GRCN – Crathorne 2012

First test of the season! Glorious weather and a good turn out.

The retrieves I was on were a river retrieve on the Novice which stumped the majority of runners, some failed to go into the water and others just couldn’t get the retrieve. It was a blind to a shot, but the wild Garlic was so overpowering I stunk of it all the way home! So that may have had something to do with it?

My second retrieve I again placed the blind, but they also had a mark to get second. I don’t think we had a single fail on the blind but the mark proved testing and a few dogs failed on that one.

But overall a good day with some lovely handling. Tweed came along for a ride out and was so mellow I thought he’d been switched. Steadied him up a treat, so that’s encouraging!

I’ll list the winners and judges etc. once I find the running order.

Novice
1st - Labrador – Falconlea Autumn Breeze
2nd – Labrador – Eshiels Danny Boy
3rd - Labrador - Mosshill Bramble
4th – Labrador – Stornside Alabama

Open
1st - Labrador - Delfleet Huckleberry
2nd - Labrador – Eshiels Danny Boy
3rd - Labrador – Claybeck Beth
4th – Labrador – Claybeck Forrester

2 COM’s

• Labrador - Esmoro Rajah
• Labrador - Lazull Lucas

How to Camouflage a Golden Retriever… (GRCN Working Test – Morton Grange, East Harlsey)

Instead of my normal spiel post-working test I have delayed my update as I have been pondering on how best to put what happened into words. So here it is, let’s call it the day Stormford Alter Ego, found his Alter Ego.

Findlay as he’s known to his friends is known as a Show Golden (however to be completely honest a Goldie is a Goldie be it working or show – and that is only further proven by his behaviour in the test). He’s 5 years old and his owner/handler Heather only started training him in the ways of a working dog all of 12 months ago, although it may have been less than that?

This was his first or shall we say virgin run at a working test. The Wednesday before the test we had him out and did various runs with him as a last session before the big entry on the Sunday. He worked a treat, the only blind he missed was one that we’d set out and forgotten where we’d placed it and didn’t send him far enough back for (we were in the totally wrong area). Anyway this brought our hopes for Sunday up, he was under total control, he could find anything we dropped (bar that one) and he was working a dream… This was to be a curse.

He was entered into the Novice test and his first test was to be one we had never really thought of! It was a double (blind to a shot, and a mark) so Heather was a little bit nervous on her ability to get him to turn for a blind, but she set him off and got him to go for the blind. He was on top of it and then ’poof’ he vanished…

The ground at Morton grange is a variety, there is woodland, crop and open grassland all on banking sides with some nicely placed ponds and streams. Now if there is one thing anyone who owns a retriever will know, they love water. Findlay is no exception.

The blind was set just up from a pond. But this isn’t a clean pond, it’s practically a bog. He started the day a beautiful shade of cream gold and came back, well, looking like he was trying to fit in with Labrador’s that were looking on with anticipation. He looked a right state,  but not one to give up Heather sent him for the mark, but he was so weighed down he was struggling to run anymore so she called him and was scratched from that test. [0 points]

On to the second test. Now this one I couldn’t see past the hedge at but he successfully retrieved the dummy although he was again tempted by the water down the hill. But Heather managed to keep him in sight and handled him to the mark. [15 points]

Test three, test three, you’d think third time lucky… guess again! Now to tell a little bit of back story, heather has what some would consider a small holding so she has, or had, Hen’s, Ducks and Geese. She had to get rid of the Geese though as sadly the dogs were obsessed with them… Findlay in particular.

Test three was situated right next to a pond with, yes, Geese swimming on it. But not to be undeterred she walked the dog to the test. This was a blind to shot running down what some would say is a nice tunnel of trees and fence on one side – a straight run down to the blind at the end. She sent Findlay down the tunnel and told him to ‘get on’ so he did right into the pond after the Geese. Now to be fair as a gundog owner your dog should never go past game… Findlay was just doing what he thought he was meant to – retrieve a Goose…

Ten minutes passed with the dog and the geese swimming up and down the pond (that dog has got stamina!) I proceeded to run to the other side of the pond to attempt to call him from there. He looked, once, when I got angry and shouted and swore at him, then he carried on after the geese. Even some of the other competitors walking to the test got involved as we all tried to break the dogs distraction from the geese. The recall whistles failed, shouting his name failed, throwing sticks failed, but finally we had success – The dummy thrower shot the starting pistol and threw a bottle into the water which broke his attention long enough for the geese to get far enough away that when he turned to look at them he realised his task was impossible. He then swam to the edge to see Heather and had to be air lifted from the water as he was so bogged down he could hardly get out of the mud on the embankment. Honestly though that dog looked the happiest of all the dogs there that day, as embarrassing for Heather as it was he had the most fun. And let’s be honest it can only be up from here right? [0 points]

