Welcome to the official website of the Bullmastiff Club of Victoria: Australia's first Bullmastiff Club - Pioneers of the breed

2010 October Championship Show Results and Critiques

Breed Class Judge:  Mr G Sparham, Gameguard Kennels (NSW)

Special Classes: Mr M Svaljek (Vic)

Firstly I would like to thank everyone involved in the show, it is always an honour to judge your own breed, especially in your own country and also receive a decent entry. My decisions were received well and the sportsmanship was first class. I must admit I had a harder time of things than expected, the style of dog varied greatly and it was sometimes hard to stick “to type.” Even within kennels there were some specimens I placed high and others that may have a similar appearance I over looked all together. I hope this critique goes some way to explain my reasoning.

I found two things disappointing in Victoria, firstly front assembly and secondly length of back. I can’t sugar coat it…and put simply the fronts overall were poor. It’s not just a Victorian issue, quality fronts are almost non existent around the world, my kennel is no exception and I spend a lot of time searching the web hoping to introduce new blood that excel in this area. It is very easy to get depth of front and straight front legs, but when you add width to the equation, things become tricky. Even more so when you want a good length of upper arm and sloping shoulders. Only then will a prominent pro sternum be seen out the front of the point of shoulder when viewed in profile. I could count the number of excellent fronts on one hand and only a few more who needed a little work. Amongst other qualities, good fronts allowed my top winners to stand above the rest.

The other main issue which is creeping into the breed is long backs, it is such a problem that even short backed dogs are probably a tad longer than the standard requires, people are just so used to seeing long ones. The standard says “short” and when viewed against other breed standards this translates to “off square.” My personal interpretation is no more than a few inches longer in total length than height. Long bodies is a trait that used to be the sole the domain of USA bred dogs but this is no longer the case. Incidentally on the day there were a few dogs with USA blood that were also quite acceptable in this area. You may have noticed that I did reward a few longer dogs but in the end you are judging the whole animal. I could not discard an animal with one of my pet hates (Even if it is a threat to breed type) if it excels in a number of other areas. But this needs to be addressed urgently.

Head type was varied too, small triangular ears are rare and so is a clean expression. A number of over wrinkled heads with large rounded ears are creeping in. This gives a foreign expression. I must admit temperment was exceptional, none looked as though they wanted to take my throat out and the majority were easy going. Most animals were well boned with well sprung ribs. A correct turn of stifle with strong second thigh and short hocks was typical. A number of years ago rear assemblies were atrocious, so well done on this improvement. Apart from most animals being overly long, outlines were far better than other States. Toplines were quite good which is difficult to achieve. The combination of well arched necks flowing into level toplines and then smoothly over the rear is a pleasant surprise. The frames of some bitches were impressive as they were strong whilst being feminine. While I try not to be negative I feel this is the only forum where you can reasonably express your opinion in the hope things may be addressed, so I grab the opportunity with both hands!

Baby Puppy Dog

1^st  Valgerd Storm Chaser - K Sands: Very promising red boy with excellent body proportions and outline, level topline with good depth of body. Correct depth of chest to length of leg. Excellent head type with a strong square skull and deep stop, wide blunt muzzle. Remarkably well developed prosternum on such a young puppy. Well turned stifle and strong second thigh. Very well handled and trained. One to keep an eye out for in the future.

2^nd Valgerd Bulletproof - K Sands:Very promising large fawn dog with almost identical body qualities to the first, excellent outline with level topline, good turn of stifle and second thigh, His stop is sloping however and this affects the definition of skull, as such he lost to the first on head type. He was also a touch narrower in front than I would prefer. This could easily be a growth thing however.

3^rd Xanguard Primus - J & S Bailey:Also a promising puppy with pleasant outline. He was the best mover of the class. While his stop is slightly better than the second dog he was quite a fair bit longer in body than desired. Could be wider.

Minor Puppy Dog

1^st Grizzmuffley Emancipation - B & S Wehmeier: Very promising fawn male with nice outline. He has a level topline and deep body, Pleasant head type and strong mouth. His expression would benefit from a darker eye. His legs are well boned however his upper arm is a touch shorter than ideal, this restricts his forward reach. I would prefer more prosternum but again this could be an awkward growth stage.

