Griffon Bruxellois Breeders Association- Championship Show - 4th May 2025.
Such a celebration of all things Griffon and an honour to officiate having been there (back in the day, about 1981, in a car park!) when the idea of forming a GBBA was born.
You are fortunate to have Julia Spittle at the helm, with her attention to detail, and a small team who work so well, and supportively, together. Hats off to each and every one of you & now Chaired by Denise Barney.
As ever, Paul Fernyhough produced his unsurpassed menu of food that, frankly, is worth you coming here for, even without a Griffon in tow!
You all helped in the ongoing education of our two student judges, Dawn Inett for the Dogs and Kelly Lee Hampton for the Bitches, by allowing them to go hands on in pre-appointed classes ,all so carefully chosen by our BEC, Michelle Swinge, and supervised by skilled ring steward Julien Barney (with his own enviable Griffon pedigree!) who did his utmost to keep us all up to the mark.
Great to have Chris & Carol Rundle present who donated cherished Griffon memorabilia to a lunchtime auction, along with myself and a few secret donations that raised almost £1200 to the Association's Griffon Health Fund whilst the classes were entirely sponsored by you all plus Griffon friends. There was a vet & Griffon fan, Barbara Grabczyk, in attendance too for patella testing.
27 of the 34 Dog exhibits were present and 23 of the 30 Bitches.
Baby PD(1,0)
1st: Omre's Admiravel Feeling Bullish(NAF); unexpected to find a r/r in the hands of this particular breeder; just 4m; sired by the BIS; so well bodied already; expressive face with enviable ears; sound with "attitude;" harsh jacket; one to watch out for as surely has an assured future on this showing. Best BPIS
Baby PB(3,0)
1st: Chapman's Hipster Xenna Avec Cilleine(Imp BEL); rising 6m b/r benefitting from that bit of maturity; struck me as classy; full of breed type; cobby; lovely face; ex jacket; moved both sound, showy & accurate.
2nd: Rouse's Balthazar Hello C' Est Moi; 5m r/r of promise who was so well built as befits the fact she turns out to be sired by the RBIS; ex jacket; just learning the ropes and both she & her handler gained in confidence; surely worth campaigning & wish them both well.
3rd: Cooper's Balthazar Endless Love For Settrenda
VD(3,0)
1st: Krog's Dk/Nor I'm Your Man Unlimited(ATC Number NOR); 8yrs b/t/s; so fit, smart & square; lovely facial features with distinguished "frosting "; cobby with width through his ribs; tight coat; ex tailset; super rear end; feel privileged to have met him. BVIS
2nd: Omre's Admiravel Crazy Man In Beard; 8.5yrs b/r; so handsome & so close up; ex conformation if bigger framed & less short; large, round head with open features & lovely eye; best of jackets; just came on that bit proud at elbow.
3rd: Carpenter's Sabai Oleander
MPD(2,0)
1st: Price & Burns Marquant New Order; 8m r/r; so smart & shapely with expressive ears; such a well angulated rear where he moved so soundly with some drive; ex jacket; shown to best advantage; simply has to continue on these lines so as to hopefully make the grade amongst his peers. Best Opp Sex
Puppy.
2nd: Patrick's Norymarbi Pantalaimon Lyra At Cohavrick; 8m b/t/s; such an attractive face & a typically tight, well marked, coat; more raw as yet, hence that bit longer, which is no fault at all but simply a different pace of development in a promising baby.
PD(2,1)
1st: Hughes' Beauborne Vespa; 10m r/r; big nosepad & lovely eye; ex body with an enviable coat both in colour & texture; perfectly sound; just that bit uncertain of this indoor ring; clearly has plenty of winning ahead of him.
JD(8,0) A tricky class of interchangeable teenagers
1st: Meaden's Delightbull Tad The Man For Topmead; r/r just 48hrs out of puppy; my judging book reads "naughty " and maybe I was too tolerant of his Griffonlike defiance but he was perfectly sound and was truly exciting to go over both in his square structure as well as his headpiece plus an ex jacket; ex topline & tailset when static; Ch sired by the Sp Red OD; time will be the best judge.
2nd: Selby, Allen & Whitehead's Zilcan Sunbeam(TAF); r/r of 12.5m bred in the purple; absolutely outstanding and destined for the top; gorgeous head making good use of his expressive ears; harsh red jacket; so well made; ex feet; simply evolving out of puppy into that more awkward teenage phase that made that "on the day" difference.
