|
| spaniel championships | By: Keith Erlandson, Llangollen, Wales
The British Spaniel Championships 2000
(Published in Spaniels In The Field Spring 2000)
For the second year in succession, the Spaniel Championships for
the year 2000 took place in Norfolk.
The event for cocker spaniels took place on the first day by gracious
permission of Her Majesty The Queen at Sandringham. The Any Variety
But Cocker (for which read English springer) followed at the Shadwell
Estate, near Thetford, by permission of Sheikh Hamdan al Makthoum.
The Steward of the Beat on the first day was Mr. William Meldrum and
Mr. David Mason officiated at Shadwell.
The judges for the three days, both only recently appointed to the
'A' panel by the Kennel Club, were Mr. Tim Crothers from Northern
Ireland and Mr. David Pope from North Wales.
The Chief Steward was Spaniel Club secretary Mr. David Paterson. Twenty-three
cockers had qualified for their own championship by winning at least
a first place during the current season of which 18 already had Field
Trial Champion titles.
The oldest qualifier was Robin Laud's bitch FTCh Fenlord Black Beaut
who shares with the Labrador FTCh Ulstare Style a record of having
qualified for six consecutive championships. The youngest contender
was Peter Jones's Winton-wildfowl Serin, whelped October 28th, 1997.
The cockers competed in ideal spaniel ground comprising mature hawthorns
with an understory of bracken, brambles and willowherb. Conditions
were very frosty for most of the morning which rendered the bracken
unpleasantly abrasive but one of the outstanding features of this
event was the hunting quality of all entries without exception, even
those which did not figure in the awards. Considering that Sandringham
is a wild bird shoot, the amount of pheasants seen was little short
of amazing.
Owing to the frost conditions, I made the baleful prophesy that runners
would be difficult to pick. Unfortunately I was correct. Shooting
was patchy. At times distinctly good, particularly where Holkham headkeeper
John King was concerned but there were far too many unpicked runners
for comfort.
Her Majesty honoured us with her presence and took a keen and informed
interest in the proceedings.
Mr. Ray Plunkett's FTCh Tawnyhill Andra kicked off on the right, partnered
by William Clulee with Larford Carp. A collection of a dead hen was
speedily followed by a failure on a runner.
FTCh Wernffrwd Kathleen followed Carp with a class hunting performance
in frozen bracken. She was tried on a runner and failed. Andra collected
and Kathleen was dismissed, then the judges decided the bird was the
wrong sex and unshot, so this did not constitute an eyewipe so Kathleen
was called back into line and had a retrieve.
FTCh Mallowdale Rackatear, handled by Wendy Openshaw hunted up to
his high standard and collected a long bird in the open. Bryan Buchan's
FTCh Findlav's Flyer is a tiny, lively bitch but absconded when sent
for a shot bird. Ian Openshaw, handling Mr. A. Andrew's FTCh Sanford
of Maesydderwyn executed a rapid eyewipe.
Last year's winner, FTCh Larford Cateran, handled by Will Clulee,
had a good mark and retrieve and Dickie Jones with FTCh Whisk Ci Dwr
smartly picked a woodcock but he seems better in brambles than bracken.
He also failed on a runner.
The youngest competitor, Serin, picked a wounded bird hut it might
not have been the right one. He did pick a good dead bird but also
failed on a runner. Mr. E. Scott's Scottish contender, FTCh Jenoren
Dougal, had an impressive run with several finds and three marked
retrieves. FTCh Dolgarrog Aron went well for Wendy Openshaw and made
two competent blind retrieves. Her husband, Ian's FTCh Parkbreck Perfection,
really got into the game and had five retrieves. The last three fell
in heavy bracken and the dog required a lot of whistle and handling
to put the birds in the bag but it was a competent run.
John Holloway's Norbeck Riley put a rabbit out of bracken which was
wounded but he took the line too fast and did not give himself time
to work within his nose. Whisk Ci Dwr had a fair hunt with a find
and good mark.
Although Plunkett's Andra seemingly had put herself out of the prize
list in her first run, her second run was spectacular with stylish
hunting and the collection of the only real runner of the meeting,
followed by a second find, mark and retrieve.
Rackatear's second run was looking good, then he passed a bird. Sandford
Tara, handled by Openshaw, was very concise with two positive finds
and retrieves from an open field. A bitch worth watching. Clulee's
Cateran went well and had a competent find and retrieve, finishing
with a second find. Black Beaut found a bird that ran along the edge
of cover then fortuitously stopped. The bitch owned the line but was
pushed onto the retrieve. Scott's Dougal
was unfortunate after such a good first run to have two unpicked runners
against him after a satisfactory dead bird. Meanwhile Carl Colclough's
FTCh Kelmscott Swoop kept her nose clean with positive finds and retrieves.
Openshaw's Perfection pointed solidly then pushed a hen which provided
a quick retrieve then performed a competent eyewipe. Holloway's Riley
tailed on a runner but concluded with a good mark.
The 1998 winner, Steve Wanstall's FTCH Birky Bog Bob had a top class
first run but a runner was shot after lunch which took the dog into
live birds and a hare. The runner escaped then Bob concluded with
a find and retrieve from heavy cover.
Laud's Fenlord Gypsy Beaut Fossy had a find, mark and retrieve, then
a failure on a runner, followed by a satisfactory find, mark and retrieve.
Only two dogs were called for a run-off, Colclough's Swoop and Openshaw's
Tara. It was a complete anti-climax. The brambles were full of birds.
A runner was shot for Swoop who got into live game and was unresponsive,
meanwhile, Tara should have stopped to shot and honoured her bracemate's
work. Instead she went righthanded and required a too firm vocal reminder
to mind her manners. Predictably this episode provoked some controversy
but it later transpired that this run-off had not been for top honours.
The winner was on ice.
RESULTS
FIRST Mr. D. Openshaw's dog FTCh Parkbreck Perfection (handler Ian
Openshaw)
SECOND Mr. A. Andrew's bitch FTCh Sandford Tara of Maesydderwen (handler
Ian Openshaw)
THIRD Carl Colclough's bitch FTCh Kelmscott Swoop
FOURTH Robin Laud's bitch Fenlord Gypsy Beaut Fossy
DIPLOMAS OF MERIT
Dickie Jones's bitch FTCh Whisk Ci Dwr
Peter Clulee's dog FTCh Larford Cateran (handler Will Clullee)
Robin Laud's bitch FTCh Fenlord Black Beaut
John Holloway's dog Norbeck Riley
GUNS CHOICE Ray Plunkett's bitch FTCh Tawnyhill Andra
|
