Lüne Cup

October 2nd 2005

We slept nicely after a wet and enjoyed day and after a good meal in good company.
It was with absolute relief to see that the sun was bright and the sky blue between every possible horizon.

Team event
In my opinion the judges made up team tests as they should be. As a team we could pick the retrieve for each dog that might suit best. This is also how the dog people work when picking up; as a team and as quick and efficient as possible.

I was third choice to make up the team by Annette Bürse-Hanning with Taviscara Abila (Payden) and Meike Leferink with Edda Enegie vom Hoofesaat. Being left alone by their teammate, I felt sorry for them and offered a chance for picking up, which of course turned up a week before. That’s life; I hate unreliability from others, so I couldn’t change my mind. In our circles we could say that “swapping” is forbidden.
We enjoyed lovely tests:

Test 1 – Tony Parnell (UK)
We were in an open forested area. Close to us from the right a mark is thrown in the middle. First a far blind in the left, than the middle and then at the right, deep through the throwing line another blind. Payden worked the left blind with just a bit more assistance as one would like. Next Edda searched too long at the marked short retrieve and finally Frodo got a good line, out for the far blind. He went nicely and I was lucky (?) that he got scent straight away.
Mr Parnell rewarded us generously with 18 – 16 – 19 points (all points in the order of Payden – Edda – Frodo).

Test 2 – John Greeves (UK)
Mr Greeves was in the same testing situation, as he was yesterday. Today the distance was just a bit shorter. One mark was thrown short, on the left in the meadow where we stood. Three more marks fell in the rough behind the solid horse jumps. We reckoned that Edda might go for the far mark, so Payden was sent first for the shorter one in the meadow. That needed a few corrections, since the last three were very tempting, wide and far, but it came in nicely. Next Edda was sent far and she took off very well, but missed the scent of the one she was after, but searched the area well with a bit of help and came back with the most far mark. So I knew I had to keep Frodo close behind the jumps, a thing easier said that done since he was mostly out of sight. Again he drew to the forest at the left, but listened well and searched well. Just a bit too much help was needed to my liking, but never the less the points given were 16 – 14 – 20.

Test 3 – Heike Klieber (AUS)
She was also on the same peg as the day before. Next to water with obstacles for horse drawn carriages, we got three marks. One on the grass beyond the island and all the water, then one right in the middle on top of the island and the last one was thrown way to the right beyond an area of some 50m of dense low cover further in the meadow. This was the order of falling and the choice of picking up was free (as far as I can remember). Edda picked the one on the island, next Payden had to pass there and get on; she needed just that bit of help. And Frodo showed he had well remembered the one beyond the thick cover, but yet needed an extra “out” to go deep enough. When you have to give a strong “out” it is dreadful when you hear your own voice so loud. But one well-timed yell can mean the least of total disturbance otherwise. I hate noisy handling, but sometimes you need to give that extra push.
So we ended here with 18 – 19 – 18 points.

Tets 4 – Jürgen Laux (D)
We’re in old open woodland and do a little walk-up, when a shot halts us and a mark falls at the left in open wood. Then immediately another shot is given to an unseen blind in the thicker wood just in front of us; another blind is away to the right behind a big log.
Payden is being sent for the blind in the middle and Edda on the mark at the left. After that I sent Frodo to the right side of the log – which provides a good line – where I stop him just after the log, and from where I let him search to the left. He gets scent immediately as could be expected and so this was the safes way to secure a fast delivery. We score 20 – 20 – 20 points.

Test 5 – Uwe Wagner (D)
Today mr Wagner has his peg in an other water obstacle for horse drawn carriages. Here is a pond in the middle with an island in the center. The first dummy is shot deep into the far right of the pond, behind the little island, in the water. The second dummy is shot far on the left bank and a blind lies way at the other side of the arena, behind the water area, up the bank and further out near the trees.
We’re free to choose who’s to work on what and in what order. That is how pickers up divide tasks at a day’s shooting, and it now shows the judge whether handlers can make a sensible decision. The dog work will prove that too.
Edda is in the middle and is sent first to the second mark on the left bank. But somehow she’s confused and pulls to the water. Our toes curl! She goes deep enough though and before she heads off right to the wrong dummy, she’s being stopped and sent left onto the bank. There she struggles a bit to find the mark. Not really what we dreamed of, but these things can happen. Next Payden is sent for the far mark in the water behind the island and makes a neat job of it.
Being last again I shift my dog to the left, since the straight way to the dummy is blocked by horse jumps. I could send my dog either left around the water or – as I choose – straight and so through all the water with its obstacles. I trust my dog to take the line properly, which he does but he hesitates on the other side. So I send him deeper and he goes so nicely deep that he passes the dummy, but gets no scent. That tells me how the wind is there. Trying to handle Frodo, he disappears out of sight and reports himself a moment later at the edge of the water in a small niche between cover and a horse jump, cooling the helper’s tea with his tail, but paying attention to my instructions. Running deep out again he catches the dummy straight nicely and races home. This results in 20 – 14 – 17 points

The tests are quick and fair and in this beautiful weather and countryside we manage to get done with the five tests by one o’clock. Before three we assemble at the grandstand and learn how we have done compared with the competitors.

For full results see http://www.luenecup.de/start.htm.

Us? We ended at the 3td place with 269/300 points.

I’d like to thank my teammates, judges, helpers and the organization.