Ulster Gundog League – Open – Pointer & Setter 11th October 2008

At the bidding of the Hon. Sec. Laurence McAlister the competitors and officials for the Ulster Gundog League’s Pointer & Setter Open Stake met at The Fort Royal at 09:00 on Saturday 11th October 2008. The venue for the trial was The Glarryford Gun Club’s ground at The Craig’s Moss. The Judges were Billy Darragh and Laurence himself. The draw was made and the first brace were under orders just after 10:00. We were in action right away with Carol Calvert’s Rushfield Sheilin having a find on a cock pheasant in the first brace with her bracemate appearing to be forward of the bird. The second brace, Desi Linton’s Int.F.T.Ch. Craigrua Osprey and James Coyle’s Koram Kadara had a joint find both dogs close to each other and the bird. When Desi was asked to produce the bird his dog excluded itself by removing a few tail feathers. James’ dog was steady all this time and when asked to worked forward to the seat of the flush and dropped to the shot. The next dog to do any good was Andy Law running his father’s dog Rushfield Hawk having a find on a snipe. Next with a bird was my own dog Jalad (Ballincoher Barcley). He ran well enough and covered his ground at pace but he turned back on the left a few times however after a non-productive on the right he eventually pointed on the left. He was in a strange position standing with his front feet on a clump of heather, right up on his toes, head tilted to one side and looking down at his feet. A typical pounce stance. However when asked to produce he at first adopted a normal stance before turning into a shpinx, shuffling forward on his belly to produce the hen pheasant from deep heather. He was steady to the shot and cleared his ground. The only other find on a pheasant was Jim Sheridan’s Pallasgreen Herriott. She produced a snipe but stayed on point before working on to produce a cock pheasant.
The second round was nine dogs all with finds of some sort, no dog made it through on running alone, which is an unusual state of affairs in Northern Ireland.
I was first brace against the eventual winner. Jalad covered a heap of ground at pace BUT he cut back on the left again a few times. 
Unfortunately as is usually the case several of the front runners fell on their swords making errors on the abundant snipe on the ground and there were that many snipe that it was difficult to tell what dog made what error so I can’t really give any details.
Result :-
1st Koram Kadara James Coyle’s Pointer dog by Koram Joe X Innistona Spice.
2nd F.T.Ch. Stannage Brave Gerald Devine’s English Setter dog.
COM. Ballincoher Barcley Des O’Neile’s Pointer dog.
I had been HOPING for a third place to qualify Jalad but back casting is an abomination and some, myself included, probably considered the COM generous. Not withstanding that I was very pleased with his bird work.
The awards were presented at the gun club’s H.Q. where the soup, baps and sandwiches generously provided by our hosts were consumed with relish.
I don’t intend to attend either of the two events remaining on the calender at Strabane as I hope to be beating or shooting but you never know.