The beautiful setting of the Orchardleigh Estate near Frome, coupled with a sunny and warm day, made an ideal situation for a working test.
NOVICE
A prompt start was made in the morning for the Novice test; a field of 22 dogs being split into two to attack the four tests. One half of the field was taken by judge Judy Rainey, first to a mark and blind in a woodland clearing where a fairly high 'bird' was shot, falling into a clear area but with a couple of piles of brashings between dog and bird, such that the dog had to make a curved run to pick. When the dog was nearly back to the handler, a 'rabbit was shot crossing a track some distance from the first retrieve, requiring the handler to send the dog along the track, stop, turn and pick just off the track. A wide range of competence of both dog and handler was seen, some picking both well, with others having difficulty with either the seen or blind, and a few lesser experienced teams with both.
Judy, steward Margaret Guest and thrower Ron Dawson, then led the group a short distance into a shallow valley bordered by woodland to a long mark, the bird flying toward the dog, being shot and falling into some cover surrounding a tree standing in the open. Although the retrieve seemed straight forward, many of the dogs went out with style, but rather than go straight into the cover, went around one side of the tree and entered from the back of the cover. Perhaps the perception of the dog to where the bird had fallen was differend to we mere humans. Once in the cover, the bird was easily found. Some dogs were tempted by the woods either side, while a couple seemed to prefer hunting the open grass.
Whilst this was happening, judge Stuart Robson, who had kindly helped set the tests, together with steward Alan Guest and thrower Martin Dennett, took their half of the field firstly to a long mark on open grassland where a bird was shot while the dog was being walked at heel, the bird falling just beyond a slight crown in the ground, requiring a good mark and hunting ability in a featureless area. Most dogs did this well, although some ranged far and wide, whilst others were unable to hunt successfully. Following this, competitors were taken into a woodland clearing for a hunting exerciuse to pick two birds from three which had been dropped within a defined area. Most dogs made a fair job of the task, while a few had difficulty getting to the area or failed to stay within the area.
At this point, the two groups were swapped over to attempt the two tests they had previously not done.
A superb buffet lunch prepared by Alison Wilsoin was taken while results were prepared, and the awards were presented by Charles Fuller, by whose kind invitation we were there.
Novice Awards
| Position | Name | Dog Breed/Sex | Dog Name |
|---|
| 1st |
Mr G Lambert |
Lab D |
Hawksgarth Colorado of Wickmoor |
| 2nd |
Mrs J Pritchard |
Lab D |
Percival Pembrooke |
| 3rd |
Mr J Cornforth |
Lab B |
Roxhart Tehaya |
| COM |
Mrs C Collins |
GR D |
Fallowfens Tinker |
| COM |
Mrs K Pinker |
Lab D |
Oliverstone Sydney |
| COM |
Miss M Cox |
Lab D |
Manormynd Vision of Wickmoor |
OPEN
A field of seventeen dogs took on tests similar to those for the novice dogs, but stretched in distance or with slight changes to suit open dogs. The mark and rabbit blind was replaced by a double shot with the second resulting in a dead bird seen dropping behind the brashings, the dog being sent first for the blind as it was thought to be injured. As often happens, a number of dogs seemed keen to go for the seen bird first, with some handlers having difficulty convicing them otherwise. The mark into cover around a tree was only made slightly longer for the open dogs, but in general they did not do as well as the novices in the morning, with some handlers having surprising difficulty getting their dogs to go back the full distance.
The mark into grassland was lengthened slightly and most dogs did a good job.
The hunting exercuise was modified to a double blind in which the birds had been shot before the handler arrived, and having had the situation explained by the judge, the handler was asked to send promptly for the bird on the left as it was thought it might have run. Most dogs did a good job, although a few handlers took time to assimilate the subtlety of the informartion regarding the bird which might have run.
At the end of the afternoon, we all returned to base for tea and lovely cakes prior to the awards again being presented by Charles Fuller.
We are greatly indebted to Charles and his keeper Neil Perrett for allowing us to be on such superb ground, and also spending all day with us watching the dogs, or on a rota basis with the organising team, slowing some of the over-keen golfers heading judges and all the helping team without whose dedication competitors would have no competitions in which to run.
Open Awards
| Position | Name | Dog Breed/Sex | Dog Name |
|---|
| 1st |
Mr J Cornforth |
Lab B |
Mucklehart Gracie |
| 2nd |
Mr N Jordan |
Lab D |
Hollowbrook Slater |
| 3rd |
Mrs J Dimmock |
Lab D |
Millerise Leo at Lyanmoreshot |
