It was sunbathing weather at Atterby on Saturday so our dogs appreciated having a swim in the reservoir and the handlers looked on enviously. We are grateful to Mr Margrave and his Keeper for allowing us to use the ground for our training day.
Our trainers for the morning session were Sue Lowe (open dogs), Julie Campbell (novice) and Gilly Bell (puppy) and they judged the three tests of the informal match in the afternoon. Thanks to them and the helpers.
For the informal match, as usual the more experienced the group, the longer the retrieves.
Test 1 was a mark and a blind placed in the same place, though the puppies had two marks.
Test 2 was at the water. There was a mark on the track and then one in the water for the puppies. For Novice I and Novice 2, both dummies were out at the same time and the open dogs retrieve along the track was a blind, picked first.
Test 3 was a double mark in a grass field, the first one thrown to the handlers left and the second to the right. The puppies picked the first mark before the second was thrown. Novice 1 retrieved the second dummy down first and Novice 2 and Open dogs picked the first one down first.
Results:
Puppy
1st Chris Johnson with Ivy and Sara Briggs-Young with Oakley
2nd Max Greasman with Lily
3rd Jane Lidster with Bertie
Novice 1
1st Tom Unwin with Ben
2nd Jane Pilling with Fern
3rd Emma Drewitt with Zeus
Novice 2
1st Jane Lidster with Poppy
2nd Vicki Strawson with Wren
3rd Gwen Finch with Max
Open
1st Martin Abbott with Moss
2nd Penny Marriner with Skye
3rd Lucinda Southern with Roy