28 September 2025
Great news from Sharon Augustus who tells us that Connie had a fabulous weekend at the Isle of Wight Gundog Club’s Autumn Show, going Best of Breed and gaining two seconds on the Saturday. Then Sunday was TD Rally Trial where Connie scored 194 Ace rosette and a 180 outstanding one.
This photo was captured in the summer at the Royal Agricultural Show on the island, where Sharon with Connie had just done a mark and memory retrieve perfectly in a main ring demonstration for the Undercliff Dog Training Team. Connie is now officially off on maternity leave
The excitement and enthusiasm from the successful working test has now died down somewhat, although I think all are eager for the next one in the spring. One second placed dog was missing from last week’s photo and that was Petros who, handled by owner Vincent, placed second in the largest class of the day, namely the beginner class. Well done to this duo.
On the subject of missing photos, I missed out a photo of the beautiful Vroni and handsome Togo on their recent special beginner success. So this week we have corrected this too.
Please don’t forget, if you are able to organise a training session with a local trainer that can include Chesapeakes, let me know and I will advertise it in breed news. We all need as many opportunities as we can.
The shooting season has now started in earnest and our dogs are beginning to do their ‘real’ job in all spheres. Please let me have any tales of your dogs working for breed news. We all want to hear your boasts and stories from the field and the foreshore. Don’t be shy.
Christine Mayhew
bobmayhewqhorses@aol.com
Copy deadline for each BNW is 6 pm on the Friday before each weekend’s issue. All queries regarding content should be addressed strictly to the author above.
21 September 2025
This weekend of variable weather saw the Chesapeake Club’s Autumn Working Test for 2025 held in ideal weather and test conditions for our breed at the saltmarshes near Bradwell on Sea, Essex, by kind permission of Dengie Hundred Wildfowling and Conservation Club.
The weekend started with a feast of a barbecue on the Friday evening, with Nick Glanvill acting a very proficient chef. Lots of banter, good food and drink made the perfect evening after many had travelled long distances from all over the UK, and some had suffered the horrific Friday night traffic around London and Essex.
Richard had secured the services of Steve Parker for judging the working test, and Steve had very kindly volunteered to give the training on the Saturday. We had a large group of 19 dogs taking part in the training, so we split into two, with Tilly and Steve taking a group each, and trainers swopping groups at lunchtime.
Both trainers proved excellent for our dogs of varying standards, taking them through exercises that would be helpful not only on the test day but also to work on for future training. With Steve being a spaniel field trialler and judge, I was wondering how he would react to our breed, however he was really excellent. Maybe his spaniel background made him more akin to the method of training our dogs than that of some serious field trial Lab people (Jason Mayhew excepting!)
It was really lovely and positive to see many new people joining in this weekend, all with an interest in the breed, including one couple from France who had their third Chesapeake with them.
Another great barbecue ensued on the Saturday evening when the wind decided to try to cause havoc, but being a tough lot (helped by a few rapidly constructed windbreaks), all was well. This time Anthony Ciraolo and Gareth Adger joined Nick at the barbecues to produce enough food to feed 5000, including some delicious home-made sausages from Fleur. This was all finished off with some amazing puddings made by Rhian Poulton, Tilly Thomas and Carole Harris. The food just kept coming. It certainly was not a weekend for dieting.
On Sunday morning, after more cooking from Ant, we were off to the foreshore where Richard and his son Tom had, prior to the day, worked hard to prepare a parking area, and re-excavate a blocked pond ready for the tests. Our previous day’s trainer, Steve, was joined by Mike Lawrence as a second judge. Amie Mellersh-Tett and Tilly did a great job as stewards, getting people lined up to take their turn running, which sounds simple until you try it.
Of the four tests, one was on land, one into or across a pond, one into open water off the sea wall and the fourth in marsh land where the tidal water rose rapidly until it eventually swamped the pond we had used in the morning and covered the marsh before our eyes. Our lovely volunteer dummy thrower, Rob, got his feet very wet, as did a few unsuspecting dog handlers.
