Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 10:31 am Post subject: Arun&Downland Open - Wilts Open walked up
A busy weekend again. Saturday was our first test in about 6 weeks both my dogs were a bit rusty but they completed all the tests with special being in a run off for 4th. He was beaten by a lovely dog belonging to Alastair House. One that i would love to have myself.
There were 4 tests and 4 Judges. Sue Chapman, Penny Allanson-Bailey,Colin Pelham and Barry Taylor.
Test 1. Colin Pelham. A mark of about 120 yards down a hill, over a ditch across a river and into long grass. Followed by a 150 yrd blind to the left which was placed in a ditch. Both of mine did this ok but twist struggled to get up the bank out of the river.
Test 2. Sue Chapman. A 60yrd blind. The dogs had to cross a ditch on an angle which pushed special a little to far left and he needed a bit of handling. Twist did it ok.
Test 3. Barry Taylor. A walk up with a double mark. This was the retrieve which settled the test. The area the dummies landed was right beside a deep ditch which was thick with reeds. If by chance you dummies landed on the grass it was an easy 20 which special had. However, if yours landed in the reeds as Twists did you needed to work hard to keep your dog in the area and get them into the ditch. Although Special got 20 and Twist 16 i was more pleased with Twist as she worked hard to find.
Test 4. Penny Allanson-Bailey. A long mark with another thrown into reeds as the dog was coming back with the 1st dummy. This test caused a couple of problems but my pair did ok.
Thanks to all at the A&D. Some lovely ground and nice tests.
1st Garrethall Quartz
Lab/D 12/03/08
Owner/Handler: Barry Harvey
3rd Foxpound Buzzard
Lab/D 23/07/07
Owner/Handler: Ken Green
4th Faircotelabs Gorse of Lawnhills
Lab/D 19/05/09
Owner/Handler: Alistair House
COM Tayfordwoods Special Envoy
Lab/D 20/08/07
Owner/Handler: Ian Ford
COM Barnesbrook Horus
Lab/D 11/08/07
Owner/Handler: Mike Fleming
Best Golden Retriever:
Hanans Mace Spice of Life
GR/D 22/03/08
Owner/Handler: Ray Hardie
Onto Sunday and the Wilts Open walked. I love this test. I have won it for the past 2 years with Twist and Special. The test is limited to 24 dogs so Twist ran with Special as a reserve. Sadly 2 competitors who shall remain nameless turned up with what can only be described as MASSIVE HANGOVERS!!!!. I think this must be normall in Sompting( Ooops may given a clue there!)
The ground was fantastic with white grass sometimes waist height and some bracken, ditches and tree stumps. These tests can be a bit predictable but the retrieves were orchestrated from the middle of the line so you never knew where your next dummy was coming from. The judges took a tough line from the start with one dog called up without a single retrieve. At some points there were four dummies going out at the same time.
My 1st retrieve was a simple mark in front but for my 2nd 1st round retrieve i was called to the other side of the line to back up a dog who was going to try for a tricky cross line blind. That dog failed and i got an eye wipe to my credit in the 1st round, a good start. 2nd round was trickier mark but twist did a good job. 3rd round again called to the other side of the line for a dummy which 2 dogs had failed on. At one point twist got lost in the long grass and ended up coming back through the gallery towards me. another push back into the area and she picked a 3rd dog down eye wipe although a bit scruffy. 2nd 3rd round retrieve a mark in front. She was straight there and back. 4 th round and only 5 dogs left in, me being number 4 of the five. A mock drive in front and we were told some runners had gone to the right of the line. The 1st dog failed but he second dog made a really good job and picked. Then another mark thrown out to the left dog 3 had to work a bit but picked. Then we were told there was another blind out to the left. This one was for me. I could not have had a worse route to the area a large patch of brashings was right between me and where twist needed to be. I knew she had been knocked after getting lost in the third round so i needed brownie points. I sent her right through the middle of the rough stuff and like the little trooper she is she took it on and kept a good line after. One stop and a hunt command and she picked. Dog 5 had a mark off to the right and struggled a bit but picked and that was the end of the day.
1st John Mixture - KALITURE ARGAN
2nd Ian Ford - TAYFORDWOODS TWIST OF LEMON
3rd Richard Ashdown - MISTYBROOK TEGAN
COM - Jayne Manley - HOFFBANK MARY ROSE OF LENYAM
COM - Judy Venables - CLAYBANK FLINT OF QUARDRUIM
Thanks again to the Wilts club. A great day was had by all. Also thank you to Peter Scott who took the time to come and explain why my dog who had 2 eye wipes and only a minor knock had not won. The fact was the winner had not made a mistake all day. Its not often judges take the time to seek out a competitor to explain these things but i really appreciated it.
Brilliant . Well done Ian on your results particularly on the Sunday Test, and many thanks for the write up.
Had really wanted to watch you run, the wilts walkup being just up the road from me, but someone spiked my drinks the night before at the pub and I think I may have picked up some food poisoning somewhere too .....
As for some of your fellow competitors, I believe they suffered the same fate as me above
Well done Ian, I thought you must have either won it or come second.
Congrats to Barry too for saturday, seriously nice one both! Barry reads LF sometimes so - Barry! Congrats!!!! Another big up to our mate Alistair House who apparently ran a stormer in the run off and was only in one of his first open tests.
Yes we were a disgrace. Pathetic. I knew all week Prohibition would have to hit the whole of Wiltshire for us not to be a groaning wreak Sunday morning, and indeed it came true (although *I* set wine o'clock at 7pm or knew I was in trouble.... so how at 6.00pm was I on my third BEAKER of the stuff? God knows....weak and easily led.....)
OK I was eyewiped on my first in the third when Bondy and I made a sluggish half hearted job of hunting off the end of the line as I worked hard at not swaying. Allan at least picked his first in the third then was gone The good points of the day for us really was Bondy had a corker down the line in the first. And my new boots didn't rub. That was about it. But now I know you were second, Ian, thats good too
I'm getting too old for this.
Great write up!
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
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. Well done Ian on your results particularly on the Sunday Test, and many thanks for the write up.
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