In association with Chudleys The judges' decision…

Please raise a glass to The Field Gundog Award winners for 2021

- DAVID TOMLINSON

How much of a handicap is it for a gundog to lose its sight in one eye? Moss, an English springer spaniel, lost an eye when he was three but it hasn’t stopped him enjoying a long and successful career. According to his owner and handler, Lyn Doubleday, he wasn’t the easiest dog to train but went on to become “a tidy beating dog, tackling any cover that faced him, an efficient pickerup on shoots, both large and small, and a great dog to shoot over”. On one occasion, he even ran in a trial to make up numbers – he was only there to pick up – and ended up in the awards.

Now aged 11, he’s slowing down and doing fewer outings (much to his disgust), but he hasn’t lost his enthusiasm and has a new role: assistant trainer to the younger dogs. According to Doubleday: “he sits patiently while they train around him, retrieves when told while they sit, and hunts alongside them to show them the way. He is still invaluable and a joy to be with in whatever role he undertakes.” With a CV like this, it’s not surprising that Moss was the first choice of all the judges for the prize of Best Veteran in this year’s Field Gundog Awards, held in association with Chudleys.