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Meet the Gundog Trainers

12th May 2022

Gundog equipment supplied by Gundog Gear

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Alan Rees

I am the Welsh International Gundog Team Captain (and have been for the last 20 years) and have competed at over 50 international events as well as qualified for Retriever Championship 14 times with 8 different dogs. I have been fortunate to compete with 13 different dogs. I've had a wealth of experience both in the UK and overseas, having judged all over Europe, both trials, championships and international events. This year will see the pinnacle of my judging career as I have been selected to judge the International Gundog League Retriever Championship which will be held in December 2022.

Winner of several awards in Field Trials, Open Tests & Team Events, including All Aged Stake T.T.T in the first season & 2 Day Open Qualifier by Scottish Gundog Association. Both Alan and Magnum have also taken part in various team events including Skinners World Cup, Sherbourne Team Event, Scone Palace Four Nations Challenge & Game Fair.

Magnum is a good-going dog with bags of natural ability, a good marker and a keen hunter.

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Left: Welsh Gundog Captain Alan Rees | Right: England Gundog Captain David Latham

Louie Robertson

Louie has been training gun dogs for over 30 years since she started with her first working spaniel in 1990 and has a wealth of experience in training dogs..... and as importantly their handlers! She runs a very successful gundog training academy TRAINTHATDOG.COM which she first established near Petworth in 2001. Here she and her team provide a whole range of classes for the gundog breeds from Puppy Early Learning at 12 weeks to Championship level gundog, with lots of spaniel-only classes too. Trainthatdog now even has its very own On-Line Puppy Class for those who aren’t able to travel to classes or who prefer to work from home

Louie’s group classes are all held outdoors in small groups working in natural surroundings. Her strength is in helping owners and their dogs to achieve a rapport based on kind methods of training. Louie encourages quiet calm handling, sensitive body language and clear hand signals coupled with infinite patience and precise timing to make expert trainers from the most novice of dog handlers.

Founder Chairman of Leconfield Working Spaniel Club from 2005, now President, Louie has extensive knowledge of training and working spaniels as well as retrievers.

A regular game and clay shot for three decades, Louie is a Leconfield Estate shoot tenant and she has been running her own syndicate shoot at Petworth for 21 years. Louie is also a key member of the picking up team at a number of prestigious estates and local shoots. As well as competing in field trials at the Championship level, she is a Kennel Club Official B Panel Field Trial Judge

Having now qualified seven times for the International Gundog League Championships with three different dogs winning seven two day open stakes, Louie has numerous Open Field Trials awards as well as having won Novice Field Trials with OFTW Bedgebrook Scrumptious, Troddenmills into the Dark of Mitforton, FTCH Mitforton Nacho, FTCH Mitforton Onour and Helnoral Columbo of Birdsmill.

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Both: Louie Robertson training her Gundogs

Michael Corr

I reside in Clones, Co Monaghan in Southern Ireland, and I have been competing in Retriever Field Trials since 1988.

During this time I have made 8 Labrador Retrievers up to Field Trial Champion status in Ireland.

I have Judged the Irish Kennel Club Retriever Championships on 5 occasions – 1998, 2002, 2006, 2012 and 2018. I have also Judged the 2019 Danish Retriever Championships.

My current dog FTCh Ringbarn Fletching is the Irish Kennel Club Champion for 2021 having won the Irish Championship in December 2021. He was also the Irish Kennel Club Retriever of the year in 2019.

I have been involved with Clones Retriever Club for the past 30 years where the club organise and run working tests, training days and field trials.

I have sat on the Irish Kennel Club Retriever Championship committee for 11 years, holding the position of treasurer for 4 years & Chairman for 6 years.