch and with adequate rear angulations it meant that movement was excellent. This bitch was presented and handled well.
2nd - Jenglais Sunlight Dancerr of Barbaro (Greens)
A 2 year old who has similar body qualities as Blonde Ambition, but lost out on head qualities. She has a good width of skull, correct length of muzzle but lacks width giving a slightly snippy look. She is another sound moving bitch.
3rd - Rafilius Hot Choc at Swainsi (White)

Class 16 - Limit Bitch (7/5a)

1st - Klanzmun The Sorceress (Knight)
A 27 month old apricot who is not the largest of mastiffs, but she certainly is one of the most balanced. She has excellent head qualities and every part of her body flows into one another. Nothing about her is exaggerated; she has fantastic conformation so movement was never going to be an issue, she just flowed round the ring. Pleased to award:
- Best Bitch & Res. Best in Show -
2nd - Little Dorritt at Namos (Blaxter)
A 3 year old brindle who is so full of life. To balance her out I would have liked a stronger head. She has a good body in rock hard condition; she has a good front assembly, good depth and spring of rib. On the move she is a touch wild, but she is very sound. Her handler did well to control this powerful bitch.

Class 17 - Open Bitch (9/4a)

1st - Thunderfoot Ladt Lucretia (Higgs)
A 5 1/2 year old apricot who oozes mastiff. She is so strong in head and body. She has a massive fore chest, superb spring and depth of rib. Correct height to length ratio. This massive body is supported by well boned legs. She has excellent rear angulations, but she is starting to lose her muscle condition. She moved soundly but without power. This ultimately cost her Best Bitch, but I was pleased to award:
- Res. Best Bitch -
2nd - Little Dorritt at Namos (Blaxter)
See 2nd in Limit Bitch Class.
3rd - Ch. Chevalu Amber Silk (Baxter)

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