Teds progress

[Lloyd90]

Just a couple of write ups from recent weeks:

 

We ran at our 2nd ever trial a few weeks back. 

We ran at a shoot up in Powys. I travelled up with a mate leaving at something silly like 5am. We had non-stop laughts all the way up and it was good fun. 

 

In the trial they started off running in white grass in a huge clearing that was about waist high. My mate Dave, who is pushing 75 now and has yet to finish a trial was up as dog number 1. He managed to have a decent run with his dog managing a flush and retrieve, and picking the bird as a runner back to hand. 

 

I was running at dog number 6. On my side they were struggling for game and the dogs were having long runs. The other side was getting into game well and getting through their dogs a bit quicker. I remember the dog before me running for what seemed like ages, before he finally got a flush and retrieve right at the end of the field. After completing we were called in, and advised we were moving into the woodland. 

 

Every dog before had run in this white rushy grass, and we stepped in the woodland to be faced by green bramble all around. I thought I hope Ted will give it a good go! 

 

Off with the lead and I clicked him off, and Ted was into the bramble like a rocket, smashing up and down. He hunted from side to side on the whistle, coming through the cover as I wanted. The 2 judges (we were under a 4 judge system that day) told me that the birds have been running on, so no point having a dog sweeping your feet, get on with the job and find the birds! Good thing Ted is shot over regular as this is the style of work we prefer. On he went, we had to stop at one point whilst they did something on the other side, and one of the 2 judges remarked to me that he was a hell of a hunting dog (this was probably the best I've seen him hitting cover up to this point). 

 

When as we are carrying on, hitting this bramble and climbing steep banks, Ted flushes a bird in the cover and sits to flush, hes about 10 yards ahead, and the bird flushes and flies back towards the guns, coming overhead. The gun shoots the bird close coming towards us, and the bird smashes into a tree before hitting the ground flapping like hell. Ted is sent, and picks the bird, delivering back to hand. 

A momentary pause, and the judge inspects the bird, only to say that the bird is damaged on one side only. I felt it, and there was some damage, on the one side. The judges walk up to the other side, and let the other judges inspect the bird and decide whether to put me out  ... lucking when they come back, the decision is to give the dog the benefit of the doubt (bird shot close/hit the tree), but we have to hunt on and have another retrieve. 

 

On we go ... and this time, Ted is hunting even harder after just picking that bird!! He's flying through the bramble now, before he gets another flush just in front going directly away from us. Sits to flush, and the bird is shot and dropped about 30 yards straight ahead. The judge gives the nod to send the dog, and out he goes, straight to the area. As he gets to the area, up get several birds that were sitting tight down there. Ted ignores those, and hunts looking for the bird that was dropped. He came forward a bit, and I give him a hand signal to go back again, and he goes back into the drop zone, picks the bird and then delivers it to hand. A tense moment whilst it is checked by both judges, before they delcare the bird is absolutely fine, and my first run is complete.  

 

 

 

We had a long wait then before our second run, with a few dogs being put out, but overall the standard was very good, and a lot of competitors managed to finish the trial. 

 

Up we came under the second set of judges, we were starting on a Bracken banking, going down hill into the open rushes and white grass we had seen earlier today. 

 

We started off and Ted was hunting ok, going through the Bracken piles and stayed nice and tight to me this time. We hunted the whole bank but no birds, as we hunted on we came into the white grass field and worked our way along for 100 yards or so. After some time the judge asked if we had already had a flush and retrieve, and it was apparently we were going to get pulled up before long. Just moments after this however Ted had a flush right off the end of his nose. 

The bird flew out directly into the rushy field, and was shot down hard on the first shot, only for me to hear a lot of shouting on the other side. The dog on the other side had run in, totally ruining our opportunity for a nice straight out and back retrieve. 

We had to wait some time for the other bloke to get his dog back, and by the time I sent Ted into this sea of white grass and bog, he was unable to find the bird. I handled him several times back into the area but no luck. 

