Members Report on

HWVA Mock Field Trial Training Day

4th November 2006

Barn Farm

Owthorpe

Notts

On a cool clear November morning, with a stiffening breeze, eight Wires , a Smooth and their handlers, along with four guns, including the trainer and Panel A Field Trial Judge Keith Scattergood, set out to conduct a mock field trial on the broad and open lands of Nottinghamshire.

It was a mock field trial in that each dog was to run on its’ own, under the watchful eye of Keith but there were to be no eliminations and the day was to prove strictly non competitive. Instead the ethos was to be one of motivation; to run the dogs, to listen, learn and enjoy.

The dogs were of varying ages and experience and the real beauty of the event was that the trainer was willing and able to work with whatever combination of skill and experience that each dog and handler brought to the event. If the dog’s steadiness to shot required that the guns stood well away or did not fire over a dog then that was done. Dogs that had never before retrieved or had only picked up dummies or cold game were all given the chance to progress. Above all, each dog was given the opportunity to hunt, point and retrieve as it was bred to do.

The terrain was splendid, with a mix of stubble fields, cover crops, set-aside, hedges and ditches. There were a mixture of wild and released birds on the land and, considering that we were only in the first week of November, they sat really tight. This gave the dogs the chance to hold point. Each dog had the opportunity to run four times so was able to experience all types of cover as well as running the open fields. All the dogs presented game for the guns. The guns did themselves and our dogs proud. Much of the game that was put up was duly brought down, again providing invaluable experience for the dogs.

As a person who has been involved in the shooting world for 40 years this was game shooting at its best. We did not kill hundreds of birds and each one that was located by the dogs had a good chance of escaping unscathed. The dogs had to work hard for each flush. There were no winners or losers and each of us took home a splendid dog and a great sense of achievement. At the end of the day the Guns’ Choice of dog and handler went to Phil Robinson’s, Cosey.

The bag totalled eight brace of pheasant, four hares, a brace of French partridge and a brace of woodpigeon. Everyone present had the chance to take home free range, organic meat for the pot. We also took home the strong sense of kinship and wellbeing engendered by working our HWV’s in the field.

I would strongly recommend anyone who has an interest in training their dog for the field, even if they never intend to enter trials, to attend future events of this nature.

Our sincere thanks must go to Phil Cox for allowing us access to the shoot, the Guns: Philip Reed, Keith Scattergood, Andrew Cook , Philip Cox and Michael and Hazel Caine and Diane Parry for organising the day.

Jonathan Wooldridge