An invitation to visit Czech Republic to view a dog show and field trail, and to see the countryside was too much an opportunity to miss, so plans were made. I had been corresponding a little with Wolf Schmidt-Korby, business manager of the VDD (verein Deutsch Drahthaar) and President of the JGHV.de. via the VHDTA (NZ) and when he heard of my plans to travel to Czech Republic he issued an invite for the 2005 International Hegewald HZP tests taking place in Freising, close to the Munich Int. Airport the week prior to my arrival in CZ.

So it was that on 2nd October Gail Blankley and myself headed off on the first leg of our journey, San Francisco. On arrival we were fingerprinted and had our eyes photographed by immigration. We had a day and a half stopover in SF and then on to Munich, another 12hr leg cramping flight.

We stayed at a Hotel in Freising which turned out to be only a 5min walk to the VDD event headquarters. With meetings all day we were instructed to sightsee and come to the groups get together in the hall that evening. So we strolled around Freising, a picturesque town with many cobbled streets, marvelling at the wonderful looking pastries and the fresh vege’s in the market.

The VDD get together was a big event, and the evening began with the traditional hunting horn encore from a large group on stage dressed in forest greens. We were seated at the table for guests and introduced to the gathering as visitors all the way from NZ. In fact there were visitors and entrants from Spain, Italy, USA, Netherlands, UK, Greece, Norway, Sweden and various German states, giving a total entry of 240 Deutsch Drahthaar.

Many speeches were given, most in German language, and then the entrants were given their instructions. There were 6 “fields” of dogs participating each day for 3 days. We were told to be at the hall at 8.30am next morning to catch the bus that would drive visitors around the various test sites.

After another culinary delight of a choice of scrambled eggs and ham with little herb breakfast sausages, breads, home made yoghurts, jams, fresh fruit juice or strong coffee we trundled up to the hall where we had to find someone to tell us if the bus was in fact coming for us. Yes, it was late and we headed off in a large tourist bus at 9.30am. Our first call was to watch the DD tracking hare. This was where we observed there were no fences, but large fields of maize and grass divided by lines of trees, and with small woodlots here and there. The judges walked about in an area of long grass which obviously hid a number of hare. When one broke cover and raced across the shorter grass of the field the dogs were made to drop down so they could not see the flight of the hare. Then one dog would be brought up and let loose to search and find the track of the hare and then run along the track. It is desirable that the dog “gives voice” and this was a deep “woof” “woof” and not a yodelling. The dogs had to persist in the track of the hare and not come running back if they lost the track, but work at finding it to follow the hare.

Back onto the bus and our next stop was not far away and there the dogs were doing their field search, heading off round behind a field of maize. We got to speak to a few DD owners and discussed coat type. We observed during the day that the coat types varied from say 40mm to almost as short as a Deutsch Kurzhaar., but with beards. No really shaggy dogs with fly-away coats. Also the dogs were quiet, calm, and enjoyed us petting them. We were told the most important thing is a very dense coat so you cannot easily see the skin beneath. There was a mixture of liver & roan and black & roan dogs. Most were sturdy dogs with good bone. It would be wonderful to bring these dogs into NZ for hunting, but we were told that the FCI stamp must appear on our NZKC pedigrees to do this.

Our next stop was off into the countryside, and it became apparent after some time that our bus driver was lost. Gail and I didn’t mind because we were enjoying the scenery. Finally we arrived at the little track, and there were DD and their owners and a tent set up for lunch. On hearing shots being fired, we found the track down to a pond and arrived in time to hear the dog being critiqued by the main judge. . Each test has 3 judges. I noticed quite a lot of stinging nettle growing among and at the edge of the trees. Then there was a break for lunch and Gail and I had a bowl of soup which turned out to be venison stew. After lunch we headed along the track to where the dogs were being evaluated for conformation. Each dog was measured, teeth counted, then walked and ran around while the judges took notes. Upon hearing the shotgun again we left for the duck pond, this time we caught the end of the duck search. Apparently it was difficult to view all the test because of the rushes at the far edge of the pond blocking the view where the dogs were working. I was disappointed because I had very much wanted to see this part of the tests. Wolf called us up to the bus, we had to be back at their Hotel for the world meeting of the various DD groups by 3.30pm.

At this meeting the delegates from each country reported on litters bred, who they were being sold to (hunting or other), and any problems or business they needed to discuss. The meeting was begun by the President of the FCI, and he repeated most of his comments in English.

From what Gail and I could work out, the FCI is not happy about clubs breeding puppies for show only. They are encouraging breed clubs to sign a charter that they will provide working tests for their respective breeds. Also we understand that the FCI is not happy with dogs being sold to non FCI countries and discussions are being held among breed clubs about this. We can only assume that this ties in with country of origin breed standards and how some countries are departing from them, but Mr Fisher had to leave to catch his flight and after that the discussions were in German. What was discussed at the main meeting of the previous day was tail docking. Two ladies from Sweden had compiled information on the tail injuries of the non docked DD in their country, and this was 50% injury.

