Pauline Oliver, Great Britain

Kennel: Spyanfly

GREYHOUNDS

Firstly, I feel very honoured to have been invited to judge at this your 50th anniversary show and know that I will enjoy it immensely and hope that you all will also.

In Greyhounds I will be looking for an animal with breed type that looks strong enough to do the job it was bred to do with an easy low ground covering gait that will

enable it to be economical to easily cover the distance required. In a fit condition and to finish the picture off possess elegance with quality.

My involvement with the breed started over 20 years ago when I owned a racing greyhound, Jessie, in a syndicate. When she was retired at an early age due to injury she came to live in our family of humans,

whippets and Tigger the cat. During that time I met and formed a great friendship with Espen Engh and Åge Gjetnes who over the years have shared three of their

greyhounds with me and who spent summers at my home whilst being campaigned in the UK. It was time

well spent to really get to know the breed.

WHIPPETS

I have had a passion for whippets since 1980 after meeting one in our village. I bought my first one in 1982 from the Shalfleet kennel and a second one nine months later which was racing bred the latter being the

granddam of my first champion Spyanfly He’s Atrooper who also won my first CC at Crufts 1990. BOB that day was was the UK record holder Ch.Nutshell Of Nevedith

and then onto Res.BIS. His half brother Ch. Spyanfly Say No More is behind everything else that I have bred since. He himself won the Res CC at Crufts from the veteran class. He produced three daughters, one

granddaughter and one great granddaughter that won the CC also there, two of which were placed in the Group. One of those daughters being Int.Champion

Spyanfly Say It’Bardo who went Top Hound 2003 in the UK.

It has been a long time since I last judged whippets in Sweden so I am really excited to see how the breed is progressing firsthand. I will be looking for type,substance with elegance, curves, smoothness, straight long and low ground covering movement and

finished in a balanced typey outline.

May I thank in advance all that have entered under

myself and my co-judge Phil Moran-Healey. Happy

Anniversary!

Pualine Oliver 

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Thomas Münch, Germany

Kennel: FlicFlac

Sighthound owner and lover since the mid 1980s (Whippets).

A very limited amount of litters has been bred under my prefix FlicFlac resulting in a number of Champions in Germany and beyond.

Over the years, I have been fortunate to have been able to import a number of influential Whippets from the breed’s native country and North America. Without any doubt, Int. Ch. Pencloe Dutch Amber, bred by Morag Bolton-

Lockhart in Scotland, and Ger. Ch. Lorricbrook Bandleader, bred by Max Magder in Canada, deserve special mention here as they have laid a solid base for success not only for my own prefix. At present, there are four adult Whippet bitches here at home, all of which have a mixed Anglo-American background but share the Bandleader / Dutch Amber cross at the base.

I have obtained my judging license for Whippets in 1995 and am currently judging all sighthounds (FCI group 10) and the nationally recognized sighthound breeds. Judging appointments have taken me to many countries in Europe, North America, Australia and South Africa.

I live just south of Frankfurt and work as a physician for the Federal German Army Administration in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Thomas Münch

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Karen Fisher, Great Britain

Kennel: Ruweis

Salukis have been in my family since the early 1970’s. After breeding from his Saudi Arabian import my father gave me my first saluki, a smooth. I joined the Saluki or Gazelle Hound Club and, later, became a full member of the Coursing Section. The experience of hunting with the saluki gave me a true insight into what the important attributes are for the breed. When judging I look for moderation, balance and drive and am conscious that there is great variance of size within the breed type due to the large area and different terrains that the breed originated from.

I have served the Saluki or Gazelle Hound Club since 1992. For 10 years Iwas that of Welfare Officer in charge of finding homes for salukis who had fallen on bad times. Also during that time I took on the role of Health Officer for a couple of years. Starting in 2004 and for the next 9.5 years I was Editor of The Saluki (the SGHC’s magazine) which has a worldwide readership. I have served the Club many times as a committee member and my last position was that of the Vice President which included taking on the role of Acting President, when the President left their term of Office early. I have organized successful Seminars for Judges Education for the SGHC and have also been a Speaker and a Mentor at another three of their Seminars. I have also given presentations on the breed at Hound Seminars.

