Photo by W Moores OUR DOGS
Overall winner was Dalziel & Scott’s Flatcoated Retriever, Branchalwood Strathbay JW pictured here with judge Kathy Gorman, reserve the Weimaraner McAngus’ Cavalmist Cameo for Greyfurs and Mrs Margie Cairns President of the Gundog Breeds Association of Scotland

THE GUNDOG Breeds Association of Scotland Top Scottish Gundog of 2002 final match was held at Queensferry Lodge Hotel, North Queensferry, Fife on Sunday 2nd March.

The cream of Scotland’s gundogs was there to compete on a match basis under the eye of ‘surprise’ judge of the day the gundog specialist Kathy Gorman who had jetted in that morning following a busy appointment the day before judging the groups and best in show at Belfast’s first open show for many years.

The venue in the shadow of Scotland’s famous Forth road and railway bridges had earlier hosted the association’s AGM and lunch and was followed by the match final in the afternoon.

Twenty four competed and were drawn in pairs at the end of the AGM. Overall winner was Messrs S K Dalziel & J M Scott’s Flatcoated Retriever, Branchalwood Strathbay JW, in second place Weimaraner bitch Cavalmist Cameo for Greyfurs owned by Mrs M & Miss M McAngus, third was Mr Frank Whyte’s Welsh Springer Sh Ch Kazval Forever Friends and in fourth place Mrs B Ganarin’s English Springer Berkenbar Carrera.

The judge’s report

I felt extremely honoured to be invited to judge this prestigious gundog event and felt even more honoured on arrival when I glanced around the room and saw the quality of the finalists.

There were some very hard decisions to be made in some of the rounds and unfortunately, as often happens at a match, some extremely good dogs had to go out in the first round.

However, I was very pleased with my final line-up and in particular my winner who showed his heart out all afternoon.

In first place was Messrs S K Dalziell & J M Scott’s Flatcoated Retriever, Branchalwood Strathbay JW, A well constructed masculine dog, displaying the required elegance, who moved very well both infront and behind, covering the ground well with each stride, he had a lovely head and eye and typical happy Flatcoat temperament.

In second place, and close up was the lovely Weimaraner bitch, Cavalmist Cameo for Greyfurs owned by Mrs M & Miss M McAngus. She had a very typical outline, pretty feminine head and eye and moved straight and true really covering the ground well. Third was Mr Frank Whyte’s Welsh Springer Sh Ch Kazval Forever Friends and in fourth place, Mrs B Ganarin’s English Springer Berkenbar Carrera.

My thanks go to the Committee who made me most welcome and to all the finalists for affording me the honour of judging their lovely dogs.

Kathy Gorman