Issue: 20/09/2024
A few more really good results from Richmond. Angela Corcoran’s Oakmarsh Kingsley won 1st AVG Special Beginners Stakes and 3rd in the Junior Stakes, also well done to James Newton KC who was short listed in the Group.
The day after Richmond was Mid-Western Gundog. Breed judge Mr Scott-Briggs gave BOB & RBOB BP to mother and daughter Watts’ Oakmarsh Freedom SGWC & Oakmarsh Little Acorn. All of the Oakmarsh team went on to do well scooping up a fistful of awards in different AV classes.
Now that I am just about over jetlag it is time to chill and recoup after my wonderful, much needed holiday and extended trip to America and the ACC National. Going anywhere is always full of anticipation and excitement, reuniting with many friends in America and from other countries. It was nice to visit kennels and see different dogs, doing assessments and of course mentoring. Hospitality as always was warm and wonderful. There is nothing better than spending time with open minded people who have their own opinions within the breed.
I would recommend to anyone seriously interested in Chesapeakes to visit The National. I have been going every 2-3 years for almost 40 years. It is the event you will see the most Chesapeakes at over a week long course of events. Familiarise yourself with the showing and other activities before you go. Book early – its always an advantage to stay at the host venue.
You will see many dogs, some you will like and some you may not like. Chesapeakes are not a cookie cutter breed. Most exhibitors will bring their best dogs, to see a better picture of their dogs and to see more dogs you really need to travel far and wide. I have done three big trips, travelling from one side of America to another, up and down, giving me the opportunity to visit far more kennels, both show and field trial, shows, working events and training days seeing thousands of Chesapeakes. Don’t say it’s too far – this year there was a lady who flew from Japan, 3 from the UK, 2 from Switzerland, 1 who drove 55 hours from Columbia and Lynda Barbar-Wiltse (former president) who drove 5 ½ days each way from Anchorage in Alaska. It was interesting speaking with Lynda who also gave me loads of information on the US governments new regulations on dogs entering the country. Lynda said it was a real pain coming from America through Canada and then back into mainland America with 5 dogs. Her oldest dog, who had been rabies vaccinated several times from being a puppy, had to be re microchipped as his present chip was not acceptable and then rabies vaccinated yet again. Thankfully everyone returned home safely.
Being able to attend so many Nationals and kennels and receive the ACC Bulletin every 2 months I have always been able to keep on top of bloodlines, dogs, wins, working and health problems. I have seen almost everything, big and small and every colour in the standard. I am often asked about colour. I think the most memorable were not the BOB winners but were the field trial dogs where coat and colour are not a priority. Also the dogs no one wanted you to see – the golden sedge with deadgrass (white) hound markings; the ash/sedge brindle; the dog with colour but almost no coat, then the sweetest dog of all the long coat, ash, dwarf. So when you think breeding A to B is going to give you C think again.
Of course, if you are serious about breeding everyone truly interested should also go to at least 1 ACC Field Trial National. Many of the pedigrees behind our dogs will include field trial dogs, a photograph of this dog and a list of its achievements will only tell you part of the story. There are many people in the UK who work their Chesapeakes and just as many who talk about working them. Most people only see the dogs in front of them, having no knowledge about the dogs further back in the pedigree. I therefore cannot recommend attending a FT National enough. The first multi kennel visit I made included a trip to California to stay with Les and Nancy Lowenthal of the Berteleda Chesapeakes, where we spent a week up in Taho with several of the FT committee training their dogs. I was agog with the tests, the distances, the angles, the equipment, in fact everything. None of which came anywhere near UK training.
Way back when American field trials first started they were run just like trials in the UK, but as time rolled on I remember reading “they progressed”. Where we run 1-2 day stakes, 12-24 dogs selected at random in a draw and all run on reared and released game or wild game. In American trials any number can enter to run, with a starting card of over 100 dogs. They do not run drives or walk ups but series. Each series will have a set of retrieves, shorter distances for puppies and novice, but for the older dogs can be run over long distances and obstacles. Dogs that fail do not move forward to the next series until several series later it is whittles down to the winners. All live game is brought to the trial in crates, all live birds are thrown up at the distance required where two guns will shoot the birds. I got to see many remarkable Chesapeakes of outstanding ability run and do well. Watching 1 deadgrass bitch set off running through sedge bush for 50 metres, down a 2 metre bank, across a dry river bed, up the bank on the other side out another 150 metres in a dead straight line. This was one of a triple, all executed to perfection. One professional handler/trainer I knew and who obviously thought very little of the way we assess dogs in the UK asked me what I thought of the dog. I replead “truly amazing”, although had I been trained with an electric collar around my neck I would have probably run faster!
We don’t have many breed specialists judge. Kirsty Watts Oakmarsh was awarding CCs for the second time. I felt I should support and venture once again up the dreaded M1 A1 to the lovely Ripon Racecourse for Darlington. Sadly this year another low entry of under 20, with 2 absent 17 dogs were present, 9d 8b. Of those entered 7 (1a) were veterans, there were 2 entries (1a) from overseas when Mary Murray came from Eira. All of those who entered were the ones that most often support the breed. BOB & DCC Hayes’ Tideflight Floki, winning his third CC, by Penrose Marsh Gunner x Oakmarsh Faithful of Tideflight; RDCC & BP Morris’ Penrose Visual Impact; BCC Coppin & Davies-Jones’ Dallandor Jocasta; RBCC Morris’ Penrose I Dream A Dream; BV Griffin-Woods’ CH Migwell Soloman’s Puzzle (AI).
I have always printed the breeding of any dog or bitch when they win their first and third CCs, I omitted to put in the results of Richmond last week that Mahon-Hunns, Middleton & Heskin’s dog handled by James Newton Susqudilla Bergelle Big Apple (imp USA) was by AM CH Susqudilla’s Dark Shadows x AM CH Sedgeblac’s Smokin’ Sweet Tea.
Lastly, a big thank you to everyone who has been sending me photos and stories from the start of the season, well done and even better retrieving.
Janet Morris
01873 880271
penrosechesapeakes@gmail.com