STAKE: UD

Judge: VAL UPTON

Tracklayers: Andy and Mary

Steward: Gill

Thank you, Wessex, for the invitation to judge the UD.  This is one of my favourite trials, as a competitor, judge or tracklayer.

Thanks to my track layers, Andy and Mary, for an excellent job, and to Gill for stewarding squares and C/A; I enjoyed your company.  Thanks also to Jacky and Marge in the kitchen for the excellent food - the curry on Thursday was great.  And thanks to Brian and Barbara for again welcoming me to their home and making me feel at home - I could be moving in.

Thank you to the competitors for accepting my marks and being very friendly and sporting.  The weather stayed dry and, unlike Wednesday when I was tracklaying TD in the fog, the weather was kind to us on the Thursday and Friday.

1st Jan Baker, MERRY PEBBLE OF JABY, Goldie, 199.5, Q.  Excellent track losing half and clear round C/A.  What more can I say?

2nd B Hartree, GANGSKUZA CASSIE, GSD, 192, Q.  First trial for both dog and handler.  Very well done; good track and control.

3rd F Britten and OWISLEY TIKOUKA, CDEx, Weimaraner, 191.  Another good nose work and C/A.

4th Mary Owen and her collie FIRCROFT ONE AND ONLY, 190.5.  Worth the trip over, another good all round performance

All the dogs and handlers tried their best.  We lost one on the stays, two on the track and some on the jumps, but that’s trials.

Good Luck in the future.

STAKE: TD

Judge: BARBARA RISTE

Square and Control Steward: Liz Hickman

Tracklayers: Val Upton, Pippa Bentham, Jo Magness and John West.

Many thanks to Wessex for the invitation to judge the TD stake - it made a nice change from doing meals on wheels.  Thank you to Brian for being trials manager and for a well organised friendly trial.  To my tracklayers and steward, a very big vote of thanks, you all did a great job.  Thanks also to Tony Lockyer for stewarding the stays and making sure all the competitors were in the right place and on time; I enjoyed all your company greatly.  To Jacqui and Margery, a huge thank you for keeping us all supplied with food and drinks out in the fields for six days.  They also supplied all the helpers with a delicious hot meal on the Thursday evening, again many thanks to you both. 

The weather was a mixture of good and not so good; we had very little rain all week but on two days we had very thick fog, which proved interesting.  On the remaining days it was mainly cold but sunny.  Tracking was on very lush grass which we are now becoming accustomed to at Wessex.

1st Gary Haim and LAWINICK STILL OF THE NIGHT, GSD, D, 211, Q.  A superb performance throughout the test, a well deserved win.  Well done, Gary.

2nd Mark Lewindon and MANPOL SPIRIT AT BRACOKELI, GSD, D, 206.5, Q.  Worked well throughout the test; he was a credit to you.  Well done, Mark.

3rd Linda Reynolds and AMBERSLADE NIGHT HAWK, Aus Shepherd Dog, D, Q, 205, Q.  Again, a good working pair in all aspects of the test.  Well done, Linda.

4th Mary Hansell and NELLINKA WINTER STORM, GSD, D, 203.5, Q.  He is your first dog in trials and Wickham has not been easy but he put it all together this time, he did you proud.  Very well done, Mary.

Also Qualifying TD:

Lindsey Poole and VOMKYNA DIAZ, GSD, B, 202.5

Angela Sanders and STARSHOT BUCCANEER AT SZIKRAS, Hung WH Vizsla, D, 202.5

Jean Cooke and WAGGERLAND TOPIC, WSD, D, 201.5

Maureen Regan and WILLOWMEG FRATEAS AT KIRLIZEGAN, GSD, B, 291.5

Ruth Cahill and VOMKYNA DEILA, GSD, B, 201

Marie Dixon and  HYPERBOLIC ORBIT, Crossbreed, D, 200.5

Les Allen and  GARRETHALL QUENYA, Lab, B, 199

Tom Darby and TRIPLE CHAOS, WSD, B, 198.5

Janette Hickson and ROSMARINUS RAINBEAU, BC, B, 196

Margaret Tarvit and  VEREKER NUN NICER, Hung Vizsla, B, 194.5

Emma Baker and  JESSZACKS RICOCHET RIK, BC, B, 193.75

Pat Tagg and  ABAPSOMA BIANNKA, GSD, B, 193

Robert Willatts and GOWRAN INDIGO EXTRA, Flat Coated Ret, D, 192

Zoe Finley and  TRIJEM OCEANS BLURAIN WITH OVERDRIVE, ASD, D, 190

Anne Bussey and  VONGRAF NAOMI, Malinois, B, 187.5

Jeff Poole and FIRCROFT CASHEL, GSD, D, 185.5

Anne Thorpe and GLENALPINE MISS MOLL AT DALEMAIN, BC, B, 185

Jenny Jefferson and  BEKKIS THE PATHFINDER, BC, D, 184

Heather Donnelly and WOOLRAM  LOTHARO, BC, D, 180.5