Cocker Championship 2010
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donegal trials
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Re: Cocker Championship 2010
has anyone got the draw for championships
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terrier
Re: Cocker Championship 2010
I asked Mike Smith if the draw was available to view and is reply was "it is only available in the program on the day"donegal trials wrote:has anyone got the draw for championships
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gdunc
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Re: Cocker Championship 2010
Looks like I wont make it afterall as I'm hill stalking on Friday - a report from anyone who's there will be appreciated!
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Dandaman_24
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Re: Cocker Championship 2010
Has anyone seen Mallowdale Grand run before, just interested he's the sire to my bitch. I know its all upto what happens on the day, but who in your opinion is favoured to do well this weekend.
Dan
Dan
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trekmoor
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Re: Cocker Championship 2010
I'm just back home from the first day of the Cocker Championships. I cannot offer a blow by blow account for I couldn't see most of it . This is probably not avoidable . The trial was held in strips of woodland surrounding several fields - BIG fields ! I am utterly knackered after all that walking !
The cover was much the usual woodland floor stuff. Fallen branches, the occasional fallen tree , dead ferns ,some mainly light brambles and some brushwood patches. The friend I'd travelled there with bought a catalogue at an extortionate price .........and took it home with him tonight so I couldn't go into any named details of dog work even if I was capable of doing so. All I can offer is my personal general impressions of the day.
I got off to a good start for one of the guns happened to be a friend I haven't met for about 20 years. We were in the same class at school together, went chasing wummin together back in the swinging sixties and went shooting together with air-rifles , rifles and shotguns . He is the git who bust my left eardrum with a too close gunshot and we used to have a considerable rivalry going as to which of us was the best shot. His shooting was not of the best today .......and I took great delight in pointing this out to him !
General Impressions - this was the first Open standard spaniel trial I have watched . The first thing that I noticed was how close the dogs were kept to the handlers. Personally I would have been happy to see the dogs hunting at double the distances most of them were working at. I considered the toe tickling work done by too many of the dogs to be perhaps acceptable at novice standard but not at Open standard. If that's what the judges are looking for then that's what you have to train for but it is boot polishing I.M.O.
Steadiness - I thought this was excellent . I saw one dog move on a fallen bird - I think - but in general the steadiness was excellent - by my standards anyway !
Common sense was shown when birds fell over the woods boundary fences and into the surrounding fields. The handlers were instructed to go the fence and to lift their dogs over.
It wasn't possible to really see most of the dogs for large parts of their hunts. I got a warning from a steward for trying to get a better view . I saw some handlers hunting looking reasonably relaxed given the circumstances but I also saw 2 handlers zizzagging a mini version of the route they wanted their dogs to take. I feel that should be ended before getting out of Novice. One handler wasn't zigzagging but was blowing the dawn chorus on the whistle - almost as much as I have to use with Charlie !
Retrieving - Again it was impossible to see much of this. What I did see was mainly good but there were a few exceptions. I think the dogs could have done more but the judges didn't ask or expect them too. I saw no long distance retrieves. The handlers were taken near to the fall area of the longer retrieves that I could see then the dogs were sent to make the retrieve from there..........but weren't always successful.
The friend I'd gone to the trial with wanted to know why these dogs (one in particular) that had failed the retrieve ,were still "in" the trial and were hunted on. I could only say that in one instance the time lapse from the bird falling and the handler ,dog and judge walking out to it may have been deemed to be too long to give the dog a fair chance of finding a runner. One other runner had a dog sent onto it at once but still failed to find it and still stayed in the trial . I could not give my friend any good reason for that dog still being "IN ."
Not being much into trial etiquette my friend asked the judge about this at the end of the day. He was told the dog had made a good job of trying to find the bird so it was kept in ???????????????? That's not the way I read K.C. rules admittedly a number of years ago.
Today's trial didn't end until about 4 p.m. By then the judges were into their second look at the competitors. We were told by a judge just before we left that not very many dogs had been considered poor enough in any way to drop from tomorrows final stage.
I won't be going tomorrow , If I have managed to summon up some energy by then I will be going picking up instead. If I go to another trial I will attempt to put my money where my mouth is and enter it ! I know only too well just how easy it is to criticise from the outside .......doing it is a different matter !