 

Eventually the judges went out and walked around for a long old time but the bird remained unfound  

We finished the trial but that really put the dampener on our second run and got knocked there for a few handler errors during the whole thing. 

 

That first run was probably the best I have ever seen my dog go since the day I've had him, but we didn't even get a COM in that trial due to the second run. A bit of bad luck, and a few handler errors, and a good performance can go down the pan.

 

On the upside, my mate Dave who travelled up with me, managed to get a blank second run, and with his dog picking a runner in the first run, he walked away with a COM, which he was absolutely over the moon with, as that was the first trial in about the last 6 years that he has managed to finish, so to walk away with a COM put him into a great mood, and we had great banter all the way home. 

 

Despite the disappointment, a good lesson for me and also a good showing of what the dog is capable of  

[Walker570]

Unforseen circumstances you cannot control Lloyd. You know your dog much better than the judges and in your heart know if he did his best in the circumstances, which on reading this I think he did.  Infact it was so well desribed I could picture it as clear as if watching a movie of it.   Well done.

[Lloyd90]

Just one of those things sadly mate, If I had made a few less handler errors after it happened I think I'd have got a COM or similar but it was a learning experience regardless, which he clearly improved on next time out.

[Lloyd90]

So the write up from our winning novice trial: Once again we were running up in Mid Wales (must be good luck), but this time it was just outside Newtown. 

 

An early start, and my old mate Dave came for the trip once again, although he didn't have a run this time, so came to carry game for the trial. 

 

This was a good crack once again, and we also got a good laugh with a load of lads we met on previous trials, and my mate Dave who bred my young dog Arnie was also there, running a half sister to my young dog. 

 

The ground was big open Welsh mountains, covered in bracken, some scatterings of gorse bushes and a lot of rushes, as high as your waist in parts, this was not hard cover as in bramble, but it was quite thick in areas. 

 

It was a great trial to be at, because it was so open you could see every dog run. You got to watch all the action and there were loads of birds about, with every dog getting a good crack at several flushes. 

 

Before us a lad was hunting a beat of rushes with a fence line along his right, his dog flushed a bird which was shot the other side of the fence, which had a thick hedge the other side of it tight against the fence line. Being barbed wire he was allowed to lift his dog over and send her up a hill to pick and deliver back a hard hit bird, fair play it was a good retrieve which was made difficult due to the fence and hedge. 

 

After this we were called in, and I was just sat hoping we didnt get a retrieve over the fence, as it just made it look very messy and difficult. 

 

Our first run and I clicked Ted off, and he hunted left to right coming in and out of the rushes, thankfully (somehow) turning on every whilste I blew and making good use of his beat ground. Left pushed on the right hand side, flushing a bird up and over the fence. He sat to flush, and the gun fired, BANG BANG... only to miss both shots! Thank god I thoughts... and clicked Ted off to ignore that bird and carry on hunting. On he went, hunting in front of us, back and forth, and within 20 yards another flush. Down he sits, and again BANG BANG, and we sit and watch the bird sail away into the distance untouched. At this point I was starting to worry a bit   ... once again I game him the signal, leave that and carry on hunt, onwards we went, and this time another 20 yards further on, Ted smashed into a massive thick clumb of rushes so that I couldn't even see him and about 7 or 8 birds all got up at once! BANG BANG, BANG BANG... this time 2 guns both missing the group!! 😮 ... fortunately a single bird had broken away from the group and flown the opposite way down the line and it was dropped with a single shot by the gun out on our far left. 

 

The judge asked me if I had marked it down, and I told him I had a rough idea, but I didn't even know where my dog was currently. He just laughed and told me to call my dog in. I whilstled Ted, who rushed out and came straight to me, he had never moved from the flushing point. He were walked forward about 10 yards, and I was given a rough mark but the gun said he wasn't really sure where it was, so I pointed Ted into the rough area and told him to get back. 

