THE SCOTTISH SPANIEL CLUB OPEN COCKER FIELD TRIAL HELD AT BIRSE ESTATE, ABOYNE, ABERDEENSHIRE on 1st October 2014
Today Midge took part in The Scottish Spaniel Club Open Cocker stake held at the Birse Estate. The judges were Malcolm Taylor and Steve Charlton. The weather was extremely mild for this time of year. The open stake was held in turnip fields, gorse bushes and long white grass which was often very thick and high.
The stake had attracted many of the countries top handlers and the likes of Wendy Openshaw, Will Clulee and Jonathan Bailey with FTCH Gournaycourt Ginger were all looking formidable.
Midge was number 11 in the running order and started her run off in a turnip field, which was a first for Midge. As soon as Midge was cast off she settled into a nice hunting pattern and covered the ground with pace and enthusiasm. Midge indicated a rabbit and hit the cover with force, just as the rabbit was flushed the gun above dropped a snipe about 40 yards out. Malcolm Taylor gave a rough mark of where he thought it was shot. Midge took the line to the drop zone and hunted the area to no avail, one of the gun's thought the snipe was about 20 yards to the left of where Midge had been hunting. She was cast off again and pushed left handed, she took a nice line and picked the snipe and produced a clean retrieve.
The sun was now out in full force and Midge dropped a gear whilst hunting the rest of the turnip field. At the end of the field Midge was asked to hunt a gutter consisting of thick gorse bushes, long white grass and reeds. At this point Midge went back up the gears, hunting very hard and producing 3 flushes though nothing was shot. First run over.
Midge's second run was again in gorse bushes and long white grass. Midge indicated a rabbit in the thick and heavy cover, she powered her way through the gorse and had a cracking flush resulting in a rabbit being shot about 25 yards out. A nice clean straight forward in and out retrieve was the outcome. Midge was cast off again and just as she was approaching a dyke wall, a black rabbit bolted making its way over the dyke. The two guns below fired and the rabbit was hit about 35 yards out, Midge took a nice line and produced another nice clean retrieve.
Steve Charlton asked for Midge to be cast off again and shortly after this Midge flushed a loose cock pheasant out of the long white grass. The pheasant made its way over a fence and into thick cover about 50 yards out. Midge made her way to the drop zone and from there took a line. She disappeared out of sight for about a minute, thankfully she came back into view with a cock pheasant and again delivered it nicely to hand. Second run over.
The judging party announced the various awards and commented on how tough the trial was, how high the standard was and that on another day at another trial those placed and those that received awards may of won. Results:
1. Will Clulee
2. Wendy Openshaw
3. Jonathan Bailey
4. Will Clulee
COM Tommy Brechney
COM Derek O'Neill (Handler Jonathan Bailey)
This was Midge's third 'Certificate of Merit' of the year in as many outings.
Once again I would like to thank Jonathan Bailey (www.churchviewgundogs.co.uk) for handling Midge. I would also like to thank the Scottish Spaniel Club aka Alec Coutts for another excellent trial, to the Forest of Birse Shooting Syndicate for providing excellent ground, to the judges, guns and all the helpers.
Today Midge took part in The Scottish Spaniel Club Open Cocker stake held at the Birse Estate. The judges were Malcolm Taylor and Steve Charlton. The weather was extremely mild for this time of year. The open stake was held in turnip fields, gorse bushes and long white grass which was often very thick and high.
The stake had attracted many of the countries top handlers and the likes of Wendy Openshaw, Will Clulee and Jonathan Bailey with FTCH Gournaycourt Ginger were all looking formidable.
Midge was number 11 in the running order and started her run off in a turnip field, which was a first for Midge. As soon as Midge was cast off she settled into a nice hunting pattern and covered the ground with pace and enthusiasm. Midge indicated a rabbit and hit the cover with force, just as the rabbit was flushed the gun above dropped a snipe about 40 yards out. Malcolm Taylor gave a rough mark of where he thought it was shot. Midge took the line to the drop zone and hunted the area to no avail, one of the gun's thought the snipe was about 20 yards to the left of where Midge had been hunting. She was cast off again and pushed left handed, she took a nice line and picked the snipe and produced a clean retrieve.
The sun was now out in full force and Midge dropped a gear whilst hunting the rest of the turnip field. At the end of the field Midge was asked to hunt a gutter consisting of thick gorse bushes, long white grass and reeds. At this point Midge went back up the gears, hunting very hard and producing 3 flushes though nothing was shot. First run over.
Midge's second run was again in gorse bushes and long white grass. Midge indicated a rabbit in the thick and heavy cover, she powered her way through the gorse and had a cracking flush resulting in a rabbit being shot about 25 yards out. A nice clean straight forward in and out retrieve was the outcome. Midge was cast off again and just as she was approaching a dyke wall, a black rabbit bolted making its way over the dyke. The two guns below fired and the rabbit was hit about 35 yards out, Midge took a nice line and produced another nice clean retrieve.
Steve Charlton asked for Midge to be cast off again and shortly after this Midge flushed a loose cock pheasant out of the long white grass. The pheasant made its way over a fence and into thick cover about 50 yards out. Midge made her way to the drop zone and from there took a line. She disappeared out of sight for about a minute, thankfully she came back into view with a cock pheasant and again delivered it nicely to hand. Second run over.
The judging party announced the various awards and commented on how tough the trial was, how high the standard was and that on another day at another trial those placed and those that received awards may of won. Results:
1. Will Clulee
2. Wendy Openshaw
3. Jonathan Bailey
4. Will Clulee
COM Tommy Brechney
COM Derek O'Neill (Handler Jonathan Bailey)
This was Midge's third 'Certificate of Merit' of the year in as many outings.
Once again I would like to thank Jonathan Bailey (www.churchviewgundogs.co.uk) for handling Midge. I would also like to thank the Scottish Spaniel Club aka Alec Coutts for another excellent trial, to the Forest of Birse Shooting Syndicate for providing excellent ground, to the judges, guns and all the helpers.
