FIELD & RETRIEVING ASSOCIATION FOR GUNDOGS INC

FIELD & RETRIEVING ASSOCIATION FOR GUNDOGS INC

Qld Ret. Championship .09

Judge’s Report by John McCrory (Vic)

31 Entries – 30 Starters

13 Finishers – 5 Runs - 2 doubles and 3 triple retrieves

The trial was held on a magnificent property near Boonah that had many undulations, gullies and good ground cover. Water was a bit limited but there was enough to satisfy the rule requirements and I endeavored to use the terrain to give the thirty competitors a wide variety of runs.

The first run was a Double Mark with a walk up and a distraction drag that went down into the steep gully that the dogs had to work through to retrieve the second bird. The first bird was thrown slightly to the right of the line at a distance of 120 metres behind a stand of dead saplings. The second bird came off the top of a ridge on the left and landed towards the firing point at a distance of 150 metres. Seven dogs were eliminated and the highest scoring dog on this run was Gareth Tawton’s Blue.

The second run was a Mark, Two Bird and Blind. The Mark was 142 metres at the end of a dam, the Two Bird that landed on the right hand bank of the dam near a group of decoys 52 metres from the firing point and the maximum distance Blind was up a hill to the left of the dam. The Blind had to be retrieved before the Two Bird and the dam was out of sight of the dogs from the firing point. Six dogs were eliminated on this run and the best score was by Jack Lynch’s Fern.

The third run was a Mark and Blind with the Blind being a hare. The handlers left their dogs in a hide and went to the firing point and fired at the Blind. This was at maximum distance at the head of a winding gully dotted with numerous waterholes. The Mark was thrown towards the firing point at a distance of seventy two metres, landing to the left of the line to the Blind. The Blind had to be retrieved first. One dog was eliminated and the best score was by Amand Golle’s Vodka

The fourth run was a Mark, a Double Fall, and a Blind with a distraction bird that was shot by another shooter. The Mark was at 136 metres with a steep gully in the foreground. The Double Fall was thrown soon after the dog left the handler and landed in heavy cover on the left hand bank of a long narrow gully that went away from the elevated firing point The handler came to the firing point and fired at the Blind, another hare, that was placed at the end of the gully behind a pool of water and cumbungi. As soon as the shot was fire the second shooter fired at a bird the crossed the gully halfway down and landed on the right bank of the gully. This meant that there was game on both banks of the gully that were not to be retrieved until after the Blind had been retrieved Only one dog failed this test and the best score was by Jack Lynch’s Tsu.

The final run for the Championship was a Triple Mark with a walk up. A dam in front of the firing point required the dogs to swim on all legs if a straight line was taken to the birds. There were gullies crossing at various angles that the dogs had to negotiate during the retrieve. The first bird was the walk up to the landing 75 metres slightly to the left of the firing point. The second bird landed 145 metres straight across the dam and the third bird came off a hill to the right of the second bird and landed up the hill at a distance of 130 metres. Birds were to be retrieved from left to right. Two dogs were eliminated and the highest scoring dog was Gareth Tawton’s Monty.

I would like to congratulate all those that completed the trial and particularly the place getters. The dogs put in some great work over the two days and had given their all over the five runs. I would also like to thank all the stewards for a tremendous job over the weekend and the Queensland Canine Control and their RAFT for the honor of judging this Championship.

General Report by Georgina Golle – Chair RAFT Subcommittee

Photographs courtesy of Anne Latimer and George Price

It is again with pleasure that I report on the conduct of this prestigious annual event on the Retrieving Trial Calendar in Queensland.

A dedicated team of officials, stewards and behind the scene workers commenced planning for this championship many months prior to the event, and demonstrated their teamwork and experience, prior to, and during the long hours of competition over 2 days.

It was the idea of one of the RAFT subcommittee members to put into action a plan to harvest “Hare” as an alternative to the usual “cold game” used, and this goal was achieved through a number of people who helped to put this idea into action. This made a world of difference to the challenges which were put before each dog and handler, when this game was introduced into two of the runs.

Sponsorship was of great concern due to the world -wide financial situation which greatly affected the usual cash sponsorship, which we have enjoyed for many years. Never-the-less, Laurelle Draper through her contacts introduced us to P & G.Pet Care (Australia) P/L, and we were very fortunate to have “Eukanuba” sponsor our event with 5 x 20kgs bags of Premium Dog Food, and in this regard we are most appreciative. Again our long standing sponsor – Knights Portaloo Services P/L (Greg and Glenda Lowry, Directors), supported this event with the usual much needed facilities out in the bush.

Also it would be remise of me not to mention the support, financially and in products and services from Clubs, their members and many individuals, thank you one and all.

As the entries started to arrive, the Management committee were pleased with the number of interstate competitors, from Victoria, New South Wales and ACT, also from Rockhampton and Bundaberg and of course our own local triallers. We are always indebted to the graciousness of Property Owners for allowing us to use their beautiful properties and to Amand Golle, who for many years has negotiated and nominated many new properties for State championships, so that each and every competitor is trialling on a new trial site, which becomes equal for one and all in competition. The day will come when this may not be achievable, but in the meantime we can enjoy the fruits of his labour.

The two official dinners held at THE OUTLOOK in Boonah, were well attended and we were honoured with the presence of the President of the CCCQ, Barry Vickers and his lovely wife, Leigh, the Property Owners and Greg Lowry from Knights Portaloo Services. Barry has officially attended and opened several State Championships and the RAFT subcommittee hope that his attendance will become a traditional part of the official proceedings of Queensland Retrieving Championships.

All in all, this Championship has been run and won and those involved should feel a sense of pride for their input into the conduct of this event.

On another note, a meeting is planned very shortly towards the start of planning of “the big one”, the 41^st National Retrieving Championship to be hosted by CCCQ in 2010, including the annual State Retrieving Championship the week end prior to the National. Details will be published in due course.

RESULTS:

1^st Gr RTCH. KADNOOK PRIDE OV CORK CM Labrador Dog G & S. Tawton (Vic) 230 pts

2^nd RTCH. LINDENLAKE BLACK JAZZ Labrador Bitch J. Vella (NSW) 225.5 pts

3^rd Nat. Gr RTCH. COALSGARTH TASSIE FERN Labrador Bitch J. Lynch (NSW) 222.5 pts

4^th LOWTHER HIGHLAND TSU RRD Labrador Dog J. Lynch (NSW) 221.5 pts

5^th KADNOOK BLKN BLU RRD Labrador Dog G & S. Tawton (Vic) 213.5 pts

Highest Scoring Queensland Handler - Trevor Lodder

Highest Scoring Labrador Retriever – Gr. RTCH. KADNOOK PRIDE OV CORK CM

Highest Scoring Lady Handler - Laurelle Draper

Highest Scoring Non Retrieving Champion – LOWTHER HIGHLAND TSU RRD

Highest Scoring Retriever Other Than A Labrador - Dual CH (R) TENARDA FIRECRACKER

Highest Scoring Utility Gundog – WARWIBA BRAVE HEART RRD