"I would like to thank the Newfoundland Club for their kind invitation to judge at this 6th Joint Clubs' Championship Show and considered this a great honor. My most grateful thanks go to the hard workers headed by Show Manager par excellence Mr. Gary Coldwell and efficient secretary Mrs. Andrea Hobbs. Thanks to my most able stewards Mr. Andy Sussams and Mrs. Sussie Raymond I could fully concentrate on judging the dogs entered under me. I thoroughly enjoyed my day and the opportunity to go over the lovely entry of 119.

The weather was favorable and most of the judging could take place outdoors – an afternoon rain shower forced us to go indoors for the final moments.

There was a lapse of ten years between my last appointment with the breed at Bath in 2005 and this show, so obviously the majority of the dogs were new to me. Now that importing dogs has been made so much easier to the UK I can see that this has had an impact on this breed as well. On studying the catalogue after the show I can see that a considerable number of Newfies have been imported from different corners of the world to the UK.

There was considerable variation in type. On reflection I must say that I was well pleased with my dog line-up, but found bitches hard work. More often than not bitches tend to be more even than males, but this show proved an exception to the rule. Many dogs in both sexes were shown rather plump and I think this needs attention. Loose fat is no substitute to a proper, well muscled body! I am sorry to say, but some dogs should have been more thoroughly groomed for the occasion. Mouths on the whole were pretty good, I saw some rather light eyes which unfortunately tend to ruin the desired expression and just one or two with somewhat suspect eyes. Better muscle tone and less weight would in my opinion have improved movement in a number of dogs. Temperaments were amicable and typical.

My top winners were of superlative quality. They are truly outstanding breed representatives and I thought my CC winning dog and bitch a lovely pair."