Buccleuch Athena Does It Again!
All at Buccleuch are once again very proud of our Cocker Spaniel, Buccleuch Athena. Bramble (her pet name) started this trialling season by winning 2nd Place in her first two trials followed by 1st Place in her third trial, giving her FTCh status.
On the 14th and 15th January 2009, Bramble ran in the 77th Cocker Spaniel Championships held at Shadwell Estate, Thetford (by kind permission from the Shadwell Estate Company Ltd), under the direction of Buccleuch Kennel Manager and Head Trainer/Handler, David Lisett. Bramble exhibited an excellent form and was awarded 2nd Place and the Guns Choice.
The championships were held in the park with laid bracken and hawthorn trees throughout. On Bramble’s first run she was clean and tidy with her hunting and ground treatment. She found two pheasants and retrieved them with ease. Her second run had more action. There was more laid bracken in which to hunt and Bramble flushed a wounded cock pheasant. One judge wanted to send her for it while the other disagreed and Bramble was certainly going to make up her own mind if a decision wasn't reached quickly. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to try for the pheasant which might have pulled us up the championship places. Instead, a woodcock was shot for her on exactly the same line as the cock pheasant so Bramble thought she was being sent for the cock pheasant as she didn’t see the woodcock go down. After a few handles, she managed to pick the woodcock. Then a cock pheasant was shot. It ran a short distance and Bramble managed to locate it and bring it back. This cock pheasant at Shadwell was almost as big as Bramble!
On the second day, Bramble was in the run off with another two cockers belonging to Ian and Wendy Oppenshaw. She ran off against FTCh Mallowdale Guppy and Guppy would be one of Ian’s best cockers in the kennel. When Bramble set off against Guppy, you would think she was aware this was her last chance to run and there would be no bigger a stage on which to compete. Bramble won the run off showing her true style and pace. This would have to be one of her best performances. Bramble finished 2nd and Gun’s Choice.
No 25, Randalyn Black Jazz, won the championship on ice. She picked two nice running cock pheasants on both her runs and thoroughly deserved to win the championship on her merit.
However, well done to Bramble for her excellent effort! back | 