I was also a member of the Coursing Section of the Club and I was very lucky to have some very successful salukis. Watching many types of saluki hunt on the prey they were designed for gave me a great insight into what the term “fit for function, fit for purpose” means.

I am licensed to judge Salukis by the Royal Kennel Club (UK), the American Kennel Club and the FCI. I have judged Specialties in Sweden, Finland, Germany, Abu Dhabi and the United States of America. In all I have judged over 2,000 salukis around the world and had the pleasure of hunting with them in three different continents.

In 2015 I was invited to visit Saudi Arabia to meet with various Government Ministries with a view to obtaining backing from them for the preservation of the saluki which was successful. Visiting the country that my father’s foundation saluki came from was a wonderful experience.

I have bred and exhibited both coat types and my husband and I currently share our life with three salukis. A far cry from the days of having seven salukis and a whippet!

Karen Fisher

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Paula Bochman-Chato, Australia

Kennel: Baghdad

I was born 1949 in Tokyo Japan and I’m 3rd generation dog breeder/exhibitor.

I started in Salukis in the mid 1960’s. My parents and I bred our first litter in 1970.

I moved to Australia in 1983 and brought 8 adult Salukis with me. I have exported my breeding to many breeders around the world who have gone on to be very successful.

I put as much emphasis on atleticism as performance in the show ring. I believe a Saluki should be sound of mind as well as body.

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Torbjörn Skaar, Sweden

Kennel: Tintavon

Started with horses in 1961 at a riding school with jumping and dressage.

My first dog breed was a Great Dane in 1968 from Ulla and Kurt Magnusson, Kennel Airways, and later some imports from the USA.

In 1980, I met Paul Stanton and was introduced to his breeds, the Lhasa Apso and the Tibetan Terrier. In 1992, Kennel Tintavon was awarded the SKK Hamilton Plaque for meritorious breeding of Lhasa Apsos. We have also successfully bred Whippets and Thai Bangkaew Dogs.

I became a licensed judge in 1992, and in 2015 I became an SKK FCI All-Breed Judge. I have judged on all five continents. My favorite groups are FCI Groups 9 and 10. I have worked extensively within SKK breed clubs as a secretary and chairman since the early 1980s.

I have been the chairman of the Swedish Specialty Club for Tibetan Breeds since 2001. I have been very active in junior handling since the early 1990s and was involved in developing the junior handling regulations that exist in Sweden today.

Other interests include food, travel, and culture.

I look forward to judging at Skokloster’s 50th anniversary.

Torbjörn Skaar

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Felicity Thompson, Northen Ireland

Kennel: Barnsmore

I was born into a family of sighthound enthusiasts, as a child having grown up with and exhibited Whippets, Irish Wolfhounds, Afghans, Greyhounds and Deerhounds. I exhibited my family’s Whippets first in Children’s Handling classes and then progressed into ‘the big ring’ with lovely wins over the many years. From our many champions, two of our big winners were the stunning whippet bitch Sophie - Int/GB/Ir. Ch.Catchacre Tiger Lily of Barnesmore whom I handled and won the CC & BOB at Crufts under sighthound specialist Espen Engh, and a few years later my mother Lucinda handled Sophie’s stunning son Tiger - Int/GB/Ir/Port/Esp/Swe/Nor Ch. Barnesmore Celtic Tiger to CC dog and RBOB at Crufts under sighthound specialist Keith Thornton. Thankfully my mother and I continue to breed and show our Barnesmore Whippets and we are proud to say that there have now been 250 champions either owned or bred under our Barnesmore affix.

Thanks to family friend Dagmar Kenis (Solstrand), I acquired my very first Greyhound 36 years ago and thanks to her superb advice and guidance, a beautiful Solstrand female came to Barnesmore and with these suberb lines and pedigrees there have been 5 homebred multi champion Greyhounds and overall 13 Greyhounds have gained multi champion titles having either been bred or owned by Barnesmore.

