Posts filed under ‘Mahalia Jackson’
National Gundog Championship
A lovely bright and breezy day greeted exhibitors at this years National Gundog and the Belatarr clan also got off to a great start with Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie & his sister Belatarr Mahalia Jackson beating a huge entry of 30 pairs in the brace class to claim their first ever Championship Gundog Brace 1st place under judge Colin (Jock) McKay.
That brace win – photo by Alan V Walker.
There was also a lovely breed entry of 78 for HWV specialist Chris Guest, the third highest entry of the year after Crufts and the HWVA Championship. At a few days over 12 months Belatarr Sculptor (Kofi) stepped out into his first ever Junior Class and was awarded an excellent 2nd place, whilst his big sister, Belatarr Mahalia Jackson (Billie) was also awarded 2nd in an extremely competitive Open Bitch class, and then excitingly went on to be awarded the Reserve Bitch CC – her second RCC in a row.
Billie at National Gundog.
Windsor Wins.
Team Belatarr had another memorable day at the Windsor Championship where the (mostly) bright and breezy weather and huge outdoor ring made for ideal show conditions.
First up Gryphon & Billie took a turn in the Dog World Brace Class and ended up taking an excellent 3rd place out of some 20 gundog pairs entered, even winning £15 in prize money for their efforts!
Gryphon & Billie in the Brace class.
Awaiting the judge!
Over in the breed ring young Belatarr Sculptor (Kofi) won himself another 1st place in the Puppy Dog class, and was also awarded Best Puppy Dog:
Belatarr Sculptor – Best Puppy Dog at Windsor.
Next up was his big brother, Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie (Gryphon), who was placed 2nd in Open Dog and went on to be awarded Reserve Best Dog. This result earned Gryphon his Kennel Club Stud Book number, joining his brother, Django and sister, Billie as the third from this litter to earn their number since April of this year and that in turn means that, like them, Gryphon is now Crufts qualified for life.
His critique was:
“I love this boy’s head, it is so well furnished with dense eyebrows under which sits his almost human looking eyes with their lively & intelligent expression. It is well proportioned with a broad nose, moderate stop, slightly rounded skull & medium set thin leathers. He has a great pro-sternum, return of upper arm, level topline & moderate bend of stifle. He wears a harsh golden sand jacket with undercoat. He moves very well but could not match the performance of the winner. RBD“
Christine Morgan
Gryphon – Reserve Best Dog.
Then the action heated up further as Belatarr Mahalia Jackson (Billie) beat a formidable line-up of bitches to take 1st Open Bitch and then Best Bitch. Unfortunately Windsor is one of two shows where the breed is only allocated one CC (for Best of Breed) and Billie just missed out this time around, but instead went head to head with her brother Gryphon for the single Reserve CC, which she won in great style.
The judge’s critique for her was:
“I fully understand why the KC introduced the single CC but I am not sorry that there will be no more after this year. As a judge it saddened me that I could not award the lovely best bitch the CC of which she more than deserves. Just like her brother who was RBD, she has a beautiful head & expression with the furnishings to give it a very striking & square appearance. She has strength of neck & body, is well off for bone & substance & very well muscled throughout. Her shoulders are well laid & ribs moderately sprung & carried well back. She has a nice big bum to propel her round the ring on a free & easy stride & her tail carriage is excellent. Her golden sand coat is of good texture with an undercoat. I was sorry that there was only one CC on offer & so she had to settle for BB & RCC“
Christine Morgan
Finally the Belatarr team won another Breeders Class (our 5th such win of the year) and zipped immediately over to the Breeders Group to represent the breed in front of the big audience gathered around the Best in Show ring, where we were also awarded Best Breeder in Group – cue the arrival of photographers from the Dog Press to capture the moment!
Breeders Group win rosette.
Some of the winning cards (and prize money!)
A very long, but wonderful day for everyone, with three 1st places and another Best of Sex win to add to our running total for the year!
Big Belatarr wins at Bath.
The Belatarr youngsters continued their run of Championship Show successes today at Bath where the monsoon conditions failed to dampen (or, more to the point, wash away) spirits!
Three Belatarr’s were in action at the show and at 10 months and a day young Belatarr Sculptor (Kofi) was Best Puppy Dog and later won the puppy challenge to collect his first Champ Show Best Puppy award. His big brother Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie (Gryphon) was placed 2nd in Open Dog and went on to take Reserve Best Dog, whilst sister Belatarr Mahalia Jackson (Billie) was 1st Open Bitch and Best Bitch before collecting her second Champ Show Best of Breed of the year.
