.Firstly I would like to thank Heather Donnelly for inviting me to judge and Melanie Goble for scribing.
Secondly I would like to thank all competitors for choosing to compete under me at a level 7 at Finmere.
All areas were white dogged and the times were set accordingly.
Interior 1 3 minutes 30 seconds
For this search area we used the lower end of the hall and committee room. This test was set up to encourage teamwork. There were only 3 hides, all requiring some handling.
Hide 1 was truffle placed in the centre of the fire doors, nobody found this hide. Some handlers did task their dogs, but only searched each side of the doors and missed the middle.
Hide 2 was gun oil on a carpet sample in the corner on the left of the hall, which also had several boxes/luggage, and 3 chairs. This caused a few wrong alerts on the luggage as the dogs were clearly on odour and needed a bit of help to source.
Hide 3 was cloves under the dado rail on the right of the hall. A semi circle of chairs with items of luggage and carpet samples were placed in and around the chairs. This also was problematic with the odour dropping onto the bag below the odour also causing wrong alerts.
The decoy was placed at the top of a table leg in the committee room, several over searched this area consequently the dogs hit the decoy out of frustration.

Exterior 3 minutes 45 seconds
Consisting of 6 hides around the perimeter of the building. This was intended to be a straight forward search, only 2 found all 6.
Hide 1 was clove placed on the waste pipe quite near the start.
Hide 2 truffle also on waste pipe further long.
Hide 3 Gun oil was between the slabs which the bins were stood on.
Hide 4 truffle in the brick work at the end of the garage doors.
Decoy between the bricks on the back wall, again several hit. the decoy.
Hide 5 gun oil in the vent next to the bin on the far side of the hall.
Hide 6 was clove in hole in the between the extractor fan and bin.

Interior 2 2minutes 15 seconds
Another straightforward search area with 3 hides, incorporating the 3 toilets and foyer.
Hide 1 truffle under the last urinal in the men’s toilet.
Hide 2 gun oil was placed on the disability bar in the disabled toilet.
Hide 3 clove was probably the hardest of the 3 which was placed at the base of the sink unit at ground level in the corner.
Decoy was in the stopcock cupboard in the foyer, nobody found it. 3 handlers successfully called the area clear.
My favourite moments of the day were Alison and Ellie on the exterior, Ellie being super keen and speedy whizzed passed the first 2 hides at which Alison said to her to come back as she could smell the cloves which Ellie had clearly missed due to her enthusiasm lol.
Helen stated that she was facing her first elimination due to wrong alerts only to hold her nerve having had 3 in interior 1. She then successfully called the all clear in interior 2 gaining the 10 point bonus which enabled her to gain a first place finish above 2nd place Hazell and Cedar who had no wrong alerts. Congratulations ladies well deserved.