Eric Lynch, the Honorary Secretary of the Irish Field Trials Association organised an Open Stake for Pointers & Setters on Sunday 10th August 2008. The venue was the moor across from The Cutt on Kinnity Moors and the judges were the vastly experienced Paddy Collins and Charlie Neilson. The day started off well enough with some sun but probably always the threat of rain. Unfortunately the threat turned into reality and we had a long shower from about three o’clock, sufficient for everybody to think that it was on for the night which of course meant that five minutes after the trial was brought to an early end the sun came out, at least for a while. In the context of a 24 hour period when a record 76 mms of rain fell in Dublin it is understandable that this view was held at the time.
This hill is good running ground but it has to be said that the game supply was disappointing but Ross, again, had his chance at birds.
Once again the groundwork of the dogs was of a very high standard. I have thought about this a lot and I can’t make up my mind if there has been an improvement in the dogs of if it is the fact that we have had such wet conditions that scent has been poor and therefore the dogs have not been pulled about by tendrils of scent.
With the exception of Patsy McCarthy’s dog’s find when running against Ross any involvement I saw with game was at a distance and since I didn’t wait for the result at the end, as I needed to go and rescue our tent, I don’t know the outcome of the trial. Patsy’s dog had had a good find fairly early in it’s run and was in the extension to the first round running against a volunteer but unfortunately the dog didn’t really cut the mustard in it’s second run. I am going to stick my neck out and suggest that Jim Sheridan might have won it with the same dog he won with the day before. I will of course post the results in due course.
In essense this was another one round event due to the weather conditions with only one dog that had had a find being given a second run to achieve the necessary time on the clock.
Roxy.
Ran hard and wide on a fairly tough down slope. She pulled forward a bit at the end of her right hand casts but by the end was running quite flat. It was nice to be admonished for turning my dog too early, Paddy wanted me just to let her go and that is exactly what I did.
Judy.
Once again the wee dog gave it all and due to her fitness covered a lot of ground at pace. It helps if the other dog is a goer as well and the dog Big Eric was running certainly was. I thought they made a great brace, the setter being marginly the neater. Both dogs had beauitful lines even if I say it myself. She was really looking for game and the ground to find it in and by the end was taking a bigger bite than I would like but the acid test is did she leave anything behind. No!
Old Chrissymint Yo-Yo.
Ross had thought Chris’ run yesterday his best to date but the Big Dane was even better today, up to a point. He set off in some style against his first brace mate and both dogs ran wide and flat and at a fair old lick in heavish ground. I thought Chris slightly the wider but the other pointer put in a shorter cast and ended up with a bird which it got because it had the forward cast. Chris was not involved and a spare dog was brought in. If anything he was even better this time the only negative being a tendency to turn right in the middle of the beat instead of going out the other side right away. It can be handled but it gives the other dog a chance to get on. Eventually while returning from the right Chris threw up his head and turned back. I have been running dogs for thirty years and Ross for about thirty days. Ross thought this was just an obedience issue and called the dog back and out the other side. On his next cast to the right he drew forward going to game and feathered up, pointing just after the birds flushed. He then proceeded to give them a chase but not too far. This is becomming very frustrating. The dog points just about everything, he has even started to point snipe and snipe haunts, except flipping grouse. I know that sizeable bags of ptarmigan have been shot over him. I would have thought the scent would be the same. He is getting birdy, all we can do is keep on doing it.
Results to follow.
16/08/08.
Results :-
1st Pallasgreen Harriet Jim Sheridan’s Irish Red & White Setter bitch.
2nd Carrigmor Duke Patsy McCarthy’s Pointer dog.
Both were graded excellent, which surprises me slightly, and I know that this gives Jim’s dog the 12 points it needs to be declared a Champion if it has it’s bench qualification.
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