About thirty members took advantage of this excellent day at Ulceby by kind permission of Simon Jones, the landowner, and Phil Olding, the shoot captain.
The sun shone, but there was a chill wind as the four groups were put through their paces by Sue Lowe (puppies and inexperienced), Sara Royle (Novice 1), Andy Slingsby (Novice 2) and Ray Newell (Open). We thank them, Gill King (who judged in the afternoon along with Julie Campbell, Andy and Ray) and everyone who helped.
In the afternoon, there were four carefully thought out tests that made good use of the open fields around the band of trees on top of the hill.
The inexperienced dogs started with a short two dog walk up with a single mark for each. The second test was a mark into the wood. Test 3 involved the dog sitting whilst three tennis balls were tossed, landing close by and then there was a short mark. Their final test was a longer mark landing in the clover in front of a hedge.
Novice 1 started with a single mark into the wood. Test 2 was a longer mark landing over the brow of the hill and this was followed by a mark with a second dummy thrown into the same place as the dog returned with the first. Test 4 was a double mark, one thrown in front and the other behind.
Novice 2 opened with a double mark with shots, picking the second dummy first. They went on to a mark landing in front of a hedge followed by a blind in the maize to the right. Moving on to the other side of the wood, there was a mark thrown behind and a blind in front that had to be picked first. Novice 2 finished with a picking up exercise, collecting two of the four dummies in the wooded area.
Test 1 for the Open dogs was a mark thrown behind the hedge to be picked after a blind not far to the right in the maize. Test 2 was a blind placed in front of the wood (woe betide anyone who allowed their dog to go into the wood) and a mark previously thrown behind. Test 3 was a picking up exercise from a greater distance than for the Novice 2 dogs. There was a shot and two dummies had to be picked from four. Shots heralded a long double mark, with one dummy landing out of sight over the brow of the hill, for Test 4.
Results:
Puppy/Inexperienced
1st Luke Stacey with Jack
2nd Janette Sayer with Zoe
3rd Sinead McMillan with Alf
Novice 1
1st Emma Benfield with Tinker
2nd Steve Bennett with Ripley
3rd Casper Jonsen with Merlin
Novice 2
1st Alison Gilbertson with Lucy
2nd Rachel Clark with Jet
3rd Phil Bell with Ellie
Open
1st Sinead McMillan with Leo
2nd Janette Sayer with Fin
3rd Sinead McMillan with Isla