Debden Hall Farm Debden
Results:
1st Birdsgreen Slipstream Sara Gadd
2nd Aquacadians Moses of Bellspaddle Sharon Dingle
3rd Birdsgreen Moses of Rowansbourne Alan Ward
4th Birdsgreen Watson of Rushbrigg Sam Morely-Riches
CoM Brockaghs Dervla Jim Collins
CoM Brockaghs Cathal Jim Collins
Our first test for the year was the Open Qualifier, which this year was at new ground by kind invitation of the Fiske family at Debden. Our judges for the day were Glynis Hillier, who stepped in at short notice and Julian Williams, and due to a larger than usual entry we had to get a third judge and Brian Chesser was able to help.
There were three tests: Julian was judging test one, a long mark in a meadow, which was not easy for the dogs or handler to see, and dogs were drawn by the shot, but the dogs had a long swim first which also meant several lost their mark. After this was completed there was a long blind along the riverbank, hidden in the rhododendron bushes.
Test 2 was judged by Brian, which was a long mark in a meadow slightly to the right, followed by a long blind to the left. The wind played a factor in this and not all the dogs went straight to the mark. The blind also caught several dogs out as they returned to the area of the mark.
The third test was in the woods, with poor Glynis standing in a boggy area, this test was for two blinds without shot one in front and one to the right. The first retrieve was quite short which caught several dogs out.
The top 16 dogs were then taken forward for a walk up in the afternoon, this comprised of two long marks across the line with the 2nd mark becoming a memory for the second dog, which was then reversed after the dogs at the other end of the line had their retrieves.
After the walk up there was a clear winner, in Sara Gadd and Birdsgreen Slipstream. Sharon Dingle was 2nd and after a run off for third place, Alan Ward took 3rd with Sam Morley-Riches in 4th place and Jim Collins received a CoM with both his dogs.