Working Retriever Assessments

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

Inter Area Team Challenge Winners 2015

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.

The winning team
The winning team

Working Retriever Assessment Day

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Dogs and handlers awarded their assessment passes

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

Hesketh Bank Training Day

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.

NEFRA Open Show 2015

Held today in Thorpe Willoughby, near Selby. The results are now listed on the show page.

Our thanks go to our judge for the day Mrs A Bishop and our hard-working committee for running the day smoothly.  Thank you also to all the exhibitors who entered today.

Best Veteran, Best In show, Reserve Best In Show, Best Liver
Best Veteran, Best In show, Reserve Best In Show, Best Liver

Minor Breeds Test 2015

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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

Our New President

Bob Allen - our new President
Bob Allen – our new President

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.

If you want to read a little about Bob’s early career in flatcoats you might want to read a résumé he wrote in 2012 before a judging trip to the Czech Republic, just one of many prestigious judging appointments which also included judging our breed at Crufts in 2004.

Bob has written a thank you note to NEFRA members for his appointment as our president.  You can read it here Bob’s Thank You Note

Four Way Match 2015

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.

NEFRA Team from the 4Way Match 2015
NEFRA Team from the 4Way Match 2015 – Keith Alfred, Andy Sweeney, Gill Awty, Caroline Hewison & Simon Fitzherbert-Brockholes

Annual Awards 2014 (awarded at the AGM 2015)

PRESIDENT’S CUP

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Sandra Stevenson with Wendy Blain’s Rotherfield First Request awarded the NEFRA President’s Cup 2014

1st (51pts) Blain’s Rotherfield First Request  
2nd (44pts) Stevenson’s Sh Ch Steelriver Heatwave ShCM JW
3rd (39pts) Kilminster’s Sh Ch Withybed Blue Jeans
4th (38pts) Brady’s Sh Ch Llantrussa Head over Heals to Bordercot
4th (38pts) Walker and Robert’s Gloi Dubh Enchantress JW
6th (36pts) Fox’s Blacktoft Burlesque JW
7th (34pts) Laird’s Sh Ch Branchalwood Tamdhu of Daicheil ShCM JW
8th (32pts) Walker and Robert’s Gloi Dubh Eriskay
9th (31pts) Egginton’s Ch Glendarual Sea the Stars with Pajanbeck

CEILIDH CUP

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Wendy Battison and Donascimento Bebeto

1st (491pts) Battison’s Donascimento Bebeto
2nd (301pts) Fox’s Blacktoft Ever Blazin
3rd (297pts) Battison’s Donascimento Ramires
4th (200pts) Battison’s Mystical Eclipse of Donascimento
5th (156pts) Hewison’s Maddistream Indigo Jack at Casblaidd
6th (151pts) Fox’s Blacktoft Burlesque JW
7th (140pts) Orme’s Elmstock Thyme to Dream
8th (132pts) Awty’s Venetian Red at Maddistream
9th (129pts) Hewison’s Venus in Transit over Casblaidd
10th (120pts) Holt’s Croftcloses Lucrative Boy
11th (71.5pts) Hewison’s Donascimento Danilo

INCA TROPHY

Pat Round’s ‘Teasel’ Pebblebed Rainbow Chaser Beg Ex….awarded the Inca Trophy at the AGM

1st (28pts) Round’s Pebblebed Rainbow Chaser Beg Ex
2nd (24pts) Perry’s Casanjay Browneyed Girl