Report CESS August 2022

FCI Central European Sighthound Show and Sighthound Club Show, Slovakia, 6. and 7. August 2022

KNUT FR. BLÜTECHER:

What an honour and a great pleasure to be invited judging both FCI Central European Sighthound Show and Sighthound Club Show at Castle Mojmírovce, Slovakia this year. Thank you to the committee for the invitation, the many exhibitors for showing me such a nice number of quality dogs and to my excellent ring stewards. On Saturday I was judging Irish Wolfhounds and Whippets. On Sunday I had Italian Greyhounds, Sloughis, Azawakh, Galgo Espanol, Podenco Ibicenco, Pharaoh Hounds, Magyar Agár and Chart Polski in my ring.

What a great place to have the show. To stay at the lovely castle was fantasic. The showground, which I could see from my window, was just perfect in the lovely garden with huge trees making some nice shade for us all. All the facilities were there. The rings were large, so everyone could really show the movement of their dogs. 

Thank you for the wonderful sportsmanship and kind response from exhibitors after my judging. A big thank you to my fellow judges Zafra Sirik and András Korosz. At Saturday evening there were a huge dinner party with dance into the small hours. What a fabulous weekend this was! I surely enjoyed every minute of it!

Irish Wolfhound

I was looking forward to see the 17 Irish Wolfhounds in my ring. Though this is a large breed, they are sighthounds and shall look like one. I was looking for dogs with commanding attitude, excellent breed type with great balance between substance and elegance with long sweeping curves and free sound movement. Not surprisingly I did find variation in type as well as general make and shape. Many of the dogs were of nice quality. But saying this – I would have liked to see more depth of quality in some of the classes. Most of my class winners were of excellent quality, size and type. Nice heads and eyes with lovely calm expression, long powerful neck, which flows softly and easy into body through well laid shoulders. Nice well made, developed and angulated fronts are rather hard to find even in wolfhounds. I did find some rather upright and forward fronts with little front fill. I like to see the fronts fitting the strong hindquarters. Well developed body with great depth of brisket and nice ribbing. Most of my winners were shown in lovely condition. I was pleased to see mostly correct bites, but please continue to keep focus on sound mouths.

I really liked my BOB winner! Oozing type, soundness and quality all through, super outline, shown in nice muscular condition, lovely to go over, nice feminine head, lovely eyes, strong and well ached neck, strong topline, well made body with great depth and ribbing, liked her well made hindquarters. Nice coat. Sound movement.

The BOS winner was of lovely breed type and outline. Handsome well made dog. His neck is long as well as powerful. Nice front and depth of body, strong well made hindquarters, excelled on the move. Nice coat. 

Whippets

The number of whippets came up to some 67 dogs this year, which I really enjoyed. Several of the dogs were of excellent high quality that moved free and easy round the ring, keeping the typical sweeping outline. My class winners were outstanding. Again I was looking for dogs with excellent breed type with great balance between substance and elegance, which is hard to define without seeing the dogs. A proper whippet is built on sweeping soft curves, both standing and on the move, without any square interruptions. In such a strong and lovely entry, the dogs have to be excellent in most departments to be highly rewarded. 

My overall winner was an attractive brindle bitch, combining substance and elegance to perfection. A beautiful high quality bitch of the type, style, structure and movement I was looking for. An impressive bitch with beautiful curves all at the right places, sound in all directions. She scores highly in keeping her beautiful outline, while standing and on the move. She was in tip top condition and made her day.

Best male and BOS was actually her sire, another brindle, a handsome male presenting his lovely outline, stunning curves and excellent breed type. I really like his head and expression. Well made body with excellent depth of brisket. He is a top class male and a true stallion. He has lovely strong angulated hindquarters, which made him move free and soundly. He even gave me a lovely performance. Excellent condition and presentation. I really liked the second male in his class a lot, this was a very close decision! 

Another male that impressed me was the winner from intermediate. I liked this black and white dog a lot. Quality written all over. Well made, excellent type and size, elegant head, super eye, excellent neck, neckset and topline, tremendous depth of chest, super fore chest, nicely angulated both ends, he is a very nice sound free mover. Excellent condition. 

