Novice Field Trial Flitwick 26th October 2011
2nd Place: Emma Carter’s Gonegos The Changeling HWV (B)
Gun’s Award and Judges Special Award : Mr & Mrs Caine’s Moricroft My Choice HWV (B)
Natural Ability Assessment Day – May 2011
Natural Ability Assessment Day – Ashdown Forest, East Sussex
On Saturday 14th May 23 wirehaired viszlas and 26 other HPRs met in a wood in Ashdown Forest to take part in the Natural Ability Assessment. Dogs were to be assessed at hunting, pointing, retrieving, gun shyness, tracking, water and bid ability. There was a whole range of ages and experience amongst the dogs and the owners! Many owners said they wanted to do some work with their dogs but were uncertain where to get training and how to start. They had heard about this day and thought it was an excellent way to find out more for themselves and a chance to give their dogs a go at what they were bred for.
There was a great deal of chat and the sound of laughter grew during the day as owners discussed their dogs and compared scores with each other.
The puppies had a chance of hunting, finding and pointing quail, while the more experienced dogs had a more challenging hunt. One young wirehaireds hunting and pointing skills were described as ‘Divine’!!! Starting pistols were used to test the gun shyness of the dogs. Retrieving was interesting for all in many ways. By the end of the day most of the dogs, including the puppies, had been in the water at least once! Some of course did not want to come out!! Tracking showed how good the dogs noses were and we were fortunate enough to have Dr Andreas Guhl of the Bavarian Mountain Hound Society to set up and assess this for us.
Every dog was awarded a certificate stating the level they had achieved.
Everyone agreed that the day had been a great success and great fun for dogs and owners. Lots of people were keen to know more about the Training Day that will be held on 4th June in Ashdown Forest.
This was the first HWVA activity to be held in the south east and hopefully will be followed by many more.
A big thank you is due to Lori Dempster who arranged the event which went so smoothly. Roll on June 4th!
Belinda Marrow
HWVA Working Test 2011
The HWVA working test was held on Saturday 10 September 2011, at Widmerpool, Notts.
Puppy
1st Drew’s Firefrost Enchantress (HWV b)
2nd Cooper’s Bryantscroft Cyan (HWV b)
3rd Roberts’ Strawberry Norman (GSP d)
4th Nixon’s Quintana Hollie Berry (GSP b)
Novice
1st Eales’ Crimsake of the Tamar at Kizvarda (HV b)
2nd Drew’s Firefrost Enchantress (HWV b)
3rd Bishop’s Helydon Artful Dodger (GWP d)
4th Elerrina Elenya at Deifstock (HWV b)
Open
1st Thorneycroft’s Kenocto Bremen (GWP d)
2nd Simons’ Seehof Englacey of Swifthouse (GSP b)
3rd Hurley’s Swifthouse Crusader (GSP d)
4th Hurley’s Seehof Finhesse (GSP d)
Highest scoring HWV :
Puppy: Drew’s Firefrost Enchantress (b)
Novice: Drew’s Firefrost Enchantress (b)
Open: Caine’s Moricroft My Choice (b)
HWVA Spring Pointing Test April 2011
HWVA Spring pointing test Garrendon Estate, Sunday 17th April 2011.
Judges: Keith Scattergood, Roy Bebbington.
The association is blessed with the good fortune to be able to run twogrouse pointing tests and a spring pointing test upon some of the finest grounds available to any association, club or society. Garrendon is just about as good as any partridge manor gets.
Large open fields of primarily wheat, which, despite the almost arid conditions most of the country has so far experienced, was of a sufficient height, for those elusive partridge (red legs) to be able to hide within. The ground beneath the wheat was bone dry, hard and cracked.
Weather conditions throughout this test were almost August like. Temperatures touching almost 22 degrees at times, with light, variable winds. In fact it appeared that the wind came from a different direction in each individual field!
What set this particular test apart from many others was the actual amount of ground made available. For every competing dog was allocated a field of its own.
No amount of preparation can ever predict the habits of the resident game birds on the very day of a test. And so it proved today, because for whatever the reason, both partridge and pheasant were absent from many fields, or to be found on the field’s boundaries.
I am delighted to say, that yet again, there was a predominance of ginger! What a wonderful entry of wirehaired vizslas. All without exception, irrespective of whether they obtained a grading or not, once again did both the breed in general and their respective owners proud.
Those dogs that were fortunate enough to have birds on their runs, handled the conditions well. In fact better than most of their handlers, because it was so apparent that when left to their own devices, the dogs worked out both the winds and ground conditions far better. Too many handlers, at times interfered too much, with inappropriate and ineffectual use of the whistle. To be honest, as a judge watching all of what unfolded, quite a number of the brighter dogs, actually began to ignore their handlers whistles, and simply worked things out for themselves. When a dog runs and runs well it is a sight to behold! For it is so fluid, and a good number did just that today.
Believe you me; both Keith and I were willing every dog on and how we wished all would have had birds.
I would like to extend my congratulations to all of the graded dogs and handlers.
It would be remiss of me not to mention a number of the non-graded dogs for they were desperately unlucky to either not have a bird on their runs or the conditions or quarry out witted them.
Andy Cheesmans dogs, ran so well, his bitch was desperately unlucky to bump a pair of partridge after some exquisite work, his dog gave its all but had no birds.
Richard May’s dog ran better than I have ever seen it do before, covered ground, with super use of the wind and regrettably was not presented with a bird.
Phillipa Williams un-graded dog was just about as good as any of those that were graded. This dog was an absolute delight to watch.
I would like to thank the association for asking me to judge alongside, a knowledgeable, fellow dog lover.
Five dogs obtained a grading those were:
Juniors.
Ken Hindmarch; Oskar Croggan; graded GOOD.
Micheal Caine; Moricroft my choice; graded GOOD.
Adults.
Phillippa Williams; Leiborschy Kinga; graded; VERY GOOD.
Keith Scattergood; Greenwire Lazar; graded; VERY GOOD.
Deb Bowns; Swifthouse Morse; graded GOOD
Roy Bebbington.
HWVA Grouse Pointing Test Danby March 2011
A card of 19 dogs ran under judges Eddie Kania and Chris Guests on Danby Moor in the North Yorks Moors National Park by kind permission of the Danby Estate. It was great to see so many Wires (15 in total) running in the heather in this incredible area of natural beauty. The conditions in the morning suited the dogs well but as the day proceeded the temperature dropped making the scenting conditions more challenging.
The awards were as follows:
Juniors
Caine’s Moricroft My Choice HWV (B) – Good
Irvine’s Falcongreen Durcas HWV (B) – Good
Burdess’ Trudvang Skuld GWP (B) – Very Good
Adults
Caine’s Moricroft Mimosa HWV (B) – Good
Bebbington’s Gonegos Susie Q HWV (B) – Very Good
Scattergood’s Greenwire Lazar HV (D) – Very Good
Burdess’ Shiverfield Master Imp GWP (D) – Excellent
Williams’ Leiborschy Kinga HWV (B) – Excellent
Our thanks must go to the landowner and the keeper, Peter who gave us help and guidance throughout the day. We must also acknowledge the help of Roy Bebbington and Glen Richardson.
HWVA Grouse Pointing Test Egton March 2011
Grouse pointing test, Egton Moor, Sunday the 13th March 2011.
The Association made another welcome return to Egton moor, nestled within the North Yorkshire moors national park.
There was a full card of no less than 18 dogs, including a very respectable eight wirehaired vizslas running.
Judges for the day were Mr. Godfrey Card and Mr. Paul McDonald.
