All Aged Field Trial – UGS Kent & East Sussex – 16 Dog Stake
Orsett, Essex by kind permission of Mark Polley
Team of guns provided by Daniel Wade
Judges: Phil Allen, David Barnes, Vince Mitchell, Sharon Coby
1st: Fyrlewalk Sam – Josephine van der Dussen – LRD
FT Ch Dipplelodge Raven of Riversway x Luddesdowne Heidi
2nd: Locktorn Issac of Highseas – Kevin Doughty – LRD
FT Ch levenghyl Isle of Arran x Lockthorn Tara
3rd: Bedgebrook Never Say Never to Wylanbriar – Diana Stevens – LRD
FT CH Bedgebrook Excalibur x Mansengreen Hobby of Bedgebrook
4th: Quabrook Ket of Wadeshot – Roger Wade – LRD
FT CH Greenbriar Viper of Drakeshead x Quabrook Tay
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Sometimes you have pinch yourself to see if you are still awake and not just running a dream where your ‘ideal 5 days ever’ plays out….then you wake up 
This trial was aiming to be a heavily walked up trial in potatoes. Sadly the game was just not appearing walking up for two and a half hours and we had only got through about 5 dogs in the first round. So the steward of the beat decided that we would actually go and shoot some drives and make this a driven trial.
All dogs even those who had completed their first round sat in the ‘first drive’. The judges decided to run the drive where 6 – 8 birds were shot, a few retrieves were got through, the drive would continue. this happened in 4 or 5 stages like this. During this drive we had both our first rund retrieves, both partridge out on heavily turned plough which was a serious leg breaker! Both went fine.
We moved onto a second drive, entirely on wild duck in a huge huge stubble field. Only the dogs under the judges sat in the drive, and a heavy one it was. The birds down enabled us to complete the first round, finish the second round and start the third.
Our second round retrieve was a duck at about 120 yards across the stubble. After the second round the judges put their books together and made a cut from about 12 down to 7. Quite a fearsome one! as one of those 7 I had again, a duck, about 150 yards across the stubble directly into what was a very strong wind. Wind again!! And just one driving back got him to the area, where he picked nicely and returned fast. Sadly we lost three dogs at this stage, Andy ward Smith (GR), Claire Wood and Ron Jeffries. And so we were 4. The flutter starts.
We sat a third drive in stubble well back from the guns, and whilst much game appeared, the wind was thus that only two birds were dropped. Those were the third retrieve second birds of Roger Wade and Kevin Doughty. So with nothing else down we moved to a FOURTH drive (I felt this might be a good one to ask for my drive certficate!!! Grin!) where lots of birds fell.
My second in the third was a live bird through a hedge over a very large ditch and out about 40 yards into a stubble field. He went nicely, handled well although he couldn’t SEE me, picked, and came back no fuss.
Then all four were taken into this field for 100 – 150 yards straight blind retrieves to complete the 4th round. We all picked pretty well. the judges huddled, then declared the trial over.
So again, we had no opportunity to set the world on fire with what he was given. Some were seriously lengthy, but he covers ground well, and he gives ME a confidence I have never had from a dog before. I even swing about and mark stuff down in a drive now! I used to be like a soldier standing and shaking staring at the top of my dogs head!!! Everything had been completed cleanly and with no fuss, he adores driven trials and nice tricky blinds, but hadn’t had the chance of an eye wipe or a serious runner. The winner had a three dog eyewipe and a technical eyewipe in the third….. so serious hats off to her for taking the opportunity and making the best of it both times in great style!!
Anyway a well deserved win to Josephine, and just another, fantastic trial day so early in the season. We shed layers like it we were in the Costa del Sol!! Thank you sincerely to everyone involved especially Jane Tydeman the Ft Sec and her team. So thats a double qualification to the Area Finals in December and I sit, staring at my two 15kg sacks of Skinners won this week with a mixture of disbelief and complete joy!!
