Working Gundog Association of Australia WGAA: June 2019

June Training Day - Sunday 16 June 19

Our next training day is this Sunday the 16th of June.
Training will start at 9.00, with a bbq lunch and soft drinks at 12.00.
Directions:
Meet at the Emu Creek Bridge on Konagaderra Rd, Clarkfield.
To get to the Emu Creek bridge head North West on the C743 through Bulla. Turn North onto the Melbourne-Lancefield Rd. Travel 13km then turn right onto Konagaderra Rd and it's about 1km along that road to the bridge.
Anyone with a gundog is welcome. We cater for beginners, puppies and experienced handlers.

WGAA Pointer & Setter Field Trial – 26 May 19

WGAA’s Pointer and Setter (All Pointing Breeds) field trial was conducted on a cold, wind-swept day. Two Brittanys, a lone English setter and five pointers presented for the Judge, Robert Whinnen (SA). With winter obviously here handlers and dogs were certainly tested by the weather as well as the game.

Some 45+ birds were seen throughout the trial, but the hawks that followed us everywhere combined with the ever- increasing strength of the wind meant that they were difficult to find and often loath to break cover. Several times birds were seen racing well ahead of the dog along tracks in the stubble but were not seen again.

After doing their best the dominant dog on the day was the pointer bitch Rip Rap Roxy (Marley) owned by Nick and Annette Guida and handled by Nick. Throughout the morning Marley carded 5 finds, 2 retrieves and 2 backs – a dominant performance given the conditions. This was a tough event, thanks mainly to the wind, which always made things hard for dogs – and handlers.

Nick Guida & Marley

Inaugural Non-Indigenous Game Bird Trial - 28 April 19

WGAA’s inaugural Non-Indigenous Game Bird (NIGB) field trial attracted a field of eight competitors - Henry Foster (pointers), Fred Briffa (GSP), Steve Luck (GSP), Barry Oliver (pointers), Joseph Camilleri (GSP), Danny Alimic (GSP) for Michael Zandona to cast his judicial eye over. The action was slow to start but soon gathered pace once the dogs switched onto the Californian quail. The dogs seemed to settle down to the fact that these birds were different to stubble quail and throughout the day a total of 20 finds were carded. Some unsteadiness to the flushed bird was the main problem encountered by the dogs, but this was the first attempt at hunting these birds by handlers and their dogs, and in what has been the driest start to the year in recorded history. The released game NIGB trial format looks to have a bright future by providing the opportunity to continue trialling when conditions are far from ideal. Well done to both the handlers and their dogs.