This venue, where we have held a few tests in the past, is the perfect setting for showing off our breed and their abilities. As the breed standard says, “A courageous and keen worker with a great love of water.” As usual, there were a few dogs who wanted to stay in the water a bit longer than required!
All of the dogs competing were driven, keen and enthusiastic about their work and I cannot believe that anyone spectating could not have been impressed. The dogs certainly convinced one prospective owner that this was the breed he needs for wildfowling and I believe he has already enquired about puppies.
We all owe a great debt to Richard and Tilly for putting up with us all, including camping, caravanning, and taking over bedrooms in their home; to Anthony and Richard for organising the weekend; to Sue for taking the entries and producing the running sheets and trophies; and to our volunteer trainers and judges who refused payment.
The raffle made £135 for club funds thanks to everyone’s generosity.
Well done to the winners and to all who contributed to make this a fantastic weekend.
With our tests being run under KC rules, any dog scoring a zero in a test cannot be in the awards. Many dogs, for simple reasons, failed on a test, and so were not placed. The final results were as follows:
PUPPY (4 ran – no awards)
NOVICE DOG/NOVICE HANDLER (4 ran)
1. Oakleaf Manor Bay of Oakmarsh – owned and handled by Kirsty Watts
BEGINNER (8 ran)
1. Pixiesrock Green Kirkle – owned and handled by Nicolas Glanvill
2. Petros – owned and handled by Vincent Acheson
3. Chesepi Viroqua – owned and handled by Nicolas Glanvill
4. Passione Knightspool – owned and handled by Mark Poulton
UNCLASSIFIED OPEN (6 ran)
1. Arnac Bay Inca – owned by Chrissie Mayhew and Sue Worrall; handled by Sue
2. Riptide Whistlin Duck – owned and handled by Richard Playle
Judges’ Choice was Franeo Ebbing Tide – owned and handled by Anthony Ciraolo
Best Veteran was Chesepi Viroqua – owned and handled by Nick Glanvill
Christine Mayhew
bobmayhewqhorses@aol.com
Copy deadline for each BNW is 6pm on the Friday before each weekend’s issue. All queries regarding content should be addressed strictly to the author above.
14 September 2025
A busy weekend with the Chesapeake Club’s open show being held in conjunction with Darlington Championship show at Ripon Racecourse, North Yorkshire.
First up was the Championship Chesapeake classes being judged by Frank Whyte who gave the top honour of best of breed, along with the CC, to Sh Ch Pixiesrock Mr Tumnus by Bleyos (aka Gibbs) for a delighted owner/handler Tracy Boyles.
The bitch CC went to Janet Morris’s Baymoss Tweed Of Penrose, with reserve in dogs Sh Ch Arnac Bay Huron At Bergelle JW who floated around the ring for owners Maddie Mahon-Hunns, Jodie Hunns and James Newton who handled him. Gus also won best veteran in breed. The reserve in bitches was won by Laura and Lawrence Blaber’s Oakmarsh Laurel. I love the fact that Laurel, Lawrence and Laura are all one family!
Best puppy in breed was Susqudilla Yankee Shadow aka Sterling, handled by co-owner Maddie Mahon. He subsequently went into the big ring for the best puppy in show challenge where he was short listed.
Tracy was unable to stay with Gibbs to challenge for best in show as very sadly her travelling companion had to dash back to Scotland to her terminally ill mother who passed away in the early hours of the next day.
Next up was the Club’s open show where, with few exceptions, the same dogs were entered, supporting the Club and the show, and having another crack of the whip.
This show and the specials were very kindly sponsored by Skinners Dog Food and Sporting Saint who gave us amazing prizes in the way of dog food vouchers and gun dog training equipment. A big thank you to both companies.
The judge this time was Joy Venturi-Rose who breeds dual purpose Labradors and has judged our club working test in the past, as well as giving gundog training days for the breed and for individuals in the breed so she really knows that our Chessies are a working dog.
