Everyone in the dog world will have been shocked at the sad news that Martin Rees died suddenly the week before Christmas. Long time partner of Becky Johnson, he loved his dogs and enjoyed judging. After judging the CBRC Open Show he then went on to award his first CCs at LKA in 2021, awarding BOB to Middleton & Mayhew’s SH CH Arnac Bay Hebe. In 2025 he came back to the CBRC Championship Show awarding CCs for the second time, BIS went to Thompson’s SH CH Arnac Bay Harvest, litter sister to Hebe. Martin will be sadly missed by many. Heartfelt condolences to Becky Johnson.
It is with the deepest sadness I was told of another wonderful dog lady who has passed away. The Hon Dame Shan Legge-Bourke. Not a show person or a field trialer but Shan’s love of dogs was infectious. Living on the family estate of Glanusk on the outskirts of Crickhowell where many people would pass on the way to Builth Wells. Shan and her late husband Bill would open their gates to encourage and help with many gundog events. I took The Chesapeake Club there many times on training days and working tests where Shan would often come to join in as one of the gang, the next day she would be up in London as Princess Anne’s Lady in Waiting. So easy was she with all people.
Many open shows run dog matches, Christmas is the time to celebrate the end of year matches, with dog parties and other special events. Kirsty Watts with Vixen – Oakmarsh Little Acorn JW, won Yearling Of The Year at Great Dunmow & District Ringcraft Society monthly dog matches. Vixen also won Best Yearling and Supreme Champion at Colchester & District Ringcraft Society end of year match. Lorna Murray with Leo was Best Veteran in Match under judge Leslie Nesbit at Selkirk Canine Society. My own Pistol – Penrose Water Pistol, won Best Puppy & Best in End of Year Match at Pontypool & District Canine Society.
Two interesting if not controversial questions have recently come to me. Both questions I have been asked over the years. The first question is movement. I think above all watching a dog move jumps out at people more than anything else. Looking for reach, drive and soundness. The standard in the forequarters asks that the shoulders should be sloping with full liberty of action, plenty of power and without any restrictions of movement. The hindquarters should show fully as much power as the forequarters, there should be no weakness. Hindquarters should be especially as powerful to supply the driving power for swimming. One would think this is easy to see and interpret, however one should remember Chesapeakes are not a cookie cutter breed. There are many things that can affect movement. If a dog is built to the breed standard, with the correct balance of the breed standard that has good health and correct muscle it should move in a correct way. However dogs which are too short in body will cause the dog to over reach. Upright shoulders and short upper arm will restrict reach in front. A dog that has a lack of angulation in stifle and hock will follow but not drive. Both of these faults will affect the dog’s power in swimming, in Chesapeakes you really need to see the power of these dogs in difficult swimming conditions to appreciate how the correct construction of the fore and hind quarters are essential. Moving at speed the back feet will converge towards each other but not cross, it is incorrect to look for a dog that is wider moving in the rear. I am always disappointed to see how many judges will give their last appraisal to movement especially hind movement not remembering side gate should account for 60% while coming and going 40% when it should be coat. There are a few other things that will affect movement, if a dog has a shoulder/elbow problem it may favour a front leg, sadly I know 2 exhibitors who threw the towel into the show dog world quite early on when a lame dog was put up in front of them and was later withdrawn by the group of people handling it because it was so lame. They were disgusted by the judge who turned a blind eye to this unsound dog. If a dog has a bad hip score or is too long in the body it can cause the dog to crab. Chesapeakes are renowned as a dual-purpose breed, many dogs that do a great deal of work can develop large thigh and second thigh muscles, these muscles can alter the hind movement turning the stifles slightly out. Judges should know good muscle and soft muscle and judge accordingly. Many people today will not remember Margerat Woods, Nunneyswood Chesapeakes, IOW. She would work her dogs and did a lot of swimming in the sea with them, I was always delighted when judging her dogs knowing they would have well developed rear muscles.
The second question and one which is a hot topic is “face judging”. We all know it, we see it, nothing is ever said or done about it. It is getting worse and is one of the biggest reasons for the drop in entries. Who really wants to spend a lot of money and time and effort hoping the judge is going to assess your dog only to know they are assessing a face. I believe I have been face judged 4 times in 50 years, impossible to prove but it leaves me feeling very sad. Of all the many achievements my dogs have won these 4 wins are the most prominent – was it just me, were my dogs good enough or not? When I presented the first breed seminar for The Chesapeake Club I was asked a question from the back of the room regarding face judging. This was some 25 years ago. My answer and one which I believe in was that people who showed regularly would be seen regularly, if they had an eye for a dog and could win dog after dog they would become known for having quality. This is in every breed. When one of these people would come into the ring you expect the dog they had with them to be of the same good quality. A novice owner may not know their dog, they love it but its not quite there. They have not trained themselves or their dog to look the part and so the more experienced exhibitor would often be the winner, this is not face judging. Today face judging would seem to be rife in all breeds, where owners, professional handlers, groups of owners push their dogs and themselves with the aid of social media regardless of the quality of their dogs. Those who seek to win a ribbon will work hard to make themselves known far and wide to judges, many are professionals working in the field of dogs. No one seems to know the answer to stopping face judging, the KC do not seem to want to do anything about it or so I am told.
Janet Morris
07739 592323,
penrosechesapeakes@gmail.com