The 90th Cocker Spaniel Championship was held by very kind permission of the Landon family at the amazing Faccombe Estate.
The estate itself is made up of mixed farming and the shooting operation. Impressively, the estate is known as having the only wind turbine in the North Wessex Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, helping to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.
The shoot itself is ranked in the top five per cent in the country and did a spectacular job as hosts for this prestigious event. The head keeper, Bob Heaver, was supported by a fantastic team over the two days but one member of the team worked harder than most.
Beatkeeper Jonny Macey had sole responsibility for looking after the ground and the birds that were used. The ground was maintained but saved purely for these two days and not used on any other shoot day. So the pressure was on for this aspiring young man and he came through impressively. The birds produced over the two days were consistent, strong and well spread around the grounds.
In total, 44 dogs qualified for and started the event. There was a good mix of handlers, with some extremely experienced individuals, such as Ian and Wendy Openshaw. Between them they were handling five dogs and, as always, demonstrated some extremely good dog work.
I was lucky to get some time to chat to the judges before the final day started. Four knowledgeable gentlemen judged at the event and they did a great job of giving each dog plenty of opportunities to show to its best over the two days.
Martin Ford and Martin Deakin described the first day as challenging for all the dogs. It brought those top dogs up and separated them from the rest who, just in places, weren’t quite as polished as they needed to be.
Denne historien er fra January 22, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 22, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside