How the time flies. Here we are once again a fortnight out from our national championships; it is great as the New Zealands are being held some 30km from my home. Still have a few lanyards to make up for my gundog accessory stall.
Christine and Barry are coming up and will be staying here.
We are delighted that Gaston's maternal uncle gained another challenge point at the P & S trial at Oamaru this weekend. Folly only needs one more challenge and we have New Zealand's second Brittany field trial champion!!! Christine tells me that Brits won 1st and 2nd placings at this trial...wonderful!
This coming weekend we have the North Islands (the South Islands were held some weeks ago) in a place called Nuhaka (nuu hah car) some three hours drive from here. Christine and Barry are running Spice at this trial.
Will let you know how it all goes...
Victoria
Well, what a weekend...it was memorable for the Brits because Folly became the first Brittany to win the Pointer and Setter National...what a thrill for us all. Gaston got a recall at the first bird, oh dear!!!! Back to the drawing board as they say!!!!!
Chris and Barry left early this morning for the ferry to the South Island...it has been so lovely having them to stay.
The national prize giving and dinner was a great evening....the usual hilarious banter between the codes!!!!
So now we wait 12 months for next years' event hosted by Chris and Barry's club in Canterbury so we look forward to getting down there for that.
guy
Victoria wrote:
.the usual hilarious banter between the codes!!!!
Victoria - can you explain this for us in the northern hemisphere please?
Well done to Folly -good to hear that sort of result
Victoria
Between the codes...sorry, Guy! Between the spaniel people, those with retrievers and the real gundog people...the pointers and setters!!!!! The national gundog of the year award went to a six year old ESS...
Britmania
Well, it was a big week up in the North Island with Victoria - what a Bretonfest we had!
Barry ran Spice in the North Island Pointer & Setter Championship - result 3rd place, after an untidy retrieve proved very costly.
Sophie was indicating her season was not far off, so I decided not to risk it - and as it turned out she did come into season after we had left home.
The New Zealand Championship course was a large grassy area bounded by estuaries on either side.Cattle had been grazing in it and the cover was mainly large clumpy ryegrass and scattered native bushy growth.
It was nice and open, which gave Barry lots of room to set out a good course with plenty of scope.
It proved to be the undoing of the dogs who all started off really well, then as they progressed, began to do uncharacteristic things (according to the handlers) like false pointing, back-casting, rolling in nice smelly spots and going in over the top of the traps.
As steward, it looked to me like they all thought they were out for a good time and forgot about obeying their handlers and enjoyed themselves anyway!
Consequently, there was no CC awarded and the outcome was awaited with interest .
The winner, by only a couple of points turned out to be the Brittany, Leaningrock Lairg Castle (owner Jo Arnold), who continued his consistent form of late, albeit not up to his usual standard.
Folly will unfortunately have to wait a bit longer for his elusive last CC required for his Field trial Champion title.
At the NZGTA Annual General Meeting, club delegates voted for the incoming executive and I am pleased to tell you Barry was elected as one of three South Island representatives. We now have a Breton personage on the executive!
Prior to our visit with Victoria, we had sent our other bitch KIP (Holmbrook Madeline) north to be mated and Victoria kindly supervised proceedings for us. We were able to bring Kip home with us and she has been confirmed in pup, so we await her litter, due early December with interest.
While at Victoria's we had fun with Gaston, Dionee, Spice and Kip all enjoying plenty of room to play together, much to the of Stan (the Cat) whose cross eyed expression often had us laughing at what he must be thinking with FOUR orange and white missiles roaring past, sneaking his food and pinching his spot on the sofa!
We had a great time together and hopefully will do it all over again next year at our house when the SI and NZ FT Champs are held here in Canterbury.
of Stan (the Cat) whose cross eyed expression often had us laughing at what he must be thinking with FOUR orange and white missiles roaring past, sneaking his food and pinching his spot on the sofa!