Puppy Dog

1^st Treebrook Crimson King - B & K Marion: Nice athletic puppy however he wasn’t behaving so I didn’t get to see him at his best. Very much in the gangly puppy stage. He had a strong skull with clean expression. I would prefer more angulation front and rear. 

Junior Dog

1^st Treebrook Ilex - B & K Marion: Excellent quality dog whose head type was superb, he had a strong square skull with well defined stop and rise of skull, his muzzle was blunt, he had good bone above the eye and an attractive expression. The contrast of dark facial markings upon his light fawn colouring was pleasant. His ears had the rare combination of being small and triangular. He had a really short back. He had good prosternum but I would like a wider front, Adequate turn of stifle. Has at least a year or so to mature and hit his best but I am sure he will be one to challenge for top honours in the future.

2^nd Bullsrkool Pop T Cork - A & R Tito:Large fawn dog with an extremely mature body for a young dog, extraordinary bone and well sprung ribs, Excellent broad jaw with almost level bite. He has a strong skull but could do with better stop and was light in eye. His body is really quite long however. He is a little straighter in front and rear than ideal but still able to drive and reach. Moved better than the first however the winner’s body proportions and head type won him the class on the day.

3^rd Bullavista Boston Red Sox - V & S Ellis:Medium sized red dog with pleasant outline, Strong bone. Strong skull and excellent stop. Adequate bend of stifle, unfortunately cathedral chested. His muzzle is a touch too short and his head is slightly over wrinkled.

Intermediate Dog

1^st Ch Bullarmour Big Cruzer - T & K Kelly:Excellent quality athleticfawn dog with good body proportions and outline. Beautifully balanced movement with drive and reach obtaining their peak at the same time, very clean coming and going. Excellent head type with strong square skull, deep stop and clean expression without a hint of over wrinkling, striking markings on a light fawn background. Small triangular ears, I would prefer a stronger muzzle however. Deep well sprung ribs, level topline, Adequate bend of stifle, Straight front with well boned legs. I would expect more width and better prosternum. A quality balance of construction, head type and movement.

2^nd Ashling Cash on Demand - T & S Nicholls:Large boned fawn dog with pleasant outline.Level topline. Deep and wide skull but needed a wider muzzle to compliment, ears are quite large and his head is too heavily wrinkled, this affects his expression. Well sprung ribs

3^rd Alegrian The Terminator - D Gilby:Athletic Red dog with happy disposition, very good condition and well muscled. His angulation in front and behind is straighter than ideal, good bone, strong skull, topline high in rear.Not as well coupled as the first two.

Australian Bred Dog:This was an extremely hard class to judge apart from the obvious winner. The variation in styles of animal coupled with the fact that some excellent profiles didn’t continue through when viewing the animals from the front made decisions difficult.

1^st Ch Grizzmuffley Get Wild - B & S Wehmeier: Red dog with excellent skull, square head and deep stop, he has a very strong muzzle and wide bite, well arched neck. While he presents a quality outline he is long in body, especially his loin. He has a well bent stifle and strong second thigh, deep straight front with well pronounced prosternum. His front should be wider in front for a dog of his size.

2^nd Ch Olbailee Our Geordie Boy - N & S Lofthouse: Quality fawn dog with nice outline. Excellent head and skull, looks as though he has been in a good paddock though!. Strong broad mouth and under jaw and just slightly undershot. He is soft on topline at the moment, well sprung ribs and deep all the way through. More width in front may prevent him from standing east west.

3^rd Ch Sweetbryar Honey I’m Home - S Johnson:Largedog with pleasant outline on the stack, gorgeous topline that blends from a well arched neck smoothly down his back and gently to his tail set. Well angulated rear with strong second thigh. Unfortunately when viewed from the front he is very narrow for a dog of his size, he would benefit from more width between his eyes, better skull depth and a stronger stop. A little too tall for standard

Open Dog

1^st Ch Grizzmuffley the Rapture - B & S Wehmeier/P & N Abela : A quality imposing Fawn dog who seemed to stalk around the ring. He has a level topline, deep well sprung ribs and the required depth of chest, his front would benefit however by more prosternum. His back is a fair bit longer than ideal. His head is strong with a quality bite. a wider muzzle would be more in keeping with his breadth of skull. I would prefer more drive and length of stride.