"Where've the Geese gone?" (Courtesy of D. Rose of Gaytonwood)

You’d think that she would call it quits now. Nope, he went on to run the fourth and final test. This one was no where near water and was a walk up to heal with a blind dropped behind and a mark thrown ahead. Blind first, then mark. He walked up to heal lovely and went back for the blind and only once tried to turn back for the mark but he handled well and got it. So we turned and he was sent out for the mark but I think by this point not just Heather but Findlay himself had given up, he looked drained and was so weighed down by pond weed and general filth that he hadn’t the energy to run. So he was called back in and that ended his first working test day. [15 points]

So Heather went to find a tap to clean the dog down and go over everything that had just happened.

Hindsight is a marvellous thing, but Geese, who could have predicted that? All in all though, I think everyone had a good day out and Findlay provided the entertainment. But if nothing else we know where we have to do work to get him up to scratch for next year, he will run again!!

And for all of those who want to know, Results:

Puppy
1. Pebbletoft Primrose [Souter Romulus at Pebbletoft x Moscargrange Barley at Pebbletoft]
2. Georgas Gemstone
3. Braidenvale Carravagio of Woodsprite
4. Pebbletoft Pepper [Souter Romulus at Pebbletoft x Moscargrange Barley at Pebbletoft]

Veteran
1. FtCH Tweedshot Mango [FtCH Craighorn Bracken x Tweedshot Estelle]
2. Merryway Hazel of Pebbletoft [Holway Banjo x Pebbletoft Harmony of Merreyway]
3. Whitehouse Flyer
4. Vermuyden Eleanor [Moscargrange Amos x Dealminster Zara]

Novice
1. Holywear Blackthorn [Dukes Wood x Birdsgreen Amazing Agatha of Holywear]
2. Meadow Fern Goldie [Woodsprite Typhoon x Sunkissed Kate]
3. Farnjo Cocobolo Carys [Lansdown Boy x Aspendale Mythical Melody]
4. Claravale Wild Rose [Saxaphone Express x Claravale Jeanie]

NOTE: I lost my running order so if any names are incorrect, or I’ve missed off or got any parents wrong I apologise, I checked out as many as I could find online.

GRCN Working Test – Bilsdale (Chopgate)

Today we were sucked in by the glorious morning… only to be showered upon in the afternoon. The luck the GRCN had been having with the weather ran out. This weekend we had a Novice and an Open test; the Novice ran 5 tests while the Open only ran 4, but all in all spirits were high and everyone seemed to have a good day – the winners obviously more so than most!

Novice:

1. Mark up a steep incline in a wooded area
2. Mark into meadow area over short wall into second field
3. Blind to shot
4. Blind in meadow area
5. Double mark to shot (pick first drop first)

As I had the morning off from assisting (due to being slightly late – I had work commitments) I managed to observe all the novice tests. the ground at Bilsdale was very good as it had every type of ground, it seemed to challenge the dogs well. One of the only issues I think that some had with the ground (and that I know would be an issue with my boy) was that the sound of the whistles on the various tests carried well and added a distraction to the dogs. But this is something that happens and can only be accounted for by good handling. Note to self: Test the boy with this going on!!

There was a run off for the Novice between two of the dogs, but the Labrador pipped the Goldie to it leaving the placing’s as follows.

1. Broadlaw Buck [FtCH Emmawood Drake x Broadlaw Maple] Labrador Dog
2. Leacaz Liffy [Lowforge Aragon of Leacaz x Rimrock Redstart of Leacaz] Labrador Bitch
3. Tweedshot Teddy of Twigvalemoor [Tasco Brimstone x Tweedshot Mango] Labrador Dog
4. Patanavac Raven [FtCH Endacott Shelf x Patanavac Lagapus] Labrador Dog

Clearly a Labrador day!

Open:

During the open I was back to being a dummy runner so I only got to observe the one that I was running on, although I could just see the second from across the way.

This was a blind (with no shot) into thick bracken and rushes, which sounds simple but some where marking the test over the way and so were going down the hill towards the boundary instead of across the line ahead to the blind. There also was a distraction in the form of some decomposing animal that was in the growth higher up which seemed to have a pull for some dogs running. Overall though it seemed to wheedle out the best dogs and was a good test, however some crackers ran the test and were beautiful to watch in action.

