Weimaraners in Field Trials: Season Summary 2017/18:

Hunting Weimaraner Introduction:

The Hunting Weimaraner maintains a database of UK Field Trial Awards for Weimaraners and their handlers, originally compiled in 2012 from a variety of historical sources, and updated each field trial season since then from ongoing field trial results.

Season and all-time rankings are then calculated for dogs and handlers based on a weighted points allocation determined by the place in the awards and the stake at which the awards were earned. These tables are known as the WATFA tables, (Weimaraner All-Time Field Award tables).

The WATFA tables, and the database from which they are derived make it possible to compare the relative achievements of Weimaraners and their handlers in field trials, over the years, and each season. Other field awards, such as those earned at Gundog Working Tests and Pointing Tests do not feature in the Hunting Weimaraner database, although the various Weimaraner breed clubs will make annual awards based on results in all three field disciplines.

HPR field trials can be held on game in the UK from the 12th August to 1st February following, inclusive. These dates which are aligned to the UK shooting season. The collection of data concerning Weimaraners running in field trials in any season relies on the goodwill of owner/handlers and other HPR enthusiasts sending notice of the participation of Weimaraners, and of awards, to the writer. There are other, ad hoc sources, but no publicly available central repository of field trial runners and handlers. Errors and omissions are possible and the writer would be pleased to receive notices of such to allow any corrections to be made.

Field Trial Season 2017/18:

Thirteen handlers ran 15 dogs, with 4 dogs featuring in the awards to 3 handlers. In total 11 awards were made which is fewer than the tally of 17 awards from five dogs and three handlers in the 2016/17 season.

The breed highlight of the 2017/18 season was the outstanding performance of Trubon Flysse Trevive (b) (b 11/04/2011) handled by breeder-owner Suzi Burton. Flysse was placed 1st in the NoSGA Open field trial at the Altyre Estate, Forres, Scotland on 06/11/2017 by judges Fred Alcock, and Mrs Irmgard Alcock.

That first place in Open gave her “a leg up” to becoming a field trial champion, which could be secured by attaining a second 1st place in Open.

Trubon Flysse Trevive:

In the weeks preceding her 1st place in Open, Flysse had taken a 4th place in the N&SHPRFTC Open at Great Bentley on 25/10/2017 under judges Phil Pearson and Penny Pickstone. Then on 30/10/2017 Flysse earned a 2nd place at the HVS Open trial at Apley Park, Shropshire under judges Peter Bakewell and Annie Jones. This 2nd place qualified Flysse for the HPR Championship to be held in November 2017. Her fourth award was a 3rd place at the HVC Open trial at Hawkhurst, Kent, on 28/11/2017, under judges Eddie Hales and Larry Wilks. Her fifth and final field trial award of the season was a 4th place at the HVS Open trial at Kingham, Oxfordshire, on 16/01/2018, under judges Steve Kimberley and Mrs Irmgard Alcock.

Trubon Flysse Trevive gained her first ever field trial award with a Certificate of Merit at a Weimaraner Association Novice stake at Flitwick, Bedfordshire under judges Rita Dockwray and Annie Jones on 26/10/2012. Winning a further two awards in that season.

There were 7 awards earned in 2013/14, including a Novice 1st place at a Dukeries (Notts) trial at Blenheim Estate on 13/12/2013 judged by Tony Russell and Paul Smith. The following season Flysse secured a 4th at a WCGB All Aged stake at Glassenbury under judges Rita Dockwray and Steve Robson.

Flysse secured three awards in the 2015/16 season with her highest award being a 4th place in the WCGB All Aged stake at Wispington under judges Graham Nixon and Larry Wilks. Flysse won 7 awards in the 2016/17 season, with four in All Aged, including a 1st and a 2nd, and three in Open (a 4th and two CoMs).

With her performance in the 2017/18 season, Flysse won recognition as the Hunting Weimaraner of the Year. A feat she also accomplished in 2016/17, 2015/16 and 2013/14. Flysse is also positioned as the second highest ranking Weimaraner in the All Time Field Awards table, and breeder/owner/handler Suzi Burton’s most accomplished Weimaraner in her sporting kennel.

Trubon Flysse Trevive’s career tally to date is 26 awards, and this bitch has become the most awarded Weimaraner in UK field trialling history, surpassing the previous title holder, FT Ch Wobrooke of Fleetapple (d) (b 17/11/1979) which had achieved 23 field trial awards. Flysse has 10 awards in Open, against 9 for FT Ch Wobrooke of Fleetapple.

Field Trial Season 2017/18 Awards:

Although the field trial season gets underway on grouse from the 12th August, it only begins to gather momentum from 1st October which marks the start of the pheasant shooting season. There will be some early trials on partridge in September, but the volume of trials only begins to quicken when pheasant shooting grounds become available in October.

