It was a great honour to be invited to judge the Cairn Terrier Club of America specialty for a second time. The Montgomery show is one of the great events in the world of dogs and so I very much appreciated being a part of that too.
I had 157 Cairn under me, not like the 'glory' days of course but, I was assured, a very respectable entry for today. The quality in the dogs was especially good, better than the bitches, and I thought the bred by exhibitor dog class was super.
Best of Winners was Jerrie Wolfe and Berit Rosenfeldt's Rose Croft Shutterbug. As it is over three years since I was in the US, I never dreamt that I would have seen any of the Cairns before, so it was rather idly that, during the photography session at the end, I asked how many points he had towards his championship and his handler replied 8, all won that weekend, as she had only just brought him over from Denmark. I did a double take and, while I asked whether I had seen him before, I realized I knew the answer. Yes, he was the dog I had given best dog to in a lovely entry of 71 in Denmark last February, while I later made him best of breed in Norway. A small world indeed! He is a red brindle born in US and bred by Jerrie Wolfe by Mistywynns Happicairn Paper Chase ex Ch Rose Croft It's The Jitterbug, and still under three years old.
Winners Bitch, and later best bitch beating the specials, was Gloria Mair's Skerryvore Bobby McGee by Skerryvore Pipers of Pan ex Skerryvore Echo Of A Ceilidh, and she comes from Canada. She is a lovely bitch with the length of leg and scope I found missing in a lot of the bitches, and has a good head.
Mrs. Mair showed some excellent Cairns and pressed hard in the Best of Breed competition with Ch Skerryvore Dances With Wolves, owned in partnership with Alan and Nelly Bennett. He is also by Pipes of Pan but ex Skerryvore Flying Nun. I kept coming back to his beautiful head but he just lacked a little sparkle on the day.
Reserve Winners Dog was Louise Hooper's Birselaw Super Trooper, just out puppy, bred by Yvonne Catto in Scotland by Gyncairn Pistols At Dawn ex Birselaw Super Model. He delighted me in his class and I felt he should have a great future.
Reserve Winners Bitch came from open bitch in Alida Beth Smilowitz's Romany's Aberdeen Lightfoot by Ch Dufdon's Cam Too ex Ch Kenric's Wee Bonnie of Dufdon, and handled by Kathleen Ferris Selig. I remember liking one of the Dufdon dogs very much on a previous visit - her grandfather Twin Cam.
And now to the super specials class. After much thought as there were a lot of dogs excelling in different points I went to the dog on form. This was Rebecca Stamps and Sandra Murray's Ch Robinson Crusoe Quite Macho, bred by Sonja Scheel by Tribuns Yellow Sovereign ex Robinson Crusoe Jennifer. He is beautifully made with very good neck, shoulders, topline and tailset. Both his forehand and hindquarters were good, his tail perfect and he was covered in a bright red jacket that was at its best. He moved and showed to perfection and truly sparkled. I was delighted when he made the cut in the group.
I had seven awards of honour to present and they went to: in dogs, Dances With Wolves; Letisha K and Carol A Wubbel's Ch Kyleakin Scotsman Invasion, by Ch Uniquecottage Bright Gold ex Ch Kyleakin Singular Sensation (agent Beth Sweigart); Pam Davis' Ch Dogwood Pentium Processor, by Ch Dufdon's Twin Turbo ex Ch Brocair's Frangipani (agent Beth Sweigart); Dorothy Lee Blackwood and Lydia Hutchinson's Ch Cairnhoe Highlander of Wolfpit by my best of breed ex Ch Cairn hoe Celtic Charm of Wolfpit; and Rena David's Cairwick McKenzie Kirn, by Ch U Bright Gold ex Ch Cairwick Kaylee's Kyrie. And, in bitches, Karl M and Helene Stearns' Ch Misty Meadow Victoria Secret, by Ch Goosedown's Tailor Made ex Ch Cook's Misty Meadow Thistle, and Marly Lucier's Ch Maverston's Mystique, by Ch Tharr Barr Dances On Roofs ex Ch Caledonian Trinket O'Wolfpit.