2^nd Ch Anmenta Black Night - E Fowler:Medium sized quality brindle with the required short back. Adequately bent stifles and strong second thigh, His front is deep and with correct length of leg however his shoulders are a touch too upright. I would prefer a little more prosternum. He has strong head type with good width and depth. His eyes are fairly dark which is always difficult with brindles. Clear and defined brindling. The young handler should be complimented on his attempt amongst more experienced handlers. Move okay.

3^rd Ch Treebrook Mountain Ash - B & K Marion: Small to medium fawn dog with a quality outline on the stack. Level topline, deep well sprung ribs and well angulated ear. Deep chest but needs more prosternum. He has a reasonable side gait but is quite loose coming and going. He has a well defined skull but his eyes were slightly rounded and light in colour, affecting his expression.

Challenge Dog : Ch Bullarmour Big Cruzer:Quite simply the best overall animal when considering a balance of construction, head type and movement. His side gate is beautiful and is clean both coming and going. While not the front of the reserve dog he was one of the few males who had the above qualities coupled with a short compact body.

Reserve Challenge Dog: Ch Grizzmuffley Get Wild:Strong head and muzzle. Excellent body shape and outline on the stack. While longer in body than ideal he excelled in these other areas. In comparison to the best dog he was simply out moved and longer in back.

Baby Puppy Bitch

1^st Valgerd Snow Storm - K Sands:Very promising fawn puppy with excellent outline, correct angulation front and rear, perfect topline, well bent stifle, feminine head and strong movement. Extremely well trained and handled.

2^nd Valgerd Storm in a T Cup - K Sands:Another quality bitch whose outline is very similar to the first, a stronger head and stop than the winner but not as strong in movement. Also a little softer on topline.

3^rd Bullsrkool Sweet Child O Mine - A & R Tito:Solid active red pup who possessed excellent head type with good width and depth, wide front showing prosternum. Unfortunately her topline rises a fair bit to the rear and is considerably straighter in stifle than the first, lost on profile outline.

Minor Puppy Bitch

1^st Anmenta Screen Goddess - T & K Kelly: Large fawn bitch with good bone and spring of rib, good proportions and strong pigmentation, skull narrower than ideal making the head appear elongated, I would prefer a wider front, I would suggest both these issues are attributed to growth. Front and rear angles more moderate than desired.

2^nd Grizzmuffley Zanalee - B & S Wehmeier:Well boned bitch with well sprung ribs, longer than ideal, needs more depth of chest. Bite slightly over shot which affects her expression allowing her chin to recede and present an odd expression, topline rises to rear, straight stifle

Puppy Bitch

1^st Sanduka Sweet Rosemary - M & A Raftis: Large fawn girl with good bone and spring of rib, Just sufficient pigment, I would like a wider front and prefer stronger head, straighter in stifle and hock than ideal, well handled.

2^nd Grizzmuffley Valentina - R Crilly:Good height and strong spring of rib, I would like a stronger muzzle and skull, she needs more bone, her front quite is quite narrow

Junior Bitch

1^st Bulavista Down Under Diva - V & S Ellis: Excellent quality bitch with lovely outline on the profile, firm topline, well angled stifle and well muscled rear, sufficient spring of rib. Slightly long body. Her front is straight and deep but I would like more width. Her shoulder assembly is slightly too far forward on her torso. This may settle when her chest fills out. Her skull is strong with a correct deep stop. Her expression is aided by just the right amount of wrinkle. I would prefer her to flex her hocks better on the move. I would suggest she is one to watch and will challenge for top honours upon maturity. Beautiful on the stack.

2^nd Volane Izova Cherokee - W Bridgewater:Another excellent quality bitch, very good frame and proportions, moved better than first but loses her topline on the move, strong skull but a little too much wrinkle and overly large ears. Her front is straight but could be wider.

3^rd Bullavista Mississippi Girl - V & S Ellis:Another quality bitch with a pleasant outline, firm topline and good bone. She has well bent stifles, and well sprung ribs. She would benefit from more prosternum and width between the eyes. Her eyes are set slightly oblique which affects her expression. She is considerably longer than the first two.

Intermediate Bitch

1^st Ch Bullmaster Fifth Avenue - Bullmaster Kennels: Large substantial bitch with very good outline on the stack, well sprung ribs, level topline, good turn in rear. Her mask is sufficient. Her front is straight but needs more prosternum and width. Hocks moved very close when viewed from the rear.