Billie & Gryphon’s Bath winnings.
To round things off Billie & Gryphon then zipped off to another part of the showground where they were placed an excellent 4th out of the 19 entries in the Gundog Brace Class.
Belatarr HWVA Championship wins!
Absolutely fantastic day for team Belatarr today at the Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla Association Championship Show:
1st Minor Puppy Dog – Belatarr Hercules
1st Puppy Dog – Belatarr Sculptor
1st Special Award Junior Dog – Belatarr Sculptor
1st Limit Dog – Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie
Best Puppy Dog – Belatarr Hercules
Reserve Best Puppy in Show – Belatarr Hercules
1st Limit Bitch – Belatarr Mahalia Jackson
Best Bitch + Bitch Challenge Certificate – Belatarr Mahalia Jackson
AND
Best in Show – Belatarr Mahalia Jackson
Billie and Irene share a moment.
Belatarr Mahalia Jackson – on her way to Best in Show.
Billie also received this really sensational critique from judge Marion McAngus:
“Oh boy! This was my star & the one to take home, this is my interpretation of the Standard, I could not fault her everything, shape, coat, feet, topline, tailset, shoulders & head, moved as expected, animated, flowing & ground covering gait with strong rear driving action. She was fit & fit for function, good luck in the future & go to every show, she deserves to be made up, loved her.”
We’re just so thrilled and proud of all the babies today and delighted for Vivien, Jenny & David + MASSIVE congratulations to Irene Collier for Billie’s first CC today!
Some of the magnificent Belatarr trophy haul!
The Belatarr babies enjoy a well-deserved post-show team romp!
Big weekend for Belatarr.
A wonderful day for team Belatarr at the Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla Club show & annual prize giving at Newark yesterday – a lovely, friendly, happy & very well run show with such a nice atmosphere too. Young Belatarr Hercules started the ball rolling taking 1st Puppy Dog and going on to Best Puppy Dog & Reserve Best Puppy in Show. Big brother Belatarr Charlie Parker won 1st Post Graduate Dog & sister Belatarr Mahalia Jackson was 1st Limit Bitch.
Belatarr Charlie Parker with his Krugerand Trophy.
Then, in the annual awards, Charlie Parker won the Krugerand Trophy for Top Show Puppy, and Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie (Gryphon) was awarded the magnificent Haunsberg Bronze for Top Show Dog of 2013, with brother Belatarr Django Reinhardt runner up and sister Belatarr Mahalia Jackson runner up Top Show Bitch of 2013 – a fabulous collection of wins and wards and wonderful recognition for everyone’s hard work and great achievements over the past year.
Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie with his Haunsberg Bronze Trophy.
Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie – Best Dog at Manchester Championship.
In another super Championship outing for the Big Belatarr Babies, Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie (Gryphon) took 1st Post Graduate Dog, with his brother Charlie Parker 2nd, before going on to be awarded Best Dog under judge Editha Newton.
Her critique for him was:
“I liked his balance of angles both fore & aft which helped him to stand foursquare with correct topline. Lovely neck & shoulder with good depth of chest. Lovely straight hock.”
Following wins at LKA and Boston this makes three Champ Shows in a row where Belatarr babies have taken Best Dog or Best Bitch, with a different sibling winning each time, which is particularly pleasing.
Not wishing to be left behind, a little later on Belatarr Mahalia Jackson (Billie) stepped out into what was only her second Champ Show Open Bitch class and was awarded 2nd from a classy entry of 10 Open Bitches. Many congratulations to all, once again!
Belatarr Mahalia Jackson Best Bitch at LKA
Ending what has been a terrific year in suitably terrific style Billie, Belatarr Mahalia Jackson, took 1st in Post Graduate Bitch at the LKA Championship, and then went on to be awarded Best Bitch and Reserve Best of Breed under judge Mick Howes.
His super critique for her read:
“A real showgirl with class & style. She did not put a foot wrong. With overall soundness & balance, this bitch has an eye catching outline. Shown in good coat & presented in lovely condition. She has a very pretty head with good earset & correct eye, strong neck & lay back of shoulder, plenty of fore chest with straight front good pastern. Plenty of depth with spring to rib, excellent tailset. She has good muscle tone which showed in her movement which was steady with drive & extension keeping her topline & using her tail. Well deserving of Best Bitch”
Billie on the move.