The placing’s were after a run off, in which the three dogs had to pick a blind over a mark. The blind however was over a little dip (valley? whatever you want to call it) and the mark was on top of the hill. A Goldie and two lab’s were in the run off, and only two dogs successfully picked the blind and avoided the mark. Which left the placing’s as follows:

1. Woodsprite Loki [Misty Mountain Thor of Woodsprite x Wellinely Witch Hazel of Woodsprite] Labrador Dog
2. Holywear Gorse [Dukes Wood x Birdsgreen Amazing Agatha of Holywear] Golden Dog
3. Cynminfa Jenny [FtCH Levenghyll Peacock x Ropehall Poppie of Cynminfa] Labrador Bitch
4. FtCH Garronpoint Liffey [FtCH Willowyck Ruff x FtCH Garronpoint Little Dove] Labrador Bitch

So congratulations to the winners and well done to all who ran, thanks again for a great day out and see you again in July!

Also for all who may be interested at the Raby Game Fair (link below) the GRCN are running a non-KC regulated working test so any dog can enter (even those of us with the Heinz 57 gundogs!) and also they are looking for teams to enter as well. I would enter my boy but I’m in the USA on those dates so I’ll miss out on that one but if they get plenty of interest you never know they may run it again next year!

http://www.livingheritagecountryshows.co.uk/attraction/the-golden-retriever-club-of-northumbria/146.php

xoxo

PS Apologies if any of the dog’s registered names are incorrect, I Google as many of them as possible to double check the spelling is correct but sometimes errors are made.

GRCN Working Test – Butterknowle Fell

For some reason the GRCN are blessed this year with good weather! Although I doubt the dogs would agree as really it was too hot for them if anything. It did however make the tests more testing as the distinct lack in wind meant some of the dogs struggled more on the blinds. And like the dogs the hot weather also got me – I came home burnt but that was my own stupid fault for forgetting to wear sun cream, and I know I wasn’t the only one!

Anyway, the tests were Puppy, Novice and Open. And they ran as follows (bearing in mind I forgot my pen and paper until the end so if I got anything wrong I’m sure anybody reading who was there will correct me).

Puppy

Mark down into thick rushes – which was probably the least challenging of the tests, but with the dogs being only young some of them couldn’t contain there excitement and others were challenged by it being there first competition.

Double (Select which to pick first) – this tested there ability to work to command and there directioning ability as they had to pick the dummy you chose first. This was up on the top of the fell in amongst some gorse and from my perspective the most challenging.

Blind – Now this is the one I watched but can’t remember if it was a blind or a mark… I’m pretty sure it was a blind with a shot but it was early on in the day! It was run down a passage of gorse and a fence so a pretty straight run but there was a lot of distractions in the form of sheep shit and sticks, which I know from walking a young Stormford pup along to watch was ever so much more exciting to be sniffing at and picking up!

Winners:

1. Amancio Osprey [Ftch Darleigh Thunderbolt x Swaine Jaune of Amancio] Labrador Bitch
2. Pebbletoft Pepper [Souter Romulus at Millgreen x Moscargrange Barley of Peppletoft] Golden Dog
3. Garronpoint Medway [Ftch Darleigh Thunderbolt x Garronpoint Spree] Labrador Dog

Novice

Blind with a Gunshot – This looked easy but actually turned out to be a little harder as the ground didn’t run straight, and the dummy was so well hidden even I couldn’t see it from the top of the hill. And the lack of breeze really didn’t help, I think if there had been more of a breeze the Goldens would have fared better on the test but the Labradors pipped them to the post on this one with there differing hunting styles.

Blind and Mark into cover – Very few dogs successfully achieved both or even a single retrieve on this one. The blind was straight down from the handlers but again the lack of wind didn’t help and the temptation of the mark for some seemed to be too strong. The mark itself was just as hard as the dogs were going down over a brow on the hill into some cover and some struggled with this as they either didn’t go down far enough or struck out to far left of the mark. I did watch one Golden successfully complete it and at that point only one other dog had managed to do both retrieves! On any other day that would have been just as challenging but the weather made it nigh on impossible – but that’s just how the tests go.

Mark – This was a mark down into rushes, similarly to the puppy test earlier in the day so all in all a relatively simple one after the challenges of the other two.

Run off – Obviously somebody had just bought a new toy as both run offs used this. You know the rabbit runners that terrier people use at fairs and shows, well it was one of them, but by god did it test the steadiness of the dog. But we’d all gathered round to watch and it only took seconds!

