Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2017 i Shooting Gazette

During a break between drives on a recent simulated day, conversation veered in the direction of political manifestos. One of the guns, as fair-minded a countryman as one could find, questioned why we, as folk with a love of our countryside, do not espouse the cause of the Green Party in greater numbers. A bit of collective tooth-sucking elicited the general response that while ‘greening’ the world might be fine in concept and had found favour in various European countries with sufficient space to home and feed the terminally bewildered, the fact that in recent parliaments our only Green MP had been elected for a constituency most widely known for nightclubs, antique shops and a big wheel on a pole probably said it all. At first glance, their pitch is…

On pages 100-102 of this issue, Helena Venables is discussing gundog discipline, specifically the ethics surrounding smacking. We wondered what our Facebook followers thought and here is what they said… Dan Doherty wrote: “No, a good working dog reacts to the tone of the voice and anyone who resorts to hitting their dog needs to strip themselves back to basics with their training tactics!” Ben Partridge wrote: “Positive training is the way forward. I have a wired vizsla and they are naturally sensitive. So being aggressive etc. can have an adverse effect. I use lots of praise/ treats for positive actions and ignore negatives/ unwanted behavior. Cliff Martindale wrote: “Good topic. My view is no, we spend years and some large amounts of money to build up trust with our…

More than 100 teams of four met at Mill Farm on the Azerley Estate near Ripon on April 23 to shoot 50,000 clays for charity. The Azerley Estate Charity Clay Shoot was set up 10 years ago by the estate’s gamekeeper Kevin Birch, with kind permission from the estate’s owners Mr and Mrs Dalton, to provide money for children’s charities in Yorkshire. Now in its 10th year, the event is firmly established on the clay shooting calendar. It began as a small 30-bird sporting with an 100-bird flush, but now the event has grown into a serious shoot with eight flushes shot over the estate, culminating in shooting the Azerley Tower, a Victorian folly built in 1830 by the Crompton family as a gamekeeper’s house, a role it still fulfils…

Would you believe it? As a thank you to my wife and son for their tolerance over the last season of my shooting affair, and having planned outings for the coming season, I promised them both a week of sightseeing and fine dining, without a game bird in sight, in New York in April. Well that was the plan, anyway. My wife and I were walking past Bryant Park in the heart of Manhattan, a small grass lawn of some 100 yards by 50 yards but manicured to perfection, when we spotted a woodcock (pictured) stone dead having collided with a shop front. My wife was equally stunned, but this made me think even more about all of the good research being undertaken into woodcock through the GWCT, amongst others.…

Why not upgrade your tickets? The Game Fair’s Gold Package costs £69 for adults and £30 for children aged between eight and 16 years of age. This includes entrance to The Game Fair, access to the enclosure and private lounge. A full English breakfast, glass of Buck’s Fizz on arrival, mid-morning tea and coffee, Tiptree fruit gin tasting, an official show guide, private cloakroom and access to ‘Shop and Drop.’ The Game Fair’s Platinum Package costs £125 for adults and £60 for children aged between eight and 16 years of age. This includes entrance to The Game Fair, access to the Enclosure, Shoot Lodge and Bar, plus VIP access to Shot to Pot Restaurant. A full English breakfast, glass of Buck’s Fizz on arrival, three-course lunch, Tiptree cream tea, a…

“Every fair has been special, and everyone who turns up goes home with memories that rarely fade.” I bet mine wasn’t the only heart that sank when the Country Landowners’ Association (CLA) pulled the plug on the Game Fair back in 2015. Doubtless countless thousands of other fans mourned the loss too. The CLA said it was calling it a day because the event, the world’s biggest fieldsports gathering bar none, was losing money. “How so?” we asked. Everybody acknowledged and understood why the CLA had gradually whittled the number of venues down to three or four permanent sites to save future set-up costs. It was a prudent move. But what of the not inconsiderable income stumped up by more than 1,000 loyal stand holders, the monies paid by headline…

I am privileged in being shown and allowed to examine a great many rare firearms from all over the world, but occasionally a certain gun proves to be elusive. When I published my book James Purdey & Sons, Gun & Rifle Makers in 2013, I wrote at length about the high-quality single-barrel trap guns Purdey made from the 1920s onwards, but try as I might, I could find no such gun to study. I ascertained from the Purdey Dimension Books that only 59 such guns had been built between 1922 and 1972 and virtually all of them went to the US, hence my difficulty in encountering one. Then the quarterly crash through my letterbox took place and upon studying the Holt’s catalogue, lo and behold such a Purdey single-barrelled trap…