This time the top honour and best in show went to Richard Playle’s Riptide Gentleman’s Relish, a young male full of energy who gave his handler Gemma McCartney a job and a half! Gemma also handled her co-owned BB’s Chesapeake Breeding Dory for Arnac to best puppy in show, with the reserve best puppy going to Sterling (see above).
Reserve best in show and best opposite sex from winning the veteran class went to to Sh Ch Arnac Bay Hebe handled by co-owner Joy Middleton, and new ‘dad’ Sh Ch Chesepi Waco took reserve best veteran for owner/handler David Rigby.
Meanwhile in another ring in the stakes classes, Togo (Battsrock Are You Ready) fought his way through the very busy, 21 dog strong Good Citizen stakes to take a very coveted 2nd place, earning enough funds to pay half the fuel money for owner/handler Vroni Royale.
Last but not least was the specials classes judged this time by Jacque Bayne. Only three classes in these specials with every exhibitor receiving a sample bag of Skinners Field and Trial food – always useful for a day away with dogs and to sample the Skinners range. The Junior winner was Sharon Baxandall’s puppy Tasha (Battsrock Ashes to Ashes). Post Graduate was Nutty (Oakmarsh Land of Promise of Roguehart) owned by Amie and Naomi Mellersh-Tett. Nutty did her normal comedy act with Amie before settling into the game and being Miss Goodie Goodie! The open class was won by Ch Arnac Bay Huron At Bergelle JW (Gus) – this time with Joy Middleton handling him.
A lovely day but a busy one for the dogs and their handlers with many facing a long journey home. A big thank you to all who supported the Club and all who helped out with the show.
Sharon tells us of her puppy Tasha passing her Bronze award along with three other puppies in their training group. This was one of their goals her trainer Bev Snudden had set to achieve within their sessions and Tasha achieved her last one a simple marked retrieve to hand. One Sharon says that they had been struggling with. Sharon is always very busy with her dogs and gives them a good deal of mental stimulation, something so good for our breed.
Other news from Sharon is that the pup she exported to Australia some eight years ago, namely Sharbae Rose of Tenarda, is now officially an International Champion. Rose has had an amazing career in the show ring and her ‘kids and grandkids’ are proving just as successful. How nice it is that Rose’s owner Margaret Wedgwood, continues to praise and acknowledge Sharon’s input as her breeder, in making her successes possible.
A reminder – don’t forget to send any end of year trophy points that your dog earns in shows/working/obedience etc to Cathy Broomfield at cbrcpoints@gmail.com. Details of how to earn points for the end of year trophies are on the Home page.
Christine Mayhew
bobmayhewqhorses@aol.com
Copy deadline for each BNW is 6 pm on the Friday before each weekend’s issue. All queries regarding content should be addressed strictly to the author above.
7 September 2025
Sharon Augustus has been busy on the Isle of Wight where they recently had a double show match with judges Debbie Herring (Battsrock) and Nick Burchell having crossed the sea from the mainland. Sharon’s Chesapeake, Connie, got through to the final on this fun evening but was beaten by a GSP.
Connie and kennelmate Tasha attended their 1st TD Rally Trial at Calbourne where they had two judges so were able to get done before the rain came in. The dogs had two rounds each and Sharon says she was really pleased with Tasha who was entered in Puppy, in the 1st round scoring 187 out of 210 and 2nd round 202 out of 210. Connie was Level 1, scoring in the 1st round 190 out of 210. Unfortunately in the 2nd round she NQ’d (not qualified) as she relieved herself in ring. Their next trial is 21 September and Sharon says there is lots to work on but it was a fun day.
The City of Birmingham held a Championship show at Stoneleigh last weekend. With no CCs on offer for Chesapeakes, the entry was sadly low for judge Tina Westwood. Best of Breed was Tracy Boyles’ Sh Ch Pixiesrock Mr Tumnus by Bleyos JW, Best Bitch was Kirsty Watts’ Oakmarsh Little Acorn JW, Best Veteran, Caroline Pont’s Sh Ch Oakmarsh Dancing Diva VW, and Best Junior, Kirsty’s Oakmarsh Little Acorn JW.
