Cashel Field Trials Assoc. held an Open Pointer & Setter Stake on grouse at Glendine, today 9th August 2008. The trial was run under Irish Kennel Club rules and regulations and the judges were Declan O’Rourke and Patsy McCarthy.
It will give you an idea of the general weather conditions if I tell you that in some 24 hour period over the weekend a record 76mms or rain fell in Dublin, flooding houses and closing the M50. Glendine is a good hundred miles WSW of Dublin but a weather system of this severity affects a wide area.
The start of the event was delayed due to rolling mist and rain which lifted to a level just about consistent with what is required to run such an event. The fog ebbed and flowed and eventually deteriorated into continuous driving rain. The most amazing aspect of the day was that with the exception of a single bird that was walked up preparing for the start of a run all the birds seen were made use of and all sat well to the dogs. A situation that all my personal experience and wide reading suggests shouldn’t have happened.
The competitors should be deeply indebted to the judges for their efforts in even attempting to run this trial even if at four o’clock with rain being hurled at us the last place we really wanted to be was Glendine.(Especially those who were camping)
I saw four of the five finds on grouse, I did not see the winner’s second find. To me the cleanest work was Neill Ryan’s English Setter Bitch, My Lovely Rings of Felim. I wouldn’t like to have judged the joint find of the second and third placed dogs. For a start off was it a joint find or a stolen point, or even a back, and what credit can you really give a dog for roading to the place where grouse have flushed from. Dogs aren’t blind. I am not saying that I disagree with the way the judges interpreted it on the day, I’m just glad I didn’t have to do it.
I only saw the first run of the winner when it had a find relatively early on, the majority of it’s running would have been done in the two dog extension to the first round.
Due to the deteriorating weather conditions this was effectively a one round trial with a two dog extension to put enough time on the clock for the winner.
There is no doubt that in general terms the quality of ground work seems to be to a high standard this year and the general level on the day was very high especially when you take into consideration the conditions.
The Kennel Club in England have rules that preclude the judges from commenting on the trial other than in very general terms. Perhaps some judges should impose this on themselves on a voluntary basis as you need to be very careful that your critique doesn’t appear to contradict the results you have come up with.
Results :-
1st Pallasgreen Harriett Jim Sheridan’s red & White Setter bitch.
2nd. Lisdovogue Ace Olly Kelly’s Red Setter bitch.
3rd Lisdovogue Pat Reape’s Red Setter
4th My Lovely Rings of Felim Neill Ryans English setter bitch.
(Major placings graded Excellent)
Chris.
The Big Dane was up for it today. Ross felt that all taken into consideration this was his best run to date. He ran wide and hard in heavy ground and had as good lines as any on the day. He did not however have a bird. Ross has set himself a target of making a second round before the end of this season. Perhaps on another day he might have achieved it.
Roxy.
I let her down badly. At first I thought I had lost my whistle lanyard but I had left it on top of the Jeep. The result was a botched attempt to run her using Chris’ whistles. She ran hard enough but it was difficult to handle her and the whole thing looked a bit ragged to me.
Judy.
As usual Judy gave 101% and ran the wind well. The piece of ground she ran in was above her head at times but she is just about as fit as she has ever been just now and didn’t look out of place at all.
At times this was far from enjoyable but I suppose the relatively high temperature kept it bearable. Even my grandson, soaked, and I do mean soaked, from the waist down enjoyed himself leading the dogs about.
The one thing that nobody could disagree with was Declan O’Rourke highlighting the work and effort put in by the Hon. Sec. Tom Hayes. As Declan said Tom is a one man band with few helpers to call on and without such people we would have a good few less trials to compete in. Hopefully Tom can do a bit better in one respect for his next event. THE WEATHER.
