Sam completed his first Novice Field Trial without any disasters to avoid elimination and I was pleased, but he had no game to point and retrieve.
I arrived back late to let Diana have the house to herself for her sister-in-law and cousins and dropped in to see Wiggly who was still in need of support over her present problems.
This was the most significant day so far for Sam's working career for I had entered him in his first Novice Field Trial and I was not sure that he was really ready.
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At worst, if he was not up to it, he would run in and disturb game, make a commotion and embarrass everybody. At best he could show his skill and promise and actually win an award.
However, I had set more modest criteria for success, which was to survive the day without any disasters and avoid elimination and I was pleased to see that he did.
There were eliminations; one bitch just would not leave her mistress's side and hunt, another crunched a bird on a retrieve and a third "pegged" or caught and killed a bird whilst hunting but Sam avoided all of these pitfalls at least.
His worst behaviour was to continue his growling at other dogs but fortunately, they were all well trained in this respect and did not retaliate so that I managed to keep him out of trouble.
This despite being bundled into a game truck with seven other dogs and handlers in close proximity! He also whined more than any others, particularly at the series of gunshots and falling birds that he was not allowed to retrieve, but I controlled this as well I could and avoided it spoiling the sport of others.
In his favour, he hunted some thick cover in the first session and then open sugar beet but did not find a bird to point. In his defence, the wind was all wrong for him the first time and he was hard up against a pen of young flapping pheasants downwind; and then the second time, he found a pair of pheasant poults but they ran out the back of the hedge and back to their pen to deny him glory!
He therefore did not get to make a land or water retrieve and we kicked our heels for the afternoon. There were three Certificate of Merits awarded and a Second and Third place, but nobody was declared a winner due to some scrappy work. I found the day a learning exercise and was satisfied with the result.
In particular, the way in which the hedgerows and small waste pieces of land were concentrated on was a revelation for me. I saw nothing to be afraid of as their use of the wind was poor and the retrieving was a struggle for the dogs concerned.
I ate a packed lunch and then drove home, with my reason for getting back late given as eating on the way to let Diana have the house to herself for her sister-in-law and cousins. In fact, I dropped in to see Wiggly who was still in need of support over her present problems.