UK HPR Field Trials Vs European Certificates

[Alex88]

Does anybody know what the HPR Field trials in the UK include for assessing tracking and retrieving/holding fur? From what I'm reading the tests in Germany/Hungary/Slovakia etc seem far more useful for what should be versatile breeds? But presumably I'm missing something at the KC UK ones, as I can't believe we would completely neglect things that these dogs were developed for.

Is it possible to turn up at a field trial to watch? I'd love to see what is involved first hand.

Thinking ahead to my next HWV and wondering whether I need to look at a European Import. If our testing system in this country omits so much, I think the breeds may deteriorate rapidly!

 

[Siggy]

UK field trials have no tracking component- it’s just pointer trials meshed with retriever trial rules - probably an over simplifying but roughly correct.

 

[Dunwaters]

UK field trials are confined to assessing the hunting, pointing and retrieving abilities of the dogs.
There is no tracking of live or wounded game, other than game shot in the course of the trial which is almost always birds.
Going to a trial is not a problem, you will be very welcome, but dogs will be eliminated for gobbing off, chasing, not being steady to flush shot and drop hard mouth and sundry other faults.
What suits you very much depends on what you want, but go and have a look at a trial.
Schedules are on face ache and there will be a local HPR club. Go looking and there may even be one for your preferred breed.

 

[WalkedUp]

Speak to Eddie Kania, he’s a panel judge in the UK and goes to Germany frequently for trials etc. Search GSP NW group for details.

 

[Alex88]

Thank you all for your replies. Really interesting food for thought! The age you get a puppy if it's imported always puts me off. But based on this it may well be worth it. Cheers

 

[WalkedUp]

My English-born bitch is from an imported Slovakian dam that was taken to Germany to be covered by a German sire. The puppies were full continental bred, from a mating sanctioned by the breed society, but not subject to import delays etc.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I brought two Drathaar in from Germany. And went back to complete the VJP. It was an amazing experience, and the main part of the spring test was Hare tracking. I strongly recommend going to a European trial/test as well so you can really see how it should be done!!

 

[Alex88]

I would love to go over one day! My understanding is that the Drathaar club has set up an affiliated club in America? How great it would be if similar could be done in England. The kennel club have such a monopoly here.

 

[Dunwaters]

As far as I know you can import a pup once it has a passport and minimum age for that is 14 weeks.
Thats definitely not too old to bond with you.
I’d be very careful importing a continental dog, there are different lines and the lines can behave very differently, some are very fur oriented and may not suit your needs if your primary task is bird shooting. Continental dogs can also be prone to gobbing off and hard mouth, both of which will get you eliminated in a UK trial.
The Kennel club has a monopoly on dog registrations and thats not going to change anytime soon, neither is the requirement to have your dog registered either with the Kennel club or some other recognised body before you can compete in KC licensed events. If your dog is registered outside the UK you can apply for an ATC ( authorisation to compete certificate), which allows you to compete and win awards.
If you import a dog with a controlled breeding standard, the dog will be registered by the KC under the controlled breed name, and pups will be registered under their parents breed.
For example, I have a German Longhair, she trials, but has never completed the formal German assessment program. If I breed her to another KC registered Longhair dog, the pups will be registered as Longhairs without assessment.
Best of luck with your pup.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Absolutely not true? Gobbing off and hard mouthed? You must have picked the wrong breeder. They are bred from and tested over multiple generations to eliminate such faults. The reason for the time delay is so they can get a rabies shot and wait for their immunity to build up.

 

[Siggy]

Absolutely not true? Gobbing off and hard mouthed? You must have picked the wrong breeder. They are bred from and tested over multiple generations to eliminate such faults. The reason for the time delay is so they can get a rabies shot and wait for their immunity to build up.

Don't think hard mouth is a fault on the German system, so given the work with foxes and boar on the continent its sometimes a feature. Certainly some lines are more vocal than others especially if you want them to do totvebeller so sometimes you get something too vocal.

 

[Alex88]

Continental dogs can also be prone to gobbing off and hard mouth, both of which will get you eliminated in a UK trial.

Important to some I don't doubt, but isn't this another example of how English culture and the English dog system is expecting these great breeds to morph into a Labrador or spaniel??! HPRs should have more drive and be less robotic than a Labrador, and breeding and training them to be anything different to their original nature, is bound to change the breed very quickly.

 

[Dunwaters]

Important to some I don't doubt, but isn't this another example of how English culture and the English dog system is expecting these great breeds to morph into a Labrador or spaniel??! HPRs should have more drive and be less robotic than a Labrador, and breeding and training them to be anything different to their original nature, is bound to change the breed very quickly.

Do you really want a dog that enthusiastically courses down the neighbours cat and murders it in public while barking and whimpering with excitement?
A continental judge or handler would be thrilled to have such a paragon display its skill and drive.
I wouldn’t.
HPR’s are supposed to be versatile, and they are, but choose carefully.
A dog trained to hunt birds might be a bad choice as a deer tracker and vice versa.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I remember an old hand saying to me, “Theres not very many bad dogs, just a lot of very bad owners “

 

[jimmy milnes]

I remember an old hand saying to me, “Theres not very many bad dogs, just a lot of very bad owners “

And bad breeders.

 

[jimmy milnes]

A lot of uk dogs that get dragged around the uk tial circuit shouldn't waste the diesel in the vehicle.

Trust me I've seen munchers

I've seen dogs that the owner has to practically cover the field as the dogs no 2nd gear, dogs that won't flush, dogs that the owner has to dive at before the dog spits the retrieve. All in uk trials.

If I remember correctly several years ago the uk FT circuit got investigated by the KC for being somewhat wrong with its conducting of trials, I'll say no more.



Don't get hung up on EU lines as there's just as much dross and bad blood over there as here so do ya homework and then wait for the right dog once you've found your breeder as good breeders don't spew out pups willy nilly, they'll more than likely wait till they need one themselves to run on.



Good luck

 

[Yosemite Sam]

%!

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Here’s one of those mad, cat coursing Drathaar!

 

[Yosemite Sam]

As you can see, the cat is in fear of its life!!

 

[Yosemite Sam]

My other one!