It is always a pleasure to start our year at Thorganby by kind permission of Mr and Mrs J Milligan-Manby.
We thank our helpers who came out in force as well as our judges Paul Hasney (B), Andrew Sweeney (NP), Julie Campbell (NP) and Claire Carvis (NP) and our Chief Steward, Sue Hales-Lowe.
We began with four tests:
Test 1 was a double mark both with shot. The first dummy landed in a small plantation of trees and the second on a rise to the right. Each dog picked the first dummy down first.
Test 2. A mark was thrown out with shot. As the dog returned from retrieving that, a second one was thrown in same area.
Test 3 was a long picking up exercise. Three dummies were out around a tree. There was one shot. The dogs had to pick 2 dummies
Test 4 was a long mark with shot in to a wood. Handlers then turned their dog for a long blind behind. They had to stop the dog at a tree and handle right into a slight dip nearby for the dummy.
The judges decided to cut to 12 dogs to do a further two tests.
Test 5. This was an interesting two dog walk up. A shot fired but there was no retrieve. Handlers and dogs walked on, a shot was fired and a dummy thrown which was picked by the first dog. After walking on again, a shot was fired and a dummy thrown for second dog. There was another walk on before three shots were fired in the wood and 3 dummies were thrown. The dogs were taken through a fence into the wood for each dog to pick one dummy.
Test 6. Two dogs were in line. A shot was fired down the valley and a mark thrown. The first dog had to ignore that and was turned towards a bank of trees to pick a blind, having to negotiate a fast-flowing stream and go up on to the top of the bank to find the blind.
Finally, two dogs went in to a run off which was a very long blind in a grass field.
Results
1st Stauntonvale Snow Leopard of Tildaross Mrs T Middlewood*
2nd Hollowgate Rising Flame Mr C. Albone
3rd Snipe Sister Mr P Buckenham
4th Ploughmans Teal Mrs G Finch
COM Rimrock Victory Mrs S Briggs Young
*awarded the Rasenfield Shield and the Remembering Jim Cochrane Shield for highest placed Lincs member