Dove Valley Working Gundog Club.
By kind permission of Mr Philip Chaffey. Judges. Chris Winfield, Laura Hill, Malcolm Thwaites and Arthur Hewer..  This was our second visit to Radbourne and after a wonderful first trial last year, we were all keeping our fingers crossed for another good days sport. After welcoming everyone, and relaying the sad news that Sarah Jaggard, drawn number 13, had fallen the previous day and was in hospital, Head Keeper and Steward of the Beat, Phil Chaffey, led the way to the first of two fields of fodder beet and as we lined out there were signs that he had been busy feeding the birds into the crop. Arthur, judging with Chris on the left, gave the sign that they were ready and after a nodd from Laura with Malcolm on the right, we moved off. We hadn't walked more than about five paces before the first bird was shot on the right. This was pretty much the story all the way to the top of the field with pheasant and the odd partridge sitting tight long enough for our team of 9 guns to put good, sporting birds on the deck. By the time we reached the end of the first field (only about 250 yards) we had almost gone through the first round. Dogs found their game well with only the odd problem, the star of the show so far being John Drury's Bowler Lad of Brenjon, who picked a strong cock runner a good 80 yards from the fall, un-sighted, the other side of a hedge. The trial progressed steadily through to lunch with more walking up and a mini drive from a rough hawthorn spinney producing testing targets and interesting retrieves. After a quick lunch with, to add a festive feeling to the trial, mince pies and mulled wine for everyone, we continued walking-up, this time in a wide, rough strip of white grass and young trees before a final drive from a strip of maize to end the trial. This was another memorable day for Dove Valley, marred only by the news of Sarah Jaggard's accident. We all wish her a full and speedy recovery. |
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First winning the Gossmount Trophy, presented by Kev and Jan Marriott .....  Judith White (above) handling Ft. Ch. Blackfoot Scout of Minstead. Second and Gun's Choice, winning the Coomberry Trophy presented by Steve and Angie Lomas - Shelia Suzuki (below and background) handling Staftly Indiana.  Photo by Steve Lomas. Third Lisa Harris (below) handling Chilean Spice with Hawksthorn.  Photo by Kev Marriott - well it couldn't be me could it?! Lisa also won the Steward's Credit Award for the best dog, picked by the Dove Valley Stewards. A Certificate of Merit was awarded to last years winner of this trial, Vic Barlow, handling Lamaload Dana (below).   Vic also won the Hawkslow Trophy, presented by Sally Antram, for the Youngest Yellow Labrador. (You've all seen plenty of photos of Vic, so heres a couple of his dog!)  Send me a humerous caption for this one and I'll put it in!  John Drury's Bowler Lad of Brenjon returns with a Cock bird after a proper game finding retrieve. A slip later in the day probably cost John a win as this was, without question, the retrieve of the day. Thanks to our guns- Vernon Lathwell, Gary Collier and Mick Barrett-Niocholson. And a BIG Thank you to Phil Chaffey (below) for another fabulous day.  |
