Bollihope Moor is an ideal location for setter trials. The grounds are superbly managed by Head Keeper Peter Fawcett, and his team. The combination of closely cropped and long heather provides a diverse terrain for the dogs to navigate. There are wide flat areas that allow dogs to get out and cover some ground, whilst still being in sight of handlers, judges and spectators alike.
The veteran judging team for the trials consisted of Colin Adamson, Carol Calvert, and Richard MacNicol, with Sheila Steeds serving as the chief steward.
In the competition, there were a total of 34 entrants, with the following breakdown by breed:
Steve Robinson achieved remarkable success with his Irish setter bitch named FTCh Coldcoats Ginny, securing 1st place. His other two Irish setter bitches also performed exceptionally, coming in second and fourth place. The only non-Irish setter to break into the top three was Terry Harris’s pointer bitch, Sparkfield Sidekick, which secured third place.
Overall, it was an impressive performance by Steve Robinson and his Irish setter dogs, though Terry Harris’s pointer managed to prevent a clean sweep of the podium by securing third place.
BASC calls for delay to the Scottish government’s muirburn licensing scheme amid concerns from practitioners over the code’s workability.
Following countryside organisations’ campaigning, penalties for illegal coursing have increased, with average fines up from £360 to £6,000