Judging Summary for Mrs Pat Gregory
UK Appointments since January 2000
| LKA 2023 | Date : 7th December 2023 |
| South Wales 2018 | Date : 7th October 2018 | ||||||||||||||
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I would like to thank South Wales Kennel Association for my judging appointment. Although my entry was not large I had some quality dogs to go over. I would like exhibitors to take note that white of eye is creeping in and also some exhibits long in body so when standing spoils the overall picture. It was lovely to see some solids out and was surprised when I found at the end of the day my two CC’s were both solids. |
| Crufts 2016 | Date : 10th March 2016 | ||||||||||||
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I was honoured to be invited to judge our lovely breed at Crufts and I thank the committee for this opportunity. I would like to thank the exhibitors that came far and wide to give me a superb entry of 211, also my two super stewards who worked so hard to keep the ring in order. I found a slight improvement from the last time I judged but it may be because having a much larger entry I had a lot more quality dogs. We still have a long way to go to reach the quality we had many, many years ago. Size worries me enormously and is still very varied, still I say every time I judge hind movement needs checking, so many moving close behind so lacking the rear drive so typical of our breed. It is not all doom and gloom, I found many really beautiful heads, dark expressive eyes that is a good start when viewing a Shih Tzu. There are still some small eyes, wrong shape and showing white of eye which is a no in our standard. It is nice to have a good well textured length of coat but not to the detriment of good muscle tone, this will be due to lack of exercise, running free and good roadwork. Our breed asks for small short legged, well coupled constructed dog with good spring of rib, good lay of shoulder, with free flowing movement. A lot of my classes had all of the above with many good dogs leaving the ring cardless and many of the first three in each class could change places at any time. |
| Border Union 2014 | Date : 14th June 2014 | ||||||||||||
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I thank everyone for giving me a lovely entry and to those who travelled a long way to exhibit under me. I am afraid to say the standard of the Shih Tzu has not improved in the two years since i last judged. There seems at the moment to be too much emphasis put on coat and presentation instead of soundness and construction that this little breed needs. The standard also asks for large , dark well placed eyes wide apart with a soft expression. In many exhibits i found the small almond shaped eye thus giving an expression not desired of our lovely breed. Movement also left a lot to be desired many moving close behind lacking in drive thus not showing their pads. These days there are so many different types and in some classes i found it difficult to find a complete line-up that i was totally happy with. I think we have lost forever the quality Sih Tzu that we had 30 plus years ago, so i urge many to sit and study the standard to endeavour to produce a healthy, short coupled, short legged, muscular Shih Tzu with plenty of bone. Having said all that i found what i was looking for in my winners and top awards. |
| City of Birmingham 2012 | Date : 2nd September 2012 | ||||||||||||
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I was so pleased with my entry and had a very enjoyable day - that was the good news. Now for the bad there were so many exhibits that lacked depth of chest also the required width of rib across the back especially in the dogs also the variation in size across the board is of concern. Presentation in most was very good but the coat can hide a ’ multitude of sins ’ if a dog is not constructed well, it will lack the movement we so desire in our lovely breed. Front construction is very worrying in some I found it difficult to fit three fingers between the legs. However, having said that my main winners had all the typical movement required with correct balance, and some lovely minor bitch puppies having to go cardless. I have to say it once again the bitches were stronger in type and substance than the dogs so this makes me worried for our future breeding programme. |
| Bath 2010 | Date : 31st May 2010 | ||||||||||||||
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| Manchester 2008 | Date : 18th January 2008 | ||||||||||||||
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| WELKS 2006 | Date : 28th April 2006 | ||||||||||||
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I was extremely pleased with my top placings & in both challenges moved away showing evenly spaced legs and full pads I understand both gained their titles on the day. Although I am not a mouth fanatic I was amazed by the vast amount of bad mouths i.e. four in front & two behind or even worst, but my biggest worry is the front construction in some cases it was difficult to fit three fingers between the legs, then when coming towards me were centring towards the middle and a couple practically crossing their front legs. This is a bad fault that will have to be watched out for in the future and hopefully rectified in one’s breeding programme. However, I thoroughly enjoyed my day where presentation was excellent. |
| East of England 2004 | Date : 21st July 2004 | ||||||||||||
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Thank you so much for such a wonderful mid week entry where I would have liked more red cards with some good specimens in my older classes going cardless. The atmosphere in the grooming ring adjacent to my ring was very noticable I hope eveyone had as an enjoyable day as I did. There has been a slight improvement in the dogs but the quality in the bitches showed through. There was a goodly number of quality animals, particularly in bitches where in proved easier to produce a good line up. Presenting long flowing coats may look nice from the ringside but hands on is a different matter, many with small heads, especially in the dogs is another worry. The standard asks for head, broad and round, I found also many exhibits flat between the ears this is not desirable. Sloping toplines that have come from upright shoulders are another worry. On the plus side overall quality was good and I was extremely pleased with my prize winners and in both the challenges they moved away showing evenly spaced legs with full pads so desireable in out lovely breed. |
| Scottish KC (May) 2003 | Date : 18th May 2003 | ||||||||||||
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Thank you to all the ardent exhibitors that came all the way to S.K.C. On a weekday to give me a real quality entry. If I have to have a couple of moans it would be my lifting of the tails to see a rise over the loin & croup that is not a level top line, not in my breed standard book anyway. Also too many flat tails altering the whole outline of the Shih Tzu on the move and when standing |
