UGS – Spaniel Field Trial Results 2008/9

I again ran four Spaniel Trials this year – two Open Stakes and two
Novice Stakes. I took away the responsibility from the branches of
sending out the spaniel schedules this year as it held up the
sending of the retriever schedules last year. This was generally a
success however, I apologise to the couple of dozen who did not receive schedules, due as not being listed as having an interest in
Spaniels.

With the exception of Graham and Sue Searle I received very little
help from the Branches this year and actually ran the Open Cocker
from draw to prize giving on my own. I generally need at least five
people and a picker-up to run a successful day, and to pay for a
picker-up at two of my four trials, when the UGS has such a large
membership, is something I hope not to repeat next year.

Steve Parker

Open Springer Spaniel Stake
Great Livermere, Suffolk
Monday 10th November 2008

The Springers went back to Ampton this year on one of the
wettest days I have ever witnessed in the field. The tail end of
hurricane left everybody soaked through but the appalling weather
did not deter the dogs or guns who both excelled.

The guns supplied by Mark Polley shot brilliantly and the Judges
John Crawford and Dai Lloyd handed out eleven awards in a
sixteen dog stake.

Some memorable retrieves including a very long, strong hen runner
brilliantly retrieved by Chris Thurston Woolnough’s bitch ‘Solo
Princess of Halaze’ wasn’t enough to keep the trophy he won here
last year but gave him a creditable second. Ron Loomes’ bitch
‘Melchbourne Melle’ was a stylish hunter, another superb bitch
sired by the legendary ‘Clarburgh Art’. It won on ice and also took
the Guns’ Choice.

1st – Mr R. Loomes with Melchbourne Melle
2nd – Mr C. Thurston Woolnough with Princess of Halaze
3rd – Mr G. Devine Jones with Syncerus Sally
4th – Mr T. Crotch with Wadenhoe Wailer
CoM – Mr P. Avery with FTCh Deepfleet Jay
CoM – Mr J. Clarke with FTCh Wickstreet Harvester
CoM – Mr M. Dance with Woodingtons Lighting
CoM – Mr R. Chapple with Edwardiana Della
CoM – Mr P. Avery with Deepfleet Yew Buster
CoM – Mr I. Bannister with Tailorsdrift Laurel
CoM – Mr M. Dance with Awbridge Poppet

Open Cocker Spaniel Stake
at Hargham and Quidenham Shoot, Norfolk
Tuesday 16th December 2008

Our Open Cocker Spaniel Stake returned to a once famous field trial
estate after new owners expressed an interest in returning its field
trial pedigree.

Wendy Knight and Spiky Wills judging found, as did the competitors,
the going tough as the estate had supplied us with a huge expanse
of reeds and rough ground not usually shot, for this trial.

The guns supplied by John Keegan struggled with the terrain in the
morning with many rabbits being flushed but not shot due to heavy
cover. The keeper moved us in the afternoon to a perfect wood
with fallen bracken and an abundance of birds to finish the trial.

I was lucky enough to see both runs of Mrs J. Tudor’s ‘Randalyn
Black Jazz’ handled by Nick Gregory. It was without doubt one of
the hardest hunting dogs I have witnessed with a lovely find on a
partridge and a perfect retrieve in the morning followed by a long
‘blind’ out of the wood in the afternoon.

I had it on ice in my Stewards book and the Judges agreed. It went
on to win this year’s Cocker Championship.

1st – Mrs J. Tudor’s Randalyn Black Jazz
handled by Mr N. Gregory
2nd – Mr L. R. Wales with Timsgarry Elm
also Guns’ Choice
3rd – Mr S. Seward with Surefly Blanch
4th – M. and P. E. Jones with Maesydderwen Sublimity
CoM – Mr J. Thompson with Timsgarry Varteg
CoM – Mr R. Laud with Int FTCh Fenlord Rosy
CoM – Mrs J. Campton with Trederwen Nant Wechan

Novice AV Stake
Brook Farm, Cuffley, Hertfordshire
Wednesday 21st January 2009

A poor entry for this year’s AV due to the huge amount of Novice
Stakes being run in the last few weeks of the season left us with a
minimum number of 12 dogs to be judged by John Pay and Frank
Geraghty.

The keeper excelled this year with stops keeping the birds in the
brambles were they had spent the night following a hard frost. The
game was plentiful and the dog work excellent.

Roger Button could not contain his excitement at the prize giving
as not only did he take the second prize but beat the litter brother
to his bitch which he had bred and certainly let Mr Beckett know it!

1st – Mr J. Keegan with Shot to Fame in Geordieland (ESS)
2nd – Mr R. F. Button with Sunneymead Smudge (ESS)
3rd – Mr P. Avery with Edwardianna Ballet of Deepfleet (ESS)
CoM – Mr M. Reader with Rytex Riddle of Brindcalyn (ESS)
CoM – Mrs W. Knight with Rathlakan Carrick of Abbeyoaks (ESS)
CoM – Mr P. Thorpe with Hayford Stingray (ESS)

Novice Cocker Spaniel Stake
Orsett Shoot, Essex
Monday 26th January 2009

As this is the ground I pick-up on I had a vested interest in the
day going well and I was not disappointed. Keeper Mark Polley
supplied the guns and Judges Gordon Bowers and John Sait
ploughed through the 16 dogs finishing with only six dogs.

One dog was eliminated without even getting a run when it pulled
the lead from its handler’s hand and ran in to a cock pheasant
from the gallery.

The plentiful rabbits not often seen at trial grounds south of the
border saw several dogs eliminated. And a huge old cock pheasant
runner turned and took on a small cocker bitch and won, eliminating
another promising dog.

The weather turned to shirt sleeves in the afternoon. Ducks,
partridge, pheasant, woodcock and many rabbits made it a
fantastic end to the trialling season.

The very last dog to be seen, ‘Jaspers Black Riddle’, made an
excellent job on a long running hen which had made the far ditch
over some plough, which after an excellent first run gave the dog
the trial on ice.

1st – Mr A. Creed with Jaspers Black Riddle
2nd – Mrs A. S. Jones with Randalyn Ink of Episcopi
3rd – Mr C. Harvey with Tawnyhill Chief
4th – Mr P. Avery with Deepfleet Impi
CoM – Mr M. J. Deacon with Maesydderwen Speciality

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