Over the last 20 years I introduced Ibizan Hounds, making up both Irish, UK & international Champions under the Barnesmore Affix. Almost 13 years ago I acquired my very first show Borzoi (who is thankfully still with us at 12.5 years of age and still the Queen of her Castle), never a dull day with Sindy around. Sindy did very well both in UK & Ireland, gaining her UK, Irish and International champion titles quickly, the highlight was of us winning CC B*tch at Crufts under breed specialist judge Mr R Heap – a day I will always cherish. To-date there have been 7 Borzoi multi champions at Barnesmore, 3 being homebred.

I am proud to announce that over 200 homebred champions in Boxers, Irish Wolfhounds, Whippets, Greyhounds, Borzoi & Ibizan Hounds have come out of Barnesmore, including multi champions in over 18 different countries worldwide. My family & I have owned bred and exhibited Whippets for almost 60 years now and are thankfully still going strong, and still making up champions. I am hoping to continue their Barnesmore legacy with my beloved Whippets, Greyhounds & Borzoi.

I have been judging under FCI from 2000, and am passed to judge All Group 10 breeds & Group in (Sighthounds) and All Group 6 Breeds & Group (Scenthounds). I am passed and have awarded UK CCs in Whippets, Greyhounds, Saluki & Borzoi. Under FCI I have judged all Group 10 Sighthounds & Group 6 Scenthound breeds in over 24 different countries worldwide.

I very much look forward to my judging appointment at this prestigious show.

Felicity Thompson

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Heinz Anschober, Austria

My first Afghan came into my home in 1972 and my first Whippet in 1987

97 champion titles crowned my showing career.

Today there still live 2 Whippets and a Silken Windsprite in our house

I`m married and I`m a retired head of a ground school.

Since 1983 I have been judging as a specialist judge for Afghans, Whippets, Greyhounds, Italian Greyhounds and Magyar Agars.

Special highlights during that time:

• World Dog Show in Paris - Afgh

• Afghan Speciality at Brisbane - Afgh

• 4 x judging Skokloster Afgh -Grey – Italian Greyh

• European Dog Show in Hungary - Afgh

• Different shows in Denmark, Finland and France Afgh - Whippets

• 2x Moskau Afghan Special Show

• Shows in Germany have always been special events for me because at my beginning of judging and breeding Afghans well known breeders and judges like F.Frankenberger, U.Schulze or Dio Schäfer gave advices and supported me in my knowledge.

It`s an honour for me to be with you that weekend because Sweden is one of the most famous breeding nations for Sighthounds.

Heinz Anschober

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Jean-Jacques Dupas, France

Activity for the Kennel Club:

*President of Club St Hubert du Nord (Kennel Club for the north of France)

• President of the Club du Caniche de France (Poodle Club)
• Judge all breeds, 1st nomination in 1989.

• I was
• President of the Afghan and Saluki French Club
• President of the Greyhound French Club
• Secretary of the Bergers des Pyrénées and Pyrenean Mountain Dog French Club
• Secretary of the French Kennel Club (SCC)

What I have done with the dogs:

• Owner and handler of Afghans (one of my dogs was showed with success in USA in 1983)
• Owner and handler of Berger des Pyrenees
• Owner of Shih Tsu

• Owner of Cavalier King Charles

• I have presented myself my dogs in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Tchecoslovaquie, Austria, Yugoslavia, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Luxembourg.

I have judged in :

France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Danmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, USA, Tchequie, Poland, Finland, Hungary, Sweden, Canada, Portugal, Slovaquie, Lithuania, Monaco, Russia, Ukrainia, Croatia, Latvia, Australia, Uzbekistan, Estonia, Indonesia, Thaïland, Iceland; Khazakstan, Taïwan, Colombia, Peru, Brasil, New Zealand, Greece....

