Dove Valley Working        Gundog Club.

     Results of Novice A/V Retriever Trial, (14 dog) at Catton Park,          Monday 3rd November2008.
  By kind permission of Mr and Mrs R Neilson. 

Our first trial of the season at Catton Park attracted 73 nominations and on the day reserves as high as 31 gained a run with number 36 as first reserve. It really does pay to send those entry forms in!  Judges Keith Bellamy and Peter Bell on the right and Dorothy Walls-Duffin with Shelia Suzuki on the left took all the dogs in line for the first drive. Around 30 birds were shot and the trial got off to a cracking start. Guns shooting for Dorothy and Shelia dropped birds in heavy cover and brambles either side of a stream which saw Wayne Skett, Dave Kirkby, Judy Lunt and Maurice Fitch pull off good game finding retrieves with very little handling. Dogs under Keith and Peter were picking longer birds on rough pasture with Terry Dobson, Jimmy Swindlehurst, David Brown and Phil Down all completeing the first round with few problems. The second drive was a different story! The Judges stood the dogs well back from the line for a Partridge drive from maize and the guns shot well to drop birds on old pasture. Someone said a Partridge shot by Kev Marriott had snow on it's back! After picking several birds, Peter Bell sent the first of 4 dogs for a dead bird which was only 20 yards away.  As so often happens with partridge, it proved elusive and was picked by the Judges. With 5 dogs left, a short lunch was taken before moving to the final drive in heavy woodland. Several Pheasant obliged the guns and the Judges were able to declare the Trial over.

1st Jim Swindlehurst with Kenmilleven Tootie Fruitie (Lab) winning The Loynton Trophy. Jim was also awarded the Thorpe Cloud Clary Trophy for Gun's Choice.

Judy Lunt with her Golden, Cainhoe Rosevean, was awarded a Certificate of Merit and the Roston Cup for the Highest Placed Lady Handler.

 Judy Lunt's Goldie after a long hunt.                     Maurice Fitch's Braidenvale Perception.

                                                       

               

                               

Dorothy, Keith, Shelia and Peter. Trial Over !!
   

Judy Lunt, Jim Swindlehurst and David Brown.
All photos by Guy except where stated.