On 21st June, first day of summer and the hottest day of the year so far, the FCRS Southern Area held breed specific working tests for Flatcoated and Golden Retrievers on the Penshurst Estate in Kent, by kind permission of the landowners Lord and Lady de L’Isle. Our judges were Di Stevens, Kelvin Nettleingham, Liz Barnes and James Brindley. The judges set four interesting and challenging tests for our Puppies, NDNH, Novices and Open dogs, each of which was based upon a shooting scenario and each with two retrieves. Puppy and Novice ran in the morning and NDNH and Open in the afternoon.
The weather was very warm, as forecast, but we were blessed by a cooling breeze over the Medway river and plenty shade for the dogs’ welfare.
The tests were:
Test 1: “Birds falling in the Pen”.
The Puppies had two marks with shot, thrown and picked separately. The marks were not easily seen in woodland with the distractions of a pheasant pen around.
The NDNHs had a double mark with shot, which then had to be picked in order.
The Novices had a long mark and a shorter blind at a 30-45 degree angle to the mark both, saluted with shot. The mark was picked first.
The Open dogs had two blinds – one longer and one shorter, at a 30’ angle to each other, saluted with shots which came from between the two blinds.
Test 2: “Birds falling in the clearing”
The Puppies had a mark and memory- blind on a track through a woodland clearing.
The NDNHs had a mark on the track followed by a blind on the track some 10-15 m further back from the fall of the mark.
The Novices had two long marks across the clearing and through cover, at a 45’ angle to each other, both picked as memories.
The Open dogs had two long marks at a tight 20’ angle, again across the clearing and through cover, both picked as memories
Test 3: “Birds falling in the field” a two dog walk up in long meadow grass
The Puppies had four marks, two for each dog, each retrieved separately.
The NDNHs also had four marks picked left and right across the line.
The Novices had each had a long mark into meadow grass in front of the line and a blind behind the line which was picked first.
The Open dogs each had long mark some 100m through the meadow grass. They had to cross a ditch to reach the fall of the mark and there was a blind for each of them in the ditch, which had to be picked first; the dogs had to be stopped and asked to hunt the ditch, then return for the mark as a memory.
Test 4: “Picking up by the river”
The Puppies had first a mark on the bank of a slow flowing river and a mark on the river, up stream. Both were thrown and picked separately, ie the mark on water was not thrown until mark on bank had been picked.
The NDNHs had a blind on the river bank, saluted by shot, and once this had been picked had a mark on the river, up stream.
The Novice dogs had a mark on the river and a blind on the river bank, saluted by shot, with the mark on water picked first to avoid losing the dummies in the rivers flow.
The Open dogs had a mark on water to be picked first then a longer blind on water tucked in by the near bank.
The results of each class were as follows:
In Puppy 1st was awarded to Jacqui Crew’s Golden Retriever dog Taldenian Gibson
In NDNH 1st was withheld and 2nd was awarded to Julie Graham and her Golden Retriever bitch Chilzer Tilley
CoMs were awarded to Pawel Zygadlo’s Golden Retriever dog, Quag’s Quintessence Loyal Gold and to Joanna Meikle’s Golden Retriever dog, Tealcreek Indian Summer
In Novice 1st and the FCRS Tomstan Bowl were awarded to Jane Gould and her Flatcoated Retriever bitch Halangydown Tean
Jane and Etti were the highest scoring dog of the day and were also awarded the Varingo Trophy.
2nd was awarded to Liz Pope’s Golden Retriever dog Chilzer Crosby
CoMs were awarded to Katie Aldred’s Flatcoated Retriever dog Jazzanraga Countryman and to Jonathan Mathias’ Golden Retriever dog Jinkster Magnum.
In Open 1st and the Sheindubh trophy were awarded to Jacqui Crew and her Golden Retriever dog Millgreen Rocket.
2nd was awarded to Mike Hamilton’s Golden Retriever bitch Tealcreek Gale Force
And 3rd was awarded Armand de Roover’s Golden Retriever dog Think Twice Zinger.
The FCRS are hugely grateful to the landowners Lord and Lady De L’Isle and to their estate’s keeper for permitting us to use this beautiful ground. Thank you too to Skinner’s for their sponsorship of our event. We should also like to thank our judges who were supportive, encouraging but rigorous in their judging. And a massive thanks is due to John and Frieda Jay, Dennis Pressney, Debbie Morgan, Mandy Smith, Alice Hilaire, Jo Smith and Pat Richards who came to help out, firing shot, throwing dummies, placing blinds, and assisting with setting up, packing up and helping with admin and catering. Our day would not have happened without you. Bless you.