Up ahead was again like a sea of rushes, and I had no idea where the bird was, so I said to the Judge we would just have to let him get on with it and hope for the bets. The judge looked and me and just laughed, before saying "I wouldn't worry about it if I was you", and I looked over to see Ted burst out from the rushes with a very much still alive runner in his mouth. Straight into my feed and released on command, the judge shook and hand and told me "make sure you have a clean second run!... so I could tell he was quite happy with Teds work on that one  

 

(Just TBA - as the bird was not marked due to him flushing and watching away the large group, this retrieve was a blind retireve on a runner, which went massively in our favour). 

 

We had a watch of a few of the lads running, and some dogs sadly were put out. I saw some very nice dogs running and putting in a good stint, and I really really liked my mate Dave's little bitch, which worked very well, had a good flush and retireve of a bird that got up in rushes, followed by a cracking flush out of a big clump of gorse and picked an awesome runner that was over the brow of a hill a good 60-70 yards back, a brilliant retrieve. 

 

As we were running at number 15 when we eventually got called in for our final run we were the last dog left. The 2 dogs before me had both been put out, one for pulling ahead too much/being out of control, and the second one for hard mouth. 

 

Being the last dog left, everyone still in had gathered behind to watch the final run. 

I was taken up to my beat, a big area of white grass and gorse bushes, with a track on our left, and a huge vast landscape on our right. 

Off with the lead, and I clicked Ted off. He hunted a lovely pattern, coming back and forth nice and tight in front of me on this open ground. he hunted a good 40-50 yards, up and down dips in the ground, working forward, when Ted got to a big clump of gorse, about 2 yards before the gorse Ted stopped, and almost went on point. He leaned forwards slowly, indicating there was a bird in the grass, just as a partridge erupted inches in front of his face. He sat straight away, only to be followed by BANG BANG, BANG BANG!! I watched Ted who almost rocked forward on the spot when hearing the shots, but didn't actually move, very tence, however as I looked over, unbelieveably... the bird flew on, unhit!  

 

We were told to carry on hunting, so once again I gave Ted the command and off we went, ignoring the missed bird and pushing forwards once more. This time we started to come down a small decline, and Ted was pulling forwards a bit, I was whilstling to pull him back, and this time he pulled ahead, turned back towards me and the guns, and caught the scent on the wind of a bird, which he then proceeded to flush on his way back to me, with the bird rising and going up and over his head. Ted sat solid, and this time we had a single BANG, and watched as the bird was hit hard, and dropped about 40 yards out, into a small copse of trees, into a small stream / ditch running through the middle. 

 

Ted sat still in the open watching roughly where it landed, only to be followed by the judge saying send your dog. "Back" I told him and he was down the hill like a shot! I saw him running into the copse of trees, and all of a sudden about 10 loose birds got up in all directions! I thought he would chase one, maybe thinking it was the shot bird, and that would be the end of us! I couldn't quite see what was going on, but after a moment, and all the birds had departed, I looked down to see Ted, having ignored all the loose birds, was running around like a rocket in the bottom of the copse, looking for the dead bird. 

 

As we watched I just saw him emerge at the top of the stream bank and look up at me, and I gave him a low hand signal, followed by him dropping into the ditch just as I wanted, and him immediately hitting scent, and moments later picking the bird. Up the hill he came, and I could genuinely hear people behind me saying "my god! he's got it!" as Ted climbed the hill, came in and presented the bird into my hand. I handed the bird to the judge who shook my hand and told my my run was over. 

 

I knew that the dog had done me real proud that day, and thought we were surely to be in the awards somewhere. However after the disappointment of my last trial didn't get my hopes up, and on top you just don't know how well the judges scored the other dogs, as without doubt there were some brilliant hunting dogs there.

 

We waited for the awards, and once they had done the COM's, 4th, 3rd and 2nd I thought for a moment we didn't get anything ... only to be told that 1st Place AND guns choice, was awarded to dog number 15, Middletor Dynamic!!

 

Absolutely amazed and over the moon to have achieved that, and was told by the guns that the final retrieve is what made them give me guns choice as they said it was one of the best retrieves they have seen  

 

 

What was even better was that my mate Dave, managed to come second (which I have given him a good bit of abuse for now ) with the half sister to my young dog that is coming through. 

