Championship Show 2025 Critique
OES CLUB OF VICTORIA
Championship Show
December 6 2025
CRITIQUE Judge Prof. Brian Corbitt
OVERVIEW
I bought my first OES puppy, a bitch, in 1970 and that started a journey I loved and still do. The OES is a wonderful breed and I still delight every time I see one or have the privilege to judge anywhere in the world. I have been a dog judge for 50 years and have judged 56 breed specific specialities over 51 breeds. This was my fourth OES specialty and as always was a great privilege and source of great enjoyment. Whilst the number have declined substantially and after a period when I think the breed lost the plot globally, we are back well and truly in the past 10-15 years. The overall quality in this show was fabulous. It says a lot when you want to award all of the dogs and many of the bitches a CC. Type is consistent. We are breeding “thick set, able bodied” exemplars. Bad mouths and poor rear movement have almost disappeared. Coats and colour are strong. However, I think the most important strength we now have is in the head type we are consistently producing. They are square, broad and capacious with strong truncated muzzles and are well-arched over the eyes. Bodies are strong and well sprung with stout loins and having consistent well angled rears. Temperaments are very strong. Congrats to all of the breeders.
I just have one gripe and it is not with the dogs. It is the Breed Standard we use in Australia. We are the only country in the world using this standard. We should adopt the country-of-origin Standard from the UK ASAP. That aligns with what you are breeding so well, especially with the many USQ and Canadian and European imports of the past 10-15 years and with breeders starting to bring these bloodlines into their breeding. I would strongly encourage all the OES Clubs in Australia to ask the ANKC to adopt the UK/FCI Standard and bring us into line with the rest of the world.
Judging this show was great in all aspects, wonderful dogs, great people, well run show, super trophies and the best atmosphere. Thank you all.
Critique
No 1 Puppy Dog Perfu The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
What a start! 7mo dog. Super typey. Already showing strength and great symmetry. No legginess and a short compact body and correct topline. Head is fabulous for such a young puppy. It is capacious and squarely formed and well arched over the eyes. Strong muzzle. Balanced neck on great shoulders. Excellent front, narrow at the points and straight. Rear well turned, muscular and very sound on the move. Coat looks strong with a definite blue tinge in the black puppy coat. Great to see the excellent quality impact of bringing two proven US lines together. Was in the mix for CC. Rating Excellent
No 2 Australian Bred Dog Ch Olensha Someguys Can Be Lucky
2.5 yo light grey dog. He is well balanced being strong, compact, symmetrical dog with a super topline on a strong compact body. Shull is squarely built and broad and well arched over the eyes. Muzzle to well-formed and strong. Neck is correctly long on very well laid shoulders into well-boned forelegs. Excellent front, narrow at the points and straight. Body is great but still developing. Loin is stout and square. Hindquarters are well turned and muscular. Coat is of excellent quality and still developing. Super dog to watch on the move. Coat and body are still developing.
Rating Excellent Res CC.
No 3 Open Dogs Gr Ch Perfu Mr Goodfellow
2.5 yo dog of great type and symmetry. He is thick set, muscular and able bodied. His coat, whilst still not finished yet is of excellent quality and profuse. The head of this dog is amazing. Skull is capacious, square and well arched over the eyes. Strong stop and powerful truncated muzzle. Correct lengthy neck on well-formed shoulders into a brilliant straight front, narrow at the points on excellent feet. Body is strong and ribs well sprung. Brisket is deep and capacious Hind legs are well turned, wide and muscular. If I could improve him, it would be to give him a bit more upper arm, but wow a great, very sound dog.
Rating Excellent CC and RUBIS
No 4 Junior Bitch Perfu Dancing in the Dark
13 mo bitch. She was a handful in the ring (not surprised when I saw who the father was) but oh so much quality here. She is strong and muscled. Able bodied with well sprung ribs. Great bitch head, so square, strong and somewhat capacious for her age. Muzzle is truncated. Neck is long on well angled shoulders and straight front, narrow at the points. Body is deep and capacious. Topline is pretty good. Well-developed HQ. Very sound. Coat is in transition but the quality is there. So much quality for a youngster .
Rating Excellent and RCC.
