2003 ACT Retrieving Trial Championship

2003 ACT Retrieving Trial Championship

by Jason Ferris

The 2003 ACT Retrieving Trial Championship was hosted by the ACT Gundog Society on behalf of the ACT Canine Association on 11 and 12 October. The trial was held at Bibbenluke near Bombala, NSW on the same property used for the 2002 ACT and National Retrieving Trial Championships.

For those present the weather could not have been more different to a year ago. Trialers arriving on Friday night were greeted by flurries of snow which developed into a light snowstorm as evening fell.

Friday night snowstorm (Pic by Jim and Alison Hargreaves)

When handlers gathered for vetting the following morning, the ground was covered with a thin layer of snow which gradually melted during the course of the first run. The weather alternated between snow, rain, sleet, hail for the rest of the weekend accompanied by an unrelenting wind that had everyone living in their wet weather gear.

Saturday morning in camp (Pic by Jason Ferris)

Bob Tawton on Run 1 (Pic by Jim and Alison Hargreaves)

The trial was judged by Mr Trevor Lodder of Queensland (who was forced into long pants by the chilly conditions). The trial consisted of six runs which made good use of the terrain available. The runs were:

Day 1

1.  Rabbit blind and a double land mark

2.  Land mark with a double fall in water

3.  Double water blind and land mark across water

Day 2

4.  Triple mark (across for water for two legs)

5.  Land mark with a two-bird in water

6.  Hare blind and a double mark (one in water and the other across water)

Twelve dogs contested the championship. All dogs picked up the bunny and the birds and got through the first run. Five dogs went out on the second run and four more on the third, leaving only three to contest the second day.

A trial dinner was held in the shearing shed on Saturday night with an excellent meal prepared by Siobhan Tawton and Alison and Jacqui Hargreaves.

Dinner in the woolshed (Pic by Jim and Alison Hargreaves)

All three of the competing dogs survived runs 4 and 5. On the final run a further two dogs were called in, leaving Jim Hargreaves’ Golden Retriever ‘Kato’ the deserving winner of a testing trial with 188 points. Congratulations to Jim and Kato.

The 2003 ACT Retrieving Trial Champion and Judge (Pic by Jason Ferris)

Thanks to:

·  Trevor for judging the trial

·  Laraine for stewarding for the whole trial

·  Anna and John for access to the property and their hospitality

·  Golden Lake Garment (www.goldenlakejackets.com) for their sponsorship

·  Siobhan, Alison and Jacqui for the catering

·  All for their sportsmanship and good company.

On behalf of the ACTGS and ACTCA good luck to all competitors in the National.