RETRIEVING AUSTRALIA FORUM

Hi All,

I am delighted to report that Members of the ANKC have unanimously endorsed the application from Dogs NSW to host the 2010 National Utility Field Trial Championship, which will be conducted on June 26 & 27, 2010. Further detail will be posted as and when it comes to hand. See also the ANKC website for details.

Kindest regards, RWT[quote][/quote]

Hi All,

Dogs NSW has advised that the 2010 National Utility Field Trial Championship scheduled for 26 & 27 June 2010 has been cancelled because it did not receive the minimum number of entries, as prescribed by the Rules.

This is a most disappointing outcome especially since the National Events Working Party has maintained its support for the event and did recommend that the event be allowed to proceed despite a number of procedural shortcomings.

It is difficult to postulate on the reasons why the Utility Field Trial fraternity did not to support the event to the level expected, nevertheless, the following may have been contributing factors;

a. The event was not advertised in accordance with ANKC Regulations. Owners of at least four “qualified” dogs report that they did not receive any promotional material from the Organising Committee.

b. The NSW Shooters Party was not successful in its efforts to re-establish a Quail season in NSW and as a consequence if the event was held NSW it would have to be the “non shooting” format.

c. The Board of Directors of Dogs NSW did not support a proposal to conduct the event in Victoria, despite a willingness by Dogs Vic to support the change.

d. The Judge for the event was changed from Mr R Atkinson to Mr K Walshaw.

e. The event was to be conducted on a mixture of “Fur and Feather” rather than exclusively on native Quail.

Kindest regards, Robert Tawton.

I thought that Utility Dogs are supposed to be just that "Utility' so want's wrong with the trial being on both feather and fur?
I am sure the rules for both Utility and Pointer & Setter list hares and rabbits as legitimate quarry as well as ALL game birds.
Rachel

Hi Rachel,

Your comments regarding Utility Gundogs working both fur and feather are noted and I personally agree with your sentiments.

In the late 1960’s the GSP Club of Victoria sought KCC (now Dogs VIC) support for the establishment of Field Trials specifically for Utility breeds. Prior to that time GSP’s were deemed to be “Pointers” and thus were eligible to compete in Pointer & Setter Field Trials and Retrieving Trials but not in Spaniel & Retriever Field Trials (much to the chagrin of the late Jack Thompson). In pursuit of its objectives the GSP Club conducted two demonstration Trials, one near Traralgon on Quail and the other near Kyneton on rabbits. These two Trials were aimed at demonstrating that the Utility breeds could and would work both fur and feather, that there was enough support and dogs of sufficient standard to warrant dedicated Trials and there was a viable set of Rules for the conduct of these events.

Rules developed in the UK were used during for the demonstration events and it was generally agreed that they did not suit the Australian environment, primarily because each dog was run on its own (no brace mate). The KCC then established a panel six persons, Jack Pontin, Dick Hall, “Doc” Penny – representing the KCC and Jack Thompson, Laurie Bourke and myself representing the GSP Club. The Panel developed the inaugural set of Rules for the Conduct of Field Trials of Utility Gundogs which made no distinction between fur and feather as an item of Game or indicated a preference for one over the other.

In the late 1970’s /early 1980’s changes to the Rules were introduced to place a greater emphasis on conducting these events on native Quail. I was living overseas at the time and I am not aware of the rationale used to support these changes. Nevertheless, today the relevant Rules read;

5. It is recommended that Field Trials should, wherever possible, be conducted on Quail. The shooting and
Game Laws of each State or Territory must be observed and will govern the conduct of all Trials, in conjunction with the Rules and Regulations of each State or Territory Member Body.

FIELD TRIAL CHAMPION
On application the Member Body may, at its discretion, grant the title “Field Trial Champion” to a dog, which wins a Championship Stake, and to any dog winning a total ten (10) Championship Points in Field Trials. A full five (5) Championship Points must be won in any one Stake, and in that Stake, the dog must have been adequately tested on finding live game birds, and provided that no qualifying win for the Title shall be scored in any Stake in which there are fewer than six bone fide runners.

Kindest regards, Robert T

how can nsw run the national ,as their game laws dont allow quail to be shot??? or are they going to run a pretend trial??

Thank you for your explanation, Bob. I was merely quoting the current rules:

GAME - DEFINITION of for UTILITY GUNDOGS: quail,(Australian Native) snipe, rabbit, hare, Native
Hen (Tasmania) and the following imported game birds - Ringneck and Mutant Pheasant, Chukar
Partridge, Bob White Quail and Californian Quail, pigeons and wild Duck. Where the word “duck” or
“pigeon” is used this would apply to water work only. A dog shall be credited with a find on any game,
even though the handler shall not shoot game for which no open season exists at the time. Schedules
for Trials using imported Game birds shall list the species that will be used.

Rachel