Stop press as this Sunday was Richmond Championship show, with Ger Philpott from Ireland giving CCs for the first time in our breed. From an entry of 17, once again brother and sister Sh Ch Arnac Bay Hebe and Sh Ch Arnac Bay Huron of Bergelle JW took both CCs, with Hebe taking the best of breed. Best puppy was once again BBs Chesapeake Breeding Dory at Arnac (see previous Breed News for owner details).
Reserve CC in bitches was Laura Blaber’s Oakmarsh Laurel JW, with the reserve in dogs going to last weekend’s best of breed, Mr Tumnus, owner Tracy having made the long trip down from Scotland again – and feeling the heat ‘down South’!
In the big ring the Oakmarsh dogs made their presence known, with Angela Corcoran winning 2nd in the special beginners group having earlier won the breed class, with Oakmarsh Kingsley Adsila, and the Oakmarsh team winning the breeder stakes for breeder Kirsty Watts.
An exciting idea from committee member Cathy Broomfield, who writes:
As we are well into the second half of 2025, we thought it might be fun to start collating the results of the Working, Show and Obedience events in the form of a leader board. The points gained for these all go towards the annual Club trophies, to be announced at the CBRC AGM in early 2026.The rules for the points are given on the Home page.
While I can easily see results on the main sites for shows and for CBRC working tests as they happen, it can be hard for me to keep track of past events so I cannot be held responsible for collating points – please drop me an email with your wins and awards so I can keep the lists up to date!
This is open to CBRC members only – if you’re not a member it’s not too late to join. Points are accepted for events run from 1st January 2025 to 31st December 2025. The leader board will be set up on the CBRC website and reminders in forthcoming BNW’s.
Please send your points to me at cbrcpoints@gmail.com
If you take part in other Kennel Club events we would love to hear from you with a view to adding more categories in the future. Let’s all celebrate all things Chesapeake!
Looking forward to hearing from you all, Cathy.
It was interesting to receive an email from the American Chesapeake Club outlining an increase in their membership fees as this is an item that has been discussed many times with regards to our UK club. In common with the UK, the costs of printing and producing their magazine (the ACC Bulletin) and the costs of postage, seem to take a large percentage of the membership fees and accounts for over 50% of their annual budget.
Membership fees for those receiving a printed copy of the Bulletin (as opposed to a digital version) will see an increase of $15, making individual membership $35. Those of us overseas have to pay an additional fee for overseas postage, making our subscriptions over £60.00.
The cost of our UK Club membership is currently £10 which makes it very cheap by comparison but the costs to our Club have increased horrendously, especially with regards to the printing and posting of the Chessie Chat and yearbook.
Christine Mayhew
bobmayhewqhorses@aol.com
Please note that copy deadline for each BNW is 6pm on the Friday before each weekend. All queries regarding content should be addressed strictly to the author above.
31 August 2025
The Chesapeakes are certainly being noticed in the show ring these days. Tracy Boyles and Gibbs, having won reserve best dog at Driffield show, headed up the hill on her way back to Scotland and stepped back into the ring at North Riding Gundog Club open show. Anne Orzel was judging both the breed and best in show and having awarded Gibbs (Sh Ch Pixiesrock Mr Tumnus by Bleyos JW) a super BOB, later in the day awarded him a fabulous reserve best in show in super company.
Some working news at last, and last weekend the Working Minority Retriever Club organised a huge event which consisted of 4 trainers, 4 assessors and 26 minority breed dogs taking part in gundog activities. Debbie Herring reports:
In the morning the groups were split into experience levels and allocated a trainer. The purpose was to work towards the Working Gundog Certificate. The group who were ready to take the certificate (or had previously achieved it) went through all the exercises they would be asked to complete if they were being assessed for the working test.