I have judged the Eukanuba World Challenge Show in 2017 at Crufts

Jean-Jacques Dupas

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Phil Moran-Healy, Great Britain

Kennel: Hillsdown

I was involved in the Whippet show world for over 40 years. My true passion for the breed lay in the breefing. I have owned/bred 9 UK champions.

Hillsfown Fergal, although not himself a champion, was a prolific sire. He was the first to sire 3 different BOB winners at Crufts, including Ch Pencloe Dutch Gold - the first whippet to win Best in Show at Crufts. He was also to grandsire to Ch Cobbyco Call The Tune - the second whippet to win Best In Show at Crufts. Hillsdown breeding is also behind Ch Nevedith Nutshell, breed record holder

Over the years I have been lucky enough to have had the privilege to judge the breed around the world and I’m really excited to be returning to Skokloster after a long time.

Regards

Phil

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Ingrid Krah-Heiermann, Germany

Kennel: High on Emotion

When I was a child I always wanted a dog, but I was 17 years old until this dream came true. Trixie, a Cairn Terrier bitch, was by my side for many years. Shortly after, in 1978 her big friend the Irish Wolfhound „Ben Bulben of Kinvarra’s Home“, bred in the Netherlands, joined her.

With him, my “career“ as a dog show exhibitor began. Later on we owned two deerhounds and in 1996 Tessa (Barb Wire von der Oelmühle), our first Whippet bitch, joined our family.

Being fascinated by this breed, my husband and I decided to build up a small kennel under the suffix „High on Emotion“. In 2000, Tessa became the mother of our first litter.

Since then we had 27 litters that emerged some very successful Whippets on dog shows: we had e.g. Donaueschingen Winners, a WJW and Int. Champions. One of the greatest succes was the BOS under Claire Newcombe at the great show in connection with the Int. Whippet Congress in Krägga for our MCH Gone with the Wind HoE (more tham 150 males were entered).

In 1980 I entered the German Sighthound Club (DWZRV). Since then I followed the development of Sighthounds and Mediterranean breeds with high interest. I was a member of the DWZRV Board in different positions.

In 2006 I became a Specialty Judge for the breeds Whippet and Greyhound and later on the breeds Irish Wolfhounds and Deerhounds followed. Since 2012 I am “Group Judge” for the F.C. I. Group 10 and a Specialty Judge for the Mediterranean breeds. It fills me with great pleasure to judge our beautiful dogs either in Germany or in foreign countries. Some of the the highlights were judging IW-bitches at the WDS in Leipzig, Whippets in Donaueschingen and at the 30th Pearl Anniversary Championship Show in Melbourne and different sighthound breeds in Padenghe,

I feel honoured to be invited to judge at the famous Skokloster show in your country

Ingrid

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AGNESE DELLA ROCCA

Way Up Afghan Hounds

I encountered the Afghan Hound breed by chance when I was 11 years old, and since then, Afghans have been one of the most important parts of my life. I was able to have my first Afghan female in 1996—she was a gorgeous example of the breed with a Scandinavian/American pedigree. I enjoyed showing her, and she became an Italian and international champion. Ch. Kouros My Way was my foundation bitch, along with her sister, whom I rescued a few years later, Kouros Hanna.

In 2000, I had my first litter in collaboration with the Kouros kennel. I realized that traveling, showing, and meeting people around the world were key to finding good dogs, learning from important breeders, and truly immersing myself in the breed. I had the pleasure of meeting many mentors along the way who helped me greatly. I watched them work, listened to their stories, and followed them to learn as much as I could.

My prefix, Way Up, was established in 2005 after three litters. The name is related to my first girl’s name and encourages me everyday to "look up" to the path of success.

