The Grounds

In 2005 Tom & Myra Bratrud and Ian & Vicky Holmes, members of CESSC embarked on an ambitious program to acquire property that would be conducive to field trials. They managed to purchase 3 adjoining quarter sections of rolling land South and East of the City of Calgary, Alberta.

The cover was designed by the chief agronomist for Pheasants Forever, and consists of a blend of grasses and legumes and that we considered the perfect pheasant cover. This property was then seeded down to this mix and has been groomed ever since in preparation for the 44th Canadian Spaniel Field Trial Championship. As such, there are no noxious weeds or grasses that may be considered a canine health hazard. The cover is quite consistent throughout and will be fair to every competitor. Also, more than 40,000 bushes were planted around the property edges, the sloughs and the creek bottom, to hold and feed pheasants and hold snow for moisture.

In keeping with the concept of fairness, the first four series will be run on 3 different parcels such that there would be no scent contamination from any previous series. This also gives the judges an opportunity to pick the series for any type of wind that they may want to test the dogs.

The water series may be run on the same property in a private lake that is home to a variety of waterfowl. The water is clean and free of any obstacles that may hinder or create a physical problem to a dog's retrieve.

The fifth series will be run in a long dry creek bed with a varying mix of grasses, rose bushes, berry bushes and weeds. This is essentially the basic mix of pheasant hunting cover in Alberta.

Last updated on June 24, 2010