Judges Ged Leeson, Janet Allsop, and Andy Kinta with prize winners

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The day was warm and sunny, with only a little breeze to help the dogs.  Shirebrook Park is a reclaimed colliery spoil heap, landscaped with young forestry plantations on the hills and ponds in the valleys.  The morning retrieves consisted of a mark in a pond out of sight of the handler, a long mark on a grassy hillside and a walk-up in a plantation including a mark among conifers.  After lunch there were three double retrieves.  A blind across a lake and over a fence was picked first, with a mark on the water to be remembered.  On the hill, there was a double blind over a fence into a plantation and another double blind into a rushy clearing.  Thus the dogs were well tested on marks and blinds in a variety of terrain and cover.

Judges Glynn Coupar, Graham Jones

and Elaine Whittaker with award winners

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The day started very wet, but nevertheless everyone completed three tests before lunch with great good humour.  The morning tests comprised  a hunt in the woodland for two "birds" previously shot, a mark into a lake, partially obscured by an overhanging tree and a mark saluted by gunshot into an area of long grass and weed.  In the afternoon there were two tests, the first a walk-uo with a mark in front and a blind behind and finally a mark uinder a tree with a shot saluting a bird in another area as the dog returned.

The standard of the dog work throughout the day was very good with the Intermediate winner only dropping 4 marks.  The top two Veterans could only be split after a run off.  As is common in the North Midlands Area, the awards reflected the variety of retriever breeds, which train with us and enter our tests.

Puppy Award winners

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Puppy and Novice tests were held at Welbeck, Nottinghamshire by kind permission of The Lady Anne Bentinck.   They were judged by Margaret Rowson and Anna Wagland, plus Phil Wagland for the Novices.          

The Puppy tests were held in the morning, which was cloudy with drizzle.  This year there were only 8 puppies competing, 6 Labradors and 2 Flatcoated Retrievers.  The parkland was used for tests emphasising basic obedience and retrieving.  One exercise was heeling with a send back for a retrieve.  Nearby, handlers had to heel their dogs and negociate a gate, then send for a marked retrieve.  Next was a marked retrieve from the lake, followed by a blind along a path through a wood.

Novice award winners

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The Novice Tests in the afternoon were held in a mixture of sunshine and showers.  36 runners comprised 3 Flatcoated Retrievers, 7 Goldens and 26 Labradors.  Each judge assessed the dogs for two retrieves.  Phil Wagland judged a walk up with three dogs in line, each dog getting a forward mark and a longer mark on undulating grassland.  Anna Wagland sent the dogs for a blind uphill in long grass.  As the dogs returned a shot saluted a mark over a wooden fence, next to a gate.  Meanwhile Margaret Rowson judges a long mark on the lake, which was followed by a blind retrieve from deciduous woodland.  Nine dogs did well enough to earn awards, with three breeds sharing the honours.