What a pleasure it was to have so many promising youngsters to evaluate at your Sweepstakes! The overall quality was quite good. I was especially pleased to feel so many prominent prosternums with the accompanying full forechests on all but two of the youngsters. Mouths, also, showed good-sized teeth and most had full dentition and scissors bites. Although some of the entries had eyes a bit too round -- a real problem in our breed here in the U.S. and abroad -- all were of a good dark color. The majority of puppies had lovely, hard coats and were well presented. The one unrelenting fault that kept appearing over and over again in the majority of the puppies was their scapula placed too widely apart with a lack of correct angulation. This double whammy made for a variety of faulty front movements. I saw fronts that were simply too wide resulting in equally wide front movement. There were fronts that winged, weaved, and paddled. Those puppies that exhibited sound, free movement from all angles received the top awards. What follows is a breakdown of the placements in each class.

6 - 9 Months, Puppy Dogs:
First place went to AFTONSHIRE'S JETHRO, a red youngster with a pleasing silhouette and good reach and drive when gaiting. His head would benefit from more fill in the muzzle. The second place puppy, QUAIL HOLLOW RALPH OF PHYSIC HILL, had a good, hard cream wheaten coat, but this puppy lacked the self-confidence of the first place entry. He, too, could do with more fill under the eyes to broaden his muzzle.

9 - 12 Months, Puppy Dog:
The single entry, MUGDOCH'S CHIVALROUS CHARLIE BROWN, boasted a good, hard coat, but his head was lacking in stop. He could have benefited from more drive from the rear quarters. His scapula were set a bit wide.

12 - 18 Months Puppy Dogs:
Another nice AFTONSHIRE youngster, ROY, won this class because of his pleasing head and silhouette, sound and efficient movement, and correct textured coat. He also has a correctly constructed front assembly. The second place youngster, STONEHAVEN CASTING CROWNS, also had a lovely silhouette, an acceptable coat, and moved soundly and well with scapula set on well. Unfortunately, his eyes were a bit too round and too closely set. Third place went to BREHANNON'S CODBANK INFERNO had a lovely head and moved soundly and well with a great ring attitude. I would personally like to have seen more neck and leg to improve his balance and proportion. The fourth place dog had more size and substance than I care to see in a young dog and he could have benefited from a more classic head. However, this dog moved well.

6 - 9 Months Puppy Bitches:
This was the first of some really lovely puppy bitch classes! These little girls had pleasing silhouettes and great personalities. WHETSTONE MINNIE ME was a delightful black brindle puppy that was hard pressed by the second place, GREMLIN'S CHARMED. Both bitches had lovely heads and moved soundly with good front assemblies. MINNIE ME excelled in coat texture, and this puppy simply sparkled in the ring with her ebullient, 'all Cairn' personality. The third place puppy, CAITLIN'S TYBEE GIRL O'CAIRNHAVEN had a good head and pleasing silhouette. However, she lacked the coat texture of the first two bitches and threw her front legs out a bit when moving. In fourth place was QUAIL HOLLOW WINGED TALISMAN, a puppy with a pleasing silhouette and coat texture, but her taller hocks somewhat impeded her rear movement.

9 - 12 Months Puppy Bitches:
BREHANNON'S CODBANK PROMISE KEPT earned the first place slot for her lovely head, hard coat, and good, sound movement. Her tail set was a bit low, but her other attributes earned her the blue ribbon. The second place puppy, MUGDOCH'S MIDNIGHT CLASSY LASSY, had a pleasing silhouette and a gorgeous hard coat, but could have used more fill under the eyes to achieve a broader muzzle. I loved the balance and proportions of the third place bitch, COUNTERPOINT PENNYBERRY OF WOLFPIT, who provided a very pleasing silhouette. Her coat was not quite up to her competition, and she could have used more fill under her eyes to give her muzzle the needed width. She also lacked a prominent prosternum and forechest.

12 - 18 Months Puppy Bitches:
What a lovely class of bitches this was! First place went to WHETSTONE WITCH HAZEL II who excelled in head, coat, and silhouette. Her correctly conformed front and rear assemblies gave her excellent reach and drive, plus she maintained a steady, level back while gaiting. Her ring presence was an added plus. The second place bitch, ME'S N SWIRLING KILTS BOADACEA, also boasts a correct head, front assembly, and coat. She gaited soundly, but was out-moved by the first place bitch. ANGUS' FLORA JEAN pleased the eye with her correct balance and proportions, but she could have benefited from more rear angulation. Fourth place, DORNACH NOTABLE AT QUAILHOLLOW, excelled in coat but couldn't quite match the first three bitches in head, silhouette and movement.

Best Puppy in Sweepstakes:
Due to some puppy unruliness by her competition in the ring, BREHANNON'S CODBANK PROMISE KEPT, earned the Best Puppy award because of her steady showmanship, happy demeanor, coat texture, and sound movement.

Best Junior and Best in Sweepstakes:
WHETSTONE WITCH HAZEL II simply 'stole the show'. Her very correct front assembly, complete with prominent prosternum and forechest, her sound movement, her lovely head and hard coat, plus her sparkling ring presence propelled her to this win. I would love to have taken her home with me, but I doubt that her owners would part with her. I certainly wouldn't if she were mine!