The two middle groups went through similar exercises and were given achievement feedback on what their dog needed to work on to be able to complete the WGC next year.
The final group trained with Nick Coates. I had Tex out and we were joined by Jan Morton and Tex’s litter sister Roxy, and Paul Holland with his litter brother Zoar. Nick did a few initial assessment exercises to see where our pups stood currently, and then went through the Level 1 Gundog Certificate that he expects dogs to be achieving at around a year old.
The exercises were something you could easily try at home:
Walk out 20 yards with your dog at heel (if the pup tried to walk in front he recommended walking into the pup’s space in a left hand circle and then walking on, to encourage the pup to keep their shoulders behind our leg). Once we arrived at the 20 yard marker we had to put the pup in a sit-stay and walk half way back. Nick then timed 2 minutes where the dog had to remain in a sit. (Two minutes seems like forever when you’re are doing it.)
We then walked out 3/4 of the way to the 20 yard marker, threw out the dummy to the marker whilst the pup remained in sit, then turned and walked away to the original start point and then sent the pup for the retrieve.
The final exercise was to leave the dog on sit, walk out to the marker and throw the dummy, return to the pup and send for the retrieve. Afterwards Nick discussed the importance of heelwork and steadiness, but also maintaining the enthusiasm, so regularly switching up the exercises to keep it fun at this stage.
After everyone had gathered for lunch and had some fun banter about how the day was going, in the afternoon we were split into a group taking their KC Working Gundog Certificate with the assessors, and the rest of us competed in a fun mock working test where the morning trainers became afternoon judges. Fleur and Chester were in the advanced group for the day and a small error lost Fleur the top spot in the open mock test, but Chester was fantastic all day. The pups also did the mock test, with Roxy 1st, Tex a few points behind and Zoar in 3rd. It was an excellent day and took a huge amount of organisation to pull it off. I am pleased to report all eight taking their KC WGC passed the assessment.
The next training day for the Working Minority Retriever Club is on 4 October in Elstead, Surrey and is a cold game and walk up day, great for those who would like to prepare their dogs for shoot days or for working on their steadiness.
For more information on the next training day, visit www.workingminorityretrieverclub.co.uk.
Sadly Show Champion Nunneyswood Drifting Snow passed away this last week at the grand old age of 15 years and 4 months.
I know this tale has been told before, but some may not have heard it. Bred by Margaret Woods who resides on the Isle of Wight, a mating had been arranged with Dill (Sh Ch Arnac Bay Ardent). However the winter of 2010–11 was a rare weather event that brought heavy snowfalls, record low temperatures and travel chaos disruption to Great Britain.
Margaret thought she could make it to the IOW ferry but would not be able to drive the distance to me and Dill from Portsmouth. Luckily I had (and still have) a trusty Land Rover Defender with decent all terrain tyres. Add this to my love of driving out in the Landy when there is snow, floods, or just plain shooting ground mud on a slope, and I was more than happy to set off to meet Margaret at Portsmouth docks. The journey was not without its hazards, mainly abandoned vehicles all over the snow-packed roads, but I arrived and the dogs met each other enthusiastically. Whilst they were very interested in ‘performing’, the ground in the car park at the docks was slippery ice and so the decision was made to put both dogs in the back of the Land Rover which was lined with rubber matting – this quickly proved successful and Margaret and I froze and chatted by the back door whilst the tie took place inside! The resulting litter all had snow-themed names – hence Nunneyswood Drifting Snow!
Margaret’s grandaughter, Gemma McCartney, who handled Drift in the show ring, tells us a bit more about Drift:
She had 8 CCs and 6 RCCs, including best of breed at Crufts 2014 and at the Chesapeake Club Championship show in 2014.Unfortunately she only had one litter, which was sad as she was a fantastic mother. She lived with her daughter Neve until her final day and they truly adored each other. She had a litter of 9, all of whom have been wonderful dogs, with amazing owners. Of those, Nunneyswood Evening Snow (Neve), Nunneyswood Mogul (Saxon) and Nunneyswood Snow Flurry at Glaneils (Fern) earned studbook numbers. Her son Nunneyswood Iceberg (Ice) went to Italy and became an International Champion, subsequently revisiting the UK to earn his UK Champion title and winning the Dog CC at Crufts three years in a row (2018, 2019 and 2020), the final time trotting in his mother’s footsteps and winning the best of breed. Ice is the sire of a handful of imported dogs from Italy.
