Tracklayers: Nigel Hines

                       Malc Snowden

Square and C&A Steward: Joan Snowden

I would like to thank the Kennel Club for the invitation to judge the TD stake at this year’s Kennel Club Working Trials Championships, and to all the societies that voted for me. I really was taken aback by the support you have all shown me and was delighted to accept the invitation when it arrived.

It was lovely to meet Sue Garner from the Kennel Club and her sister Fran. Your continued support of Working Trials is much appreciated.

This year is a little different with the Championships being run by a committee rather than a society. To Gary Martin, Penny Bann, Linda Newbold, Kev Bryan , Charlie and Martine Taylor, Nigel Hines and Barry Gilbert,  thank you for taking this new format for the Championships  and running with it. Successful is really an understatement of how brilliant this event has been.

Thank you to Penny for looking after the base and keeping me informed at every step of the way before and during the trial and to Martine Taylor and Wendy Magyar for assisting in the base.

To Linda and Kev for all your hard work securing this wonderful venue and it didn’t stop there.  To Kev, thank you for chauffeuring me about. Your taxi service was much appreciated, and to Linda who escorted competitors to their track and organised the lovely personalised Judges wallets.

Gary, I must say you have been a gem. Nothing has been much trouble and then when I needed a couple of road cones, they arrived.

June Hines, Jo McQuat and Caroline Martin for track watching, and to Andy Magyar for updating the scores after each competitor had worked so everyone who had come to watch could see each dogs’ marks straight away. Louise Meakin manned the car park each day and had a smile and warm welcome for everyone who arrived.

Now to my team on the field, thank you to Nigel and Malc for tracklaying. I have to say you both gave each competitor the best shot at getting around their track, thank you both, you were ace.  To Joan, thank you for laying my squares, all of them just as I had asked and for stewarding the control round, you certainly put everyone at their ease on control day with good clear instructions .

All these people meant I could concentrate on my judging and thank you just doesn’t seem enough.

Thorsby Hall is the most wonderful backdrop to watch the best teams in the country work their dogs and, this year, the weather was kind to us with 3 dry days and very little wind.  Tracking was on well grown grass which gave us some exceptional nosework to watch over the 2 days.

I designed my track pattern to be quite open, the 3 articles to be recovered were a 5.5cms x 5.5cms piece of artificial grass (1), 8cms x 1.5cms of Leather (2) and a 5.5cms x 5.5cms of green rubber matting (3). It worked just as I had planned and all teams tracked it well. My square articles were a lollipop stick, a metal lid, a film slide frame and red edging material, all of which were recovered well.

My control round began with the speak.  The dog was left at the start pole and the handler walked 15 paces to a chair.  Once seated with their back to their dog they were asked to get them to speak. I was looking for 10 barks, a cease followed by a further 10 barks. The handler then return to their dog. Heelwork at all 3 paces followed which took them to the sendaway. A send out of approximately 120 meters to a boundary was required followed by a redirect to the left of 80 paces, and then a further redirect to the right,  passing the out run spot, of 160 paces.  A short stretch of heelwork took the handlers and dogs to the drop on the move.  The dog was to be dropped by the chair used for the speak and the handler proceeded on to do a right-handed box.  After collecting their dog they continued on towards the jumps where the exercise finished about 20 paces away from the clear jump. The jumps were next, starting with the clear, then the scale and finally the long jump.  A 10 minute down stay was completed successfully by all teams after all the dogs had worked.

1^st and KCC’s Champion Barry Gilbert with WT CH Glenalpine Makar CDex-TDex   Q 217

Barry and Maker completed the track losing only 2 marks, and was a pleasure to watch. This was followed by a really polished square. They then went on to put in a near on perfect control round to secure the ticket. Many congratulation on a well deserved win.

After a run off with 3^rd placed dog

2^nd and Reserve Champion Gary Atkins with WT CH Glenalpine Ken CDex-TDex Q 215

Gary and Ken did a beautiful track recovering all 3 articles. This was followed by a lovely square recovering all 4 articles in no time at all. As you would expect from this team their control round was very accomplished.  Many congratulations on your reserve ticket.

3^rd Dave Olley with WT CH Thorne Nap CDex-TDex PDex Q 215

Dave and Nap did a superb track only losing half a point followed by a very workman like square. An excellent control round  from this team. Many congratulations.

4^th Julie Atkins with WT Ch Glenalpine Ern CDex-TDex Q 212

Julie and Ern fairly roared around their track, recovering all 3 articles.  He then went on to do a super square. An excellent control secured them 4^th place.  Many congratulations.

Also Qualifying

Di Ling with WT CH Deadly Sin Red Element CDex-TDex PDex Q 211

Holly Whitfield with Roanlodge Charmaine CDex-TDex Q 205

Pat Parkinson with WT CH Janjelly Bubbles CDex-TDex Q 203.5

Nicky Crowther with WT CH Sorrel Stroh CDex-TDex Q 203

Andy Baker with WT CH Bryn Some Lose Some CDex-TDex  Q 198

Judith Stamp with Briony Beccadoon CDex-TDex Q 195.5

Heather Cook handler Dave Marchant with Lynnwood Hooli CDex-TDex Q 194.5

Julia Findeisen with WT CH Janjelly Spyder CDex-TDex Q 191.5

Many congratulations to you all.