One of the highlights at the West of England Game Fair is the BASC gundog scurries. I love the fact these are fun ‘have-a-go’ events and anyone can enter. The objective of a scurry is a timed competition which tests each dog to retrieve the dummy in the fastest time. I enjoy watching the experienced dogs give a stylish performance and having a giggle at the those who happily ignore the whistle and entertain the spectators with their antics. As with one keen labrador who decided not to stop whilst jumping the straw bales and crash into the dummy thrower as he sailed across the final bale!
As a novice gundog handler watching the experts compete with their skilful dogs is fascinating. It can be highly competitive and may not suit everyone in the gundog domain. A challenge for the serious scurry competitor is to make the top fastest 20 dogs in the BASC Chudleys Scurry League and receive an invite to compete in the grand final to determine the overall winner. Throughout the spring and summer they attend 9 game fairs across the country and have the opportunity to gain prizes and points for the league in each scurry they compete in.
Their passion, dedication, drive and determination (no matter what the weather or how long the queue) is simply astonishing. What’s the key to success? Undoubtably it’s down to the training and preparation. Setting up simulated scurry scenarios and consistent training helps the dog to understand what it has to do for each test. It’s a pleasure to watch these dogs complete various scurry disciplines in a fast and biddable manner. There’s no question both dog and handler have a unique bond and love the challenge of a scurry!
Their passion, dedication, drive and determination (no matter what the weather or how long the queue) is simply astonishing. What’s the key to success? Undoubtably it’s down to the training and preparation. Setting up simulated scurry scenarios and consistent training helps the dog to understand what it has to do for each test. It’s a pleasure to watch these dogs complete various scurry disciplines in a fast and biddable manner. There’s no question both dog and handler have a unique bond and love the challenge of a scurry!
RSS Feed