The single-barrel trap gun of the 1920s was not the only gun specifically designed for trap shooting by Purdey. In 2008 an entirely new Purdey shotgun was introduced, the Purdey over-under Sporter. In 2006 the Brescian gunmaker Perugini & Visini joined forces with Purdey to produce its own version of the Perazzi over-under design. The Sporter was the result. The original design was extensively re-engineered by Purdey to take advantage of its CNC technology. The essential components were made in the Purdey factory and were then shipped to Italy for insertion of the barrels and the fitting of high-grade walnut stocks supplied by Purdey. A quick detachable trigger-plate action was employed for simplicity, reliability and ease of cleaning. The engraving of large scroll and ribbon design was also done in…

There was a time when the only diseases a gamekeeper really had to worry about were gapes [syngamus trachea] and coccidiosis. I suspect there were other pathogens that we simply did not recognise, both in reared game and wild birds. The first pigeon I ever shot at the tender age of seven was sick and it was so wasted that despite infantile protestations I was not allowed to eat it. I remember my grandfather explaining that a great number of them were dying, hence the reason I was able to get so close with a .410. In the 1800s I believe the entire keepering staff were dismissed from Ken Hill in Norfolk (including my great grandfather), the consequence of a poor season when some disease had ravaged stocks. So other…

Both myself and shooting instructor Bruce Marks had significant success shooting the 725 Pro Sport – to our mutual surprise and delight. Though I found the Inflex II recoil absorbing pad a little grabby on a woollen jumper, most buyers of this gun will find the Pro Sport to be entirely secure and comfortable, since one will most likely be wearing a shooting vest when using this gun. It comes up into the shoulder absolutely beautifully and consistently – quite a surprise given its not inconsiderate weight – and is superbly well balanced. The point of balance is right on the hinge pin, and, given the long barrels and exposed chokes, this means the weight of the gun is divided perfectly between your front and rear hands. Any fears of…

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What should discipline involve and how do you ‘correct’ a dog that doesn’t respond as you want to a command? Are treats and rewards enough or is ‘corrective’ training or smacking the only solution? Dr Julia Wrathall, chief scientific officer at the RSPCA and a dog trainer herself, comments that disciplining dogs, including through using violence, lingers from the “bad old days of training, when it was believed dogs needed to be taught through force and fear to respect you and do what you commanded. Thankfully many in the dog training world have now moved on, and science has helped us understand more about dog behaviour, how dogs learn, and how we can train them without the need to bully them or force them into submission”. Dr Wrathall points out…

THE KENNEL CLUB has approved a new official DNA testing scheme for Acral Mutilation Syndrome (AMS) in English springer spaniels following consultation with the health coordinators on behalf of the breed clubs. This test is offered by Antagene (antagene.com) and further details can be obtained directly from them. As the Kennel Club does not have an agreement with this laboratory, results can only currently be recorded upon owner submission. Caroline Kisko, secretary of the Kennel Club, said: “The English springer spaniel is the fifth most popular breed in the UK, and this new DNA test will help breeders make informed decisions when it comes to breeding, enable potential puppy buyers to be aware of issues which could affect their chosen breed, and ultimately protect and maintain the health of English…

THE UNITED Retriever Club Hants & South West Area held a novice working test at Hawkers Hill Farm by kind permission of Phil Lever, Chris and Clem Martin, writes Wendy Bardsley. There were 42 entries and the judges were Dave England, Frank Wright, Jennie Dimmock and Michael Brown. The tests were set at a good novice standard and the new location allowed four challenging tests. All tests were a double pick with two retrieves. Test one involved a marked water retrieve, which gave the dogs a good swim across the water out onto the land to retrieve the dummy and back into the water to deliver to hand. The glare of the sun and the geese on the water proved a challenge for some of the dogs. The second retrieve…

Congratulations to Emma Hickin for this delightful picture of her young cocker spaniel who is almost nine months old and always learning lots from the springer. HOW TO WIN For your chance to win a Grizzly smock, email your high-resolution pictures to: katemaxim@outlook.com. Please put “Gundog Picture of the Month” in the subject line. The winner will be chosen by the Shooting Gazette judging panel. Good luck! The prize will only be posted to winners with a fixed UK postal address.…

