Dear HCTC Members,
My apologies for the lateness of this critique. I am usually pretty prompt with my paperwork but nothing has been remotely the same since my husband's accident a year ago.
Despite Mother Nature interfering with what is normally one of the most beautiful outdoor dog shows in this country I did enjoy judging the Cairn Specialty. We were lucky it took place in the morning!
I suppose I am somewhat old-fashioned in my approach to judging, I am still out there judging breeding stock. While I haven't bred Cairn Terriers, for the last 28 years I've bred another member of the short-legged terrier family, the Dandie Dinmont. I am still actively breeding, there is a litter of five here now. Those who know my family of Dandies know that I select for both the typical head and unique outline, but also equally important to me is the structure of the dog. I bring these priorities to my judging of other breeds.
For those who have judged the making of "trade-offs" is a familiar term. This is what happens when a class comes in and there is a dog with a lovely head but who's body is atypical, perhaps too cobby for the breed. And then there is another dog in the class who's muzzle may be longer in proportion than desired but who's body length is more typical and he's better angled at both ends, and so on. These are the trade-offs that happen to judges and how I make these trade-offs is from my own experience in dogs. The Cairn classes this day provided lots of opportunities to make trade-offs and I'm mentioning this for you who might have been puzzled by my priorities and thus my placements.
I know that heads can be improved in one or two generations which is a relatively short period of time in dog breeding. I know that rears are much easier to improve that forequarters, it's a less complicated assembly. Good rears have well developed first and second thighs, short straight hocks, and something out behind the tail. My old friend Nancy P. Smith used to call that the "back porch" which is an apt description. I am of the firm belief that the front assembly is by far the most important structurally speaking, the proper layback of the shoulder blade, well laid on, and the upper arm angled back at almost the same degree, placing the forelegs under the withers.
When you run your hand down the front of a Cairn you want to feel something sticking out in front, the prosternum in evidence. When there is nothing out in front you know the shoulder blade and upper arm will not be angled back appropriately, the dog's *neck will be short, the head seemingly sitting right on top of his shoulders. I have found over the years that the correct front assembly once gone is lost forever and therefore of great import to me in evaluating breeding stock. Also influenced by the correct front assembly is the rib cage, the back, topline and loin.
I would also like to make a comment about many of the heads I saw that day. There were plenty which had little cube-like muzzles with little width (strength) at the cheek. Many of these atypical muzzles had small teeth set in a rounded formation rather than the big six white incisors straight across the top and across the bottom. Snipey was not the word that came to mind when I looked at these faces, cube-like was what crossed my mind. Something to think about in selection.
Winners Dog for 5 points was HILLHOUSE DEWEY DARE (by Ch. Nightfalls Jimson ex Ch. Karengary's Joyfull Spirit, breeder/owner Michelle Y. Hostler) from the Bred-by-Exhibitor class. This dog was of typical type shown in good coat, with an attractive head. I liked his body balance which was due in large part to his proper angulation fore and aft, it gave him the 10"/15" height/body length balance with good ribbing well back, a strong loin and good tailset. I liked him very much.
Reserve Winners Dog was also from BBE, BREHANNON BALACHAN O CODBANK (by Ch. Dogwood Pentium Processor ex Ch. Codbank's Ruby Slippers, breeder/owners Kenneth kauffman & Wendy Eckhard.)
Winners Bitch, Best of Winners and Best of Opposite Sex went to the winner of the Bred-by-Exhibitor class, ASHWOOD KENRIC'S AMERICAN IDOL (by Ch. Kyleakin Scotsman Invasion ex Ch. Rose Croft Hit Or Miss, breeder/owners Judy Sheer & Joseph Vernuccio.) This bitch caught my eye the moment she walked into the ring and I wasn't disappointed. If I were breeding Cairns I would want this bitch in my breeding program. The best brood bitches and the best show bitches are one and the same and I hope this bitch visits the whelping box annually. She has much to contribute to the breed. The only thing that kept her from the top award was her youth, she was just over thirteen months old on this day and lacked the finish and maturity of the Best of Breed dog.
Reserve Winners Bitch from the 6-9 months class was CALEDONIAN KEEPSAKE OF WOLFPIT (by Ch. Bobby Burns of Wolfpit ex Ch. Caledonian Memento of Wolfpit, breeders Joyce S. Britt & Lydia C. Hutchinson, owner Lydia C. Hutchinson.)
The Specials Class was filled with quality and I enjoyed seeing them altogether, they were a credit to their breeders. The Best of Breed dog, CH. CAIRNHOE HIGHLANDER OF WOLFPIT (by Ch. Robinson Crusoe Quite Macho ex Ch. Cairnhoe Celtic Charm of Wolfpit, breeder/owners D. L. Blackwood & Lydia C. Hutchinson) separated himself out from the rest of the field on the first go. He was shown "in full good coat with plenty of head furnishings" and he moved out "freely and easily on a loose lead." For some he might have been in too long a coat but for me he was in peak coat and a point that contributed to breed type. I never look for a Cairn to be in a short stylized jacket. I though this head very handsome, with great expression. His make and shape pleased me, with good angles fore and aft. And when put to the test he did it well from all directions, coming and going and most importantly, from the side. I think him a most useful dog.
Awards of Merit (in no particular order) went to:
CH. DOGWOOD PENTIUM PROCESSOR
CAIRNHOE CELTIC CROFTER OF WOLFPIT
CH. DUFDON'S TWIN TURBO
CH. HAPPICAIRN KING OF THE ROAD
Thank you for inviting me to judge your Specialty. It was an honour.
Sincerely,
Betty-Anne Stenmark
* Your Standard makes no mention of the dog's neck but I suspect it's meant to be medium in length, since moderation is the key to evaluating a Cairn in every other way. So I would look for a dog with medium length of neck, neither short nor long. And a neck that is strongly built, no tendency to swan or weedy nor heavy and cloddy in appearance.
corrections to: R. \ Kevin Durkin \
