National Closed Season Pointer & Setter Field Trial Circuit
4-7 June 2010

The Western Australian Closed Season (CS) Field Trial Circuit kicked off on Friday June 4 and continued until Monday June 7. Four trials in four days - a trialler’s nirvana! Once again, those in charge did a great job, providing excellent paddocks in the Western Australian grain belt, with vast paddocks that seemed to stretch on forever. The infrastructure for the event all worked smoothly, with competitors coming from South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.

The opening event was the Bob Dean Memorial and was well won by Henry Foster’s pointer dog Field Champion and Field Champion (CS) Koram Kris at Innistona (Imp Ire) - Major. A hiccup with the retrieve saw Ferrante Alvarez de Toledo’s young (10 months) English setter bitch, Runnanset Luxury Liner - Tina, unable to be awarded second, a placing she was certainly worthy of. However, she did take the Best Novice dog award.

The following day saw the CS National conducted. This was the main event of the weekend, but unfortunately, very touchy game confounded the best efforts of the dogs and handlers. The award of Best Pointer and Best Novice went to Barry Oliver’s pointer bitch Riprap Veeda. Best setter on the day went to John Kersley’s English setter bitch Skraveldalens C Chili (Imp Swd).

The Western Australian State Championship was the third event to be run and the worthy winner was the local dog, Alan Willey’s pointer bitch Field Champion (CS) Ywurrie Rani - Abbey. The final event was the Jack Pontin Memorial, won convincingly by Major once again, but this time, with Tina performing well enough to be awarded a meritorious second place.

This is the third year that the Western Australians have presented this event and they are to be congratulated, especially Alan Willey and his committee. Getting things right for one trial can be a challenge, but four in four days is something else again. All this, plus ample training opportunities for the competitors, certainly made a unique event.

by SSAA Working Gundogs National Discipline Chairperson Barry Oliver