Fen and Isa lead the way at Kennel Club Working Trials Championships 2019

WT Ch Glenalpine Fen CDEx - TDEx, a six-year-old Border Collie owned by Pat Herbert, has won the Tracking Dog Stake for the second time at the Kennel Club Working Trials Championships. The Patrol Dog Stake was won by Moira Rogerson’s WT Ch Xandoas Isa CDEx - TDEx, PDEx, a five-year-old Malinois Belgian Shepherd Dog.

Fen had won the Tracking Dog Stake in 2017 handled by her owner, but at this year’s event there was a last-minute change of plans and Fen was handled by Julie Atkins as Miss Herbert had broken her leg a few weeks prior to the Championships. Isa was handled by Bill Richardson.  

ASPADS Working Trials Society hosted the Championships, sponsored by the Kennel Club and Arden Grange, at Saxton Cricket Club, North Yorkshire. ASPADS stands for ‘Associated Sheep, Police and Army Dog Society’, which this year is celebrating its centenary. The very first Kennel Club Working Trials Championships were hosted in 1975 by the Society, so it was very fitting that the event should be hosted by ASPADS WTS again, in its milestone year.   

The Championships saw highly talented working trial dogs put through their paces via a series of activities to determine the top dogs for both Tracking Dogs (TD) and Patrol Dogs (PD).

Tracking Dog judge, Judith Owens-Poole, selected the following winners:

  • 1st Pat Herbert’s Border Collie, WT Ch Glenalpine Fen CDEx - TDEx, handled by Julie Atkins
  • 2nd Margaret Robinson’s Border Collie, WT Ch Just Arran over Trentvalley CDEx - TDEx
  • 3rd Gary and Julie Atkins’ Border Collie, WT Ch Glenalpine Pete CDEx - TDEx, handled by Gary Atkins
  • 4th Margo Brothwell’s crossbreed, Tangham Little Saxon CDEx - TDEx

Patrol Dog judge, Lorna Cottier, selected the following winners:

  • 1st Moira Rogerson’s Malinois Belgian Shepherd Dog, WT Ch Xandoas Isa CDEx - TDEx, PDEx, handled by Bill Richardson
  • 2nd Alan Bexon’s Working Sheepdog, WT Ch Fly By Night Lad CDEx - TDEx, PDEx
  • 3rd Wendy Beasley’s Border Collie, Stardell Venus CDEx - TDEx, PDEx

Kathryn Mansfield, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “Dogs that compete in working trials are some of the most highly trained in the country. The relationship they have with their owners is remarkable and they are great examples of the fantastic results that can come from good training.

“Huge congratulations to both Pat Herbert and Glenalpine Fen, and Moira Rogerson and Xandoas Isa, for their impressive results. Not forgetting the respective handlers, Julie Atkins and Bill Richardson, who truly highlighted the incredible skill involved in competing in this discipline at the highest level.”

Read more information about Working Trials.