Clever Oxo

Oxo (Aytee Oceania) relished her first NZ competition by winning the South Otago Gundog Club Novice this weekend with some lovely runs. Thankyou to the host for the super ground and to the judges, organisers and helpers for smiling through the rain and congratulations to all ribbon winners.

FW Aytee Quintessa Wins = 1st NZ Champ FT 2025

Mavis shared 1st Place at the NZ Pointer & Setter Championship Trial 2025 this weekend with lovely GWP NTL GFTC Hotwyr Its Getting Hot n Here and owner Grant Adolph. We couldn't have been happier sharing this trophy with such a partnership and congratulate them both too. I thank judge Russell Giles for a super competition and the hosting Working Retriever Club for all their hard work and providing great ground to run on.

Finally Congratulations and thanks to all the other prizewinners who made it such a great day.

Goodnight Dora

“Dora” 11/07//2011 - 27/10/2025 FT CH & KC HPR Champion 2015 Aytee Isadora.

A true matriarch of our 4 legged family, a wonderful competitor and shooting companion, an indomitable character and fireside queen, Dora passed peacefully at home today. She brought us joy, and we loved her well.   She was not ours. She was not mine.

K9 teen 😁

courtesy AI 😏

If you have an entire bitch you will have dealt with seasons and the nuisance that prevents normal exercise.  In New Zealand, bitches cannot enter trials during their season plus a 7 day clearance immediately afterwards and in 2 yo Mavis’s case this has been almost 30 days !

 I do agreed that it’s an exceptionally sensible rule, aiming to prevent competitors dogs from being unfairly distracted and she was very obliging in her timing,  loosing us just one weekend of trials.  However, despite my efforts, after a month of self induced lethargy, she might as well have watched TV and eaten crisps every day as her fitness is zilch, so getting back to work needs some serious tackling. All tips gratefully received !! ...I guess the good thing is that handler will benefit too 😆.

Mavis smashes her first natural game trial

Mavis, who relished the whole weekend !

I am so proud of 2 year old Mavis (Ch Aytee Quintessa) for winning her first Championship Pheasant Trial at the fabulous Poronui Station in central North Island this weekend. The end of season birds were jumpy and reluctant to hold but despite cold and wet conditions it was a fabulous weekend of sport. It was also a first braced trial for us both, so winning the only award of the trial along with a Challenge Point was amazing.   I’d like to thank judges Linda Beck and Rob Meredith, the Rotarua Gundog Club and the Pointer and Setter Club for all their organising and of course all the super friendly competitors for their camardie over the weekend. Finally, a massive thankyou to everyone who has been so kind and helpful since we arrived here in NZ with our dogs  …..we could not have done it without you ❤️  Thanks to Sandy Peter’ka for the great pix.

Visiting the relatives 🐾🐾

Ahu (2025) and Mavis (2023) - half brother and big sister

 Flying to North Island for trials with Mavis this weekend, enabled me to meet another pup from our “S” Litter with owner Martin Slimin.  At 15 weeks “Ahu” is growing into a lovely boy, well done Martin, and after puppy talk we spent a super couple of hours hunting Martin’s older dog Ash with Mavis  and had a perfect finish pointing a pheasant with Ash backing👌  Ahu is destined to join Ash in his work of counting Kiwi’s, Blue Penguins and other threatened species across NZ. Seeing Martin with Ash it’ll be exciting to watch Ahu’s progress.

Mavis, Ash and Martin

waiting to fly

Bells and Whistles

Fab training weekend with Grant Adolph after a sensational journey through South Island and some of New Zealands finest scenery. With Grant running his Champion GWP Nellie, Mavis and I needed to learn the ropes of brace running and how the dogs loved working together. Wearing bells and running on caged pigeons as well as natural pheasant, young Mavis was unphased with her new experiences and they delighted us both. Huge thanks to Grant and Jane for such a fun weekend and wonderful hospitality on a perfect sunny weekend sandwiched between snow and more snow !

Beaters Day

An amazing Beaters day spent with the super friendly Craigmore shoot enjoyed some great birds, especially from the Eagles Cave drive. With as many dogs as people cramming into the gun bus with plenty of banter, Mavis and I will miss all the team and the beautiful drives ….. but look forward to HPR trials next month 🐾😊

Mavis waiting at the Eagles Cave drive on the last day of the season.