In 1999 there were substantial changes to the rules and regulations affecting bloodhound trials. These were not entirely warmly received. Furthermore, the lifting of the restrictions on movement of dogs in and out of Britain, has given the organisers of trials more to think about, if they are to welcome competitors from abroad. This page will be updated once these new rules / guidelines have been established. In the meantime, for a somewhat ‘dated’ introduction to the trials ‘left click’ here
© 2000 Jane Crease all rights reserved
1999 was in many ways a difficult year for our sport. It was not so
much that scenting was bad or that entries were low - on the contrary,
we are getting more and more support for Trials from new owners as
well as the old stagers (known to the irreverent as the old lags).
The sadness came in the wake of the decision by the Kennel Club,
after representations made by both breed clubs, that all Senior
hounds must hence forward hold a full Working Permit (though they
may, of course, be hunted on a leash). I will not revisit the
arguments here for or against the decision except to say that our
sport is very much a minority one and can ill afford the bitterness
generated by this affair. One of the great attractions of Trials
has always been the great sense of camaraderie among the competitors
- I do hope it is soon restored.
The other great sadness is the loss of so many good Trials hounds
this year, including two of our Working Trial Champions (WTCh).
WTCh Millvery Renegade (Falcon) and WTCh Brumbies Eclipse (Biggles)
died within a few weeks of each other in the autumn; both lovely
voices will be missed.
We shall miss, too, the deep voice of Sherlock Double Diamond and
Brumbies Daydream's accurate hunting. The Senior stake is poorer
without them.
So to the Trials themselves. The four Trials this year had very
varied scenting conditions. Scent in Kent in the Spring was terrific
culminating in one of the best Senior stakes seen for many years
with no fewer than eight awards made - including the crowning KC
Tracking Cert for Millvery Renegade. Oxfordshire was very dry and
scent was much harder to find. The autumn Trials found us deluged
in Hampshire and blown off our feet in Scotland so no-one can say
we don't offer variety.
Over the years the top working hounds tend to be those with
consistently good records and it is often possible to spot a future
star by noting consistent performances in the lower stakes. One
of our stars this year was more like a shooting star - Chasedown
Jaega went from Novice to Senior in one year. Since all the Trials
people have for years been teasing Barry Allen, her owner (who has
walked lines, judged and stewarded for years without owning a hound)
that its not as easy as it looks, we now have to eat our words.
Barry was not the only 'first-timer' at Trials to do well: Pearl
Tickell had a very good year with Albronne Abacus as did Alan
Taylor with Weatheroak Hopeful. We have some other novice
competitors with very promising hounds so next year should be
exciting.
This year's top working hound won her place by her consistent
performance in the special stakes. There are five Special stakes
going from 4 hours cold to 24 hours cold. Sanft Bora had a good
year in Senior but won her place by virtue of wins in the Brough
and the Kelperland and a Cof M in the Marlwood. Runner-up to her
was Chasedown Estelle who won all her points in Trials competition,
working her way up from winning Intermediate in the spring to
winning Senior and her first KC Tracking Cert in the autumn.
Equal third were WTCh Sherlock She's Magic who won the Marlwood
(24 hours cold) in spectacular style and Sherlock Black Jack who
crowned a very consistent year with a win in Senior in the autumn.
Although there is no official award for the top breeder of Working
Trial hounds (anyone like to donate a trophy?) I thought it might
be fun to total up the points from hounds bred by (not necessarily
owned by) a single breeder. The result was a highly honourable
draw between the Sanft prefix of Nick Sutcliffe who bred 4 hounds
winning 38 points and the Chasedown prefix of David and Elin
Richards who produced 3 hounds winning 38 points between them.
I am sure I do not need to labour the point, so often made, that
there is in our breed no distinction between show and working
bloodlines; as a matter of record both kennels produced their
Trials winners from parents who were Chs in the show ring as
well as excellent performers at Trials.
Every year I write this, and every year it is equally sincerely
meant. We would not have our Trials at all if it were not for
the hard work and dedication of our two Working Trials secretaries
and their local help oil the ground, who find land, walk lines,
organise maps, car convoys, judges lunches and everything else.
Thank you from us all to Jo Franks, Leo Pogodzinski and all the
other helpers.
Finally, the day is fast approaching when competitors from Europe
will be able to get pet passports and bring their hounds over to
compete in Britain (if they are mad enough and keen enough). Just
remember, before we all start grumbling about the extra competition,
that we can do the same to them, My personal prize (of a well-worn,
smelly sock) to the first British Bloodhound to win an award at
European Trials. Now, there's an incentive!
Good Hunting.
