SAVE THE CHILDREN RETRIEVER WORKING TESTS 2006
Sponsored by James Well Beloved Dog Food (00 44
(0)1935 410600 http://www.wellbeloved.com).
The Save the Children tests are going from strength to strength, with 225 dogs entering 7 heats held in the UK and Ireland and 28 being taken forward to the final, once again held at the Osberton Estate, Worksop, by kind permission of the Foljambe family. We are very grateful to be able to use such wonderful ground for the final and also to all the generous farm and estate owners who provided superb venues for the heats.
The judges, Mr. D. Capel, Mr. G.E. Leeson, Mrs. L.D. Partridge and Miss A.M. Clarke were able to assess the dogs over six challenging exercises devised to demonstrate the handling capability of the dog, not to mention the intelligence of the handler in working out the best way to approach each test!
Two tests were unseens from cover with seen diversions, another required the dogs to find two unseens - one being much closer than the other (more difficult than it sounds) and for the water exercise an unseen retrieve was to be retrieved from a lake with an audible but not seen diversion. In all instances the dogs were required to pick the diversion after the unseen - proving their memory capability. A walkup in a wide woodland avenue with cross retrieves provided an exciting test of steadiness with good marking from the dogs and concentration from the handlers being needed.
The event climaxed with a test which certainly sorted out the men from the boys (sorry, the women from the girls!) It was fun, unexpected and an excellent spectator sport. A judge collected dog and handler and escorted them down an open woodland path, the dog walking to heel, and, with a twinkle in her eye, exhorted the handler to 'keep your eyes open'. They walked for about 30 yards to the next waiting judge, with bolting 'rabbits' (fur covered dummies) being bounced along beside them and across their path. That certainly got the dogs on their toes! The dogs were then directed to retrieve an unseen dummy hidden down another path, with the added difficulty of passing the bushes into which the final 'rabbit' had disappeared. This really proved too tempting for some of the dogs and a few of the 'rabbits' were retrieved but many dogs completed the test successfully.
