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Firstly I would like to thank
the Hungarian Vizsla Club most deeply for asking me to judge your 1996
Open Show. As you may know my background is in Beagles, so it is an
unexpected pleasure to be invited to judge a Gundog breed Open Show when I
am not very well known away from the Hound ring. It cannot be said
often enough that these appointments are the best possible learning
experience for the trainee judges, and we come away with a far firmer
picture in our mind of what we are looking for in that particular breed
than we can get from judging at All Breeds fixtures at the moment.
It also helps to have ample time to study each dog and to make learning
and detailed comparisons as distinct from finding the winners - although
this can keep the dogs on the stack for ages or take many laps of the
ring! I am sorry if anyone became exhausted on the day.
My strongest impression of the
Vizslas at the Show was of the superb condition that they were in - with
only a few exceptions they were beautifully muscled and carried just the
right amount of condition to be a real delight to go over. They felt
firm and strong and with the skin and coat in glowing good health, which
combined with their natural elegance and clean lines showed very well what
the term “quality” means in the dog world. I did not find any
dogs which were overdone and/or coarse, and in this breed we are taught
that this is most important. A couple of dogs were on the large side
but were not off type, and the strength and soundness combined with the
lack of any exaggeration, medium bone and substance and air of nobility
were still apparent.
The first classes were Best
Headed Dog and Bitch, and I notice that the winners are from the same
litter. I also notice that they are still puppies and it will be
interesting for me to see if they change and how as they grow older.
Exhibits in these classes all seemed to me to have good heads!
However looking at these heads first was helpful during the breed classes,
where I thought some eyes could be larger and a few heads could have more
chiselling and refinement. Eye colour was good overall and there
were many with lovely “noble” expression.
The outlines of the dogs
varied considerably. Both the height to length ratio and the length
of leg to height at wither showed variety, but generally the balance was
there and proportions not exaggerated to be faults. If anything,
some dogs were a touch straight in shoulder for their rear angulation.
Toplines varied considerably, with some a little weak particularly when
the dog was moving and some a little roached. Fronts - some were a
bit wide, but overall not bad, and hindquarters quite good.
There were very few dogs
exhibited that did not show good reach and drive and lightness when moving
around the ring, and in particular the Best Dog and Best Bitch were a joy
to watch with an effortless balanced stride. Movement out and back
was usually quite true with a couple of dogs being a little close behind
and a couple of loose elbows showing up, but not enough to criticise the
breed. Feet and pasterns were good.
I feel it is presumptuous of
me to write anything on your breed at all, and I write these comments in
reply to your request for my impressions from this show. I ask
everyone who reads them to please keep them in perspective ie. as the
comments of a trainee judge who gained a lot from judging your dogs and
thanks you all for bringing your dogs out on this day, and I look forward
to watching the show careers of my younger winners develop. I hope
they have a lot of success!
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Hungarian Vizsla Club of Victoria Seventh Open Show