Jane Crease
© 1999 Jane Crease all rights reserved
For several years past the Senior Stake at Trials has been growing
in both numbers and strength and to those of us who have been around
at Trials for a while, in the quality of performances. At the
end of 1998 we had no fewer than 15 hounds eligible for Senior, of
which 7 already held the KC Tracking Cert for Bloodhounds, or
titles. Of these 15, 7 are Show Champions or CC winners, one
was a ResCC winner before ceasing to be shown and 3 others are litter
siblings to show Champions. No other breed registered by the
KC even comes close to this demonstration of Dual Purpose ability;
from time to time we should remember the tremendous virtues of our
breed as well as (of course) trying to identify and correct faults.
For many years it was a rare achievement for the KC Tracking Cert.
to be awarded; in 1998 it was awarded in 3 out of the 4 Trials.
And, for those of you who harbour suspicions that standards have
slipped, no they haven't. A good Senior hound today
realistically has to motor round his 3 miles within an hour,
accurately and with good identification, to stand a chance of
winning the stake and a KCCert. Reading the Trials reports of
the 1950's ( where you were disqualified if you took more than
an hour in Senior ) and remembering the Senior Stakes of 20 or
30 years ago, I think I can safely say that more hounds are hunting
to a higher standard now in Senior than ever before. This
represents a tremendous input of time and training by the
owners. Congratulations to all of them.
Now to the actual Trials and hounds. I'm afraid that the
Crease record of 100% attendance at Trials was sullied again this
year when we had to miss the Club spring Trials in Cornwall.
I gather there was real Western weather of howling wind and rain
and sou'westers and oilskins were needed for the middle of the
week. However, scenting in Senior was reasonable, and the
Robertsons had a super day, winning the 'CC' with Tryst (Taliesins
Royal Gold) and 2nd with Sanft Bora. Duncan and Jean work
very hard with these hounds; it's nice when you get such payback.
The ABB Trials in Norfolk, next to the Sandringham Estate were very
dry underfoot and this certainly affected scenting on the newly
cultivated ground. As is often the way there was a stretch
of country which seemed to yield better scent all week; several
stake winners were lucky enough to have lines there. The
great excitement was the crowning of a new WTCh in Jo Franks'
Biggles (WTCh. Brumbies Eclipse) a hound of great character and
determination handled on a leash by a lady of (necessarily) even
greater character and determination! Biggles is a lovely stylish
worker and has been unlucky in the past; it was nice to see him
get his crown.
The autumn brought an event we shall not see again the ABB
centenary trials, held 100 years exactly from the date of the very
first Bloodhound Trials, on exactly the same ground on the North
York moors, and capped with a group visit to Edwin Brough's house
and kennels, which have miraculously survived in their original
state. The scent at the Trials in 1898 was said to be poor;
at the centenary trials it was curiously difficult going for both
handler and hounds, partly due to the fact that the heather had
not been burned for a few years and was in places waist high.
It took me over an hour to walk a Novice line. As I
struggled through chest high growth on the hillside, I could see
below me hikers on their well worn paths who clearly thought I
was mad. However, Sanctus (Ch Marksbury Quoniam Sanft) and
Nick Sutcliffe overcame all these difficulties to win Senior and
the 'CC' with a lovely line.
Finally Ledburn, a historic name in Bloodhounds. Here the
Senior was won without the CC by an established WTCh. in Sherlock
She's Magic. Chloë, because of the nature of Norman Foster's
work, doesn't get to all that many Trials so the win must have
been very satisfying.
So, with 3 separate KC Cert winners and other consistent
performances clocking up points over the year, who would be top
working hound? It was left to the special stakes ( as so
often ) to decide the result, and WTCh. Brumbies Eclipse, with
wins or awards in 3 of them, came out well ahead with 34 points.
Ch. Brighton's Myrtle of Chasedown taking a few days off from her
busy show schedule ( yes, she was top show hound as well )
was runner-up for top working hound with 20 points including her
win in the Kelperland. And third was another show champion in
Marksbury Quoniam Sanft with 17 points.
Several other hounds had a very consistent year putting in good
performances every time out; these tend to be the hounds who do well
long term. Marksbury Intrigue and Aspencades Ambassador are two
such consistent performers, the latter with a lovely voice.
We are all delighted to see some new faces coming into Trials at
last and with talented young hounds who will do well in the long
term. Just remember it is always the handler who makes the
mistakes never the hound, and count up to 10 before trying to
interfere with your hound working ( and this is the worst
handler in the world writing, but at least I know what I ought to
do ! ) I hope our new entry enjoy the
atmosphere at Trials all that camaraderie amid the rain, howling
winds, muddy plough, filthy boots nothing to beat it.
And my final point isn't just ritual; it is a thank you from all
of us Trials competitors to our two Working Trials Secretaries,
Jo Franks for the Club and Leo Pogodzinski for the ABB, without
whom, make no mistake, there would be no Trials to enjoy.
The sheer effort involved in finding the land and organising one
Trial is stupendous, four a year plus five special stakes adds
up to a lot of woman-hours. Next time you go to Trials, why
not say thank-you nicely to the WT Secretary if you time it right
she might even get you to walk a line.
Happy 1999 and good hunting.
Jane Crease