Our members welcome this opportunity to train in sugar beet at Tumby Woodside by kind permission of Mr G Laird.
Thirty members enjoyed the warm summer weather as their dogs retrieved the cold game. Our trainers were Sue Lowe (Novice 1), Julie Campbell (Novice 2) and Gilly Bell (Open) for the morning session and they judged the afternoon informal match of three tests .
Test 1 was a mark in the sugar beet and a blind in the same place for novice 1. Novice 2 had a mark on the plough over the dyke followed by a blind in the beet. The open dogs had a mark in the beet, but collected a blind over the dyke first.
Test 2 was a two dog walk up. For Novice 1, a bird was thrown which the dog on the right picked. The dog on the left retrieved the next bird. After this, each dog had a crossing retrieve. Novice 2 dogs had two birds out and crossing retrieves. Handers then changed places and the exercise was repeated. The retrieves were longer for the Open dogs.
Test 3 was a double mark. Novice 1 dogs retrieved the last bird down first. Novice 2 and Open picked the first thrown bird first, Open dogs again having longer retrieves.
Results:
Open
1st Gary Wilson with Bow
2nd Casper Jonsen with Merlin
3rd Jess Burrows with Flight
Novice 2
1st Larry Arthur with Leo
2nd Caroline Pont with Ozzie
3rd Philippa Emms with Fern
Novice 1
1st David Middleton with Pixie
2nd Tracy Elliott with Ciara
3rd Sharon Davis with Seams