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SAVE THE CHILDREN RETRIEVER WORKING TESTS 2005 Sponsored by James Well Beloved Dog Food (00 44
(0)1935 410600 http://www.wellbeloved.com). |
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"Working tests" are designed to encourage people to take up the enjoyable sport of working retrievers and with that in mind, the Save the Children series of tests are committed to using realistic retrieving situations. Exercises are run over natural terrain simulating a shooting or trialling day and are designed so that dogs can demonstrate their ability to mark, handle, hunt and display initiative. Over 170 dogs entered the competition and 24 succeeded in qualifying from the 6 heats held in the UK and Ireland (Irish competitors received additional sponsorship from Smart Telecom (00 353 (0)1 469 9300 http://www.smarttelecom.ie/)). The final this year was held at the Osberton Estate, Worksop, by kind permission of the Foljambe family. This is a magnificent estate that has hosted many gundog events in the past and provides the kind of venue that can only be obtained on an estate where country pursuits were a consideration in its creation. The judges, Mr. J.W. Halsted Jnr, Mrs. J. Hayes, Mr. G. Holt and Miss C. Smith, presided over eight challenging exercises which tested the dogs on a variety of ground including woodland, water, cover and grassland. |
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To demonstrate the dogs' intelligence, one exercise featured the use of marking by sound. A dummy was thrown into a lake, unseen but with a splash audible to the dog, and, after previously retrieving a blind from across the same stretch of water, dogs were then required to collect this unseen dummy in the water. | |
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A walk up incorporating two marked retrieves of varying distances made dogs put their thinking caps on. The nearest retrieve was picked first, and the same dog was then required to collect the furthest dummy, allowing dogs to demonstrate their accurate memory and marking ability. |  |
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The winner, Clancallum Tamdhu, here showing great drive and style, finished with a remarkable 230 points out of a possible maximum of 240. |
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| Left to right : Paul Clark, Judges: Gordon Holt. John Halsted Jnr, Charlotte Smith & Joan Hayes, Malcolm Stringer, Laurence Hennessy, Robert Daws, Alf Gorman, Peter Robinson, George Oliver. |
We would like to extend especial thanks to the organizers of the heats and final who worked so hard to make the event such a succcess, and to all those who freely gave their time and energies to judge, steward, provide grounds, throw dummies and assist with advice and ideas! Without these people such events could not be run. The event raised over £1500 for the Save the Children charity and we want to encourage as many people and dogs as possible to come along next year and take part, or just watch.This is a sport which all the family can enjoy and where handlers can range in age from under 16 to over 80. Don't miss the Save the Children series in 2006! Next year it is planned to run between 8 and 10 heats so be sure to get along to one in your area. Watch out for announcements in the shooting press early in 2006. |
