The tests were held at the Willows, Standlake, Oxfordshire on Sunday 7 September 2025. It was certainly eventful. I tore the ligaments in my ankle and fractured my foot 3 days before the test and was hobbling around in a rigid boot and crutches but my amazing team of helpers rallied round and made the day run smoothly. It was our last test so we wanted it to happen. So thank you to all my helpers – Nicola Radtke who arrived very early to unpack my car and then acted as Chief Steward for the morning. Nicola Stonor who ran her dog in the morning and acted as Chief Steward in the afternoon. Louise Simmonds who took me to A&E and waited the 4 hours to take me home and did all the catering and helped set up everything on the Friday. Carolyn Madgwick who instead of training her dog on Friday came and set up with us and then helped Louise with the catering before running her dog in the afternoon. David Miller who came early to hand out the numbers and then threw dummies all day as he has at all of the tests I have run over the last 12 years and he doesn’t even have a flatcoat. The rest of my helpers John Double, Jayne Richards, Lucy, Paul Stonor, Steve Cudlip and Mel Cookson all of whom helped and stayed to clear up at the end. Thank you to our wonderful judges Keith and Jane Manley for being so friendly and helpful to the competitors and stayed to help at the end.
For those that just wanted the results I am sorry but without these people working tests would not happen.
Each class had four tests
Test 1 – a double mark but for the puppies the handler walked out and placed one of the marks
Test 2 – a mark and a blind in the same place but for the veterans a single blind
Test 3 – walk to heel then shot for a blind (a mark for the pups) and after that was retrieved a mark was thrown out in the same place and the dogs had to turn and walk to heel back to the start before sending.
Test 4- was a blind in a wood except for the veterans who had a mark and a blind in the willows
Results
Special Puppy
1st Sharon Henesey with Miss Mallorys Tickety-Boo Wrensmead winning the Aimee Cup
2nd Helen Fox with Westoncruive Ace of Spades by Blacktoft
Novice Dog/Novice Handler
1st Nicola Bawden with Chance of Thunder winning the Novice Handler Cup
COM Nicola Stonor with Foxpath Esben
COM Mel Cookson with Manningford in the Mist
Veteran
1st Caroline Hewison with Casblaidd Island in the Sky winning the Tigger Tankard
2nd Carolyn Madgwick with Yonsaff Going Solo
3rd Gordon Blyth with Glenturret Lucky Star
4th Helen Fox with Satinblaze Cracksman for Blacktoft JW SGWC AI
