Whippet of the Year:

Morris, Waddell, Mitchell & Mycroft's Crosscop Just What I Need

Dog Winner:

Neal's CH Runaround Starman at Stormalong JW

Res Dog Winner:

Fryer's CH Collooney Eye Love You at Stonefox

Bitch Winner:

Morris, Waddell, Mitchell & Mycroft's Crosscop Just What I Need

Res Bitch Winner:

Short's Collooney Dita Von Tease

Whippet Puppy of the Year:

Ree's Kierpark Dancing Queen

Puppy Dog Winner:

Newton's Nevedith El Ite

Puppy Bitch Winner:

Ree's Kierpark Dancing Queen

Critiques:

Dr Jim Scholes:

I’d like to thank the volunteers, exhibitors, and my fellow judges for their respective contributions in creating such an enjoyable celebration of Whippet of the Year. The atmosphere was friendly, the exhibitors sporting in their acceptance of decisions, especially the way they congratulated each other, win or lose. I won’t offer individual critique of exhibits on this celebratory, co-judged, occasion but I will share some personal reflections from the day.

The volunteers all deserve special mention and thanks for their hard work in making this event happen especially following the difficulties of pandemic and on-off lock down since 2019. They succeeded in creating a welcoming and supportive atmosphere for everyone including the judges. Their work ranged from organising the event, working on the rings, and providing catering through to arranging prizes, raffles, catalogues, photography and more. They did an outstanding job. Thank you.

In some ways my role as a judge was easier than usual! Working alongside experienced co-judges and supported by excellent stewards to keep us on track I had chance to enjoy myself judging the crème de la crème of puppies and adults from 2021. It was a privilege for me to spend time going over such a high standard of entry.

Of course, it was inevitable that tough decisions would have to be made and some quality whippets didn’t reach the final stages. That said, I believe the process of 3 judges blind voting without discussion worked fairly and efficiently and reached a conclusion which seemed to be well appreciated by everyone present. Based on subsequent discussion with my co-judges I believe we shared a sense of satisfaction with the final choices for Whippet of the Year 2021 and Whippet Puppy of the Year 2021. Congratulations to the thoroughly deserving winners and I wish their owners and handlers every success in future.

Graham Hill:

I WAS HONOURED TO BE INVITED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE JUDGING PANEL FOR THE 2021 WHIPPET OF THE YEAR COMPETITION, HELD AT THE SPORTS CONNEXION, RYTON-ON-DUNSMORE, ON SUNDAY 2ND JANUARY 2022.
I WAS APPOINTED TOGETHER WITH MY CO-JUDGES, DR JIM SCHOLES AND KEVAN ELLIS, TO JUDGE THE 2021 TOP PUPPY COMPETITION, FOLLOWED BY THE 2021 TOP ADULT MALE AND ALSO THE 2021 TOP ADULT BITCH. THE RESULTING TOP MALE AND FEMALE FINALLY COMPETING FOR THE OVERALL 2021 WHIPPET OF THE YEAR.
IT WAS A VERY FULL DAY FOR THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE WITH THE MORNING TAKEN UP WITH A DIFFERENT TEAM OF JUDGES SORTING OUT THE 2019/2020 WHIPPET OF THE YEAR COMPETITION.
IN ADDITION, VETERAN AND SPECIAL BEGINNERS’ COMPETITIONS FOR BOTH 2019/2020 AND 2021 WERE JUDGED, SO HATS OFF TO THE ORGANISERS!
THE COMPETITION WAS WELL ORGANISED AND EFFICIENTLY RUN WITH A REMARKABLE SPORTING, SUPPORTIVE AND FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE ALL DAY.
THE AFTERNOON JUDGING BEGAN AROUND 1.30 PM WITH THE 2021 TOP PUPPY COMPETION MADE UP OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PUPPIES DURING 2021.
THE COMPETIONS WERE RUN ON A ‘MATCH’ BASIS.
AS QUALIFICATION FOR THIS COMPETITION WAS TO HAVE GAINED A BEST PUPPY DOG OR BEST PUPPY BITCH AWARD AT A CH SHOW THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, MY CO-JUDGES AND I WERE PRIVILEGED TO GO OVER SOME EXCITING, PUPPIES AND IT WAS UNFORTUNATE FOR A FEW SUPER PUPS TO BE KNOCKED OUT IN THE EARLY ROUNDS BY THE EVENTUAL TOP PUPPY AND RESERVE TOP PUPPY.
THE RESULTING TOP PUPPY WAS KEVIN REES’ KIERPARK DANCING QUEEN WITH RUNNER UP GOING TO EDITHA NEWTON’S NEVEDITH EL ITE. CONGRATULATIONS!!
THE FOLLOWING COMPETITION INVOLVED THE 2021 YEAR’S TOP WHIPPET ADULT MALES FROM AN ENTRY OF 18, ALL OF WHOM HAD GAINED A CHALLENGE CERTIFICATE OR RESERVE CHALLENGE CERTIFICATE DURING 2021.
AGAIN, RUN ON A ‘MATCH’ FORMAT, THE 2021 BEST WHIPPET MALES WERE GONE OVER BY MYSELF AND EACH OF MY CO-JUDGES AND WE ARRIVED AT THE TWO FINALISTS FOR THIS COMPETITION NAMELY CAROL NEAL’S CH RUNAROUND STARMAN AT STORMALONG JW AND MR & MRS FRYER’S CH COLLOONEY EYE LOVE YOU AT STONEFOX, BOTH WORTHY TOP MALES. THE 2021 MALE WHIPPET OF THE YEAR WAS FINALLY AWARDED TO CAROL NEAL’S CH RUNAROUND STARMAN AT STORMALONG JW. WITH COLLOONEY EYELOVE YOU AT STONEFORT RUNNER UP.
NEXT CAME THE 2021 BEST WHIPPET BITCH COMPETITION TO BE SELECTED FROM AN ENTRY OF 16 QUALITY BITCHES WITH A SIMILAR QUALIFICATION FOR THIS COMPETITION AS THE DOG COMPETION APPLIED.
FOLLOWING THE SAME KNOCK OUT ‘MATCH’ FORMAT, MY CO-JUDGES AND I JUDGED ARRIVING AT THE TWO FINALISTS BEING MORRIS, WADDELL, MITCHELL & MYCROFT’S CROSSCOP JUST WHAT I NEED AND SHORT’S COLLOONEY DITA VON TEASE BOTH IMPRESSIVE BITCH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BREED WITH MYCROFT’S CROSSCOP JUST WHAT I NEED EVENTUALLY GETTING THE NOD.
FINALLY, IT WAS TIME TO DECIDE WHO WAS TO BE 2021 WHIPPET OF THE YEAR AND SO BOTH THE WINNING MALE AND WINNING BITCH WERE MATCHED AGAINST EACH OTHER. AFTER SEEING BOTH WINNERS MOVING AGAIN, THE ALL-IMPORTANT DECISION HAD TO BE MADE. WITH ALL JUDGES HAVING HANDED IN THEIR SELECTION THE WHIPPET OF THE YEAR 2021 WAS ANNOUNCED AS CROSSCOP JUST WHAT I NEED.
WHIPPET OF THE YEAR IS A PRAISEWORTHY COMPETION WHERE TOP WHIPPETS AND THEIR OWNERS CAN MEET UP, BOTH IN FRIENDLY COMPETION AND SOCIALLY. FOR MY PART IT WAS NOT ONLY ENJOYABLE BUT WAS INTERESTING AND EDUCATIONAL, IN PARTICULAR JUDGING WITH TWO BREED SPECIALISTS. I KNOW WE COULD NOT HAVE AGREED UNANIMOUSLY IN ALL MATCHES BUT IT WAS ENLIGHTENING TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHERS REASONINGS WHEN DISCUSSING DECISIONS LATER WITH MY CO-JUDGES FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF THE EVENT.
MY THANKS TO THE ORGANISERS FOR ARRANGING THIS EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL EVENT, LONG MAY IT CONTINUE.

It was indeed a pleasure to Judge at both the Morning and Afternoon Events, who were well organised and enjoyed by all.

In the afternoon I had the unexpected pleasure of judging the 2021 Matches with Jim Scholes and Graham Hill and therefore as I had not been able to Judge in 2020 (although some seen ringside) the Dogs would be 'New ' to me.

I was delighted to see so many lovely Whippets competing in Puppy, Adult Dog and Adult Bitch competition's

The eventual winners and Runner's up were excellent examples of our breed.

If I could be allowed to make an observation: We are now seeing such a divergence in type are we at risk of loosing ' The Essence of a Whippet' as described in the Breed Standard.

Many thanks again to all the organisers and everyone who contributed to making the Events a success.