Gundog News

Strathmore Wking Gundog Club Spaniel Trials 2011

Our first trial of the season, on the 8^th of October, was the Novice Any Variety Spaniel Trial held, as it has been for the past four years, at Errol Park estate in Perthshire.  Judges on the day were Andrew Cunningham from Fife, and Graham Clark, also a fifer. Our steward of the beat was the estates sporting manager, Ben Kass. Ben took us into a lovely area of scrubby clear fell to get things started, and we were into game almost at once, with notable runs coming from Bill Johnstone's young bitch, Spamvalley Connie and Jim O'Neill's Wyndhill Lena.

After we had hunted out the clear fell, Ben took us into a large wood where the Pheasants could be seen running ahead of the dogs. This was to prove a bit of a problem as the dogs were struggling to get positive flushes on birds that were a bit spooky. Some dogs were in luck however, with flushes on Rabbits as well as birds, and some got into real hotspots and misbehaved a little!! The testing conditions of the day were apparent when only seven dogs finished the trial.  It was fitting at the end of the day when first place was granted to Ben Watkins with his wonderfully named bitch, Laysan Bossy Knickers. I had phoned Ben at 10.00pm the night before, as a place had become available, and he agreed to drive up from Cumbria at such short notice, just to fill the trial.

Four days later, on the 12^th, it was the turn of the open English Springer Spaniel stake. This was held, as ever, on the beautiful Airlie Estate in Angus. Once again Lord Airlie's head keeper, Mike Nisbet, welcomed us back. The judges on this occasion were Spence Waddell, from Fife, and John Howden from Stirlingshire. Mike had decided that the ground we usually go to for the Springers was not suitable, due to a serious outbreak of Myximatosis, so we were of up the glen to a different part of the estate. The ground we were taken to could not have been better, with rabbits being flushed right from the first few steps. All the dogs were well tested throughout the day as rabbits were so prolific. Each dog had multiple finds and retrieves, with some even trying to retrieve rabbits that hadn't been shot at!! 

As the day drew to a close, Spence and John had their work cut out trying to find a winner from so many evenly matched dogs. They couldn't agree, so a run off was called between dog number 6, Eddie Scott's F.T.Ch Broomfield Rosetta, and dog number 5, Alec Coutts' Wyndhill Brett of Stagsden.  In the run off, nothing was splitting the dogs until Alec's dog dwelt a second to long on an empty seat, and time was called. The win going to Eddie and Rosetta. This bitch has only ever ran in six trials, and has won four, placing second and fourth in the other two. Not a bad average!

At the end of October, we were back at Airlie for the open Cocker Spaniels. What a difference two weeks can make! While the Springer trial was like a summers day, the Cocker handlers were welcomed(?) by thick fog, rain and a cold wind. This didn't dampen the spirits however, and Mike Nisbet was as keen as ever to put on a first class trial for us. And that he did. Again, right from the off, we were into rabbits. It was so foggy that we couldn't see all the action from the gallery, but what little we did see was mightily impressive with these little dogs just shrugging of the conditions and getting on with the job in hand. The most notable run in my opinion, from the ones I could see, was Jim Openshaw's Mallowdale Midge, handled by Ian Openshaw. After being brought over from the right hand side of the line to retrieve an awkward wounded hen pheasant that Joe Shotton's Chyknell Curlew had failed to collect, this little bitch was sent over a burn which was in spate, to collect a shot rabbit. This she did with no problem at all. When you consider the rabbit was almost as big as her, she hadn't seen it shot and was putting all her trust in her handler and the raging water she brought it back through, this was an impressive retrieve by any standard!  Not impressive enough to win the trial outright though. The judges, Mike Smith from Dunblane, and Bill Johnstone from Anstruther, called a run off between Midge and Jon Bailey's Churchview Chimney. Unfortunately, Jon's dog passed a rabbit in the run off and was duly eliminated leaving Mallowdale Midge as the winner with Ian's second charge on the day, Nigel Partiss' Whinhocklin Single Star of Tiptopjack placing second.

On behalf of the Strathmore Working Gundog Club, I'd like to thank Ceri, Phil and all the team at C.S.J for their continued sponsorship and product support.

Bill Leonard (Spaniel Secretary)

Eddie Scott with Spence Waddell (L) & John Howden

(posted 21/02/2012)

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