BASC’s gamekeepers’ ring at Crufts to be televised on internet

Working gundogs and their owners, who are competing in the gamekeepers’ ring at Crufts tomorrow, could end up being featured on internet TV.

The Country Channel and a new internet-based TV station the Field Sports Channel are both sending camera crews to BASC’s gamekeepers’ ring. They will both be producing a series of features and programmes which will be broadcast via the internet.

A 15 minute pre-event film featuring two gundog owners who are due to compete in the BASC ring is currently being broadcast on the Field Sports Channel website.

Sas Drury with her black Labrador Oliver and Lynn D’Albertson with her Weimaraner Dilly have high hopes of winning at this years event, which for the first time includes dogs performing a retrieve to display the general requirements expected of working dogs.

Charlie Jacoby from FieldsportsChannel.tv said: “We’re at Crufts to report on what makes a great working dog in 2009 and to capture the passion the British have for their gundogs.”

BASC’s national gundog co-ordinator, James Green, said: “This year’s event promises to be the best ever, especially with the additional interest generated by the introduction of a retrieve.”

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Crufts takes place from 5-8 March 2009 at the NEC, Birmingham with events in the Gamekeepers’ ring taking place on Saturday 7 March.

The Gamekeepers Association of the United Kingdom was founded in 1900 and a year later Crufts was developed out of the Gamekeepers Association AGM. When Crufts was taken over by the Kennel Club the only difference as far as the Keepers were concerned was that now their dogs also had to be KC registered. In 1978 the Gamekeepers’ Association became incorporated with The Wildfowlers Association of Great Britain and Ireland which, in 1982, changed its name to the British Association for Shooting & Conservation.

For more information visit:

www.crufts.org.uk
www.fieldsportschannel.tv
www.countrychannel.tv