Twenty seven handlers brought their dogs to practice in the sugar beet at this popular venue. We very much appreciate the Laird family allowing us to use the ground.
Grateful thanks go to Ray Newell and Sue Lowe who worked hard in the morning, training, respectively, thirteen open dogs and fourteen novice dogs (some had not picked game before). Thanks, also, to Vicki Strawson, Doreen Spencer, Casper Jonsen and David Falshaw who threw game and put blinds out during the day.
Sue, Ray and Lee Hayman judged the three tests in the afternoon
Test 1. The dogs had to go through the beet to a mark in long grass on the bank of the reservoir. There was also a blind (a rabbit) up a track alongside the reservoir. The novice dogs picked the mark first and the open dogs took the blind first. The open dogs covered a greater distance than the novices.
Test 2 was a mark and blind (marked by a square of white posts) in the beet. Again open dogs picked the blind first and were further away, whereas novice dogs collected the mark first.
Test 3 was a two dog walk up. Two dummies were thrown. The dog on the right picked the last one down and the dog on the left the memory. The dogs then swapped sides and the exercise was repeated. The Open dogs had cross retrieves.
The weather didn’t quite hold – the run off in the open class was in the rain, but everyone enjoyed the day and the dogs gained excellent experience in sugar beet ready for the cold game season.
Results
Open
1st P Marriner with Paris
2nd Anita Beal with Conner
3rd Alison Gilbertson with Lucy
Novice 1
1st Will Emms with Purdey
2nd P Marriner with Sky
3rd G Longdon with Ross