13/10/2025
We were very proud to be asked to be one of the sponsors for the Cambridgeshire Field Trial Society
Cambridgeshire Field Trial
Today, Monday, 13th October, 2025, we held our first trial of the season, a novice retriever trial on the Cokenach Estate, in north Hertfordshire , by kind permission of the estate owners and Kenneth Grant Esq.
This is a beautiful estate, immaculately kept, with a sweepingly impressive entrance, we were truly thankful for this our third visit to the estate. After the trial, we gave Kenneth a token of our appreciation.
At the end of the day, we were asked if we would like to return again next year for another Retriever trial, we must be doing something right and are very grateful for the offer to use such a fantastic ground.
The estate keeper is Tom day, the estate keeper for 14+ years, the perfect gent with his team of beaters, gave us a steady flow of birds, he was given a token of our appreciation too.
I would like thank Tim Hankeyโs FTMS system, which makes a Ft Secโs job so much easier, was lovely to receive feedback today, seems Iโm possibly the only FT Sec who uses its e-mail ability to keep triallers updated with card movements, maybe others have not found it, its so easy to use.
Our Cambridgeshire Field Trial Society cups for this trial were:
The Eric Simpson Memorial Cup for the Winner
The J Farrow Silver Pheasants for Gunsโ Choice
The Stetchworth Trophy for the Best Black Labrador Bitch
The Society also gave prize money for 1st to third place.
Our sponsors this season are the pillar of support to the trialling world Skinner's, who provided vouchers 1st โ 3rd places and certificates.
Thanks to committee members, we have three additional sponsors, Dog & Field, Maximum Health for Dogs, & Test Valley Lanyards, who gave various gifts to our placed dogs, โ hope first place had room for the dog goodies on the homeward journey. We have tried to get a group photo with the sponsors items for you to see.
Arrival this morning was slightly misty, could be called low cloud, so everyone donned a waterproof jacket, the weather got better as the trial got underway but slightly later than expected
Our judges for the day were Mrs Glynis Hillier (A 2280), Mr Peter Hurst (B 927), Mr Robert Clitheroe (NP), Mr Mick Elsey (NP3698), an excellent team who worked well together, giving us a great result, our Society gave each a token of our appreciation for efforts.
Judges feed back โ โLovely birds, good for a driven trial, guns shot well.โ
Our guns, were a terrific bunch, sourced by committee member Paul Wheeler and myself. We thank each for their great shooting and financial support for the day, without you the trail would not have taken place. We had only two drives but they landed 51 birds on the first and got the bag on the button on the second. Our stars for the day were Messers Mike Lawrence, Tom Dewey-Jessener, Stewart Debnam, Liam Coleman, Guy Widgett, Mark Barratt, Ian Barthomew & Mrs Sally Sturt.
The team of helpers were Arthur Cook, Steve Bancroft, Anthony Peters, Roy Jarman, Fiona Joint, Debra Goodman, and Lisa Murrell who acted as our dog steward, each were rewarded with a small token of our appreciation.
On the first drive, we had a couple of ducks followed by a steady flow of birds, landing on drill, rough grass land and a paddock ( usually for sheep, not the polo ponies. Due to the geography of the first drive with a ditch and wire fence Glynis and Peter decided to do Odds and evens for the first round so that dogs didnโt cross through fallen birds, it worked well with a variety of retrieves, but with 51 birds down, most had 2 retrieves each - though we lost 8 dogs.
We moved to the second drive which was a drilled field with cover to the right with woodland behind.
The six dogs through were reduced to 4 with the loss of Phil Garton and Jennifer Hookham. Jennifer Thomas had run an extremely good trial but was lost on her 5th retrieve though the cover and onto the grass-land beyond.
So we were left with three dogs, we had three rounds with a total of 5 retrieves, it was a pleasure to watch these dogs work, the results were:
1. Andrew Mutimer with Gingerfox Vanguard Of Kanzanglaze taking the Eric Simpson Memorial Cup and guns choice.
2. Matthew Shetliffe with Lanefoot Bailey Of Bobernwood,
3. Harriet Newcombe with Idawood Lace Of Galicombe taking the Stetchworth Trophy for the Best Black Labrador Bitch - think this was her first trial and only called into line on Sunday afternoon โ Harriet managed to re-arrange her work to compete with us today.
Andrew just has time to get his entry in for our Open in a few weeks time.
I would personally like to thank everyone for their support in making this trial work, I shuffle the paperwork, but without our host and his keeper, guns, judge, helpers and well humored triallers the day wouldnโt flow as well, and it certainly wouldnโt work without Ftms.