Championship Working Trial 6th-13th January 2008

Trial Manager's Report

This was Midlands Border Collie Club's first Championship Working Trial. Who would have thought that we would be doing this seven years ago when we ran our first Open Trial with a tracking stake. We held a Utility Dog (UD) and a Companion Dog (CD) Stake at that trial. This Open Trial followed on from the enthusiasm shown by Barbara Swann in promoting the working abilities of the Border Collie and running an Open CD Working Trial for a number of years.

We have to thank so many wonderful people in the Working Trials world who have helped us over the past seven years at our trials and also of course the Officers and Committee of the Club for supporting us in our endeavours. Club members have come along to help each year even though they did not know anything about Working Trials.

My thanks to everyone who helped at our trial in whatever capacity, it would not have happened without you. My thanks go especially to Anne Fowler for arranging all the tracking and TD Control land, not just once but twice this year as we lost all our TD tracking land three weeks before the trial when 1000 sheep were moved onto the land. Also, thanks to Anne for the encouragement when things did not always look good. Thanks to the TD tracklayers, some who travelled from long distances to come and help: Len Newman (Sun 6th to Wed), Andrea Lynnd (Sun 6th - Fri), Andy Magyar (Sun 6th & Thurs - Sat. Andy also came Sun 13th in case we needed run-off tracks), Lynne Baker (Thurs - Sat) and Roger Shrimpton who track laid Mon & Tues at very short notice when Ann Bedford went down with the dreaded flu a couple of days before the trial. Thanks to the UD track layers: John Weselby, Dave Marchant, John Atkins, Jim Sewell and Linda Newbold.

Thanks to the club members who rallied round with help at the base, and doing an excellent job on escort duties, the ladies competently manning the table throughout the week: Voirrey Paesler both Sundays and Tuesday, Rita Shields Mon & Wed (helped me peg out the UD fields Tuesday) and Jan Sewell Fri/Sat. Special mention for Dave and Julie Skipp in the kitchen all week. They did a great job and organised the food and drinks to the fields every day without a hitch and took my banter in good spirits (I hope!). Thanks to the judges Moira, Jean and Jacqui. Thanks to the stewards, Jacqui TD squares Sun - Thurs, Gail Cartwright Fri & Sat, Linda Newbold C&A final Sunday. Peter stewarded for Jean all three UD days and John Wykes was CD steward Fri & Sat. Everybody was fantastic and without people like you there would be no Working Trials. Finally, thanks to the competitors who entered and made our first Ch. Working Trial a success. We hope you enjoyed your time with us.

The weather over the week was mixed. We had just about everything, high winds, rain and some sunshine. Mostly it was blustery and overcast. Tracking was on well-grazed pasture.

Barrie James ~ Trials Manager