8th April 2012 held at Popes Oak Farm.
Open Test
Sunday 8th April 2012
Held at Pope’s Oak Farm
Judges: Mark Polley, Jane Tydeman, Roger Wade and Steve King
1st – Alistair House with Faircotelabs Gorse of Lawnhills
2nd – Beth Rayner with Hobhearn Comet
3rd – Reuben Corbett with Oakvalley Black Jack
4th Andrew Ward Smith with Lochnabo Glorious Golden
COM – Sue Chapman with Tayfordwoods Bella Colora
COM – Allan Scutcher with Wylanbriar Weird Fish
COM – Rob Smallman with Tuscanni Viking
What an interesting set of Tests. Plenty of zero’s but 20’s given in all but Test 4. Very, very hard for the younger dogs, but it also caught out a lot of the more experienced dogs too !
The comments were flying around all day between competitors about the horrors and difficulties of the 4 Tests set by Ron Sills and Paul Jennings.
Ron Sills was in attendance all day and delighted at the mayhem he had caused. But he got it right because every Test was achievable with at least one 20 awarded in all but one Test where there were 4 x 19’s given.
The four very capable judges faced with dealing with judging the Tests were Steve King, Mark Polley, Jane Tydeman and Roger Wade. I think they all really enjoyed their day although maybe Steve King went home with a headache as a shotgun was used on his Test !
Test 1. Had to be the easiest Test of the day with only one zero. But even so there was only one 20 awarded – well done Katie Bainbridge. 6 x 19’s though, so we need to ask Katie what she did right ! The judge explained the test. Straight ahead, through a bit of woodland and out to the edge of the field beyond was a bird. First though we had to turn 90 degrees to the left and observe a mark which was thrown out of sight to the right round the edge of the wood about 200 yards away. So the blind first followed by the memory. The blind was a big barrier in and out of the wood and neither dummy was helped by the wind direction as the dogs had to go beyond in order to get the scent.
Test 2. Hmm, this was quite difficult. Heelwork from the edge of the wood to a clearing when a shotgun went off. The dog was sent forward to hunt the area near the gun until the judge asked you to call your dog up – there was no dummy ! I think those of us in the first group to take this Test felt that it was a poor start to a dog’s day ! Then we had to turn 90 degrees and send the dog back for a blind which was a good 250 yards back down a track but down into a dip where the dog went out of sight. I guess a lot of dogs found the ditch a barrier and a lot took quite a bit of handling to get them to go back further on the other side. 9 x zero’s. 3 x 20’s, 3 x19’s.
Test 3. Sit your dog by the judge. Just ahead the tracks in the wood forked to the left and to the right. On the left hand a dummy was thrown which you had to retrieve yourself leaving the dog sitting by the judge. As you walked back a gunshot and a dummy thrown on the track on the right about 150 yards up. 50 yards beyond that was a blind on the track. If you had survived so far you then sent your dog for the mark followed by the blind. Hmm, a few zero’s there ! But 8 x 20’s and 7 x 19’s.
Test 4. Was the talking point of the day ! You need to try and picture this. The judge is standing on a strip of headland with a field of rape on his right. On his left is a track through the woods, with a pond on the right side, which leads into a field about 200 yards up. Before you even know what the test is all about you are told to take the lead off your dog at a marker post 15 yards from the judge. As you walk towards the judge at heal, a shot is fired and a dummy thrown into the pond. When you reach the judge you are told that there is a dummy at the very end of the rape field on the left which is a good 250 yards along and round to the right hand side on the headland. If you achieve that then you are asked to send your dog along the track in the woods to the left and into the field where there is a dummy on the right. Wow ! 16 zero’s !!!!! but 4 x 19’s and 5 x 18’s.
23 dogs out of 44 got a zero somewhere. That’s how tough it was. Interesting that the overall winner ( by two marks) didn’t perform so well on his last test (Test 1) which seemed to be the most achievable according to the marks. Maybe the dog was getting tired by this point in the day. But you certainly showed us all the way on the difficult Tests Alistair and saved Ron’s reputation as well !!!!
The day ended with a four dog run off which got everyone guessing but was for 4th place. Nice one !
All in all a brilliant set of Tests for Open Dog Standard. Very well deserved award winners and very tired judges and organisers and helpers. Thank you everyone for a brilliant day out.
