Gundogs and gundog clubs gathered in Northumberland on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd September 2017 for the official opening of the Kennel Club’s Emblehope and Burngrange Estate, which the Kennel Club aims to develop as a centre of excellence to support a wide range of working dog and shooting activities.
The Emblehope and Burngrange Estate was purchased by the Kennel Club in 2016 as an investment in working gundogs, as fewer pieces of suitable land are becoming available to hold working dog activities such as field trials, Bloodhound trials and gundog training.
The development of the estate for this purpose underlines the Kennel Club’s strong support for working dogs and features suitable facilities and land for working dog activities.
The official opening of the estate saw an introduction delivered by Kennel Club Chairman, Simon Luxmoore, a tour of the estate and its facilities, and the opportunity to accompany a mock field trial, held by the Scottish Field Trials Association, for attendees to fully experience what the estate can offer.
The moorland of the Emblehope and Burngrange Estate stretches to some 7,550 acres and is ideal for walked up trialling and training for retrievers, spaniels and hunt, point and retrieve (HPR) breeds.
The estate offers both pheasant and partridge shooting and the varied terrain offers opportunities for all breeds of gundog to demonstrate their natural working abilities. Woodland cover provides excellent hunting for spaniels, whilst the stretching moorland is ideal for challenging retrieves and for HPR and pointing breeds to show off their hunting abilities.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “The Kennel Club aims for Emblehope to become the premier site for all working dog activities in the north of England. Working dog clubs and shooting clubs who wish to train their dogs and carry out activities involving gundogs are finding it increasingly difficult to find suitable land to hold activities, and we want to offer Emblehope as a solution to this.
“Gundogs are some of the fittest and most mentally stimulated dogs in the UK, carrying out functions that they were originally bred for, so it is important that they are able to be worked on suitable land. The official opening of Emblehope and Burngrange Estate has given working dog clubs the opportunity to visit and see first-hand all that it offers.”
Working dog clubs and other parties wishing to enquire about making a booking on the estate for activities or events can contact the administrator via email.
Read more information on the Emblehope and Burngrange Estate.
