Burns and Becks Gundog Club Cumbria

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Novice Retriever Field Test – 2nd November 2019

Burns and Becks Gundog Club held its fourth Novice Retriever Field trial on 2 November 2019 at Roeburndale, Lancashire, by kind permission of Stuart Mashiter and shooting tenant Ian Banks. The trial was led by steward of the beat Andy Jardine and dog stewards Debbie Crewe and Pat Dixon.
Judges: David Jackson, Steven McDermott, Matt Rowlinson and Kirsty Howson.

The ground was a mix of rough fields and open fell with walls, at elevation, with views of a cloud-topped Ingleborough. It provided a variety of challenges for the 16 runners and those present appreciated some good dog work.

The team of guns were on form, drawing exclamations of ‘Shot!’ from the gallery on several occasions especially on some fast flying duck.Rain held off for most of the day, though there was a cold wind.

The day began with a cock pheasant shot ahead and falling the other side of a wall, which proved trickier than it might have seemed.
The first three dogs tried and were called up, before Ian Wiberg sent his dog Meadowlark Victory and picked, putting the previous three abruptly out of the contest.

The next birds were retrieved without difficulty, until a cock pheasant was shot behind the line and glided over a wall and on a long way into a field. Les Earl’s Millbuies Gail was sent and eventually picked a live bird that had run into some rushes.
The next bird was shot not far in front of the line proving too much for a dog which unfortunately ran in.

A bird shot into an area of reeds beyond a wall on the rough fell proved the next challenge and four dogs were tried. The first, which went quickly to the area seemed to indicate a line, but none were able to locate the bird. The judges went to look, to no avail and all the dogs remained in.

Ten dogs went through to the second round and the next birds produced quick and efficient retrieves until one dog was lost after being sent for a cock pheasant shot in sieves over a wall, having been judged not to have come back by the most direct route, and another after failing on a pheasant shot and falling beyond two walls. Nigel Barton’s Lindeth Fortune Smiles completed that retrieve.

The party moved into a new field with boggy areas which sloped down to an autumnal wood in the valley bottom.

A hare was shot and unfortunately the dog was lost on this retrieve having been considered hesitant on the pick-up.

With the line spread across uneven ground, two more dogs went out on a pheasant shot in front of the middle of the line on a rise. The bird was not found by the judges. Three dogs were tried but only one made the area and was kept in.
Six dogs went forward into the third round and after an efficient first retrieve down the line, the party swung round, and prepared to move up the hill with the wood to its back, with the line cut into two halves by a big wall and gully running up the middle.



The competitors traded a series of business-like retrieves, making short work of the distance and obstacles including Polly Dunckley’s Gwynteg Sable of Smithsteads, Les Earl’s Millbuies Gail, Ian Wiberg’s Meadowlark Victory and Nigel Barton’s Lindeth Fortune Smiles.

However Meadowlark Victory was called up after trying for a pheasant shot across the gully and wall, behind the line at the far right. Nigel Barton’s dog made the pick, giving him his second eye wipe of the day.

By this time the drizzle had stopped, the wind dropped and the final challenge came when a woodcock was shot in front of the right-hand side of the line. Andy Brook, on the right, sent his dog Tullah Hugo, but on reaching the bird it flushed and flew over the wall where it was shot again by a gun on the left side of the line.  The dog was sent again, for what was now a longer retrieve over the wall and gully onto the grass beyond but he was called up without finding the bird.

It fell to Paul Hasney to take up the challenge. Tattney Arizona took a good line across the wall and gully and eventually reached the area. On making contact the woodcock flew up, only to be caught mid-air by the dog and retrieved cleanly.
It had been a hard novice trial with an exceptional standard of dogs and the judges closed their books with four open standard dogs in contention.

The awards were as follows:
First: Paul Hasney with Tattney Arizona
Second: Les Earl with Millbuies Gail
Third: Polly Dunckley with Gwynteg Sable of Smithsteads
Fourth and Gun’s Choice: Nigel Barton with Lindeth Fortune Smiles

Report written by Kath Smart (with thanks from the Committee for such a thorough report)