Winners of the Quintana Trophy

Congratulations to England ! winners of The Quintana Trophy, at the 2024 Game Fair’s HPR Home International. Presented by Paul Nixon at Blenheim, the trophy is a wonderful reminder of the Nixon family’s constant support of the HPR world.

Congratulations also, to runner-up Wales and to Ireland and Scotland for showing great sportsmanship in front of the lovely crowd. Training the Scottish Team was a real pleasure and I congratulate all our team members for working so hard, achieving so much with their dogs and for putting up with me these last months!

Finally, thanks to the Judges, Mark Spearing and Suzi Burton and to Howard, John and the whole team for making the event such an enjoyable day. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿SCOTLAND will be back! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

First Grouse Count

Early this week was a first day of grouse counting for Aytee dogs. The result of the summer brood count is an important guide for deciding on the up and coming grouse shoot calendar and whilst we are ever hopeful, sadly at this time, results do not look good after a very wet Spring and summer. Our youngster Mavis has been progressing well just recently so I decided to take her along. On this day a kennel mate did her turn of teaching too.

Dream it, Do it

Good luck to Team Scotland at the Game Fair 2024. Training the team again this year, for the HPR Home International has been a pleasure and a privilege. Thanks to Kenny Hamilton and Darryl Elliot for their huge support, to our dummy throwers for their help and to the Team for allowing me to guide you through those weeks training with your dogs and here’s to a fantastic Competition! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Go Scotland! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Dream it Do it!🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Mucky Mavis

Im reminded what a great community the HPR world is after a day at the brilliantly run GLPC WT yesterday. Laughs, enjoyment and friendship mixed with a competitive spirit is such fun and in our huge puppy class of 20 it had all those ingredients. My own pup Mavis gained massive experience from the day, not least, introducing herself to all types of previously unknown poo 🤣 I must get some geese ! Thanks to the GLPC and organisers for their hard work and to the competitors for their camaraderie and congratulations to all the winners.

Natural World

Walking the dogs we see so much and an encounter with a threatened species today showed why they need our protection. We can’t change everything but nature definately needs our help.

Great Training Buddy

“Let dogs learn by watching good work” ……. well this couldn’t be more true than when it comes to spending time with Sarah Miles and her Meonvalley Gundogs. Her five winners, young and old kept Mavis and Oxo mesmerised with their fast outruns, persistent searches and lovely deliveries. What a team! Good luck Sarah you have an amazing season ahead and thanks for being a brilliant neighbour and friend. NZ would love a visit from a great judge, trainer and general tip top person and I know somewhere you could stay!

Aytee GSPs Go Globetrotting

Lucie and Johnny will be relocating with all their dogs, from Scotland in the UK, to South Island New Zealand in September 2024 to join their family.  Lucie would like to thank everyone who has trained with her in Norfolk and in the Borders of Scotland, and would like to wish them and their dogs every bit of luck and enjoyment going forward.  

Aytee GSPs will continue to run online training for dogs and handlers, with all the usual support and advice through their FB group and Youtube Channel, but going forward Aytee puppies will only be available from Lucie or Harriett in New Zealand. 

We wish everyone, wherever you are in the world, fantastic enjoyment with your dogs and we plan to keep in touch in exactly the same way through these pages.  

In the immediate future, training the Scottish International HPR Team for the Game Fair at Blenheim, is a great privilege and the team and Lucie are super focussed!  🐾🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏆🐕 So for anyone visiting the Game Fair on 26th July see you at Blenheim !!

LETS BIG IT UP FOR VETS

Monday I travelled to Norfolk to my long standing vet Roger Bannock for 1yo Mavis’s hip/elbow score xrays and thank Roger for his expertise and taking such time and care. It was then 12 year old Dora’s turn to visit our local Cheviot Vet in Kelso for mammary tumours to be removed. Massive thanks to vet Claire Hicks, the large wounds are healing beautifully. Two days later and our cattle vet Galedin of Galashiels is performing a midnight C-section in teeming rain by headlights and head torch, on our smallest Belted Galloway Cow. Watching young vet, Mary Hall plunge into the cow and pull out this monster of a bull calf was something to behold, the right decision at the right time for which we are very grateful. Both cow and calf are doing well.

Vets are coming in for a lot of stick at the moment, but in one week I have experienced a phenomenal work ethic, great expertise, kindness and sense of humour in the toughest of conditions from 3 quite different veterinary surgeons - we must never forget how lucky we are to have these wonderful professionals to call on. Thanks Guys !

Our little monster wearing Johnny’s fleece 🤣

Baby its Cold Outside

The ‘R’ Litter 4 weeks old today. Born into the start of the New Zealand winter it was -5 outside, but these pups dont worry about any freezing temperatures and they are getting down to some serious socialising !

"R" Litter romping away

At over 3 weeks old our “R” Litter are not short of attention …. Six pups are such a lovely size litter and these little beauties all have names and homes lined up, it’s just a case of whether or not the grandchildren will let them go !

Sire: Castlepoint Pretorius

Dam: Aytee Kimono