Can’t say I’m too sad that the show season is finally over and that the shooting season now beckons. It’s sometimes easy to lose sight of the fact that the reason I have gundogs is to take them shooting, not to put on displays of tricks and manoeuvres that you’d never see anywhere else but in a show arena!
All in all, I’m really happy with the way the show season has gone. Yes, there have been a few hiccups along the way, but these have been overshadowed by shows that I will always remember with pride: Thornton, Buckham and Wessex to name but 3. And I’ve already received enquiries for some really big shows for 2018, including for the Royal Bath & West. We’re still mulling next year’s plan over ….
I’m so lucky to have such talented dogs but even more fortunate to have a team around me who help set everything up, perform in the ring with me, field the public’s questions and then spend a couple of hours dismantling all the gear in rain and shine. Special mention has to go to Kim Swain who has not only performed brilliantly with her dogs but also been a tireless supporter together with husband Alan and their delightful, well-mannered and ever helpful son, Max. And none of all this could have been done without the steadfast support and patience of my AB! Thank you to all of you.
Now it’s time to put the PA systems away, roll up the gazebo and store the dummy launcher and bolting rabbit for another year. It’s time to switch the girls off being Prima Ballerinas in the ring to being efficient working dogs in the shooting field again, an environment that both they and I prefer.
Now where did I store that game carrier, the priest and all my radios …..?