|
The United Retriever Club (North Midland Area) held Intermediate and Veteran Tests at Carlton Towers, North Yorkshire, supported by Alpha Feeds performance dog food experts.
The judges were Mick Newsam, Sue Lowe and Andrew Coates. A supply of pigeons meant the dogs could be tested on cold game and with a Bank Holiday Steam Fair occupying the parkland near the mansion, the tests utilised some natural shooting ground on the estate.
Cloudy skies, with a strong breeze and sudden showers made for interesting working conditions.
There were seven entries for the Veteran test, and 28 for the Intermediate/Novice, with four retriever breeds competing.
In the morning there were three marked retrieves, one under each judge. Mick judged in an undulating meadow, with clumps of rushes and reeds. A walking gun saluted a pigeon thrown towards the corner. Some dogs over ran ranging on to a ploughed field, but others marked accurately in the clumps of cover.
Meanwhile Andrew judged on fallow ground, a gun at a distance firing for a pigeon dropping in white flowers. There were several accurate long marks, but there was a danger of losing your dog in tall yellow rape beyond the mark.
Another mark was judged by Sue Lowe. With the bird falling in long grass close to a hedge, music from the Steam Fair formed a minor distraction.
After an early lunch there were three blinds. Mick judged a picking up situation with no shot, the bird lying in cover near an oak tree, to the side of a large buttercup field. Precise handling was needed to do well.
Sue judged a pigeon shooting exercise, the dogs being sent from near a hide, across plough towards the gun to find near the field edge. At Andrew’s test a shot towards a rough corner guided most dogs towards the area of the fall, most finding quickly close to woodland.
A walk-up with six dogs in line was used to further test the Intermediate/Novice dogs, with two retrieves with throwers well forward and/or behind.
The awards and trophies were presented by our Vice-President Elaine Welburn.
Results
Veteran
1st Anne Crookes with Golden Retriever bitch Millrythe Adelaide of Moscargrange (11 years old).
2nd Phil Wagland’s Golden Retriever bitch Pebbletoft Polka (12)
3rd Brian Holmes’ Flatcoated Retriever bitch Cumberwood Cracka (10
)
4th Phil Wagland’s Golden Retriever bitch Pebbletoft Chorus (9)
Intermediate.
1st Ian Whittle’s Labrador bitch Swaine Julianae of Peniglen
2nd Michael Hirst’s Labrador bitch Skeffington Fingallian
3rd Anita Beal’s Labrador dog Nidd Yellow Pimpernell of Twigvalemoor (also Tankard for Best Novice)
4th Anita Beal’s Labrador bitch Bedgebrook Harrier of Annsfarm
CoMs. Pam Illingworth with Golden Retriever bitch Leerambler Diamond Star
Helen Midgeley’s Labrador dog Rivockedge Smooth Operator
B&J Beardsley’s Labrador bitch Tawnyway Devenny
The ground was used by kind permission of Cartlton Towers estate, and the co-operation of Head keeper Mark Fitzer.
 |