A fantastic day and into open trials now, which to be honest is a frightening prospect. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[new to the flock]

Well Done and congratulations!

 

[Lloyd90]

Another good day out yesterday with Ted and @oowee shooting. 

Off on our rough shooting ground, with Grant's cocker and Ted working for us, pushing up hedge rows, ditches and bramble woods. 

 

Started off with Ted flushing a bird in wood which was missed by me. He looked disgusted... on we went pushing some hedges where I missed another bird, and Grant also missed one. 

Thankfully as we went along things (our shooting started to improve) and Ted flushed a nice cock bird out of thick bramble, whilst out on the retrieve another bird got flushes over Ted's head, which he ignored and came back with the cock bird to deliver to hand. It was a nice bonus to see the extra bird flushed was dropped by Grant and retrieve by his cocker Charlie  

 

On to some more hedges and Ted continued with the flushes, sitting to flush and remaining steady to shot each time, we must of had 10+ good contact flushes with him remaining steady and not putting a foot wrong. 

 

As we were finishing up we came through one hedgerow where Ted pushed hard into bramble, all I saw was a flash, followed by a brilliant quick shot by Grant. 

It was a hare, flushed off the dog, and shot. Grant's cocker swiftly delivered it to him, a great feat as the hare was as big as his dog!! 

As Ted had never picked a fresh shot hare before, I put it out for him and sent him and he also picked it and delivered it to hand, and into the bag it went  

We pushed up the hedge a bit more but I don't recall us seeing any more game. 

 

Over to the car where I swapped dogs and gave the young Arnie a swift run, he managed a good contact flush which Grant dropped with a cracking shot, but needs a bit of work on picking freshly shot game. Progress however is coming along  overall a great morning out once again. 

 

Barely managed to shoot this land this year as mega busy in work, and in trials and training, but it was brilliant to get out, shoot over my own dog all day without him putting a foot wrong, and without the fuss you get on big shoots with dogs running everywhere out of control and gun lines and beaters etc. 

 

Rough shooting with a tidy dog is always going to be the best there is  

 

[B725]

What more can you want, shooting over your own dog that's well behaved, love those sort of day's. 👍👍

[Lloyd90]

A new chapter: 

FTW Ted has sired 10 lovely healthy pups (so far). 
 

Still early days 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻. 
 

 

 

[Walker570]

Nah, I won't say it....oh yes I will....there's an old saying,they grow like their owners you know. Well done Loydy, credit due.

[Agriv8]

1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

Nah, I won't say it....oh yes I will....there's an old saying,they grow like their owners you know. Well done Loydy, credit due.

Hang on you saying lloyd90 has 10 offspring out there ?

joking aside well done FTW Ted - you got a ‘option on One’ lloyd ?

Atb Agriv8 

[Walker570]

Of course not, would I do such a thing?  Just that they are both superb hunters,  ability passed on to the wooffer from handler .............  honest

[Lloyd90]

3 hours ago, Agriv8 said:

Hang on you saying lloyd90 has 10 offspring out there ?

joking aside well done FTW Ted - you got a ‘option on One’ lloyd ?

Atb Agriv8 

 

Don't ask those question's we don't want to know

 

I could have one of these but I am far more interested in a pup from Ted X a different bitch that the owner has. 

The other bitch (not the one pictures) goes back to similar lines and one very successful line so I would happy to double up on that. 

 

The owner of the bitch in the picture is looking to keep a pup, and wanted to use my dog at stud, and I wanted to get Ted 'proven', so when the time comes and the bloke wants to breed the really good bitch he has, he knows Ted is not firing blanks and I am hoping will want to use him again. 

 

The owner did have his own stud dog that he could have used but chose to use mine instead, so here's hoping the pups turn out alright  

[Lloyd90]

1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

Of course not, would I do such a thing?  Just that they are both superb hunters,  ability passed on to the wooffer from handler .............  honest

 

Yes the ability defo comes from the dog to the handler, not the other way around! 

