45th Annual Specialty Show
Friday, August 2, 2019 | 8 am - 6 pm
Argus Ranch Facilities for Dogs
35612 212th Ave. S.E., Auburn, WA 98092
More pictures coming soon!
Check out the 2019 results.
35612 212th Ave. S.E., Auburn, WA 98092
More pictures coming soon!
Check out the 2019 results.
Judge - All regular & non-regular conformation classesGretchen Bernardi
It was my pleasure to step in as a substitute judge for this specialty. Having missed this year’s national specialty due to a judging assignment, it gave me the opportunity to see and to go over dogs, many of which I had not seen before. I appreciate the hospitality afforded me by the committee at this wonderful venue, where it is always a pleasure to judge. It’s always more fun with a good ring steward, which I had. And I always appreciate good sportsmanship, which was almost universal. Thank you again for this opportunity. Two comments before going on to the dogs themselves: first, it was nice to see a variety of colors in the dogs today, something I don’t always see. I hope we don’t lose the wheatens, the red wheatens and brindles and all of the other colors found in our breed. I would hate to see us go the way of the Scottish Deerhound that has virtually lose its range of colors. Also, a special thank you to Per Arne Flatburg and Anne-Biritte Larsen, and everyone involved in the production and maintenance of the Irish Wolfhound Data Base. What a joy to be able to look up the various dogs shown to me after the event and to see the pedigrees behind them, to try to understand what produced what in which individual dogs. Thank you so much for your contribution, putting this information out for all interested people to see. Although not a huge entry, there was plenty of quality, especially in the dogs, which is not always the case. I was pleased to see a preponderance of correct length of leg, a fault that plagues many breeds today and is especially incorrect in a sighthound. It is much easier to breed soundness in short-legged dogs, but the challenge is to breed sound dogs with the correct shape and proportion. I was especially pleased with the condition of many of the dogs shown to me, with hard muscling, especially in the hindquarters. “Good condition is required by our standard: NECK: Rather long, very strong and muscular; FOREQUARTERS: shoulders, muscular; FAULTS: general want of muscle.” But conditioning is important to the overall health of our dogs, even to their longevity, as many must be euthanized because they cannot get up. That is unacceptable. Winners Bitch was shown in especially hard and muscular condition. The Irish Wolfhound is a compromise between power and speed, required, as it is to both catch and kill a fierce predator. Did Mrs. Nagle really say it or do we just attribute it to her: “Fast enough to catch a wolf. Strong enough to kill it.” Regardless, it is a motto that breeders, exhibitors and judges must live by. My interpretation of the correct construction of an Irish Wolfhound includes a lack of exaggeration. It is my firm belief that extreme characteristics are aesthetically and physically detrimental in all breeds. These exaggerated parts have led to dogs that can’t breathe, can’t breed and can’t walk without difficulty. So I was looking for a dog that is not exaggerated in any way, a powerful dog but still built on Greyhound lines. I found several. Best of Breed was Ch. Lonnkyle Traveller, bred and owned by Lloyd Simmons, a powerful, masculine dog but in no way coarse. Shown in good condition, which could be seen in his movement and the way he carried himself, with ease and with confidence. Correct on the down and back and smooth and ground-covering from the side, he was a pleasure to watch and to go over. He had a beautifully strong neck, set on his body well and well-constructed forequarters. Of course, no dog is perfect, and this one has large and flat ears, which so many of our best dogs have, thanks to the heavy influence of the Great Dane in our pedigrees. It’s always a pleasure to see our dogs shown in their prime and this coming five-year old is a credit to his breeding. From a personal standpoint, it is always gratifying to see a dog that I have admired and rewarded in the past having fulfilled the promise of youth. Winner Bitch and Best of Winners was Rockhart Raptur, bred and owned by Lynn Simon, a strong, exceptionally powerful bitch shown in superb condition. She ate up the ground in all directions and was balanced throughout. Noticing that she is a few months shy of two years of age, I hope she maintains her Greyhound type and shape without coarsening. But today she is a beautiful, powerful bitch who could certainly do her job if asked. GCH Joan of Arc, owned and bred by Laurie Mendiones, was Best of Opposite Sex, another dog shown in her prime, at a little over four. Full of type and quality with no exaggeration anywhere, she is another one who is fit and prepared to do her work if asked. She had a kind expression and moved well in all directions, with beautiful width across the stifle. Puppy Dogs, 6 to 9 months
Puppy Dogs, 9 to 12 months—two very handsome youngsters
Novice Dogs
Bred-by-Exhibitor Dogs Every dog placed in this class has a fault and judging requires balancing those faults with the quality of the individual dog. Congratulations to the owners of these dogs, as they were all in very good condition.
Open Dogs
Puppy Bitches, 6 to 9 months
Puppy Bitches, 9 to 12 months A hard class to judge, two nice bitches of slightly different styles.
Yearling Bitches, 12 to 18 months My recording failed me on this class, so I am working from memory and from the photo. My apologies, but can’t recall movement.
Novice Bitches
Bred-by-Exhibitor Bitches This is one of the nicest classes of bitches I have judged anywhere, full of quality and correct type. Any bitch in the class could have won on another day and any placement in this class should be considered a real victory.
American-Bred Bitches.
Open Bitches
Bio I acquired my first Irish Wolfhound in 1969 and bred my first Berwyck litter in 1977. Our hounds have won the national specialty, several regional specialties and high honors at the specialty and all-breed levels, mostly owner-handled. More important to me personally, are the number of dogs gaining high honors at our specialties that carry Berwyck dogs close up in their pedigrees. In the early 1970’s I helped establish the St. Louis Sighthound Association, founded at a time when group clubs and sighthound coursing were regarded as exotic pastimes. I am currently approved to judge 12 breeds and have judges several specialties both here and abroad. I have the great honor of being one of only three living people to have judged our national specialty twice. In 2011, I was named Hound Breeder of the Year by the AKC. In the last 50 years I have been involved with all-breed clubs, sighthound clubs, humane organizations and wildlife preservation organizations and this year will mark my 32nd year as a delegate to the American Kennel Club. Additionally, I have been an officer of the Irish Wolfhound Club of America, serving as editor of Harp & Hound. I authored “Longevity and Morbidity in the Irish Wolfhound in the United States—1966 to 1986,” which has been translated into several languages. In the years that I have lived with Irish Wolfhounds, I have tried hard to keep two principles foremost in my mind. First, to leave this wonderful breed in at least as good a shape as I found it. Second, to always give credit to the great breeders who came before me and whose dogs live on in our present-day pedigrees. |
Judge - All sweepstakes
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