Several teams ventured out for Club and Bronze Trials on a freezing evening with snow on the ground. It was very much a case of ‘do your trial and run’ as there was nowhere to shelter other than the back of Nicky’s van!
The venue was a small training facility set in an industrial estate and containing lots of distractions. The area was halved to accommodate both Club and Bronze.
Club area was largely a perimeter search with table and chairs in the middle with boxes stored underneath. Lots of chairs around the walls.
The hide was at the bottom of a wooden box type structure built around a water pipe and stopcock. Approx 6 inches off the ground.
Some less experienced teams fell foul of searching items and there were a couple of wrong alerts on boxes. However, all found the hide successfully with some working it in nicely from the adjoining chair.
Bronze area was an ante room with direct access to the outside with a small office/kitchen and small toilet/sluice directly off. Plenty of room to work the ante room but the other rooms were tight. There was also a small cupboard with hoover/brushes etc. The door to this was left open.
The hides were on door seam of a tall cupboard in the toilet/sluice area and on the hem of a long coat hanging on the back of the office door.
As this type of searching is relatively new in NI, some teams were a little overwhelmed by the area. Both hides were found although no one team found both of them. The coat was largely ignored by most teams even though it was immediately facing the start. One team worked it in beautifully from around the door which was lovely to watch.
The hide in the cupboard was found by almost everyone although those that allowed their dogs to ‘skim’ the area had to revisit. Anyone working exclusively on a line found it impossible not to crowd and thereby overhandle their dog and again some teams got very hung up on specific items.
Well done to all who took part!
Results
Club
1st Antoinette Traynor and Buddy 85
2nd Peter Crozier and Bonnie 81
3rd Nicky Rodgers and Kaboo 76
4th Liz Mitchell and Max 61
Club Diamond
1st Lynda Crozier and Jack 83
2nd Janine Brownlees and Jojo 60
Bronze
1st Janine Brownlees and Duster 65
2nd Antoinette Traynor and Tiggie 62
3rd Nicky Rodgers and Kaboo 54
4thLiz Mitchell and Holly 50
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