The United Retriever Club (North Midland Area) held a Cold Game Test on 7th August at Strines Moor, Yorkshire by kind permission of Mr & Mrs Hunt. The judges were Steve Crookes, Anne Crookes and Paul Birkbeck. The tests were based on natural shooting situations with retrieves on pigeons. The weather cloudy and cool initially with a strong breeze, warming up later in the day.
There were 26 in the Intermediate/Novice section, with three breeds of Retriever competing.
In the morning Steve judged a long marked retrieve across sheep pasture, the bird falling well beyond a low wall which deceived some handlers and their dogs. Meanwhile Anne and Steve judged a walk-up across moorland, with swathes of tall rushes providing heavy cover. There were four dogs in line, changing sides to go under both judges. A mark in front was visible in the air before falling in the clumps of rushes. It was all too easy for dogs to overshoot the mark and get lost in the cover. A blind down the line was much shorter but still caused problems for some dogs. The afternoon tests were sited on different ground, adjacent to a grouse moor. Anne judged a long blind on a windswept moor, the bird representing a grouse dropped in a heathery gully to the rear of one of the butts. Paul judged a retrieve glimpsed by the handler and dropping over a brow into a deep valley. Although unseen by the dogs the shot drew them onto the line and most found very quickly. Meanwhile Judged next to a long pond, where a raft of duck decoys posed a diversion. However the shot saluted a blind in the heather and gorse alongside the path and the retrieve did not involve entering the water.
The awards were presented by Vice-President Elaine Welburn, with prizes of Alpha dog food greatly appreciated by the competitors, with three breeds sharing the honours.
1st Penny Marriner’s LRB Cherry B Lady
2nd and Best Novice Tankard : Daryl Boldy’s LRB Swiftbrook Alula of Garrenwell
3rd Phil Wagland’s GRD Pebbletoft Pepper
4th Caroline Hewison with FCRD Venus in Transit over Casblaidd
CoM : Anna Wagland with GRB Funnyline Fieldquest Kelbook
CoM Carol Probert with LRB Turpingreen Acunia of Corsemalzie