1. Good luck to Agility Team GB, travelling to the European Open Championships for next weekend’s competition
2. The Pre-Continental went extremely well – even though it was so hot!! Sabine Ehlers’ kept us all updated with a fantastic running report on the days’ trialling. Congratulations Serge van der Zweep for winning and coming 2nd too!
3. CLA – another great trip and LOTS of good exposure for Pet Blood Bank! The commentators talked about the charity at least 4 times at length during the two days of competition. The lovely ladies on the CLA Gundog Hospitality committee who provide the refreshments for the gundog handlers, judges, stewards etc put out a table outside their marquee with some punnets of strawberries. On their wipe board they wrote that there were free strawberries in return for donations to the Pet Blood Bank charity! This has raised £50 which we will send to Pet Blood Bank. Thank you Sue Berman for arranging it.
The Pet Blood Bank logos looked good on the team clothing too. Both teams wore their CSJ liveried jackets, shirt and caps with pride and looked extremely smart as per usual. Wales were leading by the end of the first day but were then overtaken by England with phenomenal performances from their retrievers in the afternoon session. However, Wales were extremely happy with their dogs – especially one of the young team newcomers from NORTH Wales – David Edwards. David and his ESS ‘Ruby’ were absolutely fantastic and stormed their tests! Everyone was talking about him! David had actually been persuaded to enter the selection tests as he had never done it before, did well and so Team Captain, Alan Rees decided to take a chance on him. It is a nerve wracking experience anyway and if things go wrong you need a level-headed handler and dog.
Young Joe Hislip in the Scotland Team (again) did very well this year with his spaniel and ultimately ended up 2nd for the Best Hunting Spaniel. In fact he took part in a 3 way run-off as there were 3 dogs on equal points.
Donny Leitch (Scotland)’s retriever won the trophy for Best Mark, so he was very pleased to be taking some silver ware away with him.
On Friday, a presentation was made to Mark and his son, Jamie Bettison, who shared the Gundog Trainer of the Year award that is voted for by readers of the Countryman’s Weekly mag. The official photographer took a photo for us which may appear on the cover of Countryman’s Weekly!
More news very soon!