Before the commencement of the test in his briefing to the competitors, Godfrey made a very poignant statement. He said what the judges were ideally looking for were points on ‘ Shootable birds‘. Now that may not mean an awful lot to many people, but to those that do shoot those were not only the words of a knowledgeable judge, but also the sign of a true shooting man. In essence what he was saying, well to me at least, was that there is no point in having a dog that runs at a thousand miles an hour, covers the whole county in a single beat only to draw upon point as a mere speck on the horizon. For what invariably happens is that late season birds will 99% of the time flush wild well before a gun can get up to both the dog and the birds. I felt I had to make mention of this because these are very fine words.
Hosts for the day were the estates head keeper, Mr. Andrew Oarr and his under keeper Malcolm.
The weather conditions at this test were to prove to be extremely testing throughout and especially so in the morning. Initially it was cold, with grey skies, intermittent light rain showers and the light winds that were variable in their direction. Scenting conditions throughout were quite frankly appalling and the grouse were as wild as ‘stink’ the majority spontaneously flushing ahead of the dogs. So, all in all, very challenging, irrespective of each individual dogs previous experience. It is very satisfying to therefore report that each and every dog did their best and made the most of the conditions.
The whole card of dogs were run by the mid day break for Lunch. At which time just one single dog had obtained a productive solid point on grouse. Thankfully six dogs had done enough to be allocated a second run after the lunch break. By the time of their second run, the weather, in true North Yorkshire style, had completely changed and we were treated to blue skies and sunshine that gave a little warmth, and better wind conditions. It was therefore no surprise that the grouse sat better, and by and large the dogs had a better time of things. One further dog was to go on to obtain a grading.
By the end of the test two dogs were awarded the following gradings, those were:
Gonegos Susie Q (HWV) Graded: Very Good. Handled by R. Bebbington.
Butterfly Boy (GSP) Graded Good. Handled by L. Ghullam.
I would like to finish by congratulating all of the competitors who ran a wirehaired vizsla in this test. You all did the breed proud. Without exception every wire ran at pace, covered its ground, used the wind to the best of their abilities, with minimal instruction and were an absolute credit.
Well done to you all. Roy Bebbington.
HWVA Field Trial 04/01/2011
Novice Field Trial held at Great Hockham, Norfolk
By kind permission of the Great Hockham Shoot
Ground mainly woodland which was covered with a bracken bottom and very open between the trees.
Scent in the woods was poor as their were no wind but plenty of deer scent which the dogs had to cope with.
Game mainly pheasant with woodcock.
The day stared off in a sugar beet field which drew a blank only having a brace of partridges which one of the guns put up. We then went into the woods which the dogs did cover but no birds were to be found at this point myself and Trevor Rigby judges on the day we were getting concerned with regards to where the birds were, the keeper also was at a point thinking the same. Number 10 dog came into line and after starting his run came onto point to a cock pheasant and things started to look up for the trial.
1st Blythebeck Ghillie GSP Dog S Pleasance. On his first run in woodland came on point to a woodcock which lifted he remain steady. He carried on working his beat where he came on to a cock pheasant under thick cover of bracken and branches, flushed on command and made the retrieve to hand.
His 2nd run started off with a blind retrieve on a woodcock some 50 yards away over a fence and in a ditch, which once handled to the fall made a successful retrieve to hand
3rd Witham Friary Ailsa GSP B G Pillinger On her first run this bitch covered her ground with style was steady to a woodcock which lifted away from her.
On her 2nd run still in woods with cover of bracken she pointed a woodcock under a holly bush flushed but was not a safe shot at this point a hen lifted and was shot and made the retrieve to hand.
All in all it was a very difficult day for the dogs and handlers but day finished on a good note, the dogs in the awards are subject to a water certificate as the water was still frozen.
My thanks must go to HWVA for asking Trevor and myself to judge also the the guns Eddie Hales, Steve Hales and Chris Spree who once into birds got them on the ground and also to Barry the keeper who worked hard to get us on the birds thanks to the Chief Steward Richard May who kept things flowing through out the day and everyone else.
Chris Snelling