Midland Retriever Club
Working Gundog Test:  Retrievers
Date:   Sunday / August 18, 2002        
Club Secretary:  Mr. Barra Flynn
Location: Portrun, Ballymurray, Co. Roscommon, Republic of Ireland.
By Kind Permission of Mr. Gerry Hanlon.

JUDGES:   Mr. Robert O'Farrell and Mr. Patrick Corr.

Report Summary:   View Report and Photos

About the Club:   View Club Profile and Contact Information

Preliminary Test Results:   One Winner Only.    View Preliminary Test Results

Novice Test Results:   Four Winners.    View Novice Test Results

Advanced Test Results:   Four Winners.    View Advanced Test Results


Preliminary Test:    6 Entries Total                                         Back to Judges

Place	Name of Dog	Handler
1st	"Silent Lady at Banjak", Reg. No. U 33183, LAB, Bitch, DOB: 26 August 1999. Sire: Captain Regal.  Dam: Final Samset. Breeder: Mr. P. McGarry. Owner: Mr. Timothy W. Merrill, Co. Roscommon.	Timothy Merrill
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Novice Test:    14 Entries Total                                             Back to Judges

Advanced Test:    14 Entries Total                                      Back to Judges

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Writeup:    Report Summary by Paul Toal.                   Back to Results

The Midland Retriever Club held its inaugural Working Test on Sunday / August 18, 2002. Three separate competitions were held in Portrun, Ballymurray, County Roscommon on that day: Preliminary, Novice, and Advanced.

The Midland Retriever Club again wishes to thank our host Mr. Gerry Hanlon for providing his excellent facilities for this Working Test, and to express their appreciation to the judges who presided over the event, Mr. Robert O’Farrell and Mr. Patrick Corr, as well as to Steward Mr. J. Hoare.

The day started off with the Preliminary Test in appalling, oppressive conditions of heavy air and misty rain. Scenting was extremely difficult and all young dogs competing found it very difficult to find their retrieves. Such were the conditions that only one dog in the field of six managed to complete his tests successfully, namely “Silent Lady at Banjak” owned & handled by Mr. Timothy Merrill of Castlerea and bred by Mr. P. McGarry.

The Novice Test followed the same morning without much improvement in the weather conditions. The majority of the 14 novice dogs successfully completed the first two tests (a walked–up marked retrieve and a marked retrieve in water). However, the third test (a marked retrieve in cover adjacent to a bank of brambles) proved to be the undoing of many of the competitors. With the breeze blowing off the lake into the brambles, many dogs found little or no stimulus to enter the heavy cover. It was this last test that decided the final results.

1st Place went to “Sweet Rose of Cuilon” bred, owned & handled by Mr. Keiran Murphy of Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow.

2nd Place was won by “Moonacre Louisa” owned & handled by Mr. James Gilleran of Roscommon Town, bred by Mr. F. McGuirk.

3rd Place was earned by “Bramblewood Drummer”, handled by Ronnie Farrelly, owned by Joe Roche, and bred by Mr. R. Watson.

Reserve Place was awarded to “Moonacre Kelly”, bred, owned & handled by Mr. F. McGuirk of Cloghrane, Co. Dublin.

In the afternoon, the clouds lifted, the sun broke through, and a far fresher day emerged for the 14 contenders entered in the Advanced Working Test. The first of the Advanced tests consisted of 4 dogs walking in line and a marked retrieve sent off by a launcher. This test was that much more difficult as the field of rough pastureland had few features against which the dogs and handlers could mark. The majority of the dogs had to be handled onto their respective retrieves. There was only one dog that proved clinical in his retrieve. That was Laurence Hennessy’s Irish FTCH “Killerisk Bamdix Bob of Blackadder”.

The second test included a blind retrieve over a fence with a marked diversion off to the side. With an on–coming wind, many dogs found it difficult to cast a straight line.

The third test was spectacular. Not only did the dogs have to pick up a blind retrieve from rough cover with a marked diversion. They first had to cross over a stretch of water of 40–metres–width in order to reach the opposite side of the bank and then hunt the area for the dummy they were to retrieve. The high standard of the dogs was such that the majority picked their retrieve, although some with more ease than others.

1st Place went to Irish FTCH “Killerisk Bamdix Bob of Blackadder”, owned & handled by Mr. Laurence Hennessy of Moate, Co. Westmeath, bred by C. de Burgh.

2nd Place was won by “Tropicana Lime” owned & handled by Mr. Barra Flynn of Athlone, Co. Westmeath, bred by J.M. Bird.

3rd Place was earned by “Bramblewood Drummer”, handled by Ronnie Farrelly, owned by Mr. Joe Roche, and bred by Mr. R. Watson.

Reserve Place was awarded to “Carraigairt Abba”, owned & handled by Mr. Paul Toal of Drumkeerin, Co. Leitrim, bred by Mr. C. Soden.

The Midland Retriever Club again would like to thank:
*Landowner Mr. Gerry Hanlon
*Skinners Field & Trial Premium Quality British Working Dog Food for sponsoring the Advanced Test
*Feedwell Animal Foods Ltd for sponsoring the Novice Test
*Mrs. Ruth Toal for the many photos, and
*All those conscientious and enthusiastic individuals who helped make the day enjoyable and worthwhile.

Yours faithfully,     Paul Toal