18 handlers brought their dogs to gain advice on how to improve performance at working tests from our two judges, Sue Lowe and Brian Barker. All the dogs were marked on 4 tests and the judges explained the reasoning behind the marks given.
Test 1 was a mark with shot and a blind to the left around a tree
Test 2 was a picking up exercise in a triangle of grass. Three dummies were out. A shot was fired and the dogs were required to pick two dummies.
Test 3 was a 2 dog walk up with marks over a narrow rough area onto plain cut grass. Each dog had two marks.
Test 4 was a mark just over a very small brow followed by a blind in the same place.
In the end, only 5 dogs finished with a clean sheet. There were keepsake trophies for the first two, rosettes for the top four and a certificate for all the handlers who took part.
Results:
1st - Barry Wilkinson
2nd - Phillipa Emms
3rd - Kathy Appleyard
4th - Ace Williams
COM Paul Williams