Most of those who failed to get a place or were not short listed in the classes were too short on the leg, which often seemed to go with poor forehands (poor upper arms, without depth and development in chest or brisket, or too much width in chest and so heavy in front); poor tail carriage; or not in good show coat. I was particularly pleased to see the very good hindquarters with good rear movement - this was almost universal.
I thank all those who made it such a marvellous day, particularly Mary Beth Havens and her husband who drove me round, and my super stewards Molly Wilder andBeth Wilder-Wilson. I could hardly believe that I would have someone as well known and revered in the breed as Betty Marcum by my side.
6 - 9 months dogs (2):
1 Nancy Smith's Winsome Rowdy Roddy Piper, very attractive and well grown, scored
in neck at shoulder, nice topline, good tail, pleasing body and rib, already
well muscled in quarters;
2 Joyce Adams -Taylor's Ohioville Wonder Bread, younger and not as ready in
coat although what he has is a good texture. Very good body and rib, now needs
to fine down a little over the shoulder.
9 - 12 months dogs (7, 1 absent):
1 Linda K Bain's Glenfiddich McKay Go Braugh, very nice red, good head, body
and rib, pleasing tailset and carriage, well made quarters, in lovely fresh
coat of good texture;
2 Susan P and Clarence F Vaughn's Oees Midnight Flyer, also very pleasing, well
made and a good shape. At the moment 1 has the edge in head;
3 Rebecca Stamps' Marquees Color Guard, very raw at present but good limbs and
topline. When he matures in front should do well, shows promise;
4 Mary-Ellen Barnes' Cairnluv Here's Lookin at ME's.
12 - 18 months dogs (7):
1 Louise Hooper's Birselaw Super Trooper, lovely grey, full of quality, very
good for length of leg and back giving good balance, pleasing head & eye, good
neck, shoulders and topline, scored in tailset and carriage, in good coat. Needs
a little more strength in chest but still very young and he moved and showed
well. Reserve Winners;
2 Elaine 0 Eschbach's Foxairn Karaoke, very nice youngster on similar lines
but needs more maturity in body and time to learn to stand better on the table;
3 William J Kent's Cairnhoe Celtic Crofter of Wolfpit, not just as pleasing
in forehand as 1 or 2 but a very sound typical Cairn;
4 Anna Mullins and Ruth Barstow's Robinsong's Zeus.
BBE Dogs (13):
1 Susan and Clarence Vaughn's Dee's Lucky Silvan, good masculine mature dog,
very good bone, body and rib, good forehand, lovely coat and condition;
2 Tammy Philbin's Inisfree Trooper Thornton, very showy good dog, good outline,
splendid quarters, in top form;
3 Carol J Ackerson's Copperglen Heads I Win, nice masculine wheaten, very good
body and rib, firm all through, full of vitality and expression, showing well,
not just as clean in shoulder as above;
4 Marly Lucier and Stephen Cahn's Maverston's Bingo.
American bred dogs (2, la):
1 Daniel Quinn and Marsha Quinn's Danmar's Lo And Behold, good bodied red but
carrying rather too much weight for his size. Very typical in head, good dense
coat.
Open dogs (9, la):
1 Jerrie E Wolfe and Berit Rosenfeldt's Rose Croft Shutterbug, lovely red brindle,
good for size, shape and balance, well bodied, nice forehand, well made quarters,
looked the part in every way, showing and moving well. Winners dog;
2 Tammy Philbin and Barbara Corrigan's Gleneagle Inisfree Avenger, very nice
dark grey, just a bit lazy in ears but I liked his make and shape and general
Cairn type;
3 SherryeSchenk's Annwood Epitome, good grey not always showing his best but
looked very well on the move. Good length of leg;
4 Bertha Scherbarth and Cheri Eagleson's Cherbo and TharrBarr J S Bach.
6 - 9 months bitches (10, 3a):
1 Eleanor Buesing's Ohioville Plum, the most mature in the class and I liked
her very much, shows great promise, good neck, shoulders, topline and tailset,
moved and showed well;
2 Lydia C Hutchinson's Scarlet Slippers of Wolfpit, only just old enough to
compete, very good to go over, is well made with nice topline. She loved every
moment and pleased me very much;
3 Pauli Christy's Braemar's Torch Singer, the most mature in body and rib but
carrying a little extra puppy fat over her shoulders. Good quarters and a real
Cairn;
