Sunday, September 23, 2007
The Premier County Field Trial Association held it’s 25th Anniversary Annual grouse trial on the Glendine beat of the Kinnity Moors under I.K.C. Rules & Regulations. The sponsors were Tipperary Crystal and “Odds on” dog foods. Judges for the day were Jim Sheridan and Tom Hayes. The day was bright and sunny and there was a fresh breeze. There is no real obvious demarcation line but there are two distinct halves to Glendine. One half is very even relatively tall heather and the other half is good running ground if a trifle soft in places. The one saving grace about the long heather is that if the wind direction dictates there is enough of it to easily told the first round so everybody gets the same conditions. So it proved on this day but the only problem was that with good weather the birds weren’t in the long stuff in any numbers. Size was at a premium in the first round. No matter how hard a dog tries in long heather it will never sparkle but the bigger dogs have a distinct advantage. I am pleased but surprised to be able to report that all the dogs put up a very good performance in the first round, at least as far as effort in their running was concerned.
Awards:-
1 Meinvee Jack the Lad Jim Crotty’s Pointer dog
2 Paddy Collins Pointer (didn’t realise he had two dogs in and don’t know which was second
3 F.T.Ch. Lefanta Kiera Gerald Devine’s English Setter Bitch.
Roxy
Running last brace she was very keen to be off. After a few cuts our bracemate pointed on the right while we were on the other extremity. Apparently there had been a loose flush while we were waiting to start and the dog was allowed to work out to see if any birds remained. None did. Brought together again Roxy at first took a cut to the right, no more than twenty yards, and then went away out to the left. Unfortunately when or bracemate came back across this bit a grouse was flushed. Eliminating both dogs. If Roxy had just gone straight out to the left she wouldn’t have had a chance at the bird and would probably have been all right. The fact that she had been down wind of the bird meant she had failed to point game that was up wind of her.
Judy
Second brace in heather high enough to hide all but her head. It is at times like this that Judy’s guts come to the fore. She was running against a much bigger dog that had the legs of her but she stuck gamely to the task and quartered her ground making good all of it. She didn’t shirk and did a good wide beat. I was pleased and so were the judges and the display was sufficient to get her another run on her ground work alone. In the second round she ran against the eventual winner. This was a much better bit of ground and both dogs gave it a good go. I would say the Judy out quartered the other dog which was a bit erratic in that some times it took a small bite and others a big deep bite. I also though that it looked as if the other dog might have blown up if asked to carry on much longer.
I believe that this win give Jack the Lad sufficient points to be declared a F.T.Ch. if he has the necessary show qualification. Well done Jack,…………..and Jim.