Engagement with our urban compatriots vital for the countryside - Lord Salisbury LORD SALISBURY, owner of Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, the venue for this year’s Game Fair, sets out his hopes for the three-day event. The Game Fair is a showcase for country life and country sports. Those of us who love both welcome this annual opportunity to celebrate our way of life and to mix with thousands of others who share our enthusiasm. We can meet friends, compare notes, have conservations, hear about new technology and enjoy ourselves. Most of the people who come to the Game Fair are the primary conservers of rural Britain and we need to keep in touch with each other. We also need to keep making new friends and allies. This country is now…

9 Number of West London Shooting School staff that participated in a recent Tough Mudder to raise money for Help for Heroes and other charities £15,000 Amount raised for the GWCT by the Welsh Fantastic Four Shoot Raffle 125 Number of dishes BASC food ambassador Jose Souto created from one deer during a presentation to The Epicurean Collection chefs £5,500 Amount raised at NGO Team Flush Clay Shoot at Owls Lodge Shooting School in May. 5,000 Number of Eley Hawk cartridges fired by the 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment clay shooting team during the Interforces Challenge Cup 2017 £132,000 Amount raised at the annual GWCT Scottish Auction…

To satisfy a dream team I would have to take the guns on a dream day, that would obviously entail the very best of sport which for me would be double gunning driven grouse. Rodger McPhail is known to many for his wonderful sporting and wildlife artwork as well as many stage performances amongst his other varied talents. Rodger is a great pal and a true raconteur and with so many shooting invitations under his belt Rodger just has to be an amazing shot… providing of course he can see over the top of the butt. In fairness, fellow “Lancashire Lad” and welder/blacksmith/scrap dealer/sculptor Jason Sweeney is more salmon fisherman than game shot, although his ability to scoop a hooked salmon into the net is less than perfect and something…

QI’ve arranged to meet a potential buyer of one of my old shotguns at the Game Fair. I’m bringing it with me to have a go on the clay line. If the potential buyer likes what he sees, are we able to do the transfer then and there? If so, what’ll I have to do to make sure my paperwork is all above board – and should I write a receipt for the monetary transaction? A Buying and selling shotguns privately is in fact very straightforward. Check the purchaser is the chap or chapess in the photo on the front of the certificate and it is in date. If you look on the back of your shotgun certificate you will see “Table 2”. It is this table that you must…

On the subject of ‘How much is too much’ (May, Letters), and in the scientifically-led world in which we live, would it not be responsible to let the science dictate bird numbers on a shoot? Most free-range livestock densities are dictated by the capacity of the land on which it feeds, and the end demand for meat and materials. If shooting were a responsible industry, should this not also apply? We tell the antis that we eat what we shoot – but some irresponsible disposal occurs. We also tell them that shooting is good for the environment, but in overstocked woodland and where maize cover crops are frequently used, it is far from evironmentally friendly. With the current government, shooting is safe, but there is certainly no room for complacency.…

What do you look forward to most about heading to the Game Fair each year? With so much to see and do, I always wonder how anyone manages to pack everything they want to in over the three-day event. Goodness knows, some people give it a go. At the end of each of our day’s trading when we’re packing away the stand, I can always spot those who’ve been from one end of the site to the other and back again purely by the determined come-on-you’ve-still-got-another-fewthousand-metres-left-in-you expression that is drawn across their tired, parched faces – that and the fact they’re carrying their children/ dogs/ myriad shopping bags and lost their significant other near the BASC stand four hours earlier. We’ve always got a free copy of Shooting Gazette handy…

I wondered if stalking Chinese water deer was a metaphor for pointlessness, like a wild goose chase. We arrived on the marsh as dawn came. A covey of grey partridges broke the skyline as they stretched their wings and began to call in the new day. A brown hare licked his breast and the sun made his whiskers glow. It was late January, and a thick frost spread out in a blue carpet to the sea wall, criss-crossed by fringes of tall reeds and deep, dull ditches. Below us, wigeon wandered in squalling gangs over the ice, and lines of brent geese passed against the far horizon. These are the margins between productive arable country and wild seascape on the north Norfolk coast, and they provide a fantastic habitat for…

