Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 11:57 am Post subject: MID SUMMER WORKING TEST & FAMILY GUNDOG DAY - 27.6.09
Advert from Countryside Alliance - this is usually a really good fun day, espcially for those wanting to dip their toe (or paw!!) in, so I thought I would post a copy here to tell anyone who may miss out otherwise!
Katy
MID SUMMER WORKING TEST & FAMILY GUNDOG DAY - SATURDAY 27TH JUNE 2009
The South Eastern Gundog Society and Countryside Alliance are holding a family gundog day on Saturday 27th June, Horsted Keynes, Sussex RH19 4AY. Horsted Lane - follow signs to ground which is North of Horsted Keynes. With open, novice & pre novice working tests, plus scurries, jumping lane and dog and gun. Something for everyone.
All entries on the day - starts 9.30am with last entries at 2 pm (Lunch 12.30-1.30pm). For further information contact Michelle Nudds on 01903 884179 or email.
What a lovely day this was. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to dip their toe in. There were Pre-novice (for NDNH), Novice and Open Tests as well as scurries. The tests were very encouraging set in lovely surroundings – thankfully two were across water which helped keep the dogs cool.
Sorry not to see you Katy. I didn’t get there till the afternoon and went straight out to do the novice tests. There were over 100 entries in the tests and many in the scurries. Unfortunately, by the time we had finished the tests the scurries had finished so we didn’t get to go.
You were called out in the awards later but must have already left – incase you haven’t already heard – many congratulations on winning one of the scurries with Fife. Also to Tom who was called out in the awards.
Megan had a good day and we finished 2nd in the Novice Test.
For those interested the tests were as follows:
Test 1.
Prenovice: A mark in the water with shot.
Novice: A mark in cover across the water with shot.
Open: A blind in cover across the water with shot – this proved elusive as only one open dogs succeeded.
We did the novice test – Megan marked well – swam straight out – quickly found dummy in cover and swam straight back. We scored 20
Test 2:
Novice: Sit up along path in wood with a low fence at the end of the path into field. A mark with shot is thrown into the field (although you don’t see the fall).
Sorry, not sure how Pre-novice and open differed.
Went straight out, over jump and picked dummy and returned. We scored 20.
Test 3:
Prenovice: A mark on the bank across water with shot.
Novice: A mark in the field beyond so the dog had to go across the water, over a stock fence and into field.
Open: A blind in the same field that the novice picked the dummy.
Went out nicely, ignoring the geese that had spent the afternoon swimming up and down , and went straight over fence. Picked dummy and returned – straight over fence and across water. We played our joker on this one and scored 40.
Test 4: Hunt up in woods
6 dummies out
Pre-novice – pick two dummies
Novice – pick three dummies
Open – pick four dummies
Picked three quickly – was very pleased because one she picked was very close to another. She saw it, but ignored and brought the dummy straight back to me.
We scored 20.
Test 5
Heelwork and Long Mark.
Novice: Heel a short distance with the judge and sit when shot fired. A dummy thrown into field.
After last weeks ropey heelwork, I was pleased that she did this well. She marked nicely went out and back at 100mph. Our downfall – the little monkey decided she’d do a lap of honour around me instead of coming straight in – we lost 2 points and scored 18!
For anyone interested, UGS Kent and East Sussex runs a very similar event at the same venue on 1st August and it is well worth going for the experience.
Gosh Jenny - jolly well done you and Megan! You must have only just been pipped to the post for first place! WELL DONE!!
Sorry to miss you - I got there at the start and did the SEGSs tests with Oak, then Tom came up late morning with Fife Ash and Sam and everyone did the scurries. I was thrilled with Fife's win in the "BOLTING RABBIT" scurry, and Tom was dead chuffed that Sam was second in the jumping lane.
We were very pleased with all our boys. Ash has definitely decided that as long as there is no pressure, dummies are ok (while feathered game is out of season!), and he did some nice work on the scurries. Fife thoroughly enjoyed his day, with accurate retrieves at a speed that reflects his mature age! Oak unfortunately had to do the Novice SEGSs tests, which was really a little more than his experience level had come across. However I treated it as a training day, and he did some excellent work on the things he knew, and I just intervened with the jumping, for example, which he has never done.
