Retrieving a fine event

FINDING SUITABLE ground for the HPR Championship is far from easy. To be tested satisfactorily, the continental breeds require plenty of open ground, varied terrain and, ideally, a variety of quarry species.

To appraise a working HPR, judges need to see the dog range and hunt, so you don’t want too plentiful a supply of game. However, you do want sufficient numbers for most of the competitors to be given the chance to both point and retrieve.

In recent years, the Swinton Park Estate, near Ripon, has provided