Held at Broomfield Grange, Edwinstowe, Notts
The Open Cold Game Test at Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire was held on 9th September 2018 by kind permission of Mr Robert Bealby in the sugar beet fields of Broomhill Grange. The judges were FT panel judges David Brown and Dorothy Walls-Duffin from the Midlands. Malcolm Peacock as Chief Steward ran the line and controlled operations. The card of 30 included three breeds of retriever. The weather was sunny and dry with hardly any breeze. Like a walked-up field trial there were four dogs in line, two under each judge. Two guns were placed forward on each flank, firing to salute pigeons cast right or left into the beet. Another gun trailed behind in the centre for back marks. Dogs and handlers had to be alert to mark several birds down at once. Each dog had two retrieves in the first round, and a cross retrieve under the other judge in the second round. After lunch 17 dogs were called in for two more retrieves, consisting of a long forward mark, and a long blind behind the line to the fringe of a border hedge. After the concluding refreshments the trophies, five awards and prizes of Alpha dog food were presented by Area President Elaine Welburn.
1st: Mick Newsam’s LR D Delfleet Baron of Maswen, 2nd: Daryl Boldy’s LR D Garrenwell Colorado, 3rd: Penny Mariner’s LR B Cherry B Lady, 4th: Philip Smithies’ LR B Patanavac Julia, CoMs: Susan Corden’s LR B Higgscroft Corylus Avellana, Helen Swan’s LR D Braitoft Artful, Anne Crookes’ GR B Mistybrook Maive of Moscargrange, Sue Lowe’s LR D Lowsommer Story of My Life.
Photo shows Judges and Award winners L-R : Back row: Anne Crookes, Penny Marriner, David Brown, Dorothy Walls-Duffin, Daryl Boldy, Philip Smithies, Helen Swan ; Front row: Sue Corden, Mick Newsam, Sue Lowe.