Test one he did nicely, no problems, and handled well on the other side of the water.
Test two he came to a abrupt halt at the the jump, so I ran out, patted the top, and he flew over, picked the dummy, and flew back with no worries at all.
Test three was way beyond his experience - he swam out beautifully, got to the bank, clocked the dummy the otherside of the fence, but a full height stock fence to a 12 month old dog who has only jumped shin height a handful of times with me a few foot away, was way too hard. I sat him on the whistle, and they threw another dummy his side on the fence. Oak sat steady until I handled him "OUT" to the side, where he picked it and returned lovely.
On the mark he shot out like a die, but we were only the second dog to go, and there was a large clump of what looked like dead rabbit, although may have been sheep fleece, which he stopped to check out, and then lost his mark so I had to handle, but he handled well and from a long distance for a young pup.
Hunt up was fine, I suspect I spent too long on one side of the wood but Oak was good.
Scurries - jumping lane Ash - star (with slight sniff at the end where someone had pee'd before!), Fife - steadier star, Oak bit confused with height of straw bales as had never done any jumping like that, but when I went closer he did it well, and on second attempt he shot down really well.
Mark on land and mark on water - get land one first. All found scenting conditions hard, but all got the dummies in the right order and I was pleased by their obedience.
Hunt up - straightforward unseens in cover - all were stars
Dog and gun - Two clays shot then retrieve two unseen dummies. scenting conditions left a lot to be desired and both Ash and Oak wanted to pull to the wood where the clays fell, whereas the dummies were in cover to the left. But both handled well and everyone suceeded.
Bolting rabbit - AHHH! The "rabbit" (DUMMY ON ELASTIC) shot off in front of us and then the dogs had to pick two dummies - one from behind and one from beside us, either order. I did the one behind with all dogs first, as it was taking their attention off the rabbit. Then did the second dummy. Fife made it look easy. Ash was tempted by the rabbit but held, and did the retrieves very well, despite one being right in the middle of a thick bramble bush! Oak, however, showed that he was tired at the end of a long day - and chased the rabbit! He stopped, and recalled, and got the dummy behind nicely. But he struggled with the second dummy as he was focused on the rabbit. With patient handling he achieved though, amid much praise!
All in all a lovely day and al my boys halos shining - but not as much as Megans!!!! What a good girl she is, Jenny!!!!
Thanks for the reports! Big congrats to both of you - sounds as if the tests were nicely set up, pushing the dogs without having to stretch them I think, I might just have a look into the UGS event on the 1st of August as I'm trying to 'plough' through as many tests as possible this year. Just got a kennel full of dogs that are all keen to go
Natasha
____________
WLF All the Way!!!!
"Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can´t eat it or hump it. **** on it and walk away..."
Katy - believe me her halo slipped when she failed to deliver on test 5 and decided to do a (albeit small) lap of honor
Oak did brilliantly in Novice, what a star he is Well done to Fife, Tom and Sam too and you must have been chuffed that Ash has decided dummies are ok till the season starts again.
Natasha they were very inviting and encouraging tests - nothing to catch them out at all. (Hope Katy doesn't mind my putting the link here), but the one on 1st Aug is being run by UGS Kent & E Sussex and is very similar with the addition of a BBQ.
Don't be silly, course I don't mind! In fact nearer the time we could give this one it's own thread - after all, certain LF's from further afield may be tempted to come if there is a BBQ involved!!!! AND, I may add, that this is the club who put on the SUMPTUOUS spread at the team event, so may be worth a little drive down!!!
Don't be silly, course I don't mind! In fact nearer the time we could give this one it's own thread - after all, certain LF's from further afield may be tempted to come if there is a BBQ involved!!!! AND, I may add, that this is the club who put on the SUMPTUOUS spread at the team event, so may be worth a little drive down!!!
Very true... and.... there may well be some nice male judges / helpers that have been mentioned in other threads too
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Big congrats to both of you - sounds as if the tests were nicely set up, pushing the dogs without having to stretch them 
I think, I might just have a look into the UGS event on the 1st of August as I'm trying to 'plough' through as many tests as possible this year. Just got a kennel full of dogs that are all keen to go 
AND, I may add, that this is the club who put on the SUMPTUOUS spread at the team event, so may be worth a little drive down!!! 
