"What a privilege! Seventy-two Newfoundlands (from the original 99 entered) all seemingly with the same loving and trusting intent to hug and snog me as I waded in to go hands on! I have had patient and generous mentoring and specific breed education by breed clubs, not least the Southern who salvaged me from a wreck of a JDP in 2013 that the KC required to be re-run. Meantime I learnt so much 'close up and personal' at a Fun Day and observed at a Club Ch. Show to go on and gain a Credit at the re-run JDP in 2015. I judged my first breed classes in 1994 and a breed judging seminar at the Newfoundland Club in 2008. I needed a minimum of 55 hands-on. I had 76.

The competition was pretty intense and very international. There is self-evidently a desire to widen the gene pool, but in an intelligently researched and complementary manner. The conditioning, presentation and handling was consistently to be admired and truly appreciated. Roll on the next time!"