THE SUSSEX SPANIEL ASSOCIATION ALL AGE STAKE 2011 by Graham Constable

by | 10 Apr 2017 | ISSUE 127 (the last) SEPTEMBER 2012

The Sussex Spaniel Association All Age Stake Any Variety Spaniel Except Spaniel (Cocker) and Springer Spaniels (English Springer). Field Trial Saturday October 15th 2011

On a cold and foggy morning we all met at the Knighton Hotel in Knighton Powys, thirteen dogs and handlers all ready to take part in the Sussex Spaniel Association Field Trial for minor breeds. A total of two Sussex Spaniels and eleven Clumber Spaniels had arrived to take part in the trial on the wonderful scenic Bryn Shoot.
After a very warm welcome from Bill Cadwell the Working Field Trial Secretary from the Sussex Spaniel Association he introduced the two judges for the day Mr Keith Carter and Mr Roy Langford.

We moved off in convoy to the shoot and on arriving we found that the ground we planned to use was still covered in low cloud so the judges deemed it unsafe to start on this ground, so we moved to a small valley on the shoot which had a small stream running down it with cover each side. The first to go were Margret Hughes with Etherridge Padraige (Clumber) & Kelly Jefferies with Sh Ch Jubilwell Whole Lotta Rosie (Clumber).
We covered this ground for just over an hour by which time the cloud had lifted and we were able to move to the turnip fields at the top of the hills on the shoot. We spent the rest of the day walking the shoot in bright sunshine with the most fantastic back drop you could ever have.

The trial came to an end at around 1500hrs and we assembled back at the vehicles for the results. The comments from the judges on the day were very encouraging as they had not had the pleasure of being asked to judge on this trial for over three years and the main comment from both of them was that the Clumbers had come on leap and bounds since the last time they had seen them and this was down to the people now working the breed on shoots and in trials. However they did make one comment that we need to work on with
the breed and that was they found that some of the dogs were a bit hard mouthed and this could be worked on in training by using small birds to start retrieving with like pigeon and partridge before moving on to pheasants.

The result and congratulations to the winners were as follows
First Place�����Ron James with Laxford Floyd. (Clumber)
Second Place����Bill Cadwell with Jubilwell Phoenix (Sussex)
Third Place�����Chris Raper with Sedgehurst Edgar(Clumber)
Fourth Place����Bill Cadwell with Jubilwell Malteaser(Sussex)

Best Sussex����Bill Cadwell with Jubilwell Phoenix (Sussex)
Best Novice����Chris Raper with Sedgehurst Edgar(Clumber)
Cert of merit��Val Maskell with Coedcollen Snow of Mervalyn. (Clumber)
Guns Choice����Ron James with Laxford Edge (Clumber)

Special congratulations should go to Chris Raper for winning the Best Novice.


The Winners and Judges