This test was held on The Avon Tyrrell Estate by kind permission of The Lord and Lady Manners in beautifully cool woodland when temperatures were well above the average.
The Judges, Judith Evans (B Panel) , Sue Weeden, Nikki Urquart and Keith Manley were both encouraging and informative, putting handlers at ease and building their confidence.
A small but very efficient band of helpers, mostly beaters from the Estate did an excellent job insuring all retrieves were uniform for all.
The event was once more very generously sponsored by Skinners Dog Food.
We welcomed five Golden Retrievers who supported the event, two having travelled from Belgium for the day.
The Tests were set to be easily achieved by dogs with theskills desirable in a dog working in the shooting field. These being:
Steadiness: the ability to sit and stay off the lead whilst game falls or another dog is working.
Quietness: the ability to sit quietly during the above.
Controllability: the ability and willingness to listen to commands of its handler and act upon them to locate the required retrieve.
Test 1.
Sp Puppy: A marked retrieve with a memory in the same place.
Novice: A marked retrieve followed by a blind retrieve over a low jump.
Open: A longer blind retrieve with another blind retrieve over the jump.
Test 2.
Sp Puppy: Two single marks at right angles to each other, one down a narrow track through bracken and the second over sparse ground into cover.
Novice: The same two marks at slightly greater distance, both being thrown and the handler nominating which they picked first.
Open: A mark thrown into bracken down the track with a blind required first through light bracken off to the left.
Test.3.
Sp Puppy: A two dog sit up with each dog required to picktwo dummies.
For the Novice and Open dogs this was a drive with two dogs sat up to multiple shots and falls. The Novice dogs were required to pick two retrieves and the Open dogs being asked to pick an unseen ‘injured bird’ first which had ran to a different area during the drive.
Test 4.
Sp Puppy: A mark into white grass over bare ground followed by a mark down a fence line and behind the line of the thrower into slightly deeper cover.
Novice: A mark thrown into white grass requiring the dog to hold its mark through a small gully followed by a blind along the ditch to the left.
Open: The same mark as Novice but with more distance and the blind required first making the mark a memory.
The Results:
Special Puppy. 8 dogs
1st and The Sophie Cup
Gwenadillow Chive Bunny handled by Graham Clelland
2ndJango Gentle Breeze handled by Gordon Blyth
3rd and The Special award for the Best Puppy and The Lucy Cup
Miss Mallory’s Tickety Boo Wrensmead handled by Sharon Hennesey
Novice. 10 dogs.
1stand The Novice Tankard
Glenturrett Lucky Star handled by Gordon Blyth
2ndKeamarola Look In My Heart handled by John Double
Open. 6 dogs
After a run off:
1stand The Lulworth Cup
Waverton Wish I Could Fly At Larksburn handled by Sarah Young
2ndTaur en Faroth du Pays des Gelfes (GR) handled by Amand de Roover
The organisers would like to thank all involved in the day for their part and their support in making this a very pleasant day,also for the generous support of the raffle which raised £75 which has been donated to The Fortune College of Riding Therapy, which is the choice of our kind Hosts.
Below photos kindly supplied by Charlotte Drake.
