2021 Sacramento Valley Collie Club – Roseville, California
Sunday, November 7, 2021
Thank you to the Sacramento Valley Collie Club for the invitation to judge their 2021 fall specialty. This show is at a difficult time of the year for me to accept assignments. However, it is one cluster I hadn’t done in the past but always wanted to. I adjusted my schedule and was rewarded with some beautiful Collies and Northern California fall weather. The assignment was a pleasure and Marian Darrow ensured I was well taken care of and where I needed to be.
The highlight of the show was the Rough Veteran Bitch class which had several lovely entries that included GCHB Clarion Monarch Promise Me Rainbows, Ch. Castlebar’s Glam Factor, and GCH Entais Soleil. Each possessed classic breed virtues that have become rare in the modern breed. I wish all three could have transferred directly into the Best of Variety competition. The veteran class alone made the trip worthwhile.
Best of Breed:
GCHB Clarion Monarch Promise Me Rainbows
(CH Aurealis Endeavour x CH Monarch Clarion Goddess of The Rainbow)
This is a veteran bitch I’ve admired at a distance for years, but I don’t believe I’ve judged her previously. On this day, she was exquisite and simply glowed. Presented flawlessly and in wonderful condition, she did not put a foot wrong. Everything about her exuded softness and glamour. She gave me several looks that were reminiscent of some iconic Collies from the past.
She presented the complete package, combining head detail and a stunning overall picture with pleasing curves and balance throughout her body. Her head was detailed and a pleasure to go over. She exhibited a long, crested neck and balanced length of back. She had a rounded stifle with a wonderful short hock that is becoming a fleeting breed virtue.
The saying goes that “every dog has its day” and I’m grateful she picked this day to have hers.
Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed:
GCHS Southland Aurealis Island Nights (Pedigree)
(CH Southland’s Bowen Island ROM x CH Aurealis Rumor Has It)
A masculine tri-color dog with beautiful length of head, soft eyes, and head detail. He had a perfectly balanced length of back, rounded croup, deep bent stifle, and relatively short, defined hocks. He is the finest tri-color male special I’ve had the opportunity to judge in over a decade. Unfortunately for him, he ran into a bitch that had herself a day for the ages.
ROUGH COLLIES
Rough Best of Variety:
GCHB Clarion Monarch Promise Me Rainbows
(CH Aurealis Endeavour x CH Monarch Clarion Goddess Of The Rainbow)
See above
Rough Winners Bitch/Best of Winners:
Aurealis Affair
(CH Aurealis Constellation x CH Aurealis Classical Era)
The Winners Bitch was obvious from her first steps into the ring. She was brought in full coat and in beautiful condition. She had nice length of head, a soft expression, and good bone and substance, all while remaining feminine. Her front legs were set nicely underneath her body with proper length of back.
Rough Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Variety:
GCHS Southland Aurealis Island Nights, ROM
(CH Southland’s Bowen Island ROM x CH Aurealis Rumor Has It)
See above.
Rough Select Dog:
GCH Moxie’s Rocknrolla
(Moxie’s Law of The Jungle x Belfair A Ginger Sunrise)
The Select Dog was an upstanding dog that was impressive across the ring. His head length and detail were also notable. He had a strong back, but on the day he was still needing more coat to balance out his overall picture and body style.
Rough Select Bitch: Not awarded
Rough Winners Dog:
Emarie’s Duncan The Spirit of Cooper
(CH Larkspur Thanks For The Memories x CH Sunnland’s Sweet Fortune At E’Marie’s)
This win was awarded on account of this dog’s length and lightness of head, expression, and length of back relative to his competition in the Winners class. He also had some pleasing curvature to his rear assembly.
Rough Reserve Winners Dog:
Castlebar’s Dare To Defy
(CH Jerusalem Hills Faith Factor x Castlebar’s Dangerous Diva)
The Reserve Dog was very different in type from the Winners Dog, however, his specific head virtues were apparent. His headpiece was very detailed with a soft expression. His body style was quite compact, yet proud and upstanding.
Rough Reserve Winners Bitch:
Aurealis Cotillion
(GCHS Southland Aurealis Island Nights ROM x CH Aurealis Incandescence)
This charming young puppy had a pleasing length and lightness to her headpiece, a pretty eye, and a nice length of back. She presented a beautiful, soft picture. She was very similar to the Winners Bitch in type and quality, just not as mature. At this age, she was still needing the fill, flattening, and finish that maturity should bring. I will be anxious to see her as an adult.
SMOOTH COLLIES
Smooth Best of Variety:
GCHS Demuir Heiress at First Light
(GCH Headline’s Soldier of Light, ROM x Demuir Midnight Expresso)
This is a proud, impressive blue merle bitch. Elegant, with beautiful body curves all the way back through her body — so rarely seen in a smooth. She is the athlete her bodylines suggest and she gets around the ring well.
Smooth Winners Dog/Best of Winners:
Aurealis Invincible (Pedigree)
(GCHS Southland Aurealis Island Nights, ROM x GCHB Demuir Barefoot Contessa)
A stoic, elegant smooth puppy with an impressive outline. He was clearly a male, yet refined and elegant. His body lines were long with attractive curves. He had wonderful length of head with a pleasing profile and soft expression. His ears were nicely sized and shaped, and properly set up on his skull.
This dog will be one to watch in the future. If he continues to mature on the path that he is on, he could become one of the finer Smooth males in the modern breed.
Smooth Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Variety:
GCHB Ceilidh’s If I Can Dream
(CH Kirkhaven Once Upon A Dream x GCHP Ceilidh’s Deep River Haute Couture)
This was an impressive, masculine sable dog. He possessed a wonderful muzzle, a pleasing expression, with a flat skull. He had good size, substance, and length of back.
Smooth Select Dog:
GCH Moxie’s Light Up The Sky RN SCN SIN TKA
(Moxie’s Skyfall RN CGC x Colebrae Moxie Skylark)
A distinct blue merle dog with a very defined stop and profile. He is a balanced, upstanding dog, but not as much length to his body lines as the top placements.
Smooth Select Bitch:
CH Tercan Zandria Comstock Enchante’
(GCH Tercan ‘N Zandria’s Playing With Fire TKN CGC x CH Tercan ‘N Zandria’s Win Win At Jubillie)
The Select Bitch was quite similar to the Select Dog both in profile and body type. As a total package, she was balanced to herself.
Smooth Reserve Winners Dog:
Oakpoint Raven Soul on Fire
(Edenrock Raven Renegade x CH Raven Edenrock I’ll Keep Her At Oakpoint BN RN CGC)
This was a sable dog that rose over the rest of the Smooth Winners Dog class on the basis of his head profile.
Smooth Winners Bitch:
Shalee Castlebar’s Luxurious
(Castlebar’s Dare to Defy x CH Travler Cove Run’s Bohemian Rhapsody)
A sable merle bitch that was simply the class of the Smooth Winners Bitch class. She had elegance and detail with plenty of chrome. She possessed a flat skull, a nice profile, and a straight lipline. She also got around the ring with ease.
Smooth Reserve Winners Bitch:
SnoValley String Of Pearls
The Reserve Bitch was elegant in a longer overall package. She had nice side gait with a reaching stride.