Last Updated on March 9, 2014 : :
Italian Spinone Club G.B. All Aged Stake, Tuesday 15th January 2008
at the Bretby Estate, Staffordshire by kind permission of Mr. R.A.H. Perkins DL.
Judges: Di. Arrowsmith & Keith Scattergood.
The All Aged stake held for the first time on the Bretby Estate was a most enjoyable day despite the heavy rain that persisted throughout the morning. Conditions improved in the afternoon but the cloud cover brought an early loss of light in the traditional woodland where our quarry was the elusive January pheasant and the aerobatic woodcock.
The ground was excellent for our needs and all dogs faced the same conditions with the wind varying according to the density of trees and location of established rides. The work proved hard for dog and handler whilst the pheasants knew the territory well and, being wet from the all night rain, did not want to fly; most of the cock birds running ahead of us, the hens dwelling and sitting for those that were careful enough to locate them.
The standard of work was good and whilst the dogs did their best to get up to birds and hold them for the guns; there were occasions when the handlers might have been a greater asset to their charges under these most difficult of conditions.
Thanks must go to the team of guns who were excellent shots with not much getting past them. They were experienced field trial guns having shot on walked up retriever, spaniel and HPR trials in the past. This was evident as they were attentive to the dogs and their work on occasion noting that birds were being worked even before the handler was aware we were in the presence of game.
The Keeper, Steve Bloomfield, could not have been more helpful, directing us to the areas he knew birds favoured in the woodland under these particular conditions, keeping the gallery safe but in touch with proceeding throughout the course of the day.
The 12 competing dogs comprised: 3 Spin’s, 2 GWP’s, 2 HWV’s and one each GSP, LM, GLP and Korthals Griffon. We saw some good work from dogs that, through one reason or another, did not feature in the awards.
Karen Saynor’s Munster. Tarkanya Lytas Lassie showed some classic game finding, production and retrieving only to have a woodcock elude her search on a difficult clear felled bracken bank.
Suzi Burton’ Weimaraner Trubon Bibe Tres produced a woodcock which was shot to fall some distance away in the same bracken bank. She marked it well and retrieved it to hand as if it were on open pasture.
Michael Caine’s HWV Kenmillone Chimbota had a good find in some stiff briars, dominating his quarry then producing it for guns. It was shot to fall unsighted to the dog but he located it well and delivered it to hand.
Sharon Pinkerton’s GWP Ch. Freddy von Kapellenhof at Bareve showed just how this trappy ground should be worked sparing no effort to cover his beat with drive and style his handler giving him time to cover every possible game holding pocket. It was just unfortunate that both his runs proved blank.
Ingrid Moyser’s Spin. Hollutrix Dante demonstrated how a Spinone can be diligent and efficient without wasting time. He was to point and bolt a rabbit, which was shot down the line and retrieved to hand tenderly. On his second run he came on to point to a patch of briars and cover where a hen pheasant endeavoured to elude his flush. He had to get so enthusiastic in order to flush the bird that when it flew and was shot he became unsteady, his handler having to use her voice in an effort to hold him back.
Chris Guests HWV Bardantop Rochester had a super find to a hen pheasant sat in very sparse cover, which he held well whilst we tried to get guns up the hill to him. The bird lifted at our approach and whilst it was shot at, it was one of very few that ‘got away’. Her second run was blank.
Alix Johnson’s Spinone Cajalanni Caravel proved to be another diligent and speedy game finder coming on to point to produce two hen birds one of which was shot to fall some distance down through the woodland. She was sent promptly and whilst we were wondering about the area of the fall she reappeared with the bird, which she gave up to her handler. On her second run she again proved to be a useful game finder pointing and producing one of the few cock birds to be nailed. It was shot at but not brought down.
The light was fading when we took three dogs to the water. Suzi’s Weimar, Michael’s HWV and Alix’s Spin.
Being an open non-qualifying stake, requiring a blind from across the water, we chose the narrow end of the lake to set up the blind retrieve which was a hen pheasant just out of the water on the open pasture. Whilst we gave the handlers the opportunity of choosing for themselves from where they would send their dogs, two failed to enter the water and swim thus losing the opportunity of an award.
In the end we were able to award a
Certificate of Merit to Alix Johnson’s Italian Spinone bitch Cajalanni Caravel.
All in all a very difficult day for dogs, handlers and judges alike. The ground was testing, well up to hold an open stake, the weather appalling, the birds proving to be the winners at the end of the day.
Our thanks to the Club for our invitation, to the competitors who took all our decisions with good sportsmanship, to the guns for their attention throughout the whole day and to the hosts for giving us the opportunity to visit the Bretby Estate on this occasion.
Di. Arrowsmith & Keith Scattergood.