Author:FlatcoatChris

Yesterday saw another working retriever assessment day held in Delph near Oldham where 12 dogs were put through their paces on testing ground (and water) under the scrutiny of our assessors Gill Griffin and Chris Hewison.

Three of the handlers present were able to gain another pass on the tests set for their dogs bringing them one step closer to passing the certificate.

We would like to thank the landowner, Jean Buckley, the assessors and those who helped on the day.

Further details of this assessment scheme can be found here

NEFRA again attended the Inter Area Team Challenge, which was hosted by the Flatcoated Retriever Society on August 22nd near Loughborough.

We were lucky to be able to send two teams this year and one of our teams came out on top and won the competition. We have come very close on several occasions previously, but this is the first time that a team from NEFRA has won. Well done!

Our puppy Castlerock First Angel, handled by Dr Lewis Holton was Best Puppy and also had the highest overall score. Gill Awty ran her open dog Venetian Red at Maddistream, Garry Ellison ran his novice dog Ollerset Rainbow and Caroline Hewison ran her novice dog Venus in Transit over Casblaidd who won the Best Novice trophy. A great day and well done to all involved.

NEFRA members had a good day yesterday at a lovely venue near Garstang, doing the novice and intermediate working retriever assessments.
Congratulations to Garry Ellison and Ollerset Rainbow who were awarded their 3rd stage and novice WRA. There were 5 other passes in the novice level, and also 4 passes in the intermediate level.
Thank you to our wonderful hosts Kim & Tony, our judges Den Orme and Chris Hewison, and all our lovely helpers

Thank you to everyone who came along to the ever-popular NEFRA training day at Hesketh Bank today. We hope  you all had a good day!

A big thank you to our trainers Pat Robertson, Steve Burns, Derek Miller, Den Orme and Garry Ellison.

Thank you to everyone who helped out, and especially Val Orme for doing all the catering.

Well done to the flatcoat team of Rachel Holt with Croftcloses Lucrative Boy, Stephanie Hurstfield with Stac Polly and Julie Matthews with Ollerset Shining Nymph who won the Minor Breeds test on May 2nd 2015 against the Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Curlycoated Retrievers, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers and the Irish Water Spaniels.

Well done team

NEFRA are pleased to announce that Mr Bob Allen (Darillens) from Sheffield has agreed to be our new President.

Bob will be well known to those in the showing world,  he was our first Chairman when NEFRA was founded and has judged for us at our second championship show and frequently helped us  as ring steward.  One of Bob’s dogs also won Best In Show at our 1998 Open Show at Worsall.

The annual Four Way Match Working Test was hosted by NEFRA on 26th April 2015 on ground near Garstang with the very kind permission of Frances Fitzherbert-Brockholes.

Our members competed with teams of six dogs from each of the following clubs: Pennine Training Area (Northern Golden Retriever Association), Pilling Moss Gundog Club and the Burns & Becks Gundog Club.

The tests were set by Garry Ellison and judged by him with his co-judges Neil Parkinson, Stewart Henderson and Steve Burns.  Each judge watched as two puppies, two novice dogs and two open dogs competed from each of the four teams.

This year it was Pilling Moss who took the crown, with a novice dog from Burns & Becks winning the Top Dog title.

Our own Keith Aldred with his dog Donascimento Santos was placed a very respectable 2nd place in the Novice dogs.