Purdey had been founded in 1814 by James Purdey the Elder (1784-1863), succeeded by his son, James Purdey the Younger (1828-1909), followed by his son, Athol Purdey. Athol Stuart Purdey was born on January 27, 1858, at 17 Warwick Street, London. In 1874, aged 16, he was sent to school in France to receive a final polish to his education before entering the business in 1875. On December 21, 1877, the name of the firm was changed to James Purdey & Sons to incorporate the entry of Athol and his elder brother James (who died tragically young in 1890) into the business. In 1890 Athol married Mabel Field and they went on to produce the fourth generation of Purdey, Jim and Tom Purdey. When his father died in 1909, Athol…

I thought I’d do a few sums recently to work out how many lots there were in an average Holt’s sale. The sales are held every three months and are divided into the main sale and the sealed bid sale. Taking both these categories together, there are on average around 3,000 lots of every description on offer. Some auction houses group together as a single lot many of their lower priced items and this can be frustrating if you end up having to buy a quantity of goods just to purchase a particular item. But not so at Holt’s; cheap individual lots with estimates of as little as £10 are present in the auction in great quantities along with more expensive firearms. At the lower price end of the spectrum…

Where last month’s Beretta 692 was an unexpectedly straightforward introduction to the world of clay guns, this sporting variant of the current 725 range from Browning is probably rather closer to what the average pheasant shooter imagines when thinking about guns for busting clays. First impressions count and the 725 Pro Sport certainly makes a dent – quite apart from the exposed chokes, ventilated middle and top ribs, full pistol grip and adjustable comb, the 725 looks and feels a handsome, though significant, beast. If you’re the sort of sportsman or woman who likes the idea of picking the perfect product off the shelf then this is not the gun for you. Inside the impressive case one finds two further, smaller cases, one full sadly not of luxurious Cuban cigars,…

The A.C. County from A. Chamberlain of Salisbury (1900); the A.C. Wiltshire from A. Chamberlain of Salisbury (1900); the Champion from George Newham of Portsmouth (1900); and the Gastight Metal-Lined from E. & G. Higham of Liverpool (1900). The Special from S.B. Cross of Birkenhead (1910); the Challenge from Morrow & Co. of Halifax (1900); the Langley Castle from Thomas Clemitson of Haydon Bridge (1900); and the Howick from Army & Navy C.S.L. of London (1900). The Gas Tight from Stephen Grant of London (1900); the Golden Pheasant from Clift & Co. of Chatham (1926); the Minimax from A.F. Punter of Basingstoke (1927); and the Pheasant from Edward Frost of Bridlington (1927). CARTRIDGES OF FRENCH EXTRACTION… Here we have four primed empty cartridges cases which date back to April 11,…

I have had a bit of a road to Damascus, or at least Zuffenhausen, moment. Having spent much of my professional career being rude about Porsche 911s on behalf of TVR, calling them wastes of perfectly good Beetles and pontificating about the futility of trying to throw hammers shaft first, I have now fallen in love with them to the extent that I’ve bought one. It all started with meeting some of their people. You see, I wasn’t expecting Porsche folk to be as they are: unfailingly and spectacularly charming and well-mannered. I’ll admit that years of being on the other side of the fence had led me to grant them a little grudging respect but not to find that everyone that I have so far met who works for…

Capital values for English rural estates continued to increase, accruing another two per cent of growth during the latter half of 2016, according to our estates index. However, this overall growth conceals the difference in performance between the individual assets which make up the typical estate and therefore contribute to the total value. During the second half of 2016, on the average estate, the value of the main house increased 2.3 per cent compared with around 1.8 per cent for the farm and woodland, and there was some small negative growth for the farm buildings. Marriage value increased 7.6 per cent, showing the benefit of a mix of various property types on the total value of the rural estate. However, the farmland and farm buildings continue to contribute the largest…

Representatives from companies right across the shooting industry gathered at Brandon Hall, near Coventry, in May for the 22nd Time Inc. Shooting Industry Awards. The winners of 15 categories were decided by a specialist panel of eight judges including Shooting Gazette editor Will Hetherington and columnist John Walker – some categories were so close to call that they warranted a "Highly Commended" award from the judges. Hazel Eccles, managing director of the Fieldsports Group at Time Inc. (UK) Ltd. said: “With so many entries, it's clear the shooting industry is bursting with innovative people.”…

