It rained more or less non stop on Saturday August 5, so we were relieved that Sunday dawned fine and the sun even put in an appearance at times through the morning.
We are grateful to Mr R Ward and the family of G R Ward for allowing us to use an enormous field of sugar beet on their farm. We also thank Sue Hales-Lowe and Mike Birchall for judging and Phil Smithies for being Chief Steward. The test was kindly sponsored by Skinners and Gundog TV.
The test was run on field trial lines and walked up in the sugar beet. The first round was two marked retrieves at a distance of about 60m. The second round was a retrieve along the line where the dogs had to run past the line to find the dummy.
Seven of the sixteen dogs progressed to the third round which was a drive, with the dummies left out. Round four was completed with two memory retrieves. A dummy was thrown out in front, about 60m away. The dog on the right of the judges picked one of the dummies behind left from the drive and then the lefthand dog retrieved the mark in front. Roles were then reversed.
Finally, two dogs had a run off. This was a long mark about 80m away where the dogs had to run diagonally across the rows of beet into the wind blowing along the rows.
Results:
1st Cornstraw Buzzard LDR D handled by Ian Glover*
2nd Cardueae Emilia LDR B handled by Rebecca Thistle
3rd Kensteen Syrtis LDR D handled by Mr M Jackson
CoM Robbie on the Common at Garicmoor LDR D handled by Craig Horwill
CoM Diglake Villanelle LDR B handled by Dawn Scott
*Awarded the Rising Flame Shield for the winner and the Wraggmarsh Shield for the highest placed Lincs Area member