Wow!
That was the HARDEST NDNH test I have ever done! (ok, only done a few, but still! 8O )
HUGE HUGE HUGE WELL DONE TO ANDY! :wink: I predicted 'something' in a pm to him, and am so so chuffed for them!! I am now going to open Suzy the future telling line.. (I would have used the word physic if I was 100% sure on spelling! :lol: )
Ok..
Test 1 (of what was going to be 7!)
LONG mark up a hill, falling out of sight over the brow.
Shot and dummy thrown, a few dogs previous had emptied both bladder and bowels along the way, so we were all frantically walking our dogs round demanding they went to the loo NOW!!! Chester didn't mark very well, and veered to the left, but once up there winded it on the curve and delivered to my invisible friend to the left of me :wink: We scored 18
Test 2
Double mark and blind over a jump up a hill into cover (quite a distance!)
Well, we haven't done any work with jumps for AGES, and I just KNEW I would struggle to get him over this first time, and I did, he ran up and down, ignoring me yelling GETOVER, several times (bless :evil: ) eventually I got him over, and he ran up the hill and he hunted for a few seconds before picking and returning. Then send back for the blind, jumped straight away (why couldn't he do that the first time :roll: ) he hunted a little, then left the area, at this point my dog was a black spot on a hill
I recalled him to the area, and he hunted well, and eventually picked and returned. It was quite a large area of cover, and we were not told where the blind was, so it was quite testing for a dog that has never been a good hunting dog! We scored 14
Test 3
Mark over a fence
Straight forward shot and mark onto short grass, whistle wasn't in my mouth (why should it be? straight forward mark I say to myself) He jumps, picks mark, stands for a second looking at dummy thrower, whistle shoved into my mouth breaking 3 teeth... PIP PIP! Oh ok he says, returns and delivers nicely. We score 16
Test 4
Long mark thrown over a fence towards us, so no jumping this time
He flies out, hunts for a second or two, then looks at the dummy thrower (whistle in mouth this time) PIP BLEEPING PIP.. returns and delivers nicely. We score 19
Test 5
Goodness
Blind. First part was heelwork from a to b, shot, then open and heel through gate, then send to blind down into the woods at the end. Options options options... escape route to the left and to the right.. small margin for error! All ok, send for blind, needed a little handling, but did as asked, returned and delivered nicely. We scored 20
Test 6
Not sure whether to call this a blind or mark onto water, as hard to mark due to cover/trees. Heelwork down a path at the top of a bank next to lake, 1 shot let off, dog to sit, heelwork again, another shot, dog to sit, then dummy thrown onto water (dog can't see its fall/land) heelwork again down to the bank, then send dog. All fine, deliveres nicely. We score 20
Test 7, WAS going to be a walk up, but sadly :wink: they decided it wasn't needed I think
So, all in all 107/120, and we got OUR FIRST EVER AWARD!!! Woooo I have to say, I really wasn't expecting it, as I made some mistakes today, but I swear I had a tear in my eye when I heard us being called, I was so so happy!
We were the only ones to receive CoM, so does that make us special? :lol: :wink:
We received some really nice comments from the judges, and I had a lovely day.
A special well done to fish aswell, he was brilliant besides the jumps, which he hasn't done before, so well done Al!! and Fish!
Really good day, lovely food, well organised!