4 Cheri Eagleson's Cherbo West Abbey.
9 - 12 months bitches (12, 2a):
1 Walter Buczkowski's Mistywyns-I-Got- You-Babe, I fell for this beautiful dark
grey. She is so feminine with lovely head and wicked look. Beautifully balanced,
good neck, shoulders, topline and tailset, good coat texture, moved and showed
well. I considered her for a top award but felt she just needed a little more
maturity when up against the older bitches;
2 Carol J Ackerson's Marquees Copperglen Tickled Pink;
3 Vickie Shotwell's Marquees Green With Envy and
4 Rebecca Stamps' Marquees Elegance In Red. Litter sisters by my best of breed.
I put up the one in better coat today, it will be interesting to see which finishes
the best. All very showy and pleasing with good bodies, ribs and bone.
12 - 18 months bitches (13, 2a):
1 Sandra and Michael Murray's Cairncroft Quite A Miracle by my BOB. Very showy
red in good fresh coat, nice condition, good body, bone, legs and feet, well
made quarters, pleasing head, eye, ears and expression;
2 Debra Lajeunesse's Garelle's Mocha Latte, I liked this dark red brindle very
much but could have a little more strength under her eyes and is inclined to
stand loosely in front. Good layback of shoulder and I think she should mature
well;
3 Mary-Etlen Barnes' ME's Journey Of Isabella, good wheaten bitch but not always
making the most of herself. I felt she could do better;
4 Kathy Wishart's Caledonian Pennycandy of Wolfpit.
BBE bitches (15, 4a):
1 Gloria Mair's Skerryvore Bobby McGee, beautiful grey, lovely head and expression,
pleasing neck, shoulders, topline and tailset, nice quarters, in lovely coat
and condition. WB and BOS;
2 Lydia C Hutchinson's Cairn hoe Alliance With Wolfpit, I also liked her very
much. Feminine and pretty, just a little fancy in front movement today. By my
BOB;
3 Michelle Y Hostler's Hill House's One Fine Day, feminine brindle, good outline
and tail. Just needs to develop a little more in front;
4 Alicia Beth Smilowitz's Romany's Aberdeen Streaker.
American bred bitches (2):
1 John Tennant and Lydia C Hutchinson's Caledonian Thistle of Wolfpit, good
bodied red who looked well going round the ring, good topline, tailset and carriage;
2 Judith A Schlee's Kaatskill Kilmuir Alastair, I liked this grey with her lovely
head. Needs to come together over the loin and lacked a little smartness on
the move which accentuated this. Nice coat.
Open bitches (16, 2):
1 Alicia Beth Smilowitz's Romany's Aberdeen Lightfoot, lovely wheaten, feminine,
showy, in very good condition, good forehand, moved and showed well. Reserve
winners;
2 Janet Cottrelle's Cairwick Sloane Ranger, red brindle, good body and rib,
pleasing coat texture. I would like a little more length of leg for perfect
balance but showed well and moved soundly;
3 Carol J Somers' Zomerhofs Ghostly Intrigue, nice feminine red brindle, could
be a little better in forehand.
Veteran dogs (2): both very typical Cairns.
1 Daniel Quinn and Marsh Quinn's Cairn Brae's Highland Marauder, he was so proud
and enjoyed every minute, 7 years;
2 Arlene S and Richard E Grant's Ch Castle Rock Black Bart, sound moving 9-1/2-year-old,
good body and rib. Not in best coat.
Veteran bitches (1): absent.
Stud dog (2): 1 Ch Robinson Crusoe Quite Macho; 2 Jill Arnel's Ch Joywood's Geordie For Magadog CD ME.
Brood bitch (1): 1 Linda Dugan Reiff and Marjorie C Shoemaker's Copper Button of Wolfpit.
Brace (1): 1 Colleen Finch's Cairnhavn Silhouette On Stage and Cairnhavn Symphony-N-The Roks.
FERELITH SOMERFIELD (Judge)
corrections to: R. \ Kevin Durkin \