Winners:

1. Cynminfa Jenny [Ftch Levenghyll Peacock x Ropehall Poppie of Cynminfa] Labrador Bitch
2. Holywear Blackthorn [Dukes Wood x Birdsgreen Amazing Agatha of Holywear] Golden Dog
3. Lazull Lucas [Ebony Black as Night x Duchess Dark Angel] Labrador Dog
4. Delfleet Pike [Ftch Mediterian Blue x Delfleet Dawn Flush] Labrador Dog

Open

Blind and Mark – The blind was to be picked first in some light cover and the mark was just on the brow of the hill. Some dogs sadly bypassed the blind and went straight for the mark, but I think most dogs were pretty competent at this test even with the distractions of dog walkers and hikers roaming by.

Double (first drop, first retrieve) – This was a lovely test to watch as the dogs were handling really well as you would expect for open standard dogs. A nice left and right into cover really helped show the handlers skills and the dogs training – although I’m sure many would disagree.

Memory Failure – I sat and watched this test last so you’d think I would remember what it was but I honestly can’t! I’m going to blame the hot sun and the distraction of my growing sunburn!

Run off – Again out came the rabbit device, but on top of that the dogs also had to pick a blind with a gun shot, but somebody forgot to move the rabbit device and so that was a massive distraction to the dogs upon retrieving the dummy. But I think only one dog faltered and decided that it would be more interesting and promptly dropped the dummy to have a good look.

Winners:

1. Summer Satin [Ftch Endacott Shelf x Drakeshead Evie] Labrador Bitch
2. Jodies Star [Maplebrash Magic x Brody’s Star] Labrador Bitch
3. Cynminfa Jenny [Ftch Levenghyll Peacock x Ropehall Poppie of Cynminfa] Labrador Bitch
4. Leader Blue [Greenbriar Falkland x Sparkling Sunbeam] Labrador Dog

All in all a damn good day out! And I got a day off for being dummy thrower, so you’d think I would be more likely to remember everything but no – I have a horrific memory now so lord knows what it’ll be like when I’m old and grey…

Congratulations to all the winners and well done to all runners as let’s be honest it was a hard day for all the dogs involved, I know a nice long splash about in the river afterwards made the day worthwhile for the Stormford dogs that came to observe.

xoxo

N.B If I have anything wrong please comment as no doubt I will – thanks

GRCN Working Test – Crathorne Estate

Today was the first working test of the year for the GRCN, and good god did they get a good day for it!

The sun shone all day, except for a brief “April shower” just as the run off for the novice test was being run. But all in all the day was wonderful I got lightly sunburnt but at least it’s proof that the sun was shining.

I spent the day with one of the judges on both of his tests for the day, so I only saw what went on on his particular test.

The novice test in this case was in my opinion relatively testing for a lot of the dogs as they had to not only pick a blind over water but also then go pick a mark (the crossing of the water for the blind being the difficult part in my eyes – I had to run between the two dummy throwers delivering as they went through there dwindling supplies as each dummy was picked. I’m surprised no one was taking bets on when I would fall in I felt as if I would more than once. But I live to see another day, good job I love my wellies.

Many of them did so beautifully although some got a bit waterborne shall we say and others weren’t so keen on crossing the river for something they didn’t know was there. But as it was such a hot morning I think many of them were glad of the refreshing spray running through the water – I know I was!

The run off for the final placing’s was between two Holywear Goldie’s and a lovely little Labrador bitch, this was just as the heavens opened but this didn’t put the dogs off their pace and it just freshened the afternoon up nicely after a good lunch and flask of tea.

The final placing’s for the Novice group are as follows, and clearly it was a day for the girlies to win out:

1. Spirit of Grouse Lodge (Labrador Bitch)
2. Holywear Guelder Rose (Golden Bitch)
3. Holywear Blackthorn (Golden Dog)
4. Aroexis Petal (Labrador Bitch)

The Open test was situated in the same field however this time no water was involved. The test was over two marks, the first was slightly hidden behind a hawthorn – I say hawthorn but I don’t know my trees,so for arguments sake maybe it was a big shrub? Anyway that was the first mark but then a second mark would be thrown over the other end of the field into a slightly overgrown area. The dogs would be sent for the first mark first and second mark second.

The majority of dogs faired better at this than the novice test and some of the handling was poetry to watch. Some faults were made but in general it appeared to be a good test. I rue the day I ever attempt to compete though, as myself and the judge made comment on how it’s so very different to working on a shoot day and that’s what my dogs are trained for… So will need to change my habits a bit, not that they’re sloppy but I think I need to sharpen up a bit!

There was no run off for the Open dog test and this time the dogs succeeded the bitches with top marks, and not a Goldie in sight!

1. Leader Blue (Labrador Dog)
2. Kenocto Major Mace (Labrador Dog)
3. Garronpoint Till (Labrador Bitch)
4. Lowforge Aragon of Leacaz (Labrador Dog)