The Cork F.T.A. held a novice stake for Pointers & Setters under Irish Kennel Club rules and regulations on the ground across from The Cut at Kinnity on Sunday 2nd March 2008. Judges for the day were Pat Rohan and Anthony Mulhall. This stake was fully subscribed which must demonstrate the interest in trialling in general and the confidence of the entrants that the Hon. Sec. Patsy McCarthy could successfully organise such an event. His organisation of the weather was a vast improvement over the previous day. The day was clear and bright with only the occasional threat of showers and the wind was steady in both strength and direction.
Results :-
1st Shinawill Glenmarkie Tom Hayes’ Pointer bitch.
2nd Sugarloaf SamTom O’Mahony’s Pointer dog.
3rd Gortinreagh Aztec Carol Calvert’s English Setter dog.
Basso.
After what seemed like an age trailing the other dog, it was probably only a couple of minutes, we were brought together and cast off again. I was ready this time and kept Basso on the lead until the other dog was well away. This enabled me to send Basso the other way and thus keep them apart. For a second run in a trial I was well pleased. For starters we had plenty of ground so I was able to let him go until he wanted to turn and in doing so reduced the requirement for whistling. He wasn’t exactly even sided but I was able to get him out both sides and even though the quartering lines weren’t straight they were relatively flat. The second part of this run was the most complete performance that Basso has given me to date. I was particularly pleased at the effort he put in which was demonstrated by his leaping into an ice cold pool for a drink.
Jalad.
On a good day Jalad looks like an open stake dog. Even though he had a cheek wind to contend with I though he did so very creditably. It was a pity therefore that when it came to the birds I let him down. He had what seemed like a false point upwind of a slight depression in the ground. I really should have remembered that Jalad doesn’t really false point but hindsight is a great thing. When on a subsequent cast he again pointed, but with his tail still moving I decided to send him on, just to make sure. I effectively forced him to flush a pair of birds in the bottom of the depression. He chased them a bit as well but since I “inspired” him to flush in the first place I consider the blame to be all mine.
Kinnity isn’t exactly round the corner from Bangor so I make no excuses for not staying for the second round and the last couple of brace of the first round. There seemed general satisfaction with the results but some folks think that the third place dog would be more likely to grace an open stake that the first and second dogs.
