Back to my place of birth, Brocket Park, for a Sam to put in an acceptable Novice Field Trial performance as Norwich City drew 2-2 away to Coventry.
It was an early call from my organiser at 6.30am and then I had to get up, showered, shaved and dressed so as to have breakfast and to get out.
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A short walk for Sam and then, having loaded him up, I set off for my birthplace in Hertfordshire.
It was an accident of fate that I was born at Brocket Hall after the war, but it was still an impressive fact to report to my fellow field trial competitors at Brocket Park today.
The weather was still and drizzly in the kind of conditions that gradually chill you if you are out in them all day. I did the right thing by arriving early and introducing Sam to all of the other dogs and, from starting off nervous and grumbly, he then settled down and got on well with all of the other dogs except one who was also in trouble with the rest.
He was also less whiny than in his first two field trials and so did not embarrass me during the day. As far as his runs were concerned, he was given two good chances; the first a long run in thick woodland cover where I let him run too far and kept losing touch with him.
Then a second even longer run in more open woodland where he could not find anything and had to draw a blank day. I had taken the view that, with so little wind and poor scenting conditions,
I should let Sam work things out rather than keeping him to a tidy pattern and it did not work out for me. To the briefing afterwards and then straight home in time for tea and to put a very tired Sam to sleep.
I had thought of driving on to see the Norwich match with Jim, but I listened to it on the radio instead and did not mind missing the 2-2 draw at home to Coventry.
A long chat to Jim anyway who called me and wanted to hear about the field trial. He had enjoyed his shooting day even though it was just as wet for him as well.