You should see the look he gives me when I miss 😮 

Not a bad pedigree mind you  

[Agriv8]

Not just my pip then -

1 minute ago, Lloyd90 said:

 

Yes the ability defo comes from the dog to the handler, not the other way around! 

You should see the look he gives me when I miss 😮 

especially the one she has flushed out marks the flight line like a hawk and follows it after the bang if it doesn’t drop - its - look of discussed that Mrs Agriv8 can’t match.
 

the dog look of I don’t know why I flipping bother. 

Agriv8

[Lloyd90]

21 minutes ago, Agriv8 said:

Not just my pip then -

especially the one she has flushed out marks the flight line like a hawk and follows it after the bang if it doesn’t drop - its - look of discussed that Mrs Agriv8 can’t match.
 

the dog look of I don’t know why I flipping bother. 

Agriv8

 

 That's the one! 

[Walker570]

Lovely little dog whatever and I hope he brings you many years of enjoyment.  I miss having a dog but getting too old and inactive to warrant one.  Owning a working dog is one thing non dog owner/shooters miss.  The trials and tribulations and the joy when you see your dog wipe the eye of any detractors.

[Lloyd90]

Slow start to the season this year with the bird flu and me taking 5 months off work to tour the USA and then get married in Cyprus!! 
 

Dogs have been a bit neglected but I think they enjoyed the summer off, they stayed with my mate who also trials and spend the weeks on his 5 screws in his bit of woodland and swimming in the river that runs through the property. 
 

 

Ted and I ran in our first open trial today, first trial of the season. 
 

We came away with a COM.

Not bad for open standard. The feedback from both judges that all the dogs in the awards and the COM’s were very tight and it was splitting hairs. 
 

Unfortunately despite picking 2 blind retrieves, one of which was a runner on my first run, and having a flush, our second run was blank (no birds on the strip so no flush and retrieve) so very hard to score up. 
 

The judge told me it was unfortunate to have that bit of ground but that’s jus the way it goes sometimes. 
 

Some of the other dogs that had COM’s were previous open winners so it’s good to see Ted up there with the best in the business. 

That’s 5 trials down, all 5 finished so far, getting awards in 3 out of 5. 
 

I am long overdue being put out… but today was not that bad 🤣🤣

 

[Walker570]

Good to hear he is still doing the job. Long long time since I was down at Edwinsford so you brought back memories.

[B725]

Well done Ted you certainly have a dog to be proud of 👍

[Lloyd90]

Another open trial on Thursday - Hampshire Open. 
 

Two runs, was hunting well first run, getting about, had a flush but no retrieve. 

 

Second run hunting a lot better, hitting some real hard cover / bramble … had a bird up right by us, shot and retrieves a runner back to hand. 
 

That’s my 2 runs over … still yet to be put out (it’s long overdue). 
 

At the end in the awards, we got another COM. 
 

Some cracking dogs running and they won it fair and square… a few handler errors could have been improved on but it’s all experience. 

[Lloyd90]

On 30/11/2022 at 08:43, B725 said:

Well done Ted you certainly have a dog to be proud of 👍

Thanks mate 

 

I just took him beating yesterday, did a full day out, he flushed loads of pheasants and was absolutely smashing thick cover. 
 

Then flushed a rabbit right off the nose from a hedgerow and then flushed a lovely woodcock.

 

I was prouder of him yesterday than at the trial, he was grafting his heart out! 

[B725]

He's done well again, and also shows that a trialing dog can and will work all day, I have quite a few conversations about trialing dog's won't go all day but I think it's down to how fit the dog is. 👍👍

[Walker570]

Good to hear he is still enjoying himself.

[Lloyd90]

2 hours ago, B725 said:

He's done well again, and also shows that a trialing dog can and will work all day, I have quite a few conversations about trialing dog's won't go all day but I think it's down to how fit the dog is. 👍👍

I agree mate … they’re not usually trained to go all day, so ain’t fit for it. 
 

You can get them used to it but they can start to pace a bit.