The Central Area ran Veteran, Special Puppy, ND/NH, Open and Novice tests on 1st September 2024 at Standlake, Oxfordshire.
Several tests had been cancelled during the year including the May test at Standlake for Novice and Open. There were just not enough entries to run the day. This was disappointing after judges had been booked and all the arrangements made. So the plan was to run all classes on one day in the hope that it would have enough entries. It was always going to be challenging to run that many categories with different tests and ask the judges to remember the various tests. So we made the unclassified tests as similar as possible and then the novice and open similar but different distances. It took a great deal of logistical planning to move everyone to the correct test and not to keep swapping between the unclassified and open tests which would have taken time moving dummy throwers to different locations. In the end there were two handlers running in both unclassified and open and so a big thank to them, Gary Ellison and Keith Manley for being so cooperative and uncomplaining. They allowed my plan to work. In the end thanks to the competitors, judges and helpers it ran far more smoothly than I could have hoped.
We had eight entries in veteran but owing to two withdrawals ran with 6 on the day. There were seven special puppies. There were seven entries for ND/NH with one withdrawal on the day and ten entries for open with two withdrawals. The novice entries were still disappointing. Fifteen with one withdrawal, so fourteen on the day.
All classes ran in the morning except for the novice which ran in the afternoon. The tests were as follows.
Test 1 was judged by Diane Heywood. The unclassified classes had a mark with shot with a barrier of tall grass and wild flowers to go over. This made the marking more difficult. The open and novice went in the opposite direction for a mark with shot and a blind was put out further back when the dog was returning.
Test 2 was judged by our A panel judge Phil Bruton. The veterans had a double mark and the special puppies and ND/NH left their dogs sitting and walked out a placed a dummy. They returned to the dog and a mark was then thrown. The dog was sent for that dummy and when they returned they were sent for the memory. The open and novice dogs had two blinds without shot. The scenario was that they had arrived after the drive had finished and were told there were still two birds in different locations. The dummies could be picked in any order the handler wished. The open dogs were sent from further back than the novice dogs.
Test 3 was judged by Clare Gould. The open and novice dogs had a two dog walk up with two retrieves each. Two dummies thrown out and each dog honouring the other dog’s retrieve. The special puppies had heelwork followed by a marked retrieve. When they had returned another mark was thrown and there was then heelwork back to the start before being sent for the memory. The veterans and ND/NH had a similar exercise except the first dummy was a blind with shot.
Test 4 was judged by David Godding. The unclassified test was a mark with a blind in the same place. The open and novice had a mark with a blind in a different place without shot. This proved tricky for many dogs who pulled back to the mark.
The scent conditions were challenging for the dogs which required an ability to hold a dog in the area. The afternoon was very hot and humid. We are fortunate to have shade.
The results were as follows
Special Puppy
1st Gary Ellison with Ollersett Duchess
2nd Sylvia Billinghurst with Wyrebeck Endless Wave
3rd Julie Matthews with Ollersett Nymph
4th Caroline Hewison with Benvellyn Marakele into Casblaidd JW
ND/NH
The winner had travelled from Austria and this was her first ever test.
1st Birgit Lorenz with Fir Green Earl
2nd Louise Peers with Tweedisle Lindores
Veteran
It is always lovely to see the veterans still keen to work. Our winner was the same as last year. Very consistent but we also had Keith with his 11 year old in the awards.
1st Mo Sweet with Hoaroak Hill
2nd Richard Hewison with Casblaidd Very Ernest
3rd Keith Manley with Lenyam Solway
4th Caroline Hewison with Casblaidd Island in the Sky
Open
There was a run off for second place
1st Keith Manley with Brickley Blossom of Lenyam
2nd Gary Ellison with Ollersett Shimmering Nymph
3rd Andrew Sweeney with Maddistream Black Powder of Wolfthistle
4th Judith Hart with Halangydown Brandypoint
Novice
The judges withheld 1st and 2nd
3rd Sarah Young with Waverton I Wish I Could Fly at Larksburn
4th Keith Manley with Lenyam Enzo
As always a huge thank you to all the helpers without whom these tests cannot go ahead. It was a struggle to get enough helpers and they were the usual people who nearly always help some of them running dogs in the morning and helping in the afternoon or vice versa. As always I couldn’t manage without Louise who does the catering and helps maintain the ground, Carolyn who assists with the catering and putting out lunch and Jane Broadbent who helps with the scores and organises the helpers, dummies and guns. The team of helpers on the tests were Pat Bell, Dave Miller, Lucy, Jayne, Fern, Paul Egginton, Ann Bracegirdle, Nickie Charles, Mo Sweet, Pete Leyden, John Double and Graham Clelland.
Vivienne Gatter
5 September
Photos kindly supplied by Vivienne Gatter.