Who cares enough to do the right thing

[Karl Britton]

The last six months we have seen a lot of campaigning on social media. Often very random with suggestive comparisons comparing our Australian Retriever Trials to overseas Field Trialling and Working Tests. The two sports could not be further apart.

What can you do to help secure our future?

We must develop a side-by-side sport like Retriever Trials but with modifications to suit and incorporate Artificial Game (Plastic/Rubber)

When I arrived from the UK, I had successfully campaigned a dog in Open trials and recently been selected to trial for the UK Gundog Team, nothing could have prepared me for Australian Trials. It was like a baptism of fire. Once I started to compete in Australia, I realised over a short period of time, that how I trained a dog on what to do in the past, was light years apart and I knew very little.

Australian trialling is unique. It has a complexity built in that you are not aware of until you step up at the top level. It’s one of the hardest and most rewarding dog sports there is and its individual to this country. Attached below is a short history of the sport for your perusal.

Over the next ten years I retrained myself and retaught my dogs. My old boy Red Dog became one of the most successful and best finishers on the circuit. I met, like-minded people and continued to learn. Although there were aspects of the sport I did not agree with, white coats and big whistles, there was several areas that I could easily relate to.
I progressed through the Judges Training Scheme and eventually became a Championship Judge. I also Judged the post Covid National in NSW 2022.

I have never ever felt the need to change the sport to suit my own agenda or modify it within a sport discipline. What I have done is accepted the sport for what it is and tried where I can to add value based on my experience both as a competitor and Judge.

Go back to the previous rule change (2017) I suggested we should implement an out of season sport, just in case one day, one State is informed that they can no longer run their dog trials on cold game. I was quickly shutdown! Fast forward the people who vetoed my suggestions, we are now all a little older, a little slower maybe and are much more reluctant to change. We now want to modify this great sport to incorporate artificial game!!

If one State is allowed to do this for whatever reason (that horse has gone) it will mean the end to our sport, I know several purists will walk. You could say that’s just an excuse, I can guarantee it will happen. We cannot have a sport inside a sport that has the same point scoring system to award dogs titles. It is a totally different sport!
The way forward is to have a different sport with modified rules to accommodate artificial game, previously tabled in 2018, with separate titles.

This is simple nothing less nothing more, no disruption to the tried and tested system we have. Do not take the easy wrong over the difficult hard few months of different paperwork to develop a new sport side by side, giving States the option to run either.

I will as always volunteer to help if required to formulate one of the previous tabled artificial game sports if required. I would ask States to be very careful how they take this forward for voting in July as it could possibly see the demise of our sport sooner rather than later.

Please speak to the historians of the Sport who have credibility from their duck shooting and hunting days its not ours to change we are only the caretakers; we must preserve our heritage.


Karl Britton



HISTORY

The FTCA and the KCC (Victoria) agreed that the first water test was conducted in 1942, on the firm basis that No Championship points would ever be awarded as it was not the real thing.
The rules stated that one retrieve would be from water and the other across water using cold game. (Ref - Extract from the origins 50 years of Retrieving trials. Section The beginning.)

In 1955 the rules for retrieving trials were drafted and accepted with a large degree of reference to the Labradors and the input of the 5th Duke of Buccleuch and the 3rd Earl of Malmsbury in developing specialist retrievers in the 1870’s and the importance to retain good working attributes.
This was not to be a Test, but a trial and Championship points could be awarded for the first time in Australia.
1st June 1957, the first trial was conducted and Rosemoor Rajah won the event and went onto become the first KCC RTCH, later becoming KCC Dual Champion, after being awarded the challenge at the Royal Melbourne Show.
In 1958 further trials were held and NSW drafted a similar set of rules and started to hold trials.
When the ANKC was formed these rules amalgamated.
The ANKC National Championship was initiated and run on a rotating State basis. The winner being awarded the National Retrieving Trial Championship. All these trials were and have been conducted on cold game.

[John Aherne]

Very well put Karl.
Let us all be guardians of this unique sport.
I ask those voting in July, please consider what you are really voting for and the consequences of that vote.
There are options! as Karl has highlighted, we can all be winners.
Our mission should be, “ To leave things better than how we found them.”

[Margaret Sullivan]

With regards to the comment, A few purists will walk'. The other side to the equation is that the whole of Qld will be out!! How is that fair!

[Karl Britton]

I have No further comment.

[Joe Vella]

Hi Karl ,
I read your post you said it as how it needed to be said to highlight the perilous situation the Retrieving discipline is being put into, by the supporters of the use of Dummies in Retrieving Trials.

The problem as I believe it to be is, Handlers past and present which are not in support of the inclusion of dummies into the Retrieving Discipline’s list of game are not saying anything.

To these Handlers I say that your silence is being interpreted as you being in support of the inclusion of dummies into the list of game.

To the Handlers of the past I say you have gained pleasure watching your Gundogs in the field and being tested in the field as Gundogs should be tested.

Please support the created intent of the Retrieving Discipline by having your say so the new comers to the sport may understand what is being suggested, is not in the best interest of the thorough testing of the Retrieving Gundog and by doing so you help preserve the thorough testing of Gundogs for the present and into the future, for future generations of handlers to carry on with.

We in this country purchase training videos from the USA and listen intently to their professional trainers explaining their methods of training Retriever Dogs so as to implement their methods into our own and by doing so improve our dogs.

The American kennel Club consists of the following retrieving disciplines,
1. AKC licensed trials consist of ,
2. Open, Amateur, Qualifying and Derby
3. National Retriever club trials,
4. National Amateur Retriever Club Trials,
5. Masters National Retriever Club Trials,
6. Master Amateur Retriever club trials.
7. National Derby Championship Trial.
Retriever test
1. hunt test.
2. Master hunt test. (I hope I have not missed any.)

The rules and Regulations which govern the above listed AKC Retrieving Disciplines have not been amalgamated together to produce one set of Rules to govern all.
These are all governed by their own separate rules as per the discipline’s intent.

It is not logical to think we can do this and at the same time satisfy the intended requirement of each Retrieve, may it be Dummies or Real Cold Game.

Karl, two different Retrieving Disciplines, one for each of the opposing sides is the best way to go, this would eliminate all these arguments and be supportive of the discipline which we have all been a part of for such a long period of time without any issues till what occurred in Queensland and one walked away.

I suggest that this did not have anything to do with the rest of the member bodies of Dogs Australia and is now being imposed on all the member bodies of Dogs Australia, How is this fair?

Well done Karl it’s well presented.
Joe Vella.