The Intermediate/Novice Cold Game Test was held on 4th August at The Slips, Caunton, Notts by kind invitation of Mr & Mrs D Smith. The judges were Sue Lowe, Will Hales and Malcolm Peacock. The ground consisted of pasture and a harvested barley field, with a number of fences and features designed by Charlotte Jeffrey of Derrity Gundogs. The weather was warm with a light breeze. There were 34 dogs running, with four breeds competing – Labradors, Goldens, Flatcoats and a curly-coated retriever.
In the morning there were three marked retrieves on pigeons. Sue judges a walk-up with four dogs in line. Will’s test involved crossing a ditch and narrow belt of cover. Malcom’s test involved crossing two wire fences into a belt of rough cover. Many high scores were recorded, and there were only a sprinkling of failures.
After lunch there were three blinds, one along a headland, one across a field to a corner of cover, and the third into a more open field with light cover. By this stage scores were well spread out. The 10 high scoring dogs were called in for a 7th retrieve, consisting of a mark into cover inside a ring fence. This produced a result.
The awards and prizes of Alpha dog food were graciously presented by Cathy Smith.
1st Anne Crookes with GRB Moscargrange Copper
2nd & Novice Tankard : Claire Glentworth Corney’s LRB Diglake La Reine of Flypatch
3rd Sue Corden’s LRB Higgscroft Corylus Avelana
4th Pat Bell’s LRB Higgscroft Omega at Pallingforth
CoMs : Anne Blakes’s LRD Bromleywood Romeo
Lucinda Southern’s LRD Stephens Brother at Warrenbank