Since then, I’ve achieved an incredible number of champions in many countries around the world (I’m not great with numbers, so no statistics available!). My dogs have won the Top Afghan circuit in Italy multiple times, both in junior and adult categories, and Way Up has been the Top Breeder in Italy for the past 10 years. I’ve also achieved three World Winners, one Best of Breed (BOB) with Ch. Way Up Enuff’zEnuff over150 Afghan Hounds entered, and one European Winner. Ch. Way Up James Bond won the breed at Crufts 2015 in a huge entry, handled by my daughter, Virginia, who was only 15 y.o. at the time. Bond was the only Afghan bred and owned in Italy to become an English Champion. I am incredibly proud of this achievement, as the English title is still the most difficult to earn, due to both the quality and number of dogs.

I’ve shown extensively in England, where Ch. Way Up Mr. Grinch was awarded Reserve Challenge Certificate (RCC) at Crufts 2015 and earned two additional RCCs, plus one Challenge Certificate (CC). Ch. Way Up Punta Margherita and Way Up Radio Waves each won a CC and a RCC, Way Up Walker at Cloudside is now on two CC. I also had two Junior Warrants and several Best of Breed wins at major Championship Shows around the country. I am firmly convinced that England still produces the best quality Afghans, and it remains a country where “flash and dash” have not compromised the integrity of our beloved breed with poor, non-functional constructions.

Ch. Way Up 2Pac Shakur “Malcom” is one of my top-winning Afghans. He was Top Afghan Junior in 2019 and Top Afghan Adult for three consecutive years. Malcom won many Best in Show and Specialty Best in Show awards around Europe, was RCC at Crufts 2020, and won the CC and BoB at the Birmingham City Championship Show in 2024.

All my dogs have also a coursing licence and I’m proud breeder of the two first Dual Champion in Italy Ch Vain Jane and Ch My Boy Lollipop, beauty and performance is a must here at Way Up.

I appreciate a true Afghan, both in temperament and construction. I love an Afghan that can run after deers and climb mountains. I admire short, square bodies, good leg length, a firm topline, prominent hip bones with wide croups, and perfect tails, all topped off with efficient, balanced, elastic movement and a deep, intelligent and proud expression. I detest exaggerations and unsound Afghans, which is why I decided to apply for my judging license in 2019. I hope to contribute to my breed in this way as well.

What I really appreciate the most in this crazy “pure bred dog community” is sharing opinions and experiences with other dog fanciers, all focused on preserving our beloved breed.

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Hector Heathcote

Kennel Hyndsight, England

With my wife, Sue Finnett, I have owned and bred Deerhounds for over 40 years under the kennel name Hyndsight. We have been top UK breeders 2005, 2006, and 2016 – 2024. Our Deerhounds have won more than 225 CCs, including 25 UK Champions, plus general championship show hound group, and best in show winners. We have four times won best in show at the UK Deerhound Club Breed Show.

I am approved to award CCs for six hound breeds and to judge the hound group. I have judged Deerhounds at Crufts and breed club shows in the UK, Czech Republic, France, Netherlands, and Norway.  I very much look forward to adding Sweden to this list.

My wife, daughter, and I are veterinarians. With our son, an accountant, we have two small animal veterinary practices and run a specialist canine reproduction & artificial insemination service.  I spent 30 years in equine veterinary practice before retiring to concentrate full time on canine reproduction.

I am past chairman of the Hound Association / Houndshow, and of the Hound Group Judges Development Programme.  I am currently a director of the Royal Kennel Club and serve as chairman of the Business Committee, on the Business Steering Group, on Health Committees, and for almost 25 years the Breed Standards Committee.  I am a RKC Accredited Trainer of judges in Conformation and Movement.  I have regularly taught judges of the Deerhound in the UK and occasionally in other countries including Germany and the Czech Republic.

My “spare” time has in the past involved hockey (including ice-hockey), motorcycling, road and off-road cycling, show jumping, horse race-riding on the flat & over fences, and caving & potholing at home and abroad.

We do not often provide others with dogs for showing or breeding either at home or in other countries.  It is a great responsibility to do so, if the hound has yet to be reared to maturity.  After judging your show I will be interested to see if any Hyndsight influence in the Deerhounds of Sweden might have been positive for the quality of the breed.

Hector Heathcoat

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