I considered it a honour to be invited by the Garden State Mastiff Fanciers to judge their supported entry at Trenton show and it was an even greater honour when I knew the entry; a breed record for the show. I would like to offer my thanks to all those who entered under me for making the day so enjoyable and the hospitality shown to my friend Roger and myself by those who entertained us.
Although I have watched the breed being judged on visits to Westminster, this was the first time I had seen the breed in any quantity in the States and first impressions were favourable. Overall temperaments were good, as indeed was soundness, and type in the majority of cases was evident. I saw few ‘Great Danes’ – tall, narrow dogs with plain heads – that I had been led to believe I would see in quantity. Also the general condition of the dogs was good; gone seem the days when grotesquely overweight dogs that could barely move masquerade as dogs of size and substance.
The entry of dogs exceeded the bitches and I thought the quality in depth was also more evident in the males than the females. Interestingly, I judged a Mastiff Specialty two weeks later in Denmark and the same remarks apply.
I hate quoting verbatim from a breed standard but my BOB Ch.His Majesty Mighty Joe Young Bearhill was a ‘symmetrical dog with a well-knit frame … one of grandeur and dignity’. He had size and substance, was totally balanced standing and moving at all angles, came true and had no exaggerations. His head was in proportion length to width, although to be critical I would have preferred more definition of muscles and wrinkles, he showed intelligence, had a strong neck, just the right angles front and rear, the length to height ratio was right and he stood on good legs and feet. I liked him the moment he came in the ring and he did not disappoint.
Best of Opposite, Ch.Moonhill Gatehse Hava Drnk On Me RN, had size and substance whilst retaining femininity, was well let down in body, had width and was well rounded, she stood on good legs and feet and moved true, her head was in proportion with well defined cheek muscles and carried well on a strong neck.
Best of Winners, Lionhearted Man in Black, was a very dark brindle dog that scored in overall shape and balance. He was just right in bone and body development for a youngster, had a good head, correct angles both fore and rear and moved well on strong limbs.
Dogs.
Puppy 6 – 9 months.
1st. Ocean Breeze Guiness on Tap. Correct head shape, strong neck, good front, width of chest, correct body proportions, well boned, needs time to develop, moved the best in the class.
2nd. Woodmarks Hot N Nasty. Well balanced, correct head for age, good front, presented a typical outline, not very settled on the move.
3rd. Landondales Beyond Yankee Blu. Still a little plain in head but overall a pleasing shape. Well Boned, good quarters, needs to strengthen in pastern.
Puppy 9 – 12 months.
1st. Ethos Weight of the World. Skull OK but rather plain in muzzle, good neck, correctly proportioned body, sufficient bone, well angled quarters, covered the ground well.
12 – 18 months.
1st. Windfalls Trophy Buck. Scored in head shape, correct eye colour, strong neck, lovely body shape, correct bone, good width of quarters but slightly straight in stifle, went well.
2nd. Woodmarks Red Hot Rumour. Another that scored in head, front OK, correct body proportions, good bend of stifle but not so free on the move.
3rd. Woodmarks Bazooka Joe At CL. Litter brother but plainer in head and rather narrow in front but a correct outline in profile. Sufficient bone, correct quarters, went well.
Bred-by-Exhibitor.
1st. Winsome Dream Big Dvally. Correct size, pleasing head and expression, strong neck, good width of chest, front and quarters OK, correct body proportions, covered the ground well. Reserve Winners Dog.
2nd. Spicewoods Tick’N’Roll. Similar in type but not so good in head, correct body, well shaped quarters, OK for bone but slightly weak in pastern, correct ratio height to length.
3rd. Celestial Flintlock Beam Me Up. Completed a trio of similar dogs but I thought him a little plain in head and not so balanced in muzzle to skull.
American-Bred.
1st. Lionhearted Man in Black. Winners Dog and Best of Winners.
2nd. Old School’s Cisco Kid. Pleasing head and expression, good overall shape, body of substance, correct bone but not the balance of winner.
3rd. Daydream Acres Grt Xpectations. Smaller dog, head OK but needs time to develop, slightly straight behind but overall a correct outline.