2^nd Nightquest Century Miss - M Edwards:Longer body than first but good rear musculation, well sprung ribs, well defined skull but too short in muzzle, this affects her bite, very wide front but lacks depth, moved okay

3^rd Alegrian Lil Red Corvette:Similar head to second with good depth, width and definition but her muzzle is too short, shorter in back than second but straighter in rear which affects her movement, more let down in front required.

Australian Bred Bitch

1^st Ch Nightquest Bell Du Jour - M Edwards: Superb quality deep red bitch with near perfect silhouette, she is well proportioned with level topline and well sprung ribs. She has a correctly angled, muscular rear that is complimented by one of the best fronts of the day. Her front has the rare combination of depth, width and a prominent prosternum. Her forelegs were straight, well boned and had tight cat feet. She doesn’t love to move but showed enough on the day. Having said that she would benefit from more reach in front and drive in behind. Head has good width and depth with strong muzzle and stop. I would like less wrinkle on her skull and smaller ears.

2^nd Valgerd Quest For Glory - K Sands:Excellent quality bitch who was well proportioned and shorter bodied than the first, well sprung rib, good body depth, adequate movement, Wide and deep skull but would benefit from a stronger stop, mask contrasts nicely with clear fawn colour. Not the front or skull of the first.

3^rd Treebrook Sweet Elder - B & K Marion:Excellent headed bitch with a short back. Her head has a sweet, clean expression but I would like shorter flews, She is a little straight in front but is better proportioned than the rest of the class.

There were a number of really quality bitches in this line up and I would have loved to awarded further. They had good outlines and frames but not the width in front or the shorter bodies of the first three. 

Open Bitch

1^st Ch Bullsrkool Blazin Kaos - A & R Tito: Excellent quality bitch who won on front, head and mouth qualities. Her head is clean without any extra wrinkle and is framed by superb correct small ears. Her muzzle is strong and compliments a really wide jaw. Her bite is almost level. The combination of quality head type with a great mouth is rare. Having said that I would prefer a more defined stop. Her front is really deep and wide with good prosternum, her ribs are well sprung. Unfortunately her proportions are too long on body and too short on leg. I would prefer better angulation in rear and a little more upper arm. She was however one of the best movers on the day and far better than her construction would suggest. Extremely well conditioned and handled.

2^nd Ch Nightquest Scarlet - M Edwards:Another excellent quality red bitch with a superb outline, better proportions than first in regards to length to height ratio, Unfortunately when viewed from the front she needed more width and depth of chest in order to challenge the winner, her head needed more definition and width also.

3^rd Olbailee Georgia Onmymind - M & A Raftis:Excellent proportioned bitch with nice outline. She was well trained and had good depth of body and spring of rib. Good bone. A touch too much white on the chest. More width in front may help her from feet turning out. I would prefer more stop. Too much wrinkle on forehead.

Challenge Bitch: Ch Nightquest Bell Du Jour: A beautifully balanced bitch when viewed from any angle. Great front.

Reserve Best Bitch: Ch Bullsrkool Blazin Kaos: Another strong fronted bitch, excellent condition and movement.

Best in Show: Ch Nightquest Bell Du Jour: A beautiful outline and symmetry coupled with a quality front, a front that outshone the males. Wish I owned her.

Runner up Best in Show:Ch Bullsrkool Blazin Kaos: Again her front got her over the line, it was icing on the cake that she owned the ring, the male was hot and bothered while she kept going.

Best Baby Puppy in Show: Valgerd Storm Chaser:All the body qualities of the bitch with a better head, will watch both careers with interest.

Best Minor Puppy In Show: Grizzmuffley Emancipation: A little stronger in head than the bitch and more “together” at this stage

Best Puppy in Show: Sanduka Sweet Rosemary: Stronger profile and better behaved than the dog, male going through difficult puppy stage.

Best Junior in Show: Treebrook Ilex: Quite simply the best headed animal of the day and close to my ideal, plus he was one of the few animals to have a correct short back. Having said that the bitch is simply gorgeous. I would love to own both. They will both shine in a year or so. 

Best intermediate in Show: Ch Bullarmour Big Cruzer: Better head and movement than the bitch.

Best Australian Bred in Show: Ch Nightquest Bell Du Jour: Best In Show

Best Open in Show: Ch Bullsrkool Blazin Kaos: Runner up Best in Show