The NEFRA committee would like to pass on their deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Jackie Winder who was a very active member of the Association. Jackie’s funeral was on the 28th April.

Dom Salt and Mel Culver (Kennels Levelmoor and Wetnoses) were married last Friday.

Congratulations to you both

 

NEFRA’s Cold Game Training Day was fun! 

Many thanks to Philip and Elaine Whittaker (Falconcliffe) for their hospitality in Derbyshire where we had a full day’s training and a superb stew! The training day finished with an informal test which was won by Caroline Hewison handling her 6 month- young puppy Maddistream Indigo Jack at Casblaidd.

We are sorry to report the recent passing of Lady Sylvia Crathorne, NEFRA’s Patron, after a brave battle against cancer. A memorial service was held at York Minster on October 15.

Read her obituary in the Yorkshire Post here.

The breed stand in the gundog pavillion was hosted by Chris & Caroline Hewison and Steve and Kate Jubb where many visitors learnt about the breed and had a chance to meet their dogs.

by Gill Smitherman

I have always felt that it is important to preserve the ‘dual purpose’ ability of our breed and have always made some attempt to train my dogs; this has been more successful with some than others. Having passed the Show Gundog Working Certificate with Maisie (Ch Levelmoor Lanosa of Seaheart) in December 2007 I thought I would spend the next twelve months training for the FCRS Shooting Dog Certificate (SDC). The SDC is designed to assess the working ability of dog in the field and register those that are most likely to pass on the right inheritable characteristics to their progeny. Dogs are required to tenderly retrieve to hand, retrieve fur or feather, be steady and quiet whilst sitting in a line at a drive (to get an A they must be off the lead at all times and sit steadily without interference from the handler) Walk reasonably to heal, be able to hunt and pick game from open ground and cover, retrieve from water and be under control at all times.

For those of you that have seen Maisie at a show, you’re probably wondering why on earth I would think she could do this? After all at a show control is something she finds very difficult!! Maisie however is a bit of a Jeckyll and Hyde and is hardly recognisable as the same dog!!

So after 12 months of hard training we headed off to the Long Whatton Shoot managed by Gamekeeper Brian Twigger (Mr Dawn Hall to some of you!!) and with kind permission of Lord and Lady Crawshaw. As I arrived I met my fellow competitor, Casper Jonson with is young dog Sherlock (Vortex Tornado at Misticmaker) and we exercised the dogs before joining the beaters and picking up team for a much needed pre-shoot coffee. Judges Derek Capel and John Kahlow arrived and we headed off for the first drive, my stomach was churning and hands shaking, please Maisie don’t have one of your ‘doo’s’!! We lined up behind the guns, I went with John and Capser went with Derek at the other end of the drive, we were joined my Lord Crashaw and his two dogs and a couple of spectators!! In the distance we could hear the beaters and Maisie ears were about in the middle of her head eyes focused on the horizon. The first birds came into view and Maisie watched each one, head craning left and right to see where they landed, thankfully her bum stayed rooted to the floor!! The whistle blew and John instructed me to send my dog for a bird that had come down to our left, I sent Maisie and off she flew, picked a lovely cock bird and nicely back to had, Phew!! After picking a couple more birds we then walked towards the wood and along the hedge as the dogs hunted to find any un-picked birds.

After a couple more drives John and Derek took Casper and I off to test our dogs on the water, unfortunately it was frozen over and we were told we didn’t have to send the dogs in unless we wanted to, but as most Flatcoat owners know, Ice is not normally a deterrent for our breed and as it was not that thick both dogs obliged and passed the water test.

The final drive was a real test of steadiness, lined up across a filed we were again joined by Lord Crawshaw and his dogs, looking down the hill towards the gun and beaters, half way through the drive a hare appeared from behind the guns and slowly ran up the hill towards the dogs!! Maisie please stay was all that was going though my head!! But I need not have worried and all six dogs sat steadily and watched the cheeky hare run past along the line and up into the woods. With the rest of the shoots picking up team we swept the field, hedges and wood and then headed back to Whatton Hall.

The two judges had a quick chat and compared notes and that informed Casper and I that both dogs had passed and been awarded a grade A. I could have cried and must have had the biggest smile on my face. Maisie joins just a handful of Champions that have gained there SDC, the only other bitch being Helen Fox’s Wistosa Sings the Blues to Blacktoft. I am so proud of Maisie for demonstrating that she truly is a Dual Purpose dog and would encourage anyone to have a go, after all what have you got to loose?

