Judge Hannele Jokisilta opinion

       This was third time that I judged in Russia, I was surprised to find out that it was almost 7 years since I last time visited your country because I remembered that it was just a few years ago. Previously all the organisations went very well, and this time was no exception! Hotel was excellent, we had super meals with different type of vodkas (!) and all the people were so friendly. Andrei and his lovely wife Valerina were so hospital and I learned from Andrei also how to make PLOV. Although the making of it is more like art than cooking! But I have the recipe now!! The show was at a school, enough space for this size of show. I know that the organizationers were dissappointed that there were so little dogs entered but at least we had time to dictate critiques from all the dogs. It is allways difficult when there is a translator so that one cannot check has the translator understood what I want to say..and does the writer understand the translator! 

      On the whole the quality of the labradors was ok, I gave most of the dogs grading excellent, although I did not give CW in dogs in many classes. The bitches were better than dogs, as in most of the breeds I judge and almost all the shows which I have judged labradors during my judging years. I do not know why it is difficult to get a super dog- they tend to be too light or too heavy! Most of the dogs had very nice coats, with true overcoat and good undercoat. Nice temperaments, I do not remember any to being shy. Some nice dogs were too fat which is always a problem in labs, everybody in the breed knows that they love food! But in shows you need to get the dog in tiptop-condition and fat combining with heavy body is not correct. I tend to be a bit of head fanatic and would like the most of the dogs have better heads, especially more stop. Also the big problem in breed is the frontangulation, most of the dogs also in this show would need better frontangulation. In babies won BOB yellow dog Artic Lord Winter, very promising baby and such a good mover for his age. BOS was also yellow, but with brown pigment Loijalhart Marfa, very promising bitch but the pigmentationproblem will affect her shows later one. Best junior and finally also BOB was yellow bitch, very eye-catching young lady Uliana Zeta Jons. At the moment she was "delicious", cobby body with excellent coat and tail and good mover. Needs a bit more angulation in front but anyway a worthy winner. Best dog junior was also yellow Richard Lion Heart, nice young male with little too much weight. Best in champions was quite big yellow male Jun Ch Rus Ch Loijalhart National Hero, very eyecatching dog which showed well.

       Best dog was black, very typy and showy Jun Ch Rus Ch National club Ch Goodquites Let Me Know. Nice structure, strong bone, ecellent coat and a very good mover, maybe a bit long in body for a male.

      In bitches I gave all the class winners CW, intermedia classwinner Beselfolk Kersty Elly, very nice bitch but needs better coat. Open winner, chocolate Slav Troufy Escapend excellent bitch, strong bitch shown a bit too heavy condition. Winners class one only but worthy of CW: black very typy Ursula Dark Beauty which did not want to show. Championbitch black Ch Rus Loijalhart Twice as Good is truly worthy of her championgrading, excellent neck and topline (which I love!) and coat, needs also like the most of the others, more angulation in front. Concidered her winner but this time the junior was just too delicious! 

      I had a super day at the show, we looked the groups and BIS and I was pleased that the spanish mastiff won the show because he was my favourite!

 Hannele Jokisilta