The Winning Team, Border Counties and Cotswold Area
THE UNITED RETRIEVER CLUB AREA FINALS
on Sunday 8th July 2018
at the Cottesbrooke Estate , Northamptonshire. NN6 8PE
by kind permission of Alastair Macdonald-Buchanan Esq.
The URC Midland Area hosted the 2018 Area Finals which was held on the Cottesbrooke Estate in Northamptonshire by kind permission of Alistair Macdonald-Buchanan. The Midland Area has held events and training classes on this beautiful estate for 35 years and is extremely grateful for the support received from 3 generations of the family in this time.
The judges for the day were Tony Parnell, Phil Bruton, Jennie Hankey, Lisa Harris and Charlotte Jeffrey who each judged 1 test. The tests had been set by Steve Newitt and Dave Probert, but Dave unfortunately developed some health problems and Pete Goddard stepped in to work with Steve.
It was another very hot day but with all the trees in the Park there was lots of shade and water points were provided at every test and in the car park. Likewise there were drinks for handlers and helpers on arrival and during a short break in the morning.
The Midland Area would like to say a big thank you to all the fantastic helpers, and there were lots of them who acted as throwers, placers, stewards. guides, scorers, catering hands, and general assistants, on the day before/on the actual day and clearing up at the end, they were all without exception so cheerful and helpful and made a brilliant team.
Nine teams of 3 dogs represented the nine URC Areas and worked their way round the tests.
Test 1 was a walk up with marks and blinds in front and behind interrupted by a bolting rabbit
which proved too tempting for some dogs.
Test 2 had simultaneous marks with blinds placed on the edge of the bay of the big lake.
dog 1 to pick the first mark, dog 2 the first blind, dog 3 the second mark, dog 1 the
second blind as so on.
Test 3 was a picking up exercise in an area of beech woodland
Test 4 took place across an area of parkland to an unfenced spinney, marks were thrown to
the left and right of the spinney with blinds in the spinney itself. The ground was very
deceiving as it dropped away giving a false horizon to the dogs who could only see the
dummies in the air, and nor could they see where the previous dog had picked its
blind.
Test 5 was marks including across the Lady’s Lake where the dog had a deep gullied stream
to cross out of sight of the handler before reaching the lake.
When all the teams had completed the tests everybody moved half a mile down the road to a group of barns where tables and straw bales had been set out to seat guests and helpers for a pig roast, followed by a large selection of homemade cakes thanks again to our great cooks. This made an ideal setting and with the weather as it was, much less stuffy than packing into the village hall, which had been our original thought.
Alistair Macdonald-Buchanan presented the awards which were
The Team Event
1st Border Counties and Cotswold.
The Windbreak Whisperer of Arcklebear Miss C.Baker, Millerise Leo at Lyanmoreshot Mrs.J.Dimmock. Hollowbrook Saker Mr.N.Jordan
2nd Hampshire & SW
Autumn Willow Tag Ken Green, Lenyam Just In Time Jane Manley, Lubbecke Simone Gillian Yates
3rd Essex
Birdsgreen Eclipse of Highroost Rodger Ketley, Birdbrook Wisp Sue Searle, Brockaghs Forba Jim Collins
4th Southern
Mitforton Orchid at Kirbyhall Ms Hilly Hoar. Helnorall Magnum Mr.R.Smallman, Mitforton O’Lordie Lordy Mrs.Gay Marshall
The Atherbram Cup (highest individual), Lubbecke Simone; Gillian Yates
The Shooting Times Trophy (individual runner-up), Helnorall Magnum; Mr.R.Smallman
The Froud Trophy (highest placed newcomer), Birdbrook Wis;p Sue Searle.
The Casleton Trophy (for the highest placed member of the host Area), Sandra Braithwaite with Stauntonvale Irish Sea
The individual winner Lubbecke Simone; Gillian Yates
Our Judges
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Maurice Fitch Treeworks
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