Gundog Field Assessment Day.

Date: Sunday 15th September. (in place of September Training Day)
Venue: Daylesford.
Starting time:
Be there and registered by 8.30am.
Bring your own lunch - a BBQ will be available if you bring meat to cook.

Dogs are required to complete three basic tasks - a field run, a land retrieve and a water retrieve.  Certificates will be awarded.

The Field Assessment day is open to all breeds of gundogs of all abilities, young or old. The field and retrieving runs bear a direct relationship to real life hunting over your gundog.  Every encouragement is given by experienced trainers to help you and your dog improve even more. Beginners will be catered for.

For further details including exact location, please contact Kevin Phelps on 0407 091 221.

Training Day July 2013.

The next training day will be held on Sunday 21st July 2013at Darlingsford Lake, Melton, Melways Ref 337 D 10.Enter the reserve off Collins Rd. Training commences at 9am and finishes with a BBQ lunch at around 12pm. Anyone with a gundog is welcome. Please note all training days from now until November are on the third Sunday of the month.

YEAR OF THE HUNTER – Victorian Pointer & Setter Field trial

After cancelling 4 trials because of lack of game, the Working Gundog’s Victorian Branch was fortunate to be able to conduct its Year of the Hunter trial in the same paddock that hosted the Anzac Day event.

Nine dogs presented to the judge Kathy Oliver on what was a mild day with a light north easterly wind. Birds were quite plentiful during the first round, but in what seemed to be a characteristic of this particular paddock they suddenly became scarce in the second round. However, a change of location resulted in a few more birds being found and once again this season Henry & Lyn Foster’s Pointer dog F Ch & FT Ch Rip Rap Marksman (Riley) showed how it was done with a top find to finish off what had been a strong performance throughout the day

Runner up was Denis & Anne Everard’s Irish Setter Russetray Rockford who ran a consistent race and clinched the place with a find late in the day. Rockford also bagged the Best Novice dog award.

Michael Zandona’s pointer bitch Duwellyn of Dawndale (Imp NZ) was awarded her Working Gundog certificate.

WGAA in the West

The West Australian Working Gundogs Branch conducted three excellent trials over three days from the 31^st May until the 2^nd of June in what can only be described as a paddock of majestic proportions. Over three days the dogs ran, hunted and found game in this enormous paddock with rarely a fence to be seen.

Conditions were outstanding for pointer & setter trialling – very cool with a nice stiff breeze. What could be better for the 24 competing dogs?

The judge for the first two trials was Dave Dunn who flew over from South Australia and the third trial was judged by Kathy Oliver from Victoria. The trial manager and chief organiser was Alan Willey, ably assisted by the WGAA WA committee. The social side of things was very enjoyable and much appreciated by all concerned, especially all the interstate visitors.

The outstanding dog over the three day was Henry & Lyn Foster’s Pointer dog F Ch & FT Ch Rip Rap Marksman (Riley). Fast, stylish and demonstrating exemplary manners around game, Riley dominated the rest of the field in each of the three trials. The only other placegetter was Barry & Kathy Oliver’s Pointer bitch, Rip Rap Veeda, who was runner up in the second trial.

Other dogs that stood out were Paul Cunningham’s L’Epagnuel Breton Winvale Norma and Paul Brown’s Irish Setter Everheart Grace. Both of these dogs were certain placegetters but for errors on the retrieve.

To see a slideshow of pictures from the trial, please click HERE.

Training Day June

The next training day will be held on Sunday 16th June2013 at Darlingsford Lake, Melton, Melways Ref 337 D 10.Enter the reserve off Collins Rd. Training commences at 9am and finishes with a BBQ lunch at around 12pm. Anyone with a gundog is welcome. Please note all training days from now until November are on the third Sunday of the month.

SSAA (VIC) SHOT EXPO - MAY 2013

Over two days, four shows and before a combined total of over 1,000 spectators the SSAA Working Gundogs strutted their stuff. On a transformed bitumen car park the dogs ran, retrieved, completed obedience exercises and pointed in a manner that did their owners proud. Well done to one and all.

Please click HERE to watch a slideshow of images.  You can click the full screen icon to enjoy them in full screen.

POINTER & SETTER ANZAC DAY TRIAL 25TH APRIL 2013

The first trial for the Pointer and Setter season was held close to Melbourne in what has proved to be a hard year for birds. The venue was a stubble paddock with a good spread of weeds which fortunately was holding a good number of birds a few days prior to the trial. This was an ‘All pointing breeds’ trial and the entry consisted of Pointers, Irish setters, L’Epagnuel Bretons, a GSP and a Vizsla. The first round saw some reasonable work but none of the dogs were putting in a dominant performance. Two braces were brought through to the second round but by this time a warm northerly made scenting conditions difficult and only one bird was seen. With the dog work deteriorating the judge, Michael Zandona, called a halt to the proceedings and a no result was declared. Sometimes things just don’t work out.

Please click HERE to see a slideshow.  You can click on the full screen icon to enjoy them in full screen.