The Irish Pointer Club held it’s Open Confined Stake on grouse on the Liffey Head grounds on Sunday 12th August 2007. Judges for the day were Tom Dunne and Declan O’Rourke. There was a good breeze of Fr 2 – 3 blowing from just north of west and the day was mostly bright with the exception of a few showers, none of which lasted more that a few minutes albeit the odd one was heavy. This trial was run under IKC rules and Field Trial Regulations but more importantly it was an Irish Trial run under the Irish Ethos. Hard going dogs looking for a few birds.
There were a few dogs that didn’t cut the mustard and unfortunately Jalad was one of them. In the main all dogs ran but watching closely there are some that do what I can only term ” Follow from the front”. They watch their opponent and at times seem lost without an opponent to give them their bearings.
Roxy.
This was Roxy at her imperious best. I don’t know where it came from but I’m glad it did. I sought confirmation from a stalker who was present and he says she was doing 350 yards either side. She was flat, no more than twenty yards in front of me, especially in the second round and she went at a fair old lick. It was only because she was flat that she had a chance of her bird in the first round. She came down off the top of the mound like an express train right across my toes and pointed about 100 yards on the left. I then had to hold her while the other dog was picked up having stolen the point. She did something she hadn’t done before. She worked out the running bird on ground scent. There is a first for everything. On a day like this second place wasn’t a bad result but I genuinely thought the winner should have been discarded for originally failing to produce the bird it is supposed to have won the trial with. Was we robbed? Just perhaps.
Judy
If Roxy was good Judy was better. She was more like 450 yards either side, flat as a pancake and going like a steam train. It seems that the better a dog does the less there is to write but this was Her Ladyship back on song and it’s only a pity she didn’t have a find.
Results :-
1st Darnish Starbright. Pat Dooley’s Pointer Bitch Darnish Fennel X Darnish Wanda. Breeder M. O’Mahoney handler Owner.(Excellent)
2nd Oxspring Roxanne. Tony Kieran’s Pointer Bitch Rossi X Qxspring Warrior Princess Breeder Mrs H.M.Smith Handler Des O’Neile (Very Good)
All in all a good day and my thanks the spectators who held my dogs when needed.
