Field Trials Bad Kreuznach, 3rd & 4th October, Irish Setter Club Germany

[Susan Stone]

Instead of visiting the ISAE Championship show this year Glen and I spent two days at the Field Trials of the Irish Setter Club Germany in Bad Kreuznach. Day one it was a dry sunny day with a strong cold wind, day 2 was overcast with more cold and moist wind. Especially on Sunday the birds were scarce (or knew where to hide) and many good dogs did not get a chance to point.
I was thrilled with Glen's result on the Saturday, in the Field Trial Solo he was placed second with grading very good (only two dogs placed) after an excellent point on pheasant within the first few minutes of his run. On Sunday Glen went extremely well and I was hoping for a grading excellent, but despite three excellent runs we did not come across birds.

more details and dog's names see the photo album

[colette tuite]

Dave,regarding training a pup, the one command you need to get firmly established at the outset is the drop command to whistle.The earlier you start this the more likely it will become a reflex action, which is what you want.I also hiss to make the dog drop if it is near me as this doesnt disturb the game.I have noticed that many people training their 2nd dog allow greater flexibility than their first dog who may be a little robotic due to too much training too early.You dont want your dog to be always looking at you ,you need the dog to have some independance,although My Mother found the red and whites to be particularly obstinant.So a well trained one will be the exception rather than the rule.It is important that you let your pup be a pup .The important thing is not to let it disobey your commands so in the early days the less commands it gets the less likely that it will disobey.Maybe see you at some trials next year,if i can get my two trained by then.!

There is a real danger of making a very

[colette tuite]

Susan,a newcomer to trials needs to be a member of the field trial society running the trials.The membership begins at the 1st january,and even if you pay your subs afterwards you will not be classed as a member and so would be extremely unlikely to get a run at the trial (exceptions may be the Breed stake as preference is given to dogs of that breed,and maybe the INTERNATIONAL GUNDOG League/Scotish field trials assoc Derby stake ,the top stake for puppies).Furthermore some societies stipulate that you must have attended some field trials before they will accept your proposal for membership.

If you wish to enter your dog at a trial in a novice stake (subject to being a member) your dog will be put in a draw and have as good a chance as any other to get a run.An unqualified dog will be extremely unlikely to get a run in Open Stakes. The reality of the situation is that these stakes especially on grouse in the summer have reserve lists of 20 to 25 dogs .It is possible to get a run in some Open all aged stakes in the autumn in Norfolk on partridge,but again that is variable.I cannot comment about the entries in Northern Ireland as i dont know the situation whether they are oversubscribed or not.

Membership subscriptions usually range from £7 to £15 all payable 1st of Jan or iro the Irish Setter Assoc (where you must also be a member of the Setter and Pointer club as well as both societies run the trial).

Any newcomer to trials would be best advised to get their memberships in place the year before they hope to run.Say people with a new puppy for instance,as they might not get running .

Hope this helps

[Margaret Sierakowski Dalriach IRWS]

Susan, In all the UK trials the dogs run as a brace, including Puppy and Novice. For the Show Gundog Working Certificate or the Qualifier in Ireland, they can run alone if only one dog is entered, or if there is more than one dog entered for a qualifier, they can run as a brace. When Bruar did her qualifier in Ireland she ran in a brace with a pointer, but when her son Fergal did it last week he ran solo
The breed stake or confined stake is for that breed only. The novice stake isnt limited by age.
The recent Brace Stake is Ireland was very unusual as there hadnt been one for several decades. Those who entered were experienced handlers with their older and more experienced dogs,
A beginner can enter any stake in theory, but in practice will go to the bottom of the list in the draw for places, and is very unlikely to get a place in an Open stake unless there is a very small entry.

[Susan Stone]

I think the two of us are trying to find our way through the maze of different trials, rules, countries, styles... It can be extremely confusing! Are all the trials in Britain run in pairs ie brace? even puppy and novice? how about the working gundog certificate? what is the age limit for novice? and what is the difference between a breed stake and an open stake? may a beginner enter in a breed stake? Sorry about this... but you started;o))

The swiss setter club runs the trials the same as the french, in spring dogs are required to run in the open and go far... there is usually solo (only one dog running) and couple (brace work). In autumn the style is different as dogs are expected to work the ground similar to a day out shooting. Here again there are trials run solo or couple, some with retrieve of the shot bird some without. The international trials (couple) with brace work are considered top class and it is here that the CACIT - international working challenge certificate - can be awarded. Fortunately you do not have to be a member with every society if you wish to enter your dog in their trials...
btw I see on the KC website the dates for training days in Reeth 2010 have been published.

[Dave Wittrick]

Exactly why I asked the question as I have no idea how Trials are run outside the UK. In the UK official Kennel Club registered Field Trials are split into Stakes and rounds. You might have a Confined Stakes (single breed), Open Stakes for any breed but only Pointers and Setters, Novice Stakes for dogs up to an age limit that have not run in another Stakes and you will also have the KC Show Gundog Working Cert. and Working Gundog Cert.
This was the Format for the two day Gordon Setter Club FT I attended a few months back (pictures in my albums). You have to enter in advance and be a member of one of the KC registered FT societies which are licensed to run the Field Trial. The struggle is bridging the gap between this formal structure and Training on your own with no support especially if you own the wrong breed and live in the wrong area like me. Nothing in Wales at all and nothing for IR&WS in the UK.
It sounded as though there were solo runs in your trial. All the trials I have been to or heard of in the UK are either for individual dogs and you draw a brace mate to run with on the day or Brace Trials were each handler runs a brace of his own dogs, Take a look at the report on the Irish IR&WSC site at http://www.irishredandwhitesetterclub.org/. But the Dogs always run in a Brace or pair.
Dave

[Susan Stone]

Hi Dave - I don't think you'd be the only one making that mistake!
This trial weekend was run in the german style where various junior trials and hunting trials are run. When you say stakes do you mean championships? that would be the trials where the CACIT is awarded? There was an open trial on both days. But you will now be realizing that I don't know how to compare these trials with the ones you have... never having been to trials in Britain... sadly.
Don't worry, your Brier is sure to go into 'wild and crazy' mode once he is out of his growing phase - and then watch out...:-)) I'd say all the basic training you can install now is a good thing, it may then be easier to regain control when he really goes into turbo mode...

[Dave Wittrick]

Hi Susan
Well done with Glen and excellent pictures as always. Have had a look on Picasa and would have made a mistake with the Orange ES. That dog looks so much like an IR&W. Glen Retrieving freshly shot game too, you must be so pleased. Please tell me more about how the two days were split up and what stakes were run. Brier is 4M 3W now and is coming on quite well. I am wondering how far I should be going so young and waiting for it to all go wrong as he responds so well to hand commands and the whistle for Drop, Recall and Turn if only in a very relaxed playful situation. I have him on a line but he hardly needs it at the moment though I am sure he will rebel as he gets older. He went out of site and lost me in woodland yesterday but responded to the recall, as far as I could see, instantly and came strait back to me. The temptation is to get over confident but he is still only a puppy even if he is nearly as tall as Toby.
Dave

[Cathy Forster]

We are living really near from Strasbourg (1/2 our). Steve & Angela can contact us for any questions. No problem. It would be fine to see them on french field-trials. There is a lot to do for the breed because the jugdes would like to see english setter style instead of IRWS style and our lovely club don't help in this situation !

[Nicole Wilson]

Super achievement for you and Glen! Many congratulations and thank you for those nice photos!

[Vojna Medvedec]

Super result,lovely pictures showing the real pointing dogs with passion!