With over 400 dogs and handlers and a new working element, the south west team ran the most successful BASC Gamekeepers’ Rings at Crufts since its inception. Concerns about the absence of the BBC and threats of demonstrations failed to detract from the day.
The south west team supported by chair of the Gundog Advisory Committee, Jan Andrews, gave more media interviews on the Saturday than in the previous five years combined offering BASC and our major sponsor Chudleys, television and radio media coverage.
At the request of the Kennel Club, BASC implemented a new working element to the Gamekeepers’ classes. The objective was to determine the logistical possibilities of using this new element to allow the presence of dogs with docked tails at Crufts (under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 dogs with docked tails cannot be shown where the public have paid an entry fee but dogs can however be shown if demonstrating their “workability”). The pilot worked well and offered an area of great interest to the public drawing some good crowds.
Our congratulations go out to 16 year old Gwen Jones who won the overall North Esk trophy with her German Wired Haired Pointer. Gwen and her family manage the Monachty Estate Shoot where her father is head gamekeeper. Gwen’s family also won the BASC Old Man of the Woods trophy in the BASC regional gamekeeper team competition.