IN WRITING this report on the Spring Pointer & Setter trials every year, I endeavour not to make it a review of the great British weather, writes W. Shaun McCormack, but this year I will make a slight exception. Unfortunately, some trials were cancelled due to snow south of Hadrian’s Wall in the early part of the month, then travelling north a week later, winter clothing was dispensed with as glowing spring sunshine filled the moors with a welcome warmth. High pressure meant the wind eased, making the early trials difficult for the judges and competitors alike. Though like cream in a bottle, a good bird dog always comes to the top and takes its chance in the difficult conditions to find and produce game for the gun. The Dukeries…

A THREE-year-old English setter from Matlock in Derbyshire has won the Kennel Club open pointer and setter spring trial, held at Six Mile Bottom, Cambridgeshire, by kind permission of Richard Clarke. The judges were Meryl Asbury and Bill Connolly. Upperwood Clover, owned and handled by Dom Goutorbe, was awarded first place at the trial. Dom said: “I was very proud that Clover was able to produce such a performance to win the Kennel Club open stake. By winning that open stake she has achieved the title of field trial champion and, as this win was on spring wheat, it means she enters a very elite group of dogs that have been able to win trials on all the terrains setter and pointer trials offer – heather, autumn stubble and spring…

When were you first introduced to game shooting and by whom? My first taste of game shooting was walking fields with a .22 Weirauch air rifle in search of rabbits. I was probably about 10 years old. I didn’t get to pheasants until I was 16 when I used to go out with my uncle and load for him, getting the occasional shot on a drive. I was completely hooked. I loved everything to do with shooting, whether .22 rim fire at five bull targets, game or clay. How much shooting do you manage to fit in during the season? Not as much as my friends would like to think. It is the nature of the beast. Being on this side of the counter makes you very busy when the…

SERVES FOUR PEOPLE Ingredients • 8 woodpigeon breasts • 200g fresh garden peas • 100g broad beans • 1 bunch of English asparagus • 20g fresh shaved parmesan • Lemon oil • Cornish sea salt • Milled black pepper Method Season the woodpigeon and cook over hot BBQ for two minutes each side. Remove from the BBQ and allow to rest for a further two minutes. Cook the peas, beans and asparagus in boiling salted water until just cooked, drain well the drizzle over a little lemon oil and season. Place the greens into a bowl and top with the BBQ woodpigeon, serve with a little shaved parmesan.…

How to get there, where to stay and what to eat. TRAVEL Tuffon Hall shoot is near the villages of Castle and Sible Headingham in the Colne Valley in north Essex, not far from Halstead, with Braintree being the nearest large town. The shoot is easily accessible from the A12 that runs through the heart of the county and not far, about 30 minutes in fact, from Junction 8 of the M11. STAY There is plenty of accommodation to be had locally including hotels and bed and breakfasts, many of which stock wine from the estate. The quintessential White Hart is in Great Yeldham is just over a mile from the shoot (whitehartwedding venue.co.uk). The Suites at Pannells Ash, just a mile from Castle Headingham is a converted barn and…

One obvious difference between shooting in Spain and the UK is that in Spain your loader counts how many birds and cartridges you have shot on each drive and all the results are collated and recorded on the card at the end of the day. I can’t say I’m a fan of this system. Firstly, not all loaders have the same approach to counting killed birds. Some appear to be a lot more optimistic than others in their counting. But secondly, I’m not overly keen on the over-emphasis on the cartridge-to-kill ratio. Yes it focuses the mind and no one should be trying to shoot birds they know are out of range, but it seems a shame if guns are more worried about a good ratio at the end of…

This is a strange article and I fear my learned literary editor may deem it to be my last, but let me ask you a question: as a child, what were the first books that inspired you to read for yourself? For me it was Enid Blyton’s Famous Five adventures. I recently read an interesting piece as to her merit as a children’s writer and how, for children of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, her stories were the thrilling tales of four children and Timmy the dog, who had great fun, thrills, excitement and challenges together. All were in a rather idealistic, often seaside setting, where they cycled the country lanes free of juggernauts and played on the beach without undesirable characters lurking behind every rock. Blyton’s simplistic literary style…

This gun is as well built as we have come to expect from Browning over the years, though I must say the wood-to-metal fit on this gun really is superb, particularly where the rear of the action and the stock meet. This is likely down to the adjustable nature of the gun – Browning have been able to take out more wood since the weight of the stock is adjustable by the owner. You should have no concerns over the potential for greater felt recoil, however, as everything on this gun is so large. The Beaver tail fore-end in particular looks quite bulky but is surprisingly comfortable in the hand thanks to some carefully considered shaping. Again, this large fore-end is probably necessary in order to keep the balance of…

