Eric Begbie reports:
The 2010 CLA Game Fair at Ragley Hall
in Warwickshire must rank as one of the best yet. The site was more
compact than some others have been and this made getting a handle on
the layout a bit easier.
For once, the weather was just right.
Dry but with variable cloud, meaning that it did not get too hot.
For those who bring their dogs to the Fair, that is a very important
consideration.
The main gundog events were, of
course, the Euro Challenge and the Home International and results of
these are at the end of this report. But, for most Fair-goers the
real attractions are the various informal competitions, scurries and
have-a-go events. In this respect, a very fine variety of gundog
events was organised by the British Association for Shooting and
Conservation (BASC) - photo above - and it is good to see Britain's
largest and most popular shooting organisation actively promoting
gundog work in this way.
The dog event to draw the largest
crowds of spectators seemed to be the "drag racing" aimed, one
assumes, at lurchers and terriers. The competitors had to chase a
"hairy rag" around a course with many twists and turns, providing a
very amusing spectacle for the watching crowds. What was, perhaps,
surprising was the number of gundog breeds that were allowed to
compete. Labradors and spaniels are rarely encouraged to chase fur
and one or two of them, on finally catching the "quarry", clearly
did not know whether to expect praise or a reprimand!
Main Gundog Results
The Sporting Saint Euro Challenge:
1st - Great Britain - 349 points
2nd - Netherlands - 340 points
3rd - Switzerland - 334 points
The Gundog International:
1st - England - 1421 points
2nd - Scotland - 1419 points
3rd - Ireland - 1336 points
4th - Wales - 1292 points
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