REPORT
INTERNATIONAL RETRIEVER EVENT
Sherborne
Castle
in
England
28th, 29
th, 30
th May 2004
Thirteen teams of the top dogs and handlers from
Europe
,
America
and
Canada
.
We traveled to
England
on the Tuesday before the event and getting the dogs into the country was a long tedious process with much bureaucracy. However we got them there and they seemed totally unconcerned by their long journey. A short trip to our pre-event training ground in a convoy of five cars followed, and this was the nerve racking time for my American team. Roundabouts, low level traffic lights and driving on the ‘proper’ side of the road (the left) had them a little nervous to say the least.
We then spent two and a half days training on a friend’s estate in
Sussex
before we went to the test ground another 4 hour journey in holiday traffic. At least the dogs came out wagging their tails after this and we all arrived safely, even the two cars that got lost on the way. We spent the Saturday training again all day, getting used to the smell of the English countryside and practicing routines that were quite different for dogs and handlers.
This was the big problem. Rules in
England
are very different from
America
and dogs are expected to do things such as hunting out of sight, jumping and long walk ups as a team, where heelwork and steadiness is marked strictly.
We were made very welcome, the hospitality was great and everyone felt very at ease which was wonderful. Then came the tests. Now, I have competed in, judged and organized tests for many years but you are never sure exactly what to expect. There were 9 main tests over the two days and one final test for only one selected dog in the team - as a finale. The tests certainly explored and tested the weaknesses of the American dogs and none of them allowed them to show their strengths to the full. Saying that the dogs and the handlers did a terrific job, with double jumps, hunting in woodland out of sight, and difficult marks up a hill that was as steep as some walls. Two things set us back, the first was a walk up in thigh high ferns with stinging nettles underneath. The dogs had not built any immunity to the nettles and really suffered making their heelwork very poor as they attempted to avoid them. We were bathing and anointing their feet for two hours afterwards to keep them going. The second was in one test where two dogs were run together. One of our dogs while waiting for his brace mate to complete a retrieve, gave a mild yawn and was promptly marked down to a zero for making a noise. A serious fault in
England
.
So at the end of two arduous and difficult days we came a very respectable fourth against thirteen other European countries who fielded their top dogs and handlers. I was very proud of the team and it was exactly that 'a team'. They were a great group to be part of and no interpersonal or other problems at all. They worked as one and for each other. Just wonderful.
To come fourth in such a competition against the best there is in
Europe
, was a good result for the first time out, and with no experience of these competitions by the handlers or dogs.
The trip back was much easier and getting the dogs into
America
a piece of cake.
I was proud of the American Team,
Mike Lardy
and myself worked very well together, he is an exceptional dog man, and I was proud to be a part of the parade around the field with the team at the closing ceremony alongside the American flag. The competition was won by
Wales
, second was
England
and third
Ireland
with
America
only 8 points points behind. So a good result, but watch out next year.
Martin is 