Trials Managers Report

In possibly the wettest winter/spring in living memory, we have to thank the weather gods for giving us 3 rain free days for our trial.

Because of the awful weather this year, we lost our TD fields to the dreaded sprayer 2 days before the start. After a reshuffle, we had confirmation from our two remaining farmers that they would hold off the spraying till after the trial. This consideration from our farmers is due entirely to the relationship that Carla has built up with them over the years, so a huge thank you to Carla. We have to remember that we can’t do our sport without the cooperation of the landowners who let us on their land every year. To us it is a sport, a hobby, ok, maybe an obsession, but to them, their fields are their livelihood, so thank you to them for letting us play on their land.

Other people that we can’t run trials without are the judges, tracklayers and stewards. This year, we had club members Tony Orchard judging the TD nosework and Jenny Orchard judging the UD, WD and TD C & A. Tony was assisted by Len Newman and Andy Baker as tracklayers. The experience of Len and Andy makes my life so much easier as I show them which fields they can use and they do the rest, turning up on all three days and just getting on with it. The TD square stewards were first timer Sue Coles on Friday and Angie Howe on Saturday and Sunday. Jane Wood judged the WD and UD nosework. Jane has been a friend for many years, in obedience way back when, and the last 15 years in trials. She was ably assisted by tracklayers Colin Bricknell and Nicky Crowther in WD, with Lynn Bricknell as steward and in UD she had Nicky Crowther and Pip Nason as tracklayers and first timer Sheila Smith laying the squares. As in TD, Nicky, Colin and Pip needed no input from me and just got on with marking out their fields and sorted who was doing what and when. Banbury’s own John Simpson judged the Special stake helped by Kate Wilton who did the Control stewarding and laid all the squares, and tracklayers Pip Nason and Becky Price. Well done all teams.

Jenny had Sharon Lord as her C & A steward for all 3 days. According to Jenny, Sharon may well have a job for life! Nice one Sharon.

The ladies in the kitchen, Sue, Ann, Gill, Sue, led by Steph Gordon, were their usual cheerful and helpful selves making everyone feel welcome. They supplied breakfasts and lunches for the helpers out in the fields and at the base and kept the competitors fed and watered. Carla and Ann Ferens acted as escorts and got everyone to their tracks on time.

Jane Webb arrives every year to run the desk in her own inimitable style. It wouldn’t be the same without you.!!

No Trial could function without the competitors. This year we had 20 TD entries, 10 WD entries, 6 UD entries and 9 entries in the Special.

Everyone was so good at their job that at times I felt a bit like a spare part, but I was ready to leap into action if necessary!!!

According to all the wonderful comments on Facebook, the competitors were happy with their day. Well done Team Banbury. You are the best.

A special thank you to my club for the beautiful photo and frame of my precious girl on the occasion of her first ever TDex. I was quite overcome.

See you all next year 11th – 13th April 2025

Shirley

TD Nosework

Judge: Tony Orchard
Track Tracklayers: Len Newman & Andy Baker
Search Stewards: Sue Cole (Friday) & Angie Howe (Sat & Sun)

I wish to thank Banbury & District Dog Training Society for inviting me to judge. Shirley Simpson was a great trial manager, well organised with a very friendly sociable manner, even arranged good weather!

A big thank you to the landowners for allowing us on their land and to Carla Nieuwenhuizen for arranging it. Everything ran very smoothly, and I was pampered throughout. Great refreshments from Steph Gordon’s well-run kitchen, thank you to everyone who helped.

As base steward Jane Webb kept everything running smoothly and the score boards up to date, a difficult job well done. Thank you to all the escorts that ensured competitors arrived at the tracks on time.

Good to have experienced track layers Len and Andy they did a great job and were good company. Search stewards Sue and Angie laid squares just as instructed getting the wind direction right every time, and again very good company.

Also thank you to all the club members that were there to complete all those little tasks that go unmentioned, like keeping the loo clean John!

The Test

20 Entries 16 Ran

Conditions for tracking were near perfect bright and breezy with deep lush cereal. The track was 15 legs with first article a 5-inch felt bow 40 paces up fifth leg, the second article a shotgun cartridge on the 13th leg the final article was a 4 by 1 inch piece of carpet.

6 competitors completed the track 3 recovered all the articles, 3 recovered two. The search articles were a dolly peg, metal teaspoon, 2 by 1 inch piece of carpet and a 3 by ¾ inch pan scrub. 7 competitors recovered all the articles, with 5 recovering three.

I had five competitors with qualifying marks after the nosework.

Results

1st Q 207 ½ Trim’s Trim CDex UDex BC, D. Pat Herbert

A great track only losing 1 mark followed by a very quick full mark square. A joy to watch, bodes well for the future. Congratulations.

2nd Q 203 Tarnedge Colt CDex UDex Lab, D ZL & WJ Andrews, Handler: Zoe Andrews

A confident track, one hiccup very well recovered, good handling. Followed by an excellent full mark search. A well earnt qualification.

3rd Q 196 ½ Lynwood Hooli CDex Udex AW(s)ETD, BC, D. Heather Cook, Handler: Dave Marchant

A good track well handled. Had to cope with one rough bit of ground where seed hadn’t taken, but didn’t even blink. Missed last leg but finished with a very impressive search. Another well earned qualification.

4th NQ 169 Kizzie Cuddlebug CDex – WDex Kelpie/Collie cross Pat Golding

First track of the trial and made it look easy, just wrong side of the wind for first article so missed it. Recovered three from the square. Well done for getting qualifying marks in this section.

I would finally like to thank all the competitors for entering under me and accepting my decisions. I wish you all good fortune in your future trials.

UD and WD Nosework

Judge: Jane Wood

My very sincere thanks to Shirley Simpson and the Banbury committee for the invitation to judge these two stakes. From the moment I arrived I was well looked after by the whole Banbury crew. The ladies in the kitchen kept me fed and watered and I was honoured to stay at Carla’s where I was extremely comfortable!

I would like to thank you too for the lovely meal at the pub and also the gift. My stewards were brilliant and great company too.

My fields were very lush crop and although lots of dogs had never worked on crop it didn’t cause any problems and we saw some lovely nosework.

WD Nosework

Tracklayers: Colin Bricknell and Nicky Crowther
Square Steward: Lynn Bricknell

1st Gary Haim TARNEDGE FLY BOY Lab Q

Super powerful work for one so young. A good future beckons I am sure.

2nd Sam Watkins STARDELL NIX BC Q

Steady but very sure nosework. A run off between Nix and Jack (above) was needed for first place. It was very close but Jack just clinched it.

3rd Jo Quick HUNDENKRAFT BOLIVAR GSD Q

Another powerful dog. Good track with both articles but some untidiness in the square was costly

4th Suzanne Jaffa AMBERSLADE FORGED BY FIRE ASD Q A superb track, he just steamed round. Unlucky to leave an article in the square.

Also qualified
Hannah Hyslop T’PESO du DOMAINE de VAUROUX Malinois Q.
Barbara Bell LAURINCO RED TORNADO Lab Q

UD Nosework

Tracklayers: Nicky Crowther and Pip Nason
Square Steward: Sheila Smith

1st Jenny Lawrence CALLOHASE ARLO HWV Q

Hector was faultless on his track and it was a joy to watch, Unlucky to leave an article in the square.

2nd Chris Davis HESSLEMERE LOROK EMBER CDEx GSD Q

Ember enjoyed her nosework in the long crop! Lack of concentration was a bit costly at times. Was on equal marks to the above after C & A.

3rd Mary Valentine WATERFRIEND IVORY GR Q

Taya was a joy to watch. She did a super track but could only find 2 in the square. Lovely handling ensured good marks.

4th Ann Ferens CORKS HEAVENS TO BETSIE XB NQ

What a super little spaniel type cross. Easily qualified on the nosework but came unstuck on the C & A. I loved watching her.

Judge: John Simpson
Steward: Kate Wilton
Tracklayers: Pip Nason/Becky Price

Many thanks to Banbury for the invitation to judge the Special Stake at our annual Open Trial. I was ably assisted by Kate who stewarded the control and laid all the squares and Pip and Becky who tracklayed. Thanks guys, great job.

All of the dogs did some good work at times. The dogs that did good qualifying Control rounds didn’t qualify the nosework, and those that qualified the nosework didn’t qualify the Control!!!! So sadly we didn’t get any overall qualifiers.

1st Sheila Smith and Osonorti Forti, Beagle, D, NQ 159.5. Lovely nosework but sat up in the down leaving them 4 marks short of qualifying the control.

2nd Claire Baker and Mister Hendrick, Stabyhoun, D, NQ 135. Another nice track but only one from the square and not enough in the Control.

3rd Nicola Fosket and Ballots Active Warrier, GSD, D, NQ 129.5. Good Control and track but only one article. Bad luck.

4th Ann Trodd and Sallen Renscombe at Chelsasa, Bearded Collie, B, NQ, 122. Dolly did the best control round of the day but unfortunately only got half way round the track.

Thankyou to all competitors who entered. I hope you enjoyed your day. I certainly enjoyed your company.

John Simpson