I will add here that the average temperature in Germany and CZ for that time of year
Was 12-14 C. We arrived in an Indian Summer and it was about 20C the whole time we were in Europe, not a day of rain.

Next day we left for Prague where we were met by Dr Jaromir Dostal who took us to his home in Lebechov, We had to arise bright and early the next morning for our trip to the dog show held by the Ceske Budejovice club. This show is held near Budweiser. I think most will recognise that name. We drove through Prague and out into the countryside, as we drove we would see here and there deer out in the fields. The countryside was similar to what we’d seen in Germany, but a little wilder, again with open fields of maize, grass, rape and one time we saw sunflower being harvested. We saw little in the way of farm animals. No fences, but it seemed fields were divided, as in Germany, by lines of trees and small to larger woodlots. It was common in both countries to see near the woodlots the hunting platforms where the hunter waits for the deer to venture out of the trees.

Jaromir told us that in his area there is a big problem with wild pigs, nasty little critters similar in appearance to Javelina’s. Many hunting dogs are killed each year, but the pigs can travel 30k in a night and are very hard to find to shoot. It seems the best pig hunt he remembers was a drive where 30 were shot. The pigs eat the pheasant eggs and no doubt the young birds, so where there are lots of pigs there are few gamebirds. The pigs do a lot of damage on the farmland.

Judging at the show was quite different to ours. It appeared that the dogs papers were handed in as they first entered the ring in their class. The dogs in the class then had their ear tattoos checked that they matched the papers.

Many, at least in gundogs, were shown by men who often wore their forest green hunting garb. The dogs were walked and trotted in a circle and then individually brought out for the judge to examine. The teeth would be thoroughly checked, and each dog measured. When the judge was satisfied with his appraisal of the dog he would give a verbal critique to the owner and gallery, and then award a grading. Dogs graded as excellent would receive a little blue ribbon to tie to their collar. The dogs were then placed in order 1-4.

On the way back to Liebechov we spotted duck hunters along a bridge, one ready with his shotgun through the concrete railings whilst another was returning with his ducks.
Hunting is managed by the Govt through the District Office for Hunting.. Farmers must by law allow hunting. A Private hunting district must be at least 500ha, usually land owners from one or two villages form the district, the owners of under 500ha must allow hunting to the Clubs. The clubs must do tallies of the game and work out what numbers to cull. The District Govt. decides which days to count the hunting animals, usually it is during spring or 2 or 3 Saturdays in March for antlered game, and in August for pheasant and hare. Each district then has prescribed the basic population number of wild animals and birds which must be retained. The District hunting officer decides how many licences to issue for hunting in their district each season, and for pigs and Mouflons (wild sheep) how many must be shot. If the wild animals still cause damage to the farms and the officef is not willing to issue further licences hunters do not pay damage costs, but if the hunters do not manage to shoot the required number of animals they pay the damage.

To gain a firearms and hunting licence a person must complete an 80 hour course which includes lectures on different subjects; zoology, game keeping and population control, diseases, hunting laws and regulations, dog breeds and training, shooting with guns and basic construction of firearms, ways and history of hunting. There is an exam on each subject and the candidate must pass each successfully.

Next day, up early again to head for the Castle Konopiste which is 45km south of Prague where the field trail was being held on the lands near the castle. This was quite a tourist area with restaurants and stalls selling Czech crystal, and a motorcycle museum that was closed for the season. We all gathered at the Stara myslivna restaurant where we had our usual 2nd breakfast, and a game soup that was a bit suspect of the ingredients but hey, when in Rome. The restaurant was very impressive with chandeliers made from deer antlers, roe deer spikes along the walls, pig tusks, Mouflon horns, guns, a crossbow, old hunting prints, a badger hide, mounted polecats and a huge owl. It was interesting that the roe deer spikes that were deformed were especially treasured, whether as oddities or for some special reason I don’t know.

Klub Chovatelu Ceskych Fousku

Summer FIELD TRIAL
Of Continental Pointer Dogs
With the CACT title

The Summer Field Trial of Continental Pointer Dogs encompasses
a field work which must be utmost drawn on the hunting practice.
Pointer dogs are judged on the basis of their work before a gunshot.
During the Summer Field Trial the accent is put on the work before the
feathered game.
In the Summer Field Trial modified Test Regulations for Appraisal of
International Competitions of Continental Pointer Dogs according to the
CACIT – FCI are used.
During the competition fire upon game is strictly prohibited
The competition is open also for English Pointing Dogs that are to be judged
separately according to the ZR FCI for English Pointing dogs.
*****

After all the entries were correctly accounted for in the Laptop, everyone gathered in a field, with the Castle Konopiste as a backdrop, for the traditional blowing of the hunting horns to begin the trials. The entries consisted of 12 Cesky Fousek, 4 Mad’arsky ohar (Vizsla), 1 Vymarsky ohar kratkosrsty (Weim ), 1 Bretansky ohar (Brittany), 6 Anglicky Setr, 1 Irsky Setr, 4 Gordon Setr, and 4 Pointers.

