What a treat to be able to hold a working test on this beautiful ground nestling in the Lincolnshire Wolds! Our thanks to Mr J Milligan-Mamby for hosting our Novice Working Test on this typically sunny winter Sunday.
Sue Lowe, Charlie Albone, Keith Eastwood and Martin Eveleigh were our judges for the 35 strong field and Gilly Bell was Chief Steward.
The morning’s tests were held in the rolling parkland, bordered by fields and wooded areas.
Test 1 was in a dip. There was a shot and a mark thrown up on top of the bank to the left. This was picked before a blind placed in the hollow to the right.
Test 2 was in the valley on the edge of a wood. This was a double mark with shots. The first dummy was tossed under the trees down on the left and the second up on the bank to the right. The second thrown dummy was retrieved first.
Test 3 was a short mark in the spinney over a low fence, followed by a 50m blind on the track next to the plough in the opposite direction.
Test 4 was a two dog walk up with the dogs having a straight retrieve each and then a crossing retrieve.
After lunch, our judges took eight dogs through for two testing retrieves.
Test 5 was a mark on an island in the small lake starting 30m from the edge. This was followed by a blind in the grass field, 60m to the right. The blind proved to be straightforward, but getting the dogs onto the island caused problems.
Test 6 was a picking up exercise. The dogs had to go over a stream, run 50m uphill through rough grass and then collect a dummy in the spinney at the top of the hill. There were always four dummies out and dogs had to pick two. Crossing several boundaries was difficult, but once in the spinney none of the dogs swopped dummies.
These two tests were good discriminators, but a long blind down through a rough spinney was needed to separate first and second.
Results:
1st Killyrudden Beefheart LDR D handled by Mrs P Gibb*
2nd Derrity Basil LDR D handled by Mrs L Coates
3rd Bearbrace Frieda LDR B handled by Mrs H Barr
4th Brackenwood Willow Star at Ridsome LDR D handled by Miss C Pont
*awarded the Rasenfield Shield