I'm actually not clear now on exactly when we met, but it must have been around 6 years ago. We'd inherited our black Labrador bitch, Lady at 6 months old following the death of our daughter today actually in 2010. We had no clue about dogs really, especially a full on working strain Labrador pup. Lady was an absolute nightmare (as everyone who has gone through the Lab puppy stage knows) and this continued until she grew up quite suddenly around 3 years old. During this puppy/adolescent dog phase some dog walking friends suggested giving Lady something useful to do and take her to gundog classes, and I duly did just that with a view to turning her into a well behaved dog. The gundog training was a good move, taught me a lot, and tired her physically and mentally and she also got some good manners coming through.
This is where time gets a bit hazy, and after the event it's easy to say I wish I'd kept a diary. Anyway, Lady was around 2 yrs and 3 mths I'd guess and I'd taken her into a large field on a nearby farm to do a bit of dummy training. I was actually trespassing well off any public right of way, but it was just an empty field of grass with a bit of cover and some water ideal for training. We hadn't been going long when a battered old Landrover came through the field gate and headed straight for us across the field. I thought I'm in trouble now! Anyway the Landrover pulled up and the farmer got out and asked "Is she a good gundog?". I've got to say I thought I was going to be told off. I explained she was just a pet really. He then said he'd seen me around the farm with the dog and why didn't I try her on the shoot, told me where and when to meet, jumped into his Landrover and as he drove out called out "We don't pay by the way!".
The rest as they say was history. Lady and I joined the shoot run by Robert the farmer who became a friend. We progressed eventually to front line picking up and then I went over to the dark side and joined as a gun 2 years ago. I've made lots of friends and acquaintances directly through that shoot which started by Robert's father and has been running for well over 50 years now; I'm very much a newcomer. I've learned a bit about woodland management, rearing pheasants and controlling vermin. Lady has had a much more interesting life and has developed into a lovely well rounded (dare I say) gundog held back these days only by her elbow dysplasia which s now becoming more apparent.
And to think that none of this would have happened but for that chance meeting with Robert the farmer, a friend, one of the old school and a gentleman in every sense of the word who died today.
This is where time gets a bit hazy, and after the event it's easy to say I wish I'd kept a diary. Anyway, Lady was around 2 yrs and 3 mths I'd guess and I'd taken her into a large field on a nearby farm to do a bit of dummy training. I was actually trespassing well off any public right of way, but it was just an empty field of grass with a bit of cover and some water ideal for training. We hadn't been going long when a battered old Landrover came through the field gate and headed straight for us across the field. I thought I'm in trouble now! Anyway the Landrover pulled up and the farmer got out and asked "Is she a good gundog?". I've got to say I thought I was going to be told off. I explained she was just a pet really. He then said he'd seen me around the farm with the dog and why didn't I try her on the shoot, told me where and when to meet, jumped into his Landrover and as he drove out called out "We don't pay by the way!".
The rest as they say was history. Lady and I joined the shoot run by Robert the farmer who became a friend. We progressed eventually to front line picking up and then I went over to the dark side and joined as a gun 2 years ago. I've made lots of friends and acquaintances directly through that shoot which started by Robert's father and has been running for well over 50 years now; I'm very much a newcomer. I've learned a bit about woodland management, rearing pheasants and controlling vermin. Lady has had a much more interesting life and has developed into a lovely well rounded (dare I say) gundog held back these days only by her elbow dysplasia which s now becoming more apparent.
And to think that none of this would have happened but for that chance meeting with Robert the farmer, a friend, one of the old school and a gentleman in every sense of the word who died today.