3rd: Martin & Spittle's Kahraman Daydreamer Darwin For Rhodon
YD(1,0)
1st: Wood's Star Griff Shendan At Delightbull (Imp UKR); 18m r/r; a quality youngster now emerging, successfully, into adulthood; loved his head type & features; noted his good bone; harsh topcoat; well made & squaring up nicely ready to hold his own; look forward to seeing the more finished product.
PGD(4,0)
1st: Mackay's Osthaen A Kind Of Magic; 2yrs b/t/s; fabulous eye & ear; square with correct width through his front plus depth of brisket; level with ex tailset; he went so well & will surely be rising up the ranks.
2nd: Conway's Stormjac Roland Rat In Black; 2yrs b/r; cobby & mature with exceptional, open, facial features; well made; ex jacket; can stand firmer at hock to advantage; should also win beyond this level.
3rd: Hughes' Beauborne Red Valentino
LD(5,2)
1st: Selby,Allen,Whitehead & Hannigan's Zilcan Parker; just turned 2yrs r/r & bred in the international purple; exciting chap who should follow suit; superb type, shape & proportions; lovely eye; well ribbed with deep brisket; ex tailset & carriage; ex jacket; moved as anticipated.
2nd: Mackay's Osthean Thunder In The Night; 6.5yrs b/t/r that I can now see is of "close to home" breeding; outstanding breed type; scored in skull & eye; well boned & conditioned; just that bit unsure of himself in the prevailing inside conditions.
3rd: Hughes' Bruneaver Space Oddity From Beauborne
SP Black OD(1,0)
1st: Conway's Stormjac Spocktacular Nite; 8.5yrs b/r; all male; beautifully cobby; so well constructed; best of colours & jacket; so many breed assets to pass on to his progeny
SP B/T OD(1,1)
SP Red OD(3,2)
1st: Meaden's Ch Beauborne Nadal At Topmead; 3.5yrs r/r; fabulous big head & skull blessed with such striking & open features including nosepad, eye & ears; well boned & bodied; coming back into coat; uses himself so well so as to state his case in the challenge
OD(5,1)
1st: Selby, Allen & Whitehead's Ch Zilcan Monkey Business; 2.5yrs r/r; all you could want and more; fabulous head; width through his front with deep brisket; ample bone; squarely built; correctly balanced angles aided his sound movement with reach & drive; all topped with an immaculate coat; unimpressed by the ring, he did more than enough not least in the final challenge. Dog CC and BIS
2nd: Donnellan & Robert's Ch Kinder Surprise Rimarosa Vonice (Imp POL); 2yrs r/r; looked on top of his form aided by skilled presentation of his richly red harsh jacket; glorious head features with such expressive ears; great finish of face; ex structure throughout; just not as firm at hock as he moved away as I struggled to separate them; later in the day he went even better. Res Dog CC and RBIS
3rd: Martyn's Ch Donzeata Royal Agent; 5.5yrs r/r; worth an extra mention as his owner later stated this to be his retirement show & they have been such a team; beautiful, masculine, head; essence of breed type & conformation that shows in his sound action as he drives off his hocks; just hasn't always cared to show off his virtues on the stand, as today, but when he has then he beat the lot; a privilege to meet him.
VB(2,0)
1st: Conway's Ch Flirt Alert Unlimited At Stormjac( Imp, NOR); 10yrs b/r; truly remarkable & reflecting utmost credit on this exhibitor for maintaining her in this form; fabulous head; cobby bodied with depth; squarely built; ex jacket; so sound & purposeful on the move.
2nd: Hughes' Ch Cobblehill Gucci With Beauborne; 8.5yrs b/t/r; so feminine with such a pretty face; dead level topline through to a highset & well carried tail; ex jacket; moved with sound style; just not as cobby but, frankly, am nitpicking at this level of excellence.
MPB(2,0)
1st: Oliver-Barratt & Barratt's Norymarbi Stelmaria Asriel; 8.5m b/t/s; so typical & feminine; loved her markings; best of ears; ex body, topline & structure; sound moving on ex feet; plenty of future promise if she simply continues on these lines.
2nd: Donnellan & Robert's Vonici Vanity; 8m b/t/r; daughter of the RBIS & has that same look of class & cheekiness about her; lovely face; well made & jacketed; well ribbed already; can just firm at elbow that time should address; equally as promising.
PB(4,0)
1st: Selby, Allen & Whitehead's Zilcan Glitzy Gloria; 8m r/r; fabulous breed type, body & jacket; so good to go over; so feminine; so secure; totally feminine with expressive face; will broaden out in the maturing process; exceptional promise to earn BPIS
2nd: Conway's Stormjac Princess Fiona; 11m b/r daughter of Roland Rat; bags of promise; open, well spaced, facial features with enviable ears; she has that bit of maturity so as to be cobby with width; one to look out for.