Open,
1st. Master Sullivan of Wyn Lea. Well-grown fawn though rather plain in head, correctly proportioned body and strong neck giving a good outline, adequate bone, won on balance and movement.
2nd. Old School’s Reason to Quit. Nice type that scored in head, correctly proportioned width to length, adequate width of chest, well angled both ends but lost out on movement.
3rd. Leodess Rasputin. A very nice type with a good head, correct bone and substance, but was unsettled without his owner.
Bitches.
Puppy 6 – 9 months.
1st. Iron Hills E Z Mover V Kimmit. A very nice fawn that scored in head, balance and movement, correctly developed body for age, adequate bone, went well but needs to firm in top-line.
2nd. Woodmarks First Noel at CL. Similar overall type, correct outline and body proportions, well boned, head developing OK, but feet need to tighten.
3rd. Bedroc’s Jo-Jo Starz in the Sky. Correct in outline and body development but plainer in head than the winners.
Puppy 9 – 12 months.
1st. Prairie Buffalo Apache Spirit. Correct head proportions, well developed neck, correct bone and body development for age, good quarters but slightly straight in upper arm, will settle in movement.
2nd. Gunslinger’s Whiskeyy Girl. Head developing well, correct neck, width of chest and body shape, a little straight in stifle which meant the movement lacked freedom.
12 – 18 months.
1st. BB’s My Bosses Daughter. A nice type of fawn that scored in movement. Good head, well developed body, adequate bone, top-line dropped away towards tail but well angled quarters.
2nd Triplecrown His Majesty Pretty in Pink. Had size in proportion to substance, a well balanced head, good neck and fore-chest, adequate bone, better top-line than winner but not so positive on the move.
3rd. Mae of the Mountainous Mastiff’s. A very nice overall type, correct head and expression, good front and quarters but needs to be more outgoing in her attitude.
Bred-by-Exhibitor.
1st. Hoosier Pride and Joy. A nice type of brindle with a correct head, strong neck, well shaped body, well off for bone, balanced on the move but top-line could be firmer.
2nd. Kada Hill’s List of Demands. Correct head proportions, good neck and front, adequate bone, correct outline and development, not moving as well as the winner.
3rd. Leodess’ Guaranteed to Steal Your Heart. Fawn with a correct outline and width of body, good head and expression but could have more bone.
American-Bred.
1st. Fantasy Brvhrt Stryke a Pose. Scored heavily in type, shape and balance, correct head and expression, well developed neck and body both width and depth, correct angles, well boned on good feet, went well. Winners Bitch.
2nd. Sherwood’s Anticipatience. Similar in type to the winner as far as head and body proportions go but did not have the firmness of top-line or movement.
3rd. Gunslinger’s Calamity Janee. Another nice type with a good head, body and quarters, just not quite true on the move and lacked enthusiasm.
Open.
1st. Audley Farms Purple Passion. A nice type of brindle, correctly proportioned head and true expression, good neck and width of chest, well developed in body, correct quarters, adequate bone on good feet, went well and balanced. Reserve Winners Bitch.
2nd. Iron Hills La Bella V Kimmit. Correctly developed fawn with width and depth, correct outline, bone and quarters, moved OK.
3rd. Venus-Beaute Brullemail. A pleasing overall type, balanced in outline with a good front and quarters, lost out to the winners on movement.
Veteran Dogs.
1st. Ch.Celestial James Tiberius. A lovely type that made my cut for BOB, had shape balance and size, correct head, strong neck, well developed body, adequate bone, good angles and went well.
2nd. Ch.Diesel of Safe Haven. A true type with a good head, well boned, correct angles fair movement but displaying more calluses than I like to see.
3rd. Ch.Bedrock Gemcut Set in Stone. Correct substance to size, well proportioned head, strong neck, good angles but lost out on movement.
Veteran Bitches.
1st. Ch.Leodess’ Right on the Money. Correct in type with a typical head, strong neck, well proportioned body, true front, correct bend of stifle, moved OK.
Stud Dog Class.
1st Ch.Old School’s Sixth Element. Paraded with two promising young bitches and with the sire they made a pleasant group showing similarity to type.
NICK WATERS