A This is a subject close to my heart as I have a five-year-old girl who is mad about shooting. So how young is too young? I personally think this is largely down to the individual size and maturity of the child, but I tend to say that eight years old is about the right time to start. Some may start a little earlier and some a little later, but there is never a rush. My first lessons with a young shot involve gun handling, understanding how the gun works, identifying parts, gun cleaning and minimal shooting. If you let a young shot handle the gun the more confident and safer they become. As a result, I always let them carry the gun, get it out of the slip and…

While we’re on the subject of Porsche, its SUV, the Cayenne, showed off its towing prowess the other day by breaking a Guinness World Record. Although it’s rated at 3.5 tonnes, a Cayenne S Diesel managed to pull a 285 tonne Air France A380, with surprising ease. In fact, the independently-verified as completely standard car then got straight back on the autoroute and drove home, with nothing more than a change of oil in the transfer case. All worth bearing in mind the next time you wonder if it’ll pull that horse trailer out of the pony club car park.…

NEW FOOTWEAR PRODUCT Finalists: • Le Chameau Condor LCX • Fairfax & Favor Imperial Explorer • Musto Brampton • Percussion Sologne Neoprene Wellington Highly Commended: Le Chameau Condor LCX Winner: Fairfax & Favor Imperial Explorer Of the Imperial Explorer boot the judges said: “We have spoken to many ladies who have worn them and the consensus is that almost never before has a boot been so stylish while also being so practical.” BEST WEBSITE Finalists: • Bettws Hall • John Rigby & Co. • Eley Hawk Ltd Highly Commended: Bettws Hall Winner: John Rigby & Co. Of the John Rigby & Co. website the judges said: “What really set Rigby apart is its sheer simplicity, while also hosting quite complex, interactive content such as build your own rifle.” NEW LADIES…

Q How do I introduce my dog to gunfire? A Carefully is the answer. Assuming the normal sensitivity of the dog and there's nothing in its history (loud bangs and fireworks, etc.) then it should be quite straightforward. The dummy training stage when you are getting enthusiastic results is where to begin and I use a starter pistol from some distance with a long retrieve. As long as there are no surprises for the dog, the shot sound soon becomes synonymous with fun and the retrieve. Two people are useful at this stage to give added praise and fuss. I normally carry a walking stick and point that in the air to simulate a gun, but that is just my quirk from something I read years ago. Progress to walking…

WHEN I WAS asked to write a few words on “the best dog I ever had”, I had to look around me. My house is ankle deep in dog hair, and my sofa is permanently occupied by two idle and eternally flatulent labradors. I am devoted to those idiots and have enjoyed many days' shooting with them, but I can’t resist a word or two about an old dog who has long since departed. I still can’t put my finger on how the name was chosen, but Monkey (pictured) came to us from a back garden in Annan. I must have been seven or eight when she tumbled in to our lives, and she went on to have a lasting effect on my shooting career, accompanying me on countless excursions…

THE ARFON Working Gundog Club held its first test for AV retrievers at an excellent new venue Plas Llanddyfnan, Talwrn, Anglesey, by kind permission of Paul Hogarth and the headkeeper Steve Cadman. The judges were Mike Allen, Dave Gallimore and W.F. Williams. Many thanks to our hosts for allowing us to use the ground, and to the judges and all the helpers and competitors for their support. They all contributed to making it a successful day, as did our sponsors CSJ and Gary McCarthy. Results PUPPIES UP TO 12 MONTHS 1 Christopher Joseph Pilkington with lab.d. Shadeoak Major 2 Jackie Mchugh with lab.b. Teeshot Nesta 3 Harvey Jones with lab.d. Skiffle Legend 4 Gill Awty with lab.b. Higgscroft Cedrus Libani CoM Paul Murphy with lab.b. Elsmore Paige PUPPIES UP TO…

THE EASTERN Counties Golden Retriever Club held its main working test day at Gardeners Farm, Springfield, by kind permission of John and Robert Bucknell, writes Di Ewings. Our judges were Peter Cole and Keith Foster. The day began with the novice and veteran tests in which 18 dogs had entered. The field divided into two sets, the first undertaking a tandem walk-up with a mark and a memory mark for each dog. The second exercise was a mark down a hill and on to a grass field with the distraction of a stream to the left which proved too much of a distraction for some. Next came a mark in white grass and a blind in the same place. The morning concluded with a mark on land and a dummy…