My junior bitch was lovely. A feminine young bitch with lot of quality, combining stamina and elegance to perfection, excellent balance, glamorous and elegant in outline, excellent make and shape. Lovely headpiece, excellent neck and neck set, loved her strong topline. Nicely angulated both ends. She was a very nice mover when she liked to show me! 

There were even some nice puppies that will be most interesting to follow in the time to come.

Italian Greyhounds

On Sunday I started with some 29 Italian Greyhounds. As we all know the IG should be a rather leggy dog with lot of attitude, angels and proud head carriage. An IG is not an “ordinary dog”, neither a caricature! Type, outline and attitude is important to make the right picture of this elegant sighthound.. The movement is very typical for the breed with lot of attitude but sound! Saying all this, some were of high quality that moved free and easy round the ring, keeping the outline we like to see. 

My BOB winner was an excellent feminine bitch, excellent type, style and lot of qualities  – all in one package. Excellent elegant bone, as well as coat and movement.

BOS was a high quality male, he impressed me a lot as soon as he entered the ring and even more when going over him. Excelling in type, outline, well made body, typical angulated both ends, nice coat, bone and movement. 

Sloughi

I had an entry of 5 sloughis and was looking forward to this lovely breed. Sloughis are not ordinary «showdogs» or “trotting machines”. They are not built for that and have not that in their mind. But we like to see free and light typical moving dogs in great balance and harmony with the right proportions, type and outline. I would have liked to see a little more soundness down and back, but my winners were excellent with lot of nice breed points.

My BOB winner was a nice handsome champion male of excellent breed type, size, make and shape. Most impressive outline, liked his over all quality, nice head and eye, nice neck and topline, excellent ribbing, typical angulated both ends which made him move sound and typical with lots of attitude.

Best bitch was a well made and honest champion bitch of excellent type, typical outline, very nice head and with that soft a bit sad expression we like to see, most typical neck and topline, well made body and balanced angulated. She was an easy mover. Nice condition. 

Azawakh

This is a most interesting and fascinating breed, which I really enjoy to see. Unfortunately there was just one, but this champion male was of excellent quality, all male of excellent breed type, beautiful outline, make and shape with the right proportion, dry clean head, excellent eye, neck, typical topline, excellent underline and nicely balanced angulated, that made him move free and easy with great presence. Excellent coat and feet.  

Galgo Espanol

Of the two, my BOB was a very nice male from intermediate class, built on typical frame and outline. Elegant head, typical ears, neck, topline, underline, angulation, bone feet and a long tail.  Rather sound coming and going.

My BOS was his litter sister, a feminine version of her brother.

Podenco Ibicenco, rough coated

I really like these breeds a lot. So honest and to the point. There was just one entered in this coat, but saying this, I really liked this feminine junior. She had a typical outline, excellent type, head, neck, topline , brisket and angulation, she needs for the hunt. Excellent bone and coat. 

Podenco Ibicenco, smooth

In this breed I had some really nice ones, and it looks like you have a breeder, who knows this breed with excellent type, outline and frame. So pleased to see them all. 

Best male and BOB was a handsome, typical one from open class. Lot of quality, type, outline, typical chest, topline and angulation. He was even gave me a nice performance. 

Best bitch was his half sister, a nice combination of elegance and stamina, which is so important in this native breed. Liked her head, eye and ears, typical neck and topline, chest and angulation. She was a nice mover from side.

Pharaoh Hound 

In an entry of 2 there is not much to say about the overall quality in the breed. BOB was a masculine strong male but still elegant, well made. Lot of energi. Nice size and type, masculine head, strong neck, excellent chest, strong topline. He was a sound free mover and gave me a nice performance. 

BOS was a very typical and alert elegant bitch, excellent type and outline. Super head, ears and eye, elegant neck and topline, nicely angulated and a nice mover. 

Magyar Agár 

This Hungerian breed is a most interesting one with lot of history. My BOB winner was a male from open with a nice head, neck, body, angulation and movement, but would like to see a bit more stamina for perfection.

Chart Polski

Only one here, but she scored in excellent breed type, outline, make and shape. Excellent outline, the type I was looking for, good head and lovely eye, excellent typical neck and set into a strong well made topline, nicely angulated, lovely typical bone, super chest and sound movement.

Again, many thanks for a lovely weekend in Slovakia!

All the best,

Knut Fr Blütecher, Showline, Norway