| SIWSC Field Trial featured in Sporting Shooter Magazine | Posted: Mon 01 February 2010 - 05:24 PM |
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The Club's historic Field Trial in December was the subject of an article by Nick Ridley in the March 2010 issue of Sporting Shooter magazine, which is in good newsagents now. As Nick is the UK's foremost canine photographer, as well as the Sporting Shooter's gundog editor there is no surprise that the article was accompanied by some great photos. This is the second time in just over two years that Nick has published articles relating to the SIWSC and Irish Water Spaniels. In the January 2008 issue he published a nice article on a team of four IWS on picking up duty at Chillington Hall, near Wolverhampton.
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| 2009 Registration Statistics | Posted: Mon 01 February 2010 - 05:18 PM |
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The new registrations' statistics for 2009 have been compiled by the Kennel Club and for the Irish Water Spaniel, new registrations are up 30% on the 2008 registrations. In 2009, 131 new registrations were recorded against 101 in 2008. This is the 14th highest set of figures since records began in 1880 and bucks the trend for pedigree dog registrations in 2009. Overall, total registrations were 244,461, down 10% on 2008's 271,719. The gundog group suffered falls of 9.4%, down from 104,757 registrations in 2008 to 94,894 in 2009. |
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| FIELD SPANIEL SOCIETY HEALTH TESTING DAY (Open to all breeds) | Posted: Thu 28 January 2010 - 07:43 PM |
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The Field Spaniel Society is again holding its annual health testing day where dogs can be health tested for various conditions and semen samples can be taken for testing and storage. Great Alne & Kinwarton Memorial Hall, Alcester, Warks 7th February 2010 FULL DETAILS HERE |
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| SIWSC Field Trial | Posted: Tue 12 January 2010 - 06:04 PM |
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The trial, held with the very generous permission of IWS owners John and Crescent Giffard, included two Irish Water Spaniels, father and son Paddy (Radicott Waterbug) and Doyle (Kirkmarsh Mr Doyle of Hiberna) handled by Dave Gresty and Ian Probert respectively. Paddy, at nine and a half years and in his first ever Field Trial, was by far the oldest competitor, but certainly didn’t let his age show. Two of the Judges, Terry Dukes and Ged Leeson had, along with a number of other Kennel Club panel Judges, provided considerable support for The Club in its application to hold Field Trials after seeing the organisation of The Club at close quarters. Consequently the Club was delighted that they accepted an invitation to judge the trial. The Club would also like to thank Mr John Giffard and his team of guns together with the Steward of the beat, Geoff Powell and his team of beaters. Finally, we wish to say a big thank you to the competitors and Judges, who braved freezing conditions to ensure the success of the first Field Trial held by the modern Sporting Irish Water Spaniel Club. For the history buffs among you the original SIWSC held three successive trials in each of the years 1908-1910 on land owned by Mr Percy St Gerrans, a London Lawyer, near Mildenhall in The winner of the first trial (with only 4 entries) was The Club’s President, Lady Dunleath, with her IWS dog, Ballywalter Avic. Lady Dunleath’s great grandson, the current Lord Dunleath, Brian Mulholland and Patron of the modern SIWSC sent his best wishes to the Club for the success of the Field Trial.
Bill Williams receiving his COM from John Giffard, left, and the award winners with the Judges.
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| Field Trial Successes in France | Posted: Mon 11 January 2010 - 03:27 PM |
| Club members Michael Roeterdink and Martyn Ford have had some success in French Field Trials, running their IWS as Spaniels, rather than as Retrievers. Between 13th and 15th November 2009, The Société Canine de la Gironde held 3 days of Field Trials for spaniels at Marcheprime, just south of Bordeaux . Michael, running his home bred Green Socks Touch and Go (Kenzie) came first in a minor breeds trial and third in an AV trial. He also ran his home bred Green Socks Summer Queen (Liffey) and came 1st in a minor breeds and 5th in an AV trial. Liffey also won the Chausseur de Tollenbeek Trophy presented to the most successful minor breed dog over the 3 days. Meanwhile, Martyn, running his home bred Cuboglach Speckled Beauty (Speck) obtained a 3rd, 5th and 6th in AV trials. Although the level does not equate to UK Spaniel Field Trials, for example, some of the trials are what we would call cold game working tests and dogs are run individually, rather than in pairs, it is good to see IWS doing well in Field Competitions and so congratulations go to Michael and Martyn. The most successful Field Trialler of IWS of all time remains Club member Mr Eddie Lennon who made up two Irish Field Trial Champions in the 1980s and qualified 3 IWS for the Irish Retriever Championship in the same year. | |
| Membership renewals by standing order | Posted: Tue 15 December 2009 - 12:57 PM |
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For those of you wishing to renew your membership by standing order please be aware that the standing order mandate form needs to be sent to your bank, not to the Club's membership coordinator. Alternatively,if you use internet banking, the standing order mandate can be set up online. In both cases the bank details are shown on the mandate form sent out with the Christmas newsletter and please remember to include your surname and postcode in the reference field. Please note: membership renewals are due by 1st January 2010 |
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| Coventry & District Gundog Society Cold Game test | Posted: Mon 14 September 2009 - 08:37 AM |
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Today in Coventry & District Gundog Society's any variety, all aged open cold game working test, IWS Kirkmarsh Mr Doyle of Hiberna (Doyle) came second out of a field of 26 dogs.
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| August Bank Holiday Training weekend | Posted: Tue 08 September 2009 - 08:11 AM |
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A lovely weekend was had by the more than 30 people who attended the Club's training weekend on 29 and 30 August. This was generously arranged by John and Di Rolfe.
John and Di's back garden on the Saturday evening. |
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| CLA Gamefair 2009 | Posted: Thu 27 August 2009 - 12:46 PM |
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Once again the SIWSC was at the CLA gamefair at magnificent Belvoir Castle in July and once again we did a demonstration on each of the three days in the working gundog ring.
11 months old Ciara (Fendrake Meagan's Girl) being walked to heel as part of the demonstration. |
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| Chillington Hall Weekend | Posted: Thu 27 August 2009 - 12:34 PM |
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There was another successful weekend of gun dog working tests at Chillington Hall in July, courtesy of Club members, John & Crescent Giffard.
Spancilhill Kate at Kirkmarsh (Katie) in the 6-12 months puppy class in the water test. |
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