Gill Smitherman and a very talented Maisie Moo

Judges report on the NEFRA Working Test 21.9.08 at Foremark

by David Field

On behalf of Peter Forster & myself this is a brief report about the test.

The tests were designed to be very similar to retrieves that would be encountered everyday in the shooting field. There were no tricks or ridiculously long retrieves, but we were looking for dogs that had a nose and could use its own initiative, but at the same time would take instructions and work with the handler when required.
The puppies, overall, were very pleasing and all showed a lot of natural ability, some however did have a tendency to go ‘self employed.’ A trait that did have a common thread throughout the day!!!

The top three dogs were very accomplished and on another day the placings could easily have been reversed. I do hope that they are able to push on and perform in novice tests next year. Three of the five awards were litter siblings.

The novice tests did seem to highlight an area which does require some work, namely for the dog to go where it is pointed and respond to the stop whistle, when required. A simple blind with a distraction did result in some failures and some poor scores.

On this test I watched some lovely dogs work really well, unfortunately they were no where near the retrieve.

My second test was a marked retrieve with dogs having to go down a bank and then pick the retrieve across another slope. The top dogs all did this well, but the test did require in most instances, the handler to react and use the whistle to help put the dog the right side of the wind. Many handlers failed to assist their dogs. The two top dogs were once again very smart and were certainly a credit to the breed. I believe the winning handler, until fairly recently had no knowledge of training dogs and this is her very first dog. I hope an inspiration to others to follow and keep working this breed. We had no hesitation in putting her through to open classes.

The open tests were of a similar vein, but we did expect the handlers to be more aware of the wind, and the necessity to help the dogs by getting them in the correct area to use their undoubted noses to the best advantage.

One of my retrieves was a blind, but placed in a position where the handler could see it. I had some real fun with this retrieve because virtually everyone tried to get their dogs straight towards the dummy, which was not easy, but was also likely to have the dog the wrong side of the wind. I had placed myself at the top of a slope, which gave views right across the undulating ground, which was just as well because most of the dogs covered Staffordshire & Derbyshire, before getting the right side of the wind for the dummy.

Once again the winning dog was very accomplished, but did benefit from a handler who used the whistle when required to help the dog.

It was a most enjoyable day and I really do hope that most of your members take the opportunities to work your breed, because it will be a shame if the breed is lost to its true origins as a working dog.

I do believe that if more handlers take the time and effort to increase their skills at working their dogs then there is still a competitive future for the breed in gundog work.

I am convinced that if the handlers do work their dogs they will also get far more enjoyment from the dog, and really enhance their relationship with their flatcoats.

Thank you for inviting us to judge, we had a very enjoyable day.

David Field judging with Peter Forster

RESULTS
Open test

1st Cherry Wood’s Cumberwood Cracker handled by Cherry.
2nd Mr & Mrs Ellison’s Blackflight Arrietta handled by Garry
3rd Prof & Mrs Bell’s Dutch Endeavour handled by Pat.
Cof M. Mr & Mrs Griffin’s Eskwinds Black Moss handled by Peter.

 Novice test

1st Gill Awty’s Rainbow Queen handled by Gill
2nd Mr & Mrs Hewison’s Casblaidd Hazy Daisy handled by Jo.
3rd Cherry Wood’s Cumberwood Clover handled by Cherry
CofM. Julie Matthew’s Astravia Saffron’s Spirit at Ollersett Handled by Garry

Puppy test

1st Mr & Mrs Hewison’s Casblaidd Little Archer handled by Jo
2nd Mr & Mrs Griffin’s Eskwinds Chaffinch handled by Gill
3rd Mr & Mrs Spark’s Lenyam Martin’s of Churchwood handled by Terry
CoM Mr & Mrs Aldred’s Eskwinds Chloes Boy handled by Keith
CoM Mr & Mrs Rees’ Eskwinds Chasing Moonbeams handled by Sandra

4th November 2007 mypetstop, Tingley
DOGS Mrs Elaine Whittaker (Falconcliffe) BITCHES Mr Jim Richardson (Darrochonna)
BIS Stibbe Willis’ Madison Wild Indigo JW

Judge’s critiques