The Open award winners at Welbeck 2014
Open test results
The United Retriever Club (North Midland Area) held an Open Working Test for Any Variety Retriever on Sunday 11th May 2014 at Welbeck, Nottinghamshire by kind permission of Mr W Parente and the Estate. 30 dogs were entered. Prizes were generously sponsored by Alpha – the food of Champions.
The weather was showery with a cool breeze across the lakes. The judges were Keith Helliwell, Janet Allsop and Robert Daws. The ground includes rolling pasture, woodland and two large lakes. The retrieves were planned to reflect shhoting situations on the shooting estate.
In the morning good use of made of the water. Janet judged on the woodland fringed lower lake. A gun on the far shore fired twice, for a mark in the lake and a blind in shoreline reeds. Both retrieves required a courageous swim. The more open upper lake was swept by a strong breeze, making waves. Robert judged a double mark, the handlers nominating which to collect first. The potential problems were the entry from the retaining wall, the swim into the wind and waves, and the risk of picking the wrong dummy first. Meanwhile Keith judged on a sheltered ride through woodland. A distant gun saluted a dummy falling in thick cover amongst pine trees. As dogs returned another shot acknowledged a second dummy, seen by the handler but not the dog. Poor scent in the woodland cover was the problem some found.
After lunch Keith and Robert judged together at a walk-up along a broad dry valley in sheep pasture. With four dogs in line all were tested for heeling, steadiness and marking ability on two retrieves. An adjacent wood was the attractive setting for a pick-up exercise judged by Janet. The dummies lay in light cover of a bluebell wood but it was quite easy for dogs to hunt too far out and become lost in the thicker cover amongst deciduous trees.
The top dogs were given one more retrieve to fine-tune the places. This led to the following results, with trophies and prizes of Alpha dog food presented by Miss Margaret Rowson representing the Welbeck estate.
| Position | Name | Breed/sex | Handler |
|---|
1st
|
Henwinshire Harbor Lass |
LRB |
Robinson & Tier |
| 2nd |
Melanie Jayne |
LRB |
Peter Wadsworth |
| 3rd |
Derrity Rose |
LRB |
Charlotte Smith |
4th
|
Woodcockhill Madoqua |
LRD |
Geoff Dobb |
| COM |
Warrenbank Fen |
LRD |
Paul Birkbeck |
1st (H=Bob Robinson)(Lincs)
2nd (Hope Valley Trophy)
3rd (Hallamdale Tankard & Pebbletoft Cup)
Photo of Prize winners attached Report by Phil Wagland (Hon.Sec)