Belatarr Mahalia Jackson steps out.
Billie (Belatarr Mahalia Jackson) has had a superb run at Champ Shows all year, most recently taking 1st Post Graduate Bitch at Midland Counties under breed expert Sheila Grey, but she has been a little overshadowed going head-to-head against her brothers Django & Gryphon at recent Open Shows.
Billie certainly turned the tables today at the Exonian Canine Association show, though. She started by taking 1st in another big HWV Open class, with Django 2nd, and then went Best of Breed with Django Reserve BOB under judge Penny Gowland. Some hours later the 17-strong Gundog Group took to the ring and Billie did us all proud by taking an excellent Gundog Group 2 – congratulations to Billie & Irene on another really super result for the Mk 1 Belatarr babies!
Billie at Midland Counties.
Windsor Win
Yesterday’s Windsor Championship show brought another very memorable outing and another great win for Belatarr Mahalia Jackson (Billie), who, at the grand old age of 19 months, is becoming quite the star. She firstly won her big Post Graduate Bitch class before beating a star-studded array of top bitches to take another excellent Reserve Best Bitch award, under judge Christine McDonald.
The judges critique read:
“Lovely bitch, super shape, in harsh body coat. Super head, just right in neck, shoulders, bone and feet, well sprung ribs carried well back. Good topline, excellent hindquarters and very sound on the move. RBB”
Billie taking RBB in the bitch line-up.
Belatarr Mahalia Jackson, fresh from the ring.
Meanwhile in an extremely competitive 10-strong Post Graduate Dog class Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie and Belatarr Charlie Parker scored a solid 3rd & 4th places, respectively. We’ve been trying to take an up-to-date ringside shot of Dizzy Gillespie (Gryphon) for the last few shows, invariably being defeated by the weather or timing, but this time we made sure to get a shot in the bag to show him as he now is, at 19 months of age and maturing very nicely:
Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie.
Take 2.
Belatarr Babies in the ring.
The Belatarr babies had another excellent show weekend, and all in blazing sunshine too…
First up on Saturday was Django who was awarded Best of Breed at the 3-day benched Royal Cornwall Show – another award previously bagged by his father 3 years earlier, and Django’s 6th consecutive Open Show BOB.
Following his win, and whilst seated on his bench, Django played host to a pretty much non-stop array of well-wishers (including brother Otis – Belatarr John Coltrane!) and fans, old and new, all of whom he was very happy to have provide their stroking/tickling and patting services…. although the continual attention, stifling heat and 4-hour wait combined to ensure that he was utterly exhausted by the time the Gundog group finally rolled around and he spent much of the time lying flat out on the grass in the Group ring whilst other Gundog BOB’s gamely trotted up and down.
One lovely show day was followed immediately by another and whilst Django snoozed his Sunday afternoon away siblings Billie, Gryphon & Charlie went into action at the Three Counties Championship.
Now 19 months of age the Belatarr youngsters are firmly up amongst the big boys and girls in Post Graduate. Charlie Parker & Gryphon went head to head, as usual, in a competitive Post Grad dog class and Gryphon (Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie) bagged 2nd place, with brother Charlie a solid 3rd. The judge was very keen to see Gryphon again to consider him for Reserve Best Dog, and waited for as long as she could, but to due *logistical complications* he was, unfortunately 5 mins away in the car park at by that time, and so sadly it was not to be…
The judges critique read:
“A soundly moving dog with many attractive attributes, excellent harsh coat, balanced front and rear angulations, deep and long ribs giving the correct body length, topline firm and held on the move.” Eileen Hughes
Sister Billie (Belatarr Mahalia Jackson) proved to be our biggest star of the day, though, and took an excellent 1st in a tough and large Post Graduate Bitch class.
Her critique read:
“It was difficult to separate the first two quality bitches. I preferred the firsts length of body and her coat; correct head and body proportions, good tight feet, very good topline and tail-set, she moved well.” Eileen Hughes
In the bitch line-up Billie then went head-to head with a previous Crufts Best of Breed winner (who had been called back after being placed 2nd in Open Bitch) and Billie emerged victorious to be awarded a terrific Reserve Best Bitch. An excellent day’s work, team!
Billies Three Counties wins.
Belatarr Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla. 