The Judges and award winners
Special Puppy
Position
|
Name
|
Breed/sex
|
Handler
|
1st
|
Naughtland Popcorn
|
LR B
|
Andy Ince
|
2nd
|
Brindlebay Coffee
|
LR B
|
Mike Tallamy
|
3rd
|
Uncleby Lordy
|
LR D
|
Roy Jarman
|
4th
|
Castletioram Red Maggie of Glenmarian
|
LR B
|
Marianna Morris-Worrall
|
CoM
|
Willow Star Spinner
|
LR D
|
Paul Wheeler
|
Novice
Position
|
Name
|
Breed/sex
|
Handler
|
1st
|
Brindlebay Mika
|
LR D
|
Jim Crooks
|
2nd
|
Macmillane Spar Lad
|
LR D
|
Tracey Crowe
|
3rd
|
Berewyk Tim
|
LR D
|
Dominic Butcher
|
4th
|
Bellspaddle Boris of Tofts
|
LR D
|
Glynis Hillier
|
Veteran
Position
|
Name
|
Breed/sex
|
Handler
|
1st
|
Fobbingacres Tornado
|
LR D
|
Chris Brown
|
Elmbrook Cup for best opposite sex to Novice winner Pigeonman Belle Starr Marianne Jackson
Kellhatch Trophy for Best Essex entry Naughtland Popcorn Andy Ince
Rising Star Cup for highest place Novice Handler in Novice class Dominic Butcher
Report to follow, with some photos of presentations.
URC Essex Area – SP/Nov/Vet Test, Sunday 14th July 2019
We held our 3rd test of the season at Garnon’s Farm, Wormingford, by very kind permission of the Dobell family who are always happy to have us there and make us most welcome.
Our judges for the day were Graham Stanley, Mike Rollinson, Doug Laflin & Abbie Reid. Mike Rollinson kindly stepped in at the last minute as Peter Lamb was taken poorly, so thank you Mike & best wishes Peter for a speedy recovery.
Our long-standing sponsors Masters Dog Food supplied a bag of food for the winners of each section & Sporting Saints also kindly supplied goody bags.
With a huge entry which saw 48 dogs running our committee, helpers & judges had their work cut out to get through the day smoothly. Thankfully the weather was not too hot & under the control of our stewards Mike Lawrence & Paul Cooper we all had a great day & managed to finish at a reasonable hour!
We had 4 tests set around a large lake which at times tested both dogs & handlers!
Test 1 judged by Doug Laflin was the first of the water tests. The Novice & Veterans had a long mark along the back which became a memory, the 1st retrieve being a blind in some long white grass on the edge of the lake. Lots of dogs pulled to the water which was the bunker! The Special Puppies had the same mark/memory but their 1st retrieve was a seen retrieve thrown into the water.
Test 2 judged by Abbie Reid was a mark retrieve in a valley with white grass & a blind on the same line but further out behind some tall thistles. The Special Puppies had a blind in the same area as the mark making it easier as the handler didn’t have the bunker of pushing through the first fall. It was a tricky test for all as you lost sight of your dog on the run out and the Novice & Veterans had the added problem of losing their dogs if they went too deep.
Graham Stanley judged test 3, a short walk up with a shot fired and a long mark thrown into the beet, on the way back from collecting the mark a shot was fired to simulate a rabbit being shot, the dogs were then sent to collect the blind, a straight run across the beet to the retrieve laying on the grass headland. There were several casualties in the novice & veteran sections, with few dogs collecting the blind. The special puppies fared much better with a short walk up, shot fired & a long mark thrown, they walked a few more paces & another shot was fired & a shorter mark thrown on the same line. The dogs had to collect the short mark & then send back for the long mark.
The last test, test 4, was another water exercise and carried out in pairs. This test was quite tricky & several dogs failed! Two dummies were thrown into the water some way out in front of the dogs, there was then a shot fired at 90 degrees and two more dummies were thrown into the water. The first dog was sent for one of the first two dummies, the second dog was then sent for one of the second dummies thrown. They then swapped places and repeated the exercise. The puppies had a similar exercise but there was only one dummy thrown at each area. For those that had to handle on the water this test became a real-challenge!
We had our clear award winners & no run-off was necessary. The day finished with tea, homemade cakes & a raffle, followed by the prize giving.
Our huge thanks to the Dobell family, our judges, dummy throwers, helpers, sponsors.