Utility Gundog Society Surrey, W Sx and Hants
At: Firle Shoot, near Lewes, East Sussex
Novice 1 dog stake – All driven
By Kind permission of Michael Rees and John Coldman
Judges: Andrew Wright, Dave Barnes, Daniel Higgs and James Bailey
1st: Jane Trowell: Janfran Princess Polly – FT CH Wingsham Tinder of Smithsteads x Janfran Clementine
COM: Neil Cornish: Tilefield Onyx – FT Ch mavericks Goose x Tilefield Holly (Guns Choice)
COM: Fiona Baird: Treunair Rhum – Arwen Strider of Treunair x Castlemans Flyhalf of Treunair (Golden Ret)
COM: Diana Stevens: Bedgebrook Never Say Never to Wylanbriar – FT CH Bedgebrook Excalibur x Mansengreen Hobby of Bedgebrook
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Some days it just doesn’t quite flow. BUT a lovely trial, some super really lovely judges, possibly the most beautiful estate on the south downs, and shooting of a magnificent standard by Brocke Van Den Bogaerde’s team of guns.
Its hard to explain the terrain. Huge fields of beet and stubble in the shadow of the towering south downs which, from the top, is next stop France. The birds are driven off the top of the downs, by beaters which mostly are half mountain goat, and the line of guns stretches as far as the eye can focus on even with your glasses on….
Its a bit of a taxing one in terms of heartstopping steadines needed in the drives with magnificent high pheasants thumping down seemingly dropped from a Boeing 747 they come down so hard. 
Ok so all competitors were in thefirst drive in a field of beet. Several dogs found it challenging picking from the beet in a strong wind and went off the whistle. Many runners ended up being collected by the pickers up as were off like the clappers into a million acres of nothing but beet, and the judges kept very fit with many walks out to look after three and four dogs were tried, to no avail. Can I say it was a hugely commendable trial in its concern in picking the runners and having a good team of pickers up standing by called on frequently to step in.
That sets the scene. My own story was basically that as number 11, it took a couple of hours for me to have my first round retrieve. Then Bondy and I had a dry run, hunting a wood, for a long gone birds before we had our two in the first round. To have them we then were under the judges and needed to sit in the second drive, on rock hard turned plough which was a bit murderus on the ankles and the dogs really had to work to hold the huge pheasants of the Firle shoot and fight their way up and down the ruts, but most made a good job of it. We sat in this second drive, had our two first rounds retrieves (one a bird in a ditch under a hedge and two a straight line retrieve on the plough) and then moved onto a third drive to start our second round.
This was a huge stubble field and after 50 birds had fallen the guns called a halt. They were shooting out of their skins! Our second round was after two more dry runs hunting a long grassy area, and then a grass area and a long hedge, both birds had left the building after judges searches. Our second round retrieve ended up being a long retrieve on the stubble in an area with many birds down.
Our two third round retrieves were also on this field of varying lengths and directions.
The judges cut to 5 and we moved on to the 4th and final round and the 4th drive. 5 of us sat in line and again pheasants were driven off the downs to fall around us in a grassy downland ‘bowl’. This heavy drive was stopped when we had more than enough to complete the trial down.
We were walked up the ‘mountainside’ (southern softie here being dramatic and not knowing she is born i’m sure!!!) And each of the 5 were asigned a bird to pick. We knew there were other birds down, it was not an easy exercise for two reasons, the geography of the land being a hugely whizzy run down a vertical piece of ground for 30/40 yards to gather speed towards the birds we had seen drop in the drive… BUT…. in true Chris Tarrant style, ‘we didn’t want those’ They wanted birds to the left of these, but a VERY reasonable distance away and no excuses from any of us. Three of us, ncluding myself picked the wrong bird. My own by gambling, which my mother told me was a nasty habit ;-( Getting the distance on a slightly wrong line but not fighting the dog. Then pushing it left across the ‘bowl’. It would have worked GREAT if another bird I didn’t know was there wasn’t half way to mine….. There are times when the clock stops and you want to throw yourself on the floor hammering your fists and sobbing like a 3 year old…. and I resisted doing so… but knew *I* had screwed myself over, and had noone to blame but myself.
Two dogs, John Boyle and Jane Trowell were given second birds in the 4th. Johns dog went off the whistle and was called up. jane picked her retrieve well. trial was delcared over and the results are above.
Trialing is not easy. its an emotional journey from 9am till trial over and beyond. I made some mistakes today and I know it. I tried too hard and it caused my sensitive dog to not flow. The judges were generous and hugely appreciated to give Fiona, Neil and myself COM’s although we had had our blips in the dying seconds. We ALL did the same thing. Amber gambling and not holding a direct line. A judge said to me we all handled it like a working test, scared to blow on our dogs and get them back on line for being knocked, and he was RIGHT.
Roll on the next one. because all trialers are actually masochists and love putting ourselves through this as many times as possible from september to february! ;-0
Di
