Over the moon
Qualifying for the championship, whatever the breed of gundog, must be the aspiration for so many handlers, certainly for those of us who work and compete with our dogs for the sheer enjoyment of the chase rather than the potential financial gain. Not only does it demonstrate we have achieved a great working partnership with our dog, but it also takes us to some amazing venues that we might otherwise never experience.
I had the good fortune to qualify for the 2020 Any Variety Spaniel (except cocker) Championship with my four-year-old English springer bitch Bucklawren Luna of Stockingford – an unusual name, which she acquired by being born on 28 March 2015, the date of the last lunar eclipse. We gained our qualification at the Hampshire Gundog Society’s open stake held at the Honiley Estate, Warwickshire, in November last year.
It is always a great thrill to win a field trial, but it wasn’t until late December, when the running order landed in my inbox, that I
