ARTICLES

Trial rules in PL

In Poland the ?National Working Champion? title exists, but it is nearly impossible to get it. In our Polish weimaraner history there was only one weimaraner that achieved the National Working Championship title and it was years ago.
National Working Champion title is awarded to a dog which obtained 3 x CPC certificate. CPC is awarded if at least 10 dogs are entered to the hunting test. CPC is given only to one dog, which gets the first place and 1st grade diploma.
The dog can fight for the CPC at Autumn Hunting Tests or at Field Trials. There are few events organized in a year, we usually have less then 10 Field Trials and less then 10 Autumn Hunting Tests in a year in the whole country. Sometimes two tests are organized in the same day in two different parts of the country, so in reality there are much less events then 10. Autumn hunting tests are organized usually only in two months (September-October) and Field Trials can be organized in Spring (April and May), and in Autumn (August, September, October). In other months of the year we are not allowed to hunt birds, or there is snow, so the tests can?t be done. Bitches in heat can?t participate.

In FCI there is also a possibility to get an International Working Champion title but it is even more difficult to get it. For example here is the statistics for Int. Working Champion titles awarded in all European Countries in all pointing breeds in 2006 and all of them happen to be British. 8 English Pointer 13 English Setter 2 Gordon Setter 1 Irish Red Setter In other words we can?t offer you real DUAL champions since it is not possible to find any :o)))

FCI Working Certificate Instead we have an ?FCI Working Certificate?. It is a document which is issued in all FCI countries and it says that a dog having this document is a working dog. The certificate is issued when a dog gets a diploma of Autumn Hunting Tests or Field Trials. Natural Ability Examinations for Young Dogs (like TAN or German VJP) don?t entitle a dog to get this Certificate.

International Beauty Champion We also have a title which combines show and working achievements. It is C.I.B. ? (in French: CHAMPIONNAT INTERNATIONAL DE BEAUTE), it means International Beauty Champion. To be eligible for the title International Beauty Champion, a weimaraner must obtain : a) in two different countries, under two different judges, two certificats d’aptitude au Championnat International de Beauté (CACIB), no matter the number of dogs; b) between the first and last CACIB, a minimum period of one year and one day must have elapsed. In addition to a) and b), a weimaraner must have the ?Working Certificate?. And in Poland there is the third requirement. A dog must achieve min. 75% of all points possible to gain at the hunting trial/test which enables the dog to have the Certificate.

So, in other words, Polish weimaraners are ?dual? if they have : – National Champion title + ?Working Certificate? Or/and – International Beauty Champion title.

Field Trials Field Trials are organized in early spring and in autumn in periods when we can shoot birds. Weims must search the field and point the game. They must respect the other animals like hares, roes etc. They must co-operate with the handler. The reaction to the gunshot is checked at the first point.

Autumn Hunting Tests (exact translation: Work Competition for Pointing Dogs) They are similar to the German field tests. There are two classes of the tests: – ?multilateral? – ?versatile?.

Multilateral Class The following subjects ? qualities are scored FIELD 1. Nose 2. Pointing 3. Following the scent of the bird, that are ?walking away? 4. Search pattern 5. Style of working 6. Independence at work 7. Respecting the game (not chasing the animals that are escaping) 8. Shot stability, and good behaviour after shot (the dog can?t react until the owner orders him to retrieve) 9. Retrieving shot game 10. Fowl trail – bird drag (and retrieve) 11. Rabbit /hare/ trail – hare-drag (and retrieve) 12. Search for ?lost? game ALL competitions 13. Obedience and co-operation with the handler. WATER 14. Searching the duck in water (without a duck). 15. Search behind the duck (alive) 16. Search for lost duck (dead) in deep water. 17. Retrieving the duck from deep water. Versatile Class Apart of all above (1-17) points, the following subjects are scored : FOREST 18. Blood tracking (with/without barking or indicating) 19. Remaining in place 20. Rabbit /hare/ trail – hare-drag (and retrieve) 21. Fox trail ? fox -drag (and retrieve) 22. Searching in the forest and pointing the game 23. Lead work 24. ?Pushing?, moving the game that is in the coppice 25. Obedience while searching and ?pushing? 26. Staying by the stand

At all Polish working trials dogs obtain points and diplomas of 3 grades. 1st grade diploma is the highest, the 3rd the lowest. To obtain the 1st, 2nd or 3rd grade diploma a dog must achieve specified (minimum) number of points for each competition/subject.

ABBREVIATIONS: In dog’s portfolios there will be some abbreviations used It will be better to publish them in Polish and write the explanation below.

PP ? (pl. proby polowe) ? Natural Ability Examinations for Young Dogs (like TAN or German VJP) KW ? (pl. Konkurs Pracy Wyzlow) Autumn Hunting Tests (exact translation: Work Competition for Pointing Dogs) They are similar to the German field tests. There are two classes of the tests: – ?multilateral? – ?versatile?. FT ? Field Trials (In Poland we use the English words, we do not translate this into Polish )

Both KW and FT can be international, national or regional.

written by – Izabela Biernacka (ww.klub.weimaraner.pl)