No 5 Intermediate Bitch CH Whitefall Walk Like a Goddess
2.5yo bitch of great type and symmetry. Darkish, high-quality coat with lots of undercoat. Head is strong but still bitchy, well formed, square and capacious with a strong truncated muzzle. Neck was lengthy , perhaps a little too long but that was built on well-formed and angled shoulders, over a straight well boned front and reasonably narrow. Body was deep and ribs well sprung. Correct topline, Stout loin over well turned HQ. Move very well behind but was a trifle wide in front. I would move her a lot slower. She has a tendency when moved too fast to be too Poodley in gait. So much to like
Rating Excellent.
No 6. Australian Bred Bitch Ch Olensha Delighted by You
7yo. Super good shape, Correctly squarish, able bodied and strong. Head is capacious and square and truncated. Neck is correctly long, on great shoulders and a typical OES topline with a correct slope in the croup and a longish tail. This is topped with a strong grizzle coat. She is able-bodied, thick-set, strong and muscular. She is a little wide in front and has a tendency to wobble coming. Very sound on the move. She was too ploddy on the move, maybe an age thing.
Rating: Excellent (2nd in class)
No 7 Australian Bred Bitch Ch Perfu Extraordinary Showgirl
2yo grey bitch of great symmetry, well-muscled and able bodied. She has an excellent bitch head, square, broad and well arched over the eyes and correct stop. Truncated strong muzzle. Lengthy neck on well laid shoulders. Strong narrow, straight front with strong bone. Body deep and capacious. Loin stout giving a correct OES topline. Well-turned stifles. Mover very well but she was a trifle wide when coming and moved quite well behind. I would remove some of the hock hair.
Rating: Excellent (1st in class)
No 8 Open Bitch CH Perfu Goodness Gracious
2.5yo bitch of great symmetry; strong and able bodied but all bitch. She has a great bitch head, square and capacious with a strong and truncated muzzle. Neck is lengthy set on well laid shoulders with a straight front, narrow at the points with excellent bone. Body is deep and capacious. Loin is stout and topline is correct. Well round ed rear with excellent turn of stifle. Has an excellent, profuse and high-quality coat. Moved well, but was a bit off today. Lots to like.
Rating Excellent (2nd in class)
No 9 Open Bitch Ch Olensha I Should be So Lucky
This 2.5 yo bitch is of exemplary type. She is square, thickly set, able-bodied and muscular of good size and very symmetrical. Head is broad, square and capacious and the muzzle is strong and truncated. What is most impressive is that she has super angulation front and rear under a very typical topline for an OES. Long neck on well laid shoulders, narrow at the points and well boned. Back is strong, powerful developed loin and a sloping croup. All compact, deep and balanced. Coat is profuse and abundant of excellent quality. On the move out and back she is sound and in profile she reaches well and drives strongly.
Rating: Excellent (1st in class) BCC and BIS
No 11 Open Bitch Ch Perfu TheCats Out Of The Bag at Soblu
3.5 yo bitch of great symmetry, and strength. She is able bodied and muscular and of good size. She has a true bitch head, well-formed, square, well arched over the eyes with a well truncated muzzle. Neck is lengthy on well laid shoulders. Whilst the front is straight I would prefer it to be slightly narrower. Excellent body, deep with stout loin and correct topline. Well-turned rear. Moved a bit too wide for me coming and a bit narrow going.
Rating: Excellent (3rd in class)
No 12 Neuter Dog Ch Olensha you Were Made for Me CD RA
4.5 yo dog of correct colour. Super male head, square, strong and deep. Excellent truncated muzzle and well arched over the eyes. Great neck on well laide shoulders. He is a bit out at elbow and not as narrow in front as one would want. Excellent body, deep and capacious. Loin stout and an excellent topline. Well-turned stifles and very muscular. Move well on the side and behind. Bit wide and wobbly in front. Shown clipped but with excellent textured coat
Rating: Excellent NDCC, RUBOBN
No 13 Neuter Bitch Ch Waloes Don’t Dream It Be It (AI)
4yo bitch with excellent type and symmetry. She is carrying a super coat of excellent texture and very profuse. Head is typical of a bitch and string, square and capacious with a strong truncated muzzle. Neck is lengthy on well laid shoulders, straight and narrow at the points. Body is deep and capacious. Loin is stout and topline is correct. Well-rounded HQ and well-turned stifles. Moved very soundly.
Rating : Excellent NBCC, BOBN