Wullie
The cover was much the usual woodland floor stuff. Fallen branches, the occasional fallen tree , dead ferns ,some mainly light brambles and some brushwood patches. The friend I'd travelled there with bought a catalogue at an extortionate price .........and took it home with him tonight so I couldn't go into any named details of dog work even if I was capable of doing so. All I can offer is my personal general impressions of the day.
I got off to a good start for one of the guns happened to be a friend I haven't met for about 20 years. We were in the same class at school together, went chasing wummin together back in the swinging sixties and went shooting together with air-rifles , rifles and shotguns . He is the git who bust my left eardrum with a too close gunshot and we used to have a considerable rivalry going as to which of us was the best shot. His shooting was not of the best today .......and I took great delight in pointing this out to him !
General Impressions - this was the first Open standard spaniel trial I have watched . The first thing that I noticed was how close the dogs were kept to the handlers. Personally I would have been happy to see the dogs hunting at double the distances most of them were working at. I considered the toe tickling work done by too many of the dogs to be perhaps acceptable at novice standard but not at Open standard. If that's what the judges are looking for then that's what you have to train for but it is boot polishing I.M.O.
Steadiness - I thought this was excellent . I saw one dog move on a fallen bird - I think - but in general the steadiness was excellent - by my standards anyway !
Common sense was shown when birds fell over the woods boundary fences and into the surrounding fields. The handlers were instructed to go the fence and to lift their dogs over.
It wasn't possible to really see most of the dogs for large parts of their hunts. I got a warning from a steward for trying to get a better view . I saw some handlers hunting looking reasonably relaxed given the circumstances but I also saw 2 handlers zizzagging a mini version of the route they wanted their dogs to take. I feel that should be ended before getting out of Novice. One handler wasn't zigzagging but was blowing the dawn chorus on the whistle - almost as much as I have to use with Charlie !
Retrieving - Again it was impossible to see much of this. What I did see was mainly good but there were a few exceptions. I think the dogs could have done more but the judges didn't ask or expect them too. I saw no long distance retrieves. The handlers were taken near to the fall area of the longer retrieves that I could see then the dogs were sent to make the retrieve from there..........but weren't always successful.
The friend I'd gone to the trial with wanted to know why these dogs (one in particular) that had failed the retrieve ,were still "in" the trial and were hunted on. I could only say that in one instance the time lapse from the bird falling and the handler ,dog and judge walking out to it may have been deemed to be too long to give the dog a fair chance of finding a runner. One other runner had a dog sent onto it at once but still failed to find it and still stayed in the trial . I could not give my friend any good reason for that dog still being "IN ."
Not being much into trial etiquette my friend asked the judge about this at the end of the day. He was told the dog had made a good job of trying to find the bird so it was kept in ???????????????? That's not the way I read K.C. rules admittedly a number of years ago.
Today's trial didn't end until about 4 p.m. By then the judges were into their second look at the competitors. We were told by a judge just before we left that not very many dogs had been considered poor enough in any way to drop from tomorrows final stage.
I won't be going tomorrow , If I have managed to summon up some energy by then I will be going picking up instead. If I go to another trial I will attempt to put my money where my mouth is and enter it ! I know only too well just how easy it is to criticise from the outside .......doing it is a different matter !
Wullie
If at first you don't succeed .....find out if there is a booby prize !
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Don't do what doesn't work - do what does.
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Don't do what doesn't work - do what does.
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cocker
Re: Cocker Championship 2010
Good day but cold,i enjoyed it,my first ever trial i have viewd,supprised how close the dogs worked to the handlers,maybe give it a go myself in the future,only downside was i was there myself and did not know anyone
Re: Cocker Championship 2010
Hi Wullie
Not knowing what you looked like I'm not sure if I saw you or your friend. Other than green were you wearing anything that stood out?
The dogs were hunting at a distance I would expect. The guns were having trouble at this distance as it was so double the distance and the chances of clean kills would have been far less. To be honest the guns on the fence lines could have done with pushing forward 10 - 20 yards or so.
Not sure about the retreiveing, as you say it wasn't easy to see what was happening. I think a judge needs to answer this one or someone with more experience than me.
Not knowing what you looked like I'm not sure if I saw you or your friend. Other than green were you wearing anything that stood out?
The first thing that I noticed was how close the dogs were kept to the handlers. Personally I would have been happy to see the dogs hunting at double the distances most of them were working at.
The dogs were hunting at a distance I would expect. The guns were having trouble at this distance as it was so double the distance and the chances of clean kills would have been far less. To be honest the guns on the fence lines could have done with pushing forward 10 - 20 yards or so.
