Last Updated on March 9, 2014 : :

I.S.C.G.B. Grouse Pointing Test March 29th 2008

Saturday morning I met the group who were going to go up onto the moor at the Keeper Andy Page’s house at around 8,45am, with a strong wind and a dull over cast that was holding off the rain. By 9.00am everyone was assembled and we set of in the cars to drive the 2 miles!! into the moor along a hard track, seeing Oyster Catchers, Pheasant, Red Shank, Lapwings, Curlews and even a ‘Good Morning’ from a cock Grouse with his hen feeding on grit by the  track, plus the Swaledale Ewes watching over us.

 

After the introductions the format of the day was explained by the two HPR judges, John Naylor and John Burns, one important point was the question of if anyone had not been grouse pointing before or had experienced sheep, two handlers came forward to be given the running of the day but, also stated by one of the judges was that it is the responsibility of handlers to gain the latter experience Before they come on as a matter of course (anyway both did not disgrace themselves in anyway during the day).

So off we started in a straight line from the cars towards the distance snow-capped ascending hills, that we were to reach in 3 hours time!!, in between each handler and their dog were going to work a stiff and swirling wind that tested all of the incumbents to hand.

We had a variety of HPR breeds; Spinone, German Longhaired / Wirehaired and Shorthaired Pointers, Hungarian Smooth / Wirehaired Pointers, so giving the keeper the chance to see the different breed of dogs working which he was very appreciable.

When we had reached the bottom of the snow-capped hills and we had just come to the last 3 dogs when it rained, so becoming a little wet, but we continued until the judges reviewed to see who they wanted to see for a second run, which was going to be only 5 dogs.

Through-out the day we had seen many grouse, not always where we wanted them to be due in part to the weather conditions, but taking off and flying in between the handler and dogs so close you could see the feather markings of the ‘Red’ flash above the eyes on the cock grouse, and other times in the distance the birds calling or just walking on the headland watching what we were doing.

By the end of the second run after much hard working in worsening conditions, the judges were able to have 3 dogs for awards, so we headed back to the cars a good 2 miles away. 

But on the way back for the benefit of the following not-so fortunate handlers and dogs a chance to hunt up with one of the judges John Naylor giving instructions on what was going on and why, which many took up the chance and gained much insight.

After getting to the cars we headed down the track to the shooting lodge on the moor to have a well earned late lunch, where the assembled gallery received feed back from the two judges, who also stated that the opportunity to have been on one of the premier moors of England was something special to be respected and appreciated by all there.

 

 

 

So the dogs given awards (all graded Good), were

Jean Baldwin Italian Spinone ‘Freshetin Lentiggine’

Roy Bebbington Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla ‘Travaillant Beersheba’

Deborah Hewitson German ShortHaired Pointer ‘Blackstone Beauty’

After comments from both judges, the keeper expressed his appreciation on what he saw and would look at offering the chance again in the near future from the good work he had seen today

Ray Davies.