The Hunt, Point and Retrieve Breeds

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EVENTS OF THE HUNT, POINT, RETRIEVE BREEDS ASSOCIATION

WEATHER: Overcast, warm, with no significant rain for some time so conditions were dry and dusty.
WIND: Southerly, moderate breeze.  Most dogs had a head wind varying to slightly left handed.
Scent: Good
GAME SEEN: Pheasant, Partridge, Hare and Rabbit.  Every handler’s dog had birds on their beat.
GROUND: Cereal crop and open wide plantations with white grass.
HANDLING: A few novices needed some guidance and showed improvement on their second runs.  On the whole handling was quiet and helpful to the dogs.

Breeds Represented: BRIT, GSP, GWP, KG, HV, HWV, WEI.

JUNIORS:

Simpson’s Russetmantle Guy at Fiscardo HV (d) 20 months.
GRADED: Good
Got off to a slow and steady start in the plantation and had a good head wind. He indicated a pheasant quite early on to the left off his beat and held a point on a hedge line across a track leading to a second small heavily nettled plantation.   Two pheasant lifted further down the area.  On his second run, in another plantation he got into his stride and pointed on the left hand of the beat.  As the handler moved up to her dog the pheasant lifted.  The dog had a good head carriage and was very responsive to the handler. His indication of scent was not easy to read and when the bird flushed he was not sure what he should do next. (I understand later that this dog had only been with the handler for 8 weeks).

Caine’s Moricroft My Choice HWV (b) 10 months.
GRADED: Good
The first run was in plantation with a sparse strip of game cover crossing it where partridge could be heard.  When let off the lead it immediately scented them but could not locate them.  A brief indication was made on one bird which lifted, then another lifted upwind, all within the first minute of the run.  The dog moved on at pace and a third bird lifted some 20 yards forward, the handler then quickly brought the dog’s exuberance under control. On the second run, again in plantation, the dog showed a better pace with good head carriage turning into the wind.  It had a good staunch point on the left edge of the beat and a single partridge lifted from the plough.  The dog did not see the bird lift to honour it.   

Upton’s Miaggiepot Froggatt of Temeraire HV (D), 2 years old
GRADED: Good

ADULT

Nixon’s Quintana Magic Time GSP (b)
GRADED: Good
A wind slightly from the left in cereal crop greeted this bitch. Experienced quiet handling was evident from this handler. The dog ran with good pace and drive and a good high head carriage covering a wide beat, on occasion back casting but with the ground undulations the wind may have been variable on the left hand side.  We were in no doubt when she began to indicate on the left hand edge of her beat that birds were around and possibly running down the hill.   She eventual nailed them coming on a staunch point which she held and then produced a pair of partridge which she acknowledged going away.  Not a tidy run but a pleasure to watch.

Wroe’s Blenweim Sweet Lady of Bastillian WEI (b) 3year old
GRADED: Very Good
This dog had a good head wind in cereal crop standing 6in high with a high hedge to the right.  She ran with good pace and drive with the correct head carriage, only occasionally putting it down to check scent. But she quickly moved on, turning unfailingly into wind.  Her ground treatment was thorough.  She indicated scent to her right and drew in to a staunch point.  When asked she positively produced a pair of partridge which she acknowledged away.  As this was in the early part of her run, she was run on producing two pheasants from staunch points which she acknowledged and handled with ease. The performance was clean from both dog and handler who worked in harmony.


I would like to thank the HPRBA for the appointment, the Gatton Hall Estate, and the steward of the beat, Di Arrowsmith, who knew exactly where to put us for the best possible chance of locating birds which came in a good spread. Thanks also to my co-Judge Fiona Wensley with whom it was a pleasure to judge.  Also to the chief steward and all the helpers who made the day so enjoyable.