The weather was fine and the day went very well.  The training, enjoyed by 28 dogs, was excellent. Hazel Barr schooled the puppies, Jim Cochrane the novices and Ted Fitzjohn trained the open dogs.

Award Winners at Nettleton

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Judges - Sue Lowe, Richard King, Mick Roberts and Malcolm Thwaites

Hackthorn Hall is a superb ground for training and we thank Mr Craycroft-Eley for allowing us to come here each year.  As popular as ever with our members, 45 dogs came for training on a sunny dry Saturday.  Katie Capps was trainer for the puppies, Hazel Barr and Andy Markham for the novices and Gill King guided the open class. After the excellent training, we sat in the sunshine enjoying our picnic lunches until it was time for our four afternoon tests.  Thanks to Katie, Gill, Andy and Sue Lowe who judged the large field and to all the helpers who made this such an enjoyable day.

It was dry and quite windy.  There was a good turnout of 22 dogs who were split into three groups for training. The trainers were Sue Lowe, Casper Jonsen and Gill King.  We set four tests for the afternoon and the judges were Sue Lowe, Doreen Spencer, Martin Eveleigh and Gill King.

Judges and award Winners at Woodhall Spa

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Judges - Ged Leeson, Paul Bates, Peter Bell and Mick Roberts

Forty dogs competed on a hot sunny day.  The wooded area provided very welcome shade for half the tests and lunch!  Guy Bennett our Chief Steward, had set four challenging tests for competitors to complete in the morning.  At lunchtime our judges decided to take eleven dogs through to the afternoon walk up and water tests. Our thanks go to the landowners Mr Simon Casswell and a consortium including Mr James Reed, who presented the prizes, for allowing us to use this lovely ground that allows such a great variety of retrieves.

Our entrants were divided into four teams on this very hot sunny day.  Doreen Spencer, Martin Eveleigh, Ian Dolby and Gill King each led a team.  Four tests were set, each team organised and judged one and completed the other three.  The plan was to have  a walk up after lunch, but we decided the temperature was too high for dogs and handlers to continue, so the day was completed in both novice and open with a three-way run off to decide third place.

URC members very much enjoyed the day at Longdog House, by kind permission of Mrs C Thorlby. Chief Steward, Katie Capps and Martin Eveleigh had set six interesting tests in the lovely grounds around Longdog House. Our excellent judges for the day were Mrs Sue Lowe and Mrs Doreen Spencer. Stamford Animal and Pet Supplies of Spalding sponsored the prizes and the day was rounded off with a most enjoyable barbecue.

Walk-up in the sugar beet was much enjoyed by the members who attended.

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Richard Beckerleg, Malcolm Smith and Charlotte Smith were the judges, Mick Roberts and George Dickinson were chief stewards at our novice cold game test at Tumby Woodside (by kind permission of the Laird Family). They tested the dogs - and handlers - with some interesting retrieves in the sugar beet and on stubble on this hot and windy day.

Chief Steward Peter Bell kept handlers and judges on their toes with a variety of types of retrieve and number of birds out at any time. The dogs were able to scent the game from a good distance and the beet was short enough to make walking comfortable. All the dogs had three retrieves by lunchtime and then the judges, Derrick Capel, Annette Clark and Richard Hinks, cut to eighteen dogs for another two retrieves and they made their final selection from a four dog run off.