Saturday 6th May 2006, Cleynhage Golden Retrievers, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
by kind permission (and organization) of Laurina Blankenspoor

The weather was fine in the morning, but turned wet for the afternoon - nevertheless everyone had a good day and enjoyed a fine variety of tests.

Joy Venturi-Rose did a mark in game-crop thrown towards the wood. The dogs stood at the left hand side of the game-crop in grass edge.

Adam who comes training with Jess the - yes! - springer did the throwing and shot for this test.


Some dogs did it easily while others struggled. It was not a long mark but it was not as easy as it looked. Plenty of places to lose your dog. The wood alongside the game-crop is full of interesting smells!!

 Chris Rose had a long blind down hill - with plenty of bunkers to loose your dog. It was just in front of bramble bushes saluted with shot to pull the dogs there. There are lots of hawthorn bushes on left and right before the dogs got to the retrieve your dog was either on whistle or not. Plenty of places to lose sight of them. It needed an experienced handler to do this. thank you to Claire, who took time of work to help with this test

Ray Hardie did the water test. It was a long mark on left just in front of the reeds left passed the island, then another mark in reed bed to right of the island.

The long mark was to be picked first and because of the wind the dummy on right moved when dog came back from first mark. Which made it an interesting test.

Another 'distraction' was a Canadian Goose currently sitting on a nest - she was unfazed by any dogs which came on the island!
Mr. Verinder judged a test as follows. A mark was thrown over boggy land with thick reeds, but before they picked the mark there was a blind in the bog to pick first. Then the dog was send back for the mark which was over a track. The handler's bunker there was a big hawthorn bush, This is where handlers could lose the dogs as the mark actually landed to the left of the tree. It was a pleasure to see some of the top dogs doing such a good job of it. Doug, who picks up at Batsford, came to help and did both dummies and shot for this test. Mr. Verinder judged test 5, which was a mark with shot uphill to the right of a track with a blind to pick first to the left of the track. Mike (another Batsford picker-up) did both these dummies - quite a bit of walking for him on the day. But being a gamekeeper and picker up not a problem for him.

The results were:

1st - PHIL BRUTON WITH CRACKER
2nd - JANE COLEY WITH WATERFORD DUNBAR
3rd - PHIL BRUTON WITH BAILEY
4th - JOHN JONES WITH BADGER

Reserves

JILL WRIGHT WITH RAVEN
SALLY ANTRAM WITH HAWKSLOW LOVE IN THE MIST
JANE WINTON-FITT WITH BITTENHAM PTARMIGAN
EMMA SCOTT WITH ELECAMPANE HOLLY OF CHISBROOK

So, a big thank you for all that helped on the day.

Pauline who stayed put at the barn to take entries and hand out score cards to competitors, made coffee and tea for judges. Never done this before - very grateful for her!

Jan who trains her goldie with Laurina helped on the day but also beforehand!

The lady in the redbrick house heated up the food for the judges which I cooked night before. She actually let them use her dining room because the weather turned bit wet at 1.30 when they stopped for lunch.