3rd: Beauborne Vanda Via Tremaloy
JB(5,1)
1st: Mackay's Osthaen I'm Your Fantasy; 17m r/r daughter of Thunder In The Night; one of those that grows on you the more you ask of her as she never let's you down; so cobby & sound with balanced reach & drive; desired bone; great jacket; great tailset & carriage; nicely open features albeit prefer more turn up; but by this stage you have formed several priorities and she certainly ticked those boxes that was duly recognised by Reserve Bitch CC; congrats & good luck.
2nd: Selby, Allen & Whitehead's Zilcan Toffee Apple; 16m litter sister of the ultimate bitch CC; beautifully headed so full of Griffon expression; cobby & sound on ex bone & feet; fully coated, albeit of ex texture, that added to the impression of needing to carry no more condition; has an assured future at the top level.
3rd: Wood's Delightbull Lady In Red
PGB(5,1)
1st: Donnellan & Robert's Zilcan Bubblelicious; 16m r/r; in my judging book I have triple underlined the one word, "classy"; so exciting to make anyone envious; so utterly feminine yet with such strength of form; loveliest of heads & expression; has the coat & has the structure; will still develop on to her advantage as she leaves her teens but has nothing worth changing; had neither seen nor heard of her so it was galling, in the best possible taste, to discover I was not starting her off as she had taken top honours under John Swinge at the Griffon Club Ch show just a couple of weeks earlier; her title is a mere formality. Bitch CC
2nd: Martins' Cilleine Quadrille Avec Carradine; 2yr r/r; such an asset for anyone planning to breed on since she is not only built for the job but is out of a valued Ch dam; some ex facial features; has a good jacket; very good body shape with width both through front & rear; just that bit heavier built overall of this duo.
3rd: Mackay's Osthaen Cast A Spell
LB(3,1)
1st: Green's Beauborne Stefani At Topmead; 22m b/t/r; instantly appealed with her classy outline & carriage; so feminine with expressive face; ex square shape & secure structure; beautifully turned out in an ex jacket; showed well & with Griffon character; will surely mature on to advantage
2nd: Suggitt's Aptrick Dolly Mixtures JW; rising 3yrs r/r; loved her face as it has so many feminine features that are full of character; square shape with an ex jacket; relatively weak in front as against her sound rear.
SP BLACK OB(2,0)
1st: Omre's Admiravel Power Dress; 6.5yrs b/r; it seems to me to say it all that she appears to be the dam of the Best Baby Puppy; a cracking b. in her own right who is as feminine as she is well built with, in fairness, the most muscled backend of any exhibit; moved soundly, as anticipated, with drive
2nd: Conway's Stormjac Black Pearl For Es; all but 9yrs b/r; bigger built longterm favourite of mine sired by Spocktacular Nite; large round head with open features; has width & depth; shown in a well turned out harsh coat; was great seeing her again despite giving age away
SP B/T OB(1,0)
1st: Oliver-Barratt & Barratt's Chinaskys Queen Grande; 5.5yrs b/t/s; has played her part being the dam of the MPB; she has passed on her ex breed type both in head & body; so cobby & well made; correct in coat & markings; sound, solid & a showgirl
SP RED OB(1,1)
OB(4,0)
1st: Hughes' Beauborne Pussycat Doll; 3yrs & 1day r/s; in cracking form & giving her utmost; so fit & conditioned; best of heads with such an expressive face; short & sound; her tight coat was a lovely red; foot perfect; so close up in the challenge; would happily sign a Challenge Certificate for her, such is her quality
2nd: Selby, Allen & Whitehead's Ch Zilcan Blazinickers; 2.5yrs r/r; I confess to being a fan from when she first came out; glorious headpiece excelling in skull & eye; spot on for conformation; ex bone & feet; nothing you would want to change; but, judging on the day, I found her heavy in body and rather bare in coat, both of which should be merely temporary.
3rd: Carpenter's Sabai Crysanthemum; 4.5yrs placed Res in PGB.
SP Beginners Stakes D/B(2,0)
1st: C Quadrille Avec C
2nd: Hershaw's Beauborne Vanda Via Tremaloy; had been 3rd in PB; litter sister to the r/r PD Beauborne Vespa but am thinking she was b/t, not having noted her colour; absolutely pretty headed of good conformation & attitude just waiting to grow on & develop being simply less forward than her brother.
Howard Ogden ( Judge)
8th May 2025