Dove Valley Working Gundog Club.

Results of Open English Springer Spaniel Trial  held at the Tatton Estate on December 2nd 2008.
By kind permission of Mr R Brooks and Mr R Beverley.
Judges. Mr R Casey and Mr J Grainger.

                 1st  Aubrey Ladyman with Rosebay Camille winning The Westray Trophy, presented by  John Duke, The Blackwall Trophy for The Gun's Choice                                                                                  and The Gavosie Trophy presented  by Graham Evans for the Best Hunting Spaniel.                                                                                                                                                                       2nd  Ian English with Helmsway Holly.                                                                                                                                                                                                3rd Justin Clark with FT Ch. Wickstreet  Harvester.                                                                                                         Certificates of Merit were awarded to Wayne Parrington with Fayway Freddie and Ian English's second dog, Deniro Dee.

Our 50th Field Trial was our Open English Springer Spaniel Stake held at the Tatton Estate, near Mobberley in Cheshire on 2nd December, by kind permission of Mr R. Brooks and the keeper, Mr Roy Beverley, who was also our Steward of the Beat. Several competitors had difficult journeys through snow and it was very cold at the meeting point and extremely slippery underfoot. Roy Beverley had placed his stops at strategic points and the trial got off to a good start with a regular supply of game. The ground was crisp and very quickly, white all over, following two or three sharp sleet showers. The team of guns shot well for the dogs. They were GrahamEvans, Clive Addison, Rob Pettifer and Martin Williams. RoyBeverley efficiently steered the stake through the first piece of woodland and dogs had started on their second round by the time we moved over to another wood where, initially, there was a lull in game. However, sufficient birds were found to complete the trial without moving on to a third wood. We lost 3 dogs in the first round. OurJudges, Ray Casey and Jim Grainger called in Ian English’s bitch, Helmsway Holly and Aubrey Ladyman’s bitch, Rosebay Camille for a run off. The final decision was that Ian’s Helmsway Holly took second place and Aubrey’s Rosebay Camille was awarded first, as well as winning the Gavosie Trophy for the best hunting spaniel and the Blackwall Trophy for the Gun's choice. Third place was awarded to Justin Clark. At about 2.15 p.m. as yet another sleet shower threatened, the awards were made after which, in his summing up, Jim Grainger commented that some of the dogs had not marked too well and some of the deliveries could have been better. All in all, a very good Trial and our thanks to The Tatton Estate for allowing us to use their superb ground. Our thanks must also go to the guns who bought the day for us.  
Words and photos Elizabeth Bedford.