Not sure about the retreiveing, as you say it wasn't easy to see what was happening. I think a judge needs to answer this one or someone with more experience than me.
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trekmoor
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Re: Cocker Championship 2010
I wasn't wearing anything that would have made me stand out from the crowd. I was carrying a slightly unusual stick which was bent like a 'nana and which was an all in one sort of tree branch D.I.Y. job.
There was a lady handler there yesterday - number 25 I think - whos bitch I particularly liked. Saw this same lady and dog get an award in a Novice trial last season. I was pleased to see she'd continued to make good progress and had reached the Cocker Championships. Her first run yesterday was a nice tidy in and out job. Nothing very fancy but competent looking. I hope she continued to do well today and maybe got into the awards.
Wullie
There was a lady handler there yesterday - number 25 I think - whos bitch I particularly liked. Saw this same lady and dog get an award in a Novice trial last season. I was pleased to see she'd continued to make good progress and had reached the Cocker Championships. Her first run yesterday was a nice tidy in and out job. Nothing very fancy but competent looking. I hope she continued to do well today and maybe got into the awards.
Wullie
If at first you don't succeed .....find out if there is a booby prize !
-----------------------------------------------------
Don't do what doesn't work - do what does.
.
-----------------------------------------------------
Don't do what doesn't work - do what does.
.
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Rothievale
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Re: Cocker Championship 2010
Phew, am knackered! Didn't realise there were so many forum members going to the champs, I could've met you all! I was lucky enough to be in line for both days and thoroughly enjoyed myself. If anyone has any questions feel free, I was bopping about that much that I pretty much was able to see every dog in one or both of their runs and alot of the decisions were explained to me later by Jeremy. My 2 top dogs were Will's bitch and Dai's bitch, Dai's I preferred but in the run off she dropped a gear and lost him a few times. Dai said she wasn't a run off dog.
The shooting on the first day was terrible and really spoilt it, every bird was either missed or a runner making long difficult retrieves and sometimes clearing the ground in front if the dog was hunting about and failed to pick the runner. That said I was extremely impressed by these little dogs, I have been in line at the springer championships but never the cocker and their marking ability and line taking was very credible, some of the hunting was a bit flat and uninspiring but the top hunting and retrieving dogs shone through. Thankfully the shooting improved today unfortunately quite a few dogs went out so we were finished for 12pm
Well organised, ground to die for and an excellent championship dinner with lots of wine and craic.
H
The shooting on the first day was terrible and really spoilt it, every bird was either missed or a runner making long difficult retrieves and sometimes clearing the ground in front if the dog was hunting about and failed to pick the runner. That said I was extremely impressed by these little dogs, I have been in line at the springer championships but never the cocker and their marking ability and line taking was very credible, some of the hunting was a bit flat and uninspiring but the top hunting and retrieving dogs shone through. Thankfully the shooting improved today unfortunately quite a few dogs went out so we were finished for 12pm
Well organised, ground to die for and an excellent championship dinner with lots of wine and craic.
H
Helen
Live life, you're a long time dead!
Live life, you're a long time dead!
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Linda
Re: Cocker Championship 2010
Wullie
I am the lady handler No 25 you kindly mentioned. This little cocker has taken me from Novice to Open in 2 seasons these 2 seasons are my only trialing career. I am very privilaged to own such a cracking dog who has carried me throughout, her heart and head are always in the correct place and she just knows the job. Well done to Will Clulee for winning and many thanks to all who put in a huge effort to make a great Championships. I was put out on day 2, guns shot a hen bird that went on to run into a pile of brashings. My dog went out to the area but couldnt work out how to get into the pile to pick the bird. The judges went out and went in from the top and picked the bird.
Linda Hudson
I am the lady handler No 25 you kindly mentioned. This little cocker has taken me from Novice to Open in 2 seasons these 2 seasons are my only trialing career. I am very privilaged to own such a cracking dog who has carried me throughout, her heart and head are always in the correct place and she just knows the job. Well done to Will Clulee for winning and many thanks to all who put in a huge effort to make a great Championships. I was put out on day 2, guns shot a hen bird that went on to run into a pile of brashings. My dog went out to the area but couldnt work out how to get into the pile to pick the bird. The judges went out and went in from the top and picked the bird.
Linda Hudson