What does good look like? It's a question that you would imagine Simon Sinek beginning a life changing TED talk with. It's also one that came up on a Saturday morning high up in the Clocaenog forest just as we are about to begin our hunting session with a certain Mr Lee Loveridge.
All those of us that know Lee, will be fully aware of his exacting standards, and gift for getting straight to the point, identifying exactly what each handler needs to hear, and work on(not what they want to hear!). Many a session I've attended, thinking Lee is going to be impressed with the improvements we have made, only to discover we are only a couple of runs up the ladder!
But there is a reason we all value Lees experience and coaching style and its because of a sense that you are being taught 'right', the 'proper way'. This ideal is summed up in a line used in a document provided to the German Short Haired Pointer club over 25 years ago, “They are looking for natural ability in the dog coupled with teamwork/biddability”.
So Back to the Clocaenog, glorious sunshine and a team hanging on every lesson being delivered, what would the ideal run look like? This was the right question, what followed was a fantastic three hours of us running our own dogs over heather and spagnum, and intense concentration as we watch others runs. Im a teacher, and if i could get my students to show the focus Lee had from us i'd be a very happy man.
We weren't talking about the way last years or this years trials are likely to be judged, but the standards set out in a document decades prior. Below is the transcript of that document shared here purely to inform and inspire and in the hope that we will all one day achieve the ideal run!
On the standards of the HPR breed
The Following Notes are a copy of a copy, the original was provided to the German Shorthaired Pointer Club over 25 years ago. This is replicated from that transcript provided by Mr Lee Loveridge for use by members of the Hiraethog Fieldsports Club. They were provided at a time when pointing tests were introduced so that handlers and judges in the United Kingdom might see a raison d’etre behind testing continental pointing dogs to establish the best lines for breeding future generations.
It was stated, “They are looking for natural ability in the dog coupled with teamwork/biddability”. Comments in Italic were added by Mr. David Winser in 2009 who received the initial standards from Mr. Ed Booter a senior Dutch Judge. It is understood that as well as providing the original notes Mr. Booter spent significant time helping to understand and interpret.
The Pattern
The ideal run is by what the dog is completely under control.
His complete ground search in great style. (Fully covers the ground in great style)
All birds are pointed. (None missed at all on the beat)
Respect shows for other game. (All other game is acknowledged)
Hunts keen, fast and wide.
Elimination
Chasing Game.
Catching Game.
Out of Control, no contact with the handler.
Incomplete searching of the ground. (Missing out ground due to poor ground treatment)
Insufficient wide searching.
Insufficient speed.
Flushing birds without pointing.
Missing birds
Shot shy (in continental tests a shot is fired to salute the departing birds)
Serious Faults
Too many whistling and shouting
Asking too much help from the handler
Incidentally Un obedient
Too low head carriage
Repeated making hooks (corners) of the wind i.s.0 into t.w. (turning the wrong way for wind)
Repeated working to far in front
Too much pointing without producing game
Repeated coming back on already visited ground
Insufficient steadiness on flushed game and shot
Too sticky on point (refuse to flush)
Excellent: Work must be very near to the pattern (see above) run. No serious faults to have been made (some small faults o.k.)
Very Good: Work must be near to the pattern run but too many small faults or a serious fault has been made.
Good: Work has a decent level without high quality or has made more than one serious fault or deviated too much from the ideal run.
Style prefers in the case of Barrage: (Where there is a decision to be made, e.g. where two dogs have been graded equally in two different groups, then it is the dog the judges think runs closest to the style of its breed that will be declared the best. Great importance is placed on the dogs running correctly for their particular breed)