At home with Margaret and her husband Albert, Drift was quite the character and often known as a ‘bull in a china shop’ as she did everything full pelt! Until shortly before her passing she demanded she got to go on her walk each day no matter how doddery she was and she would soon let you know if it was past dinner time. She had been water crazy most of her life and on a holiday with myself, Paul, and my Chesapeake, another ‘Ice’, showed her true colours. We had been walking around a nearly silent Ennerdale Water, in the Lake District when, as usual, she made a beeline to the water as soon as she realised it was there and spent a good 10 mins squealing in delight, splashing around and digging in the shallows all the while the sound echoing down the valley with Paul and I apologising to other walkers trying to have a peaceful day! Drift was a typical Chesapeake!
Christine Mayhew bobmayhewqhorses@aol.com
Please note that the copy deadline for each BNW is 6pm on the Friday before each weekend. All queries regarding content should be addressed to the author above.
24 August 2025
Those of you who are members of BASC may have read all about Skinners dog food in your July/August BASC magazine.Founded over 50 years ago, the company is wholeheartedly British with young sales director Ben Skinner being a seventh generation Skinners. Skinners has factories in East Anglia where nearly all ingredients sourced in the UK including meat and cereals are from local suppliers. Going through the process of producing the food, raw ingredients are delivered in bulk and tested for quality and consistency with anything below par meaning that the whole shipment is rejected and sent back to the supplier. This company claims to use only top quality natural ingredients without artificial preservatives, flavourings or colourings which is impressive in this day and age.
Many of you will have used the well known range ‘Field and Trial’ which now comes in a generous variety of types according to age and energy requirements, which we all know is so important for our dogs whether at work or at rest.
Why do I mention this company and its products? Because they have very generously agreed to sponsor not only our forthcoming open show, but our working test too. Skinners have long been associated with working gundogs and are in fact sponsors for BASC. Main winners at the club show and at the working test will receive vouchers for large sacks of dried food or packs of wet food, with other winners having vouchers for smaller packs. With so many suppliers able to redeem these vouchers, these are incredibly worthwhile prizes. Thank you Skinners.
Driffield Show this weekend had a double championship show due to the event having to be cancelled last year when the wind decided to cause havoc to the marquees!
Chesapeake classes in the first show saw Nicola Spencer judging 12 dogs, a good entry for non-CC classes. Best of breed and best dog went to Sh Ch Arnac Bay Huron at Bergelle JW (Mahon-Hunns, Hunns and Newton) with reserve going to Sh Ch Pixiesrock Mr Tumnus by Bleyos (Boyles). Best bitch and best veteran was Sh Ch Oakmarsh Dancing Diva (Pont), with reserve to Muireatai Miracle of Dreams (Murray). Best puppy was Susqudilla Yankee Shadow (Mahon-Hunns, Middleton and Haskin). The Gundog group was judged by David Howarth who shortlisted and ultimately awarded Gus with Group 4 out of a quality line up.
The second show sadly had no classes for our breed so the Chessies had to compete against other gundog breeds in the Not Separately Classified classes which is often chock-a-block with good quality dogs. And so it is a great achievement for a Chesapeake to feature, but Caroline Pont and Diva did just that, winning best veteran and then, for the icing on the cake, going forward to place Group 4 in the best veteran in show competition under well-respected gundog judge Anthony Allen. Big congratulations.
Another prompt: please don’t forget to enter the club show and the club working test, with both entries closing in the not so distant future.
If you have any news to share for next week, don’t forget to send it in by Saturday.
Christine Mayhew
bobmayhewqhorses@aol.com