"Thank you to all exhibitors for your sportsmanship and your entries, which although small was first class quality. I was delighted to go over so many excellent dogs and was especially impressed with the soundness, size and substance I found. I was really delighted with my winners. Size was generally good - we seem to have moved
away from undersized males.

I had at the forefront of my mind what an ideal Newfoundland should look like and how it should move. I looked for balanced, sound, typy dogs with good size, substance, strong bone; dogs which could move with power, stamina and drive. Overall I looked for large, heavily coated, well balanced dogs with the strong correctly made skeletal frame and overlying well developed musculature to enable them to work with stamina and endurance in heavy seas or as draught animals.

It was particularly pleasing to go over some superb young dogs which bodes well for the future of the breed. I was also pleased that all the dogs exhibited had no pronounced eyelid conformation defects (listed as a matter of concern by the KC). The vast majority had tight eyelids and well shaped eyes displaying no haw. Mouths were also excellent in general. Dogs were turned out superbly and temperament was excellent. The gentle nature, dignity and sweetness is the hallmark of the breed and we must preserve it at all costs.

I noticed that many major awards were won by imported dogs. I must congratulate the overseas breeders concerned and the owners for their choices and their willingness to seek out quality which can only benefit the breed in the UK."