UGS Surrey WSx & Hants Branch Open
Sunday 9th March 2014 

Popes Oak Farm, West Grinstead, West Sussex 
by kind permission of Mrs Sheila Chessell
Judged by Clare Wood; Chris Marshall; Kim Jinks; Ian Ford

1st Gillian Yates's Lab (B) Llibecke Royal Sapphire
2nd Helen Burnie's G/R (D) Merryway Maximum
3rd Wendy Harrison's Lab (D) Chalvington Coast
4th Jim Collins's Lab (B) Brockaghs Dervla
COM Fiona Mills's Lab (B) Burntcombe Buffy
COM Marianna Morris-Worrall's Lab (B) Fernflight Red Rose of Glanmarian

Report by Rosemary Saddler:

Decent Open standard Tests !!!!!   Much more suitable for Cinder !  She does rise to the challenges !

To put you in the picture.  4 judges, 4 tests to start. 33 dogs under starters orders.

Test 1. Under Chris Marshall.  Just in front on the right is a pond. Straight ahead is a causeway leading past the end of the pond, past woodland on both sides and into a field. A distraction is thrown into the pond. The first requirement is to send the dog up the causeway and halfway up the wooded area there is a track on the left into the wood with a blind. The second requirement is to send the dog up the causeway, through the wood and out into the field for a blind. 2 dogs withdrew before they reached this Test. Out of 31 dogs, 17 got a zero. The winner and the runner up got 19 marks. 2 dogs (both got awards) got 14 marks and the rest below that. Cinder was the first dog to achieve the Test and got ‘a benchmark’ score of 13. One other score of 13 and the rest below that.

Test 2. Under Ian Ford. A clearing in the wood. Stand by the judge. On the right is a big ditch running straight down in front of you. A dummy was thrown on our side of the ditch straight ahead of you. The first requirement was to get the dogs over the ditch and find a blind on a track through the woods at a 10 degree angle to the mark. Then the mark was fetched. One zero and 2 withdrawn before then. Cinder was the first to go and set a ‘benchmark’ of 17. There were 3 x 20’s, 2 x 18’s and 10 x 17’s.

Test 3. Under Kim Jinks. 4 dog walk up. 2 dummies each. A short and a long dummy were thrown. Each dog in turn had to get the short dummy (the long dummy was picked up). Then, a short dummy thrown out to the side and a long dummy over the brow of the hill. Each dog had to get the long dummy. 33 dogs. 3 x zero’s. 8 x 20’s. 1 x 16 which was the lowest score.

Test 4. Under Claire Woods. 2 blinds. The first dummy on the left hand side of a farrow field. A good 300 yard distance. The second blind was at a 10 degree angle to the right just in front of a bit of woodland and about 250 yards. The dummy placer stood in between the two blinds. The wind was blowing left to right. 19 x zero’s. 1 x 19. 2 x 18’s of which Cinder was one. 5 x17’s.

So, 33 dogs.  9 dogs achieved all the Tests – Cinder being one of them. Anything over 60 had to proceed to a 5th Test. 7 dogs – Cinder was one of them.

The 5th Test was standing off lead facing a mock drive. Each dog was then called forward to turn around and retrieve a blind about 60 yards away. Cinder was first to go and succeeded well. 2nd, 3rd and 4th dog went out and each time Cinder ‘’commented’’ on it with a very quiet noise. Ian Ford picked up on it and edged closer and closer to me each time until he was certain and I was told to put my lead on.

It was really nice that afterwards, Kim said ‘such a shame and she never made any noise in her walk up’. Claire said ‘what a lovely dog and she was the best dog on her Test on the second blind’ where she went out in the straightest line I have ever seen with no commands. Chris was genuinely sympathetic and sorry for me.

Me ?  I’m walking on cloud 9. Cinder is not perfect – but she is very good, I am so proud when she gets it right, I let her down with bad handling sometimes, but we do work together as a team and we so enjoy days like today.