Scurry League

Most of us reckon our dogs are pretty clever – and now there’s a chance to prove how fast your four-legged friend is at retrieving.

Field & Game Australia is introducing a new dog ‘time trial’ event with very few rules. It’s basically a time trial in which your dog is timed on its retrieves in a confined course.

Our scurries will aim to give members a chance to have a bit of fun with their dogs in the hunting off-season, while socialising with other members and enjoying shooting a few clays.

A basic course consists of two fences about a metre apart, with the end blocked off, about 50 metres long.  There will be two or three hay bales in this space that your dog will jump over on its way out to pick up a dummy that has been thrown in the dog’s full view. As the dog heads out, it will cross a line on the ground to start the clock. When the dog comes back over the line with the dummy, the clock will stop; the fastest dog on the day wins. Simple!

These events are not gundog trials; they are merely a bit of fun with your dog where you could go home with a sash or trophy – and will not only improve your relationship with your dog but will also make it a faster and more reliable retriever!

Cost is just $3 per run, or four runs for $10, and any breed can enter in this inception year of the scurry league.

So, why not head over for a look when you see a scurry in action – or better yet, bring your dog along and have a go!