Then we departed in groups to each test area, where the entrants were given instructions by the senior judge. We noted that the entrants all removed their green felt hats and listened attentively and politely at these times. Then down to the field we walked. This field was perhaps 6 acres with further fields behind the tree line, trees bordered the field and also ran down the centre.

The first dog to run was a Vizsla which headed off at a gallop and ranged well in the
open between the tree lines. The ankle deep grass was very wet with a heavy dew, and the pheasant were all in the trees where we could hear them calling. Our Vizsla went into the centre tree line with the judges watching, and then we heard and saw pheasant flying everywhere!

The next dog was brought up, and it was explained to us that the Vizsla had chased after the pheasant and been disqualified.

This seemed to be the downfall of most of the dogs, and who could blame them?
They had to point a pheasant, flush it on command and be steady to the flying of the bird and to the shot. What was happening was there were too many birds, and as the dog flushed it’s pointed bird that bird disturbed others nearby, so the dog would have 6 or more pheasant flying cackling from around it, and these would disturb more birds still, so it was just too much for them not to move. I gather this also was a problem for the English breeds in their trial.

I did notice that there was thick patches of stinging nettles at the edges of the tree lines, and it appeared to me that the dogs did avoid going through these patches into the trees, I don’t think our NZ hunters would be out in their shorts! I saw one Fousek give a very good display, it was very “birdy”, aware and cautious in its working of the birds, and completed its point and flush with no problem, remaining steady to the flush of the pheasant (s).

We were told to go and have our lunch, so a walk up the nearby narrow little roadway where people were hiking around the castle grounds brought us to a car where a barbecue was set up for sausages & sauce, and cold or hot drinks.

After lunch the judges ran the scoring dogs across an open hillside to check their search and ranging as all the dogs had previously worked the trees where all the pheasant were hiding. The dogs were checked on how they quartered across the field, their style of running and how they turned (into the wind), and if the dogs used their noses up into the wind or scented near the ground.

Whilst the judges ran the last couple dogs we walked next to the field back to the cars, and then back to the restaurant where the scores were loaded into the laptop.

Here we had a late (2nd) lunch and a welcome beer. It turned out two Fousek in the Continental groups had gained 18pts, so it was a barrage (run off). We drove to a nearby field which was probably 20 acres of short grain stubble with a little patch of trees and longer grass about 1/3 the way out. Here the two dogs had to hunt together, but run independently of each other. The two men were about 30m away from each other and walked out with their dogs which again were checked for style of run, quartering of the field, use of nose. The liver Fousek went on point near the trees but nothing was produced, so the judges swapped the dogs around and the liver & white Fousek also indicated that game had been in the tree area (but didn’t point) while the liver dog went on point in the area the other dog had covered, no game. So the liver & white Fousek Bon z Chladne Strane won the CACT, with the liver Cir z Hrabickych remizku Re.s CACT.
In the English breeds the English setter Cheeky z Lodinskych Luhu won her CACT.

The prize giving was again preceeded by the blowing of the hunting horns.

Monday was back to Castle Konpiste where we walked the grounds and admired the statues that are all around the park surrounding the castle. As it was early autumn the leaves coloured leaves blowing off the trees were floating toward us like snow.

Gail and I took a tour of part of the castle, the private quarters of the Duke d’Este.
He was an avid hunter, probably fanatic would be a better description. Not only did he hunt in Czecheslovakia, but other countries and his main hallway was decorated with a tiger skin as well as fox heads, owl heads, pig tusks, black cock, and hundreds of antlers of deer. Each item had the year it was shot, the area and numbered. The tally was 5000.

Wednesday on to Prague itself where we walked and marvelled at the wonderful architecture and monuments. We also found another gun shop, and more badges and Jaromir brought us each a lovely large calendar of hunting prints, and we purchased T shirts. Then to a restaurant for lunch, I really think NZ doesn’t hold a candle to their restaurant food. Thank goodness we were doing quite a bit of walking.

Then home. Poor knees cramped up in the airplane for 12 hours to Singapore. There we browsed the duty free and had a coffee for a few hours and off home for 9 hour flight to Auckland. At least this airplane though smaller had more leg space and footrests. What a wonderful trip, and we would like to thank Wolf Schmidt Korby of the VDD and especially Dr Jaromir Dostal and family for making us so welcome in their home, and Jaromir who drove us miles and was our guide, and rescued us from being run over on more than one occasion (we kept looking right to cross instead of left).

Margaret.

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Updated 4th February 2006