Open Test
Sunday 8th April 2012
Held at Pope’s Oak Farm
Judges: Mark Polley, Jane Tydeman, Roger Wade and Steve King
1st – Alistair House with Faircotelabs Gorse of Lawnhills
2nd – Beth Rayner with Hobhearn Comet
3rd – Reuben Corbett with Oakvalley Black Jack
4th Andrew Ward Smith with Lochnabo Glorious Golden
COM – Sue Chapman with Tayfordwoods Bella Colora
COM – Allan Scutcher with Wylanbriar Weird Fish
COM – Rob Smallman with Tuscanni Viking
What an interesting set of Tests. Plenty of zero’s but 20’s given in all but Test 4. Very, very hard for the younger dogs, but it also caught out a lot of the more experienced dogs too !
The comments were flying around all day between competitors about the horrors and difficulties of the 4 Tests set by Ron Sills and Paul Jennings.
Ron Sills was in attendance all day and delighted at the mayhem he had caused. But he got it right because every Test was achievable with at least one 20 awarded in all but one Test where there were 4 x 19’s given.
The four very capable judges faced with dealing with judging the Tests were Steve King, Mark Polley, Jane Tydeman and Roger Wade. I think they all really enjoyed their day although maybe Steve King went home with a headache as a shotgun was used on his Test !
Test 1. Had to be the easiest Test of the day with only one zero. But even so there was only one 20 awarded – well done Katie Bainbridge. 6 x 19’s though, so we need to ask Katie what she did right ! The judge explained the test. Straight ahead, through a bit of woodland and out to the edge of the field beyond was a bird. First though we had to turn 90 degrees to the left and observe a mark which was thrown out of sight to the right round the edge of the wood about 200 yards away. So the blind first followed by the memory. The blind was a big barrier in and out of the wood and neither dummy was helped by the wind direction as the dogs had to go beyond in order to get the scent.
Test 2. Hmm, this was quite difficult. Heelwork from the edge of the wood to a clearing when a shotgun went off. The dog was sent forward to hunt the area near the gun until the judge asked you to call your dog up – there was no dummy ! I think those of us in the first group to take this Test felt that it was a poor start to a dog’s day ! Then we had to turn 90 degrees and send the dog back for a blind which was a good 250 yards back down a track but down into a dip where the dog went out of sight. I guess a lot of dogs found the ditch a barrier and a lot took quite a bit of handling to get them to go back further on the other side. 9 x zero’s. 3 x 20’s, 3 x19’s.
Test 3. Sit your dog by the judge. Just ahead the tracks in the wood forked to the left and to the right. On the left hand a dummy was thrown which you had to retrieve yourself leaving the dog sitting by the judge. As you walked back a gunshot and a dummy thrown on the track on the right about 150 yards up. 50 yards beyond that was a blind on the track. If you had survived so far you then sent your dog for the mark followed by the blind. Hmm, a few zero’s there ! But 8 x 20’s and 7 x 19’s.
Test 4. Was the talking point of the day ! You need to try and picture this. The judge is standing on a strip of headland with a field of rape on his right. On his left is a track through the woods, with a pond on the right side, which leads into a field about 200 yards up. Before you even know what the test is all about you are told to take the lead off your dog at a marker post 15 yards from the judge. As you walk towards the judge at heal, a shot is fired and a dummy thrown into the pond. When you reach the judge you are told that there is a dummy at the very end of the rape field on the left which is a good 250 yards along and round to the right hand side on the headland. If you achieve that then you are asked to send your dog along the track in the woods to the left and into the field where there is a dummy on the right. Wow ! 16 zero’s !!!!! but 4 x 19’s and 5 x 18’s.
23 dogs out of 44 got a zero somewhere. That’s how tough it was. Interesting that the overall winner ( by two marks) didn’t perform so well on his last test (Test 1) which seemed to be the most achievable according to the marks. Maybe the dog was getting tired by this point in the day. But you certainly showed us all the way on the difficult Tests Alistair and saved Ron’s reputation as well !!!!
The day ended with a four dog run off which got everyone guessing but was for 4th place. Nice one !
All in all a brilliant set of Tests for Open Dog Standard. Very well deserved award winners and very tired judges and organisers and helpers. Thank you everyone for a brilliant day out.
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