The season’s first award to a Weimaraner went to Burton’s Trubon Grafyte Treve (d) (b 13/09/2014) when he secured a CoM at the LMC Novice trial at Evesham from judges J Field and L Wilks on 11/10/2017. Graf soon earned another award, again a CoM, a week later at the WA Novice trial at Little Pix Hall, Kent on 17/10/2017 under judges Mrs I Alcock and A Morgan.

In October, Burton’s Trubon Flysse Trevive was placed 4th and then 2nd in Open trials as discussed above.

Then on 31/10/2017 Burton’s Trubon Grafyte Treve earned a Novice 4th place in the HGS trial at Cornhill on Tweed under judges F Alcock and G Saint, making it 5 awards to Trubon dogs during October 2017.

The Trubon award sequence was interrupted in November 2017 when Parhelis Irulan (b) (b 07/06/2015) earned a Novice 1st place on 03/11/2017 at the GSPC trial at Ford, Northumberland under judges S Allerton and S Robson.

Just a few days later the Trubon sequence restarted with Flysse’s 1st place in the NoSGA Open trial at Altyre Estate, Forres on 06/11/2017 under judges F and I Alcock. Following up on the 28th with the Open 3rd place for Flysse at the HVC trial at Hawkhurst under judges E Hales and L Wilks.

Trubon Grafyte Treve brought home the 8th trial award of the season to the Trubon kennel on 08/01/2018 with a 3rd place in the B&WWGS Novice trial at Ammerdown under judges F Alcock and R Davies.

Then on 16/01/2018 Trubon Flysse Trevive secured her 5th Open trial award of the season with a 4th place at the HVS trial at Kingham, Oxfordshire under judges S Kimberley and Mrs I Alcock.

Bakker’s Ostara Van De Tuindershof (b) (b 23/09/2008) won a 1st place at the HVC All Aged trial at Over Worton on 01/02/2018 under judges M Nixon and G Pillinger.

By season’s end 15 dogs had competed under 13 handlers, with 4 dogs under 3 handlers earning 11 awards. Each of these three dogs winning a first place in a trial.

Trubon Flysse Trevive was confirmed by the records as the “FT Hunting Weimaraner” of the 2017/18 season, and her handler, Suzi Burton as “FT Hunting Weimaraner Handler”. This pairing was the same as in the previous season.

The 2017/18 awards can be summarized as follows:

Weimaraner All-Time Field Awards Tables:

Dogs:

The 136 points earned over the 2017/18 season by Trubon Flysse Trevive consolidated her position at 2nd in the WATFA table for dog on 512 points. With a career tally of 26 awards to date, she became the most awarded Weimaraner in UK field trialling history, surpassing the previous title holder, FT Ch Wobrooke of Fleetapple which had achieved 23 field trial awards.

The 48 points earned in the season by Trubon Grafyte Treve elevated the dog into the top 20 at 19th place from 33rd in the WATFA table for dogs.

The All Aged FT win by Ostara Van De Tuindershof earned her 40 points and places the dog at 7th in the 2nd tier of the WATFA table for dogs on a total of 85 points.

The 25 points from the Novice field trial win puts Parhelis Irulan (b) at 65th position in the WATFA table for dogs, and 5th in the 4th tier.

Graf’s elevation into the top 20 of the WATFA table for dogs caused two dogs who were joint 20th before the start of the season to be displaced into the 2nd tier. They were Mrs J Turner’s Czolkins Platinum Cirrus (d), and Mrs D Shall’s Wyndlee Silver Candy (b) who remain on 95 points each.

Czolkins Platinum Cirrus was Hunting Weimaraner of the Year for the 1982/83 season per our records, and runner-up the preceding season. The dog won two firsts in Novice trials before the rule change which previously required two Novice firsts to win out into Open. The dog was also placed 2nd, and 3rd in Novice trials and also earned a CoM.

Wyndlee Silver Candy won 7 field trial awards with a 2nd, three 3rd places, and three CoMs between 1988 and 1995.

Handlers:

The 184 points earned by handler Suzi Burton’s two dogs strengthened her leadership of the WATFA table for handlers with a lifetime to date tally of 1,552 points.

Ostara Van De Tuindershof’s 40 points from her All Aged win elevated handler Kimm Bakker to 22nd in the handlers table, from 32nd place previously.

Handler Adrian Morgan’s Novice 1st win with Parhelis Irulan puts Adrian at 27th in the WATFA table for handlers.

* Disclaimer: The results and other statistics cited in this article are based on information received in good faith and is published subject to E&OE.

Nigel Wroe
03/10/2018

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