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AlbertJ

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Everything posted by AlbertJ

  1. AlbertJ
    Tulleyed, Thanks for your encouragement on the racing. I think it will give an interest to a lot of people to have the opportunity to try their dogs without having to go straight up against the more elite dogs. The credit for the idea and he's having to pay for it at Shanes Castle by putting up the €300 i 'volunteered' on his behalf to Philip Lawton who having seen the 'same faces' running in the final asked could we not encourage other people to have a go. We are trying out a format at Ballywalter which if successful will be the classification at Shanes. Judges for Ballywalter are now
  2. AlbertJ
    Another Terrier Prize for Ballywalter. John & John products have sponsored a terrier box for the top terrier.
  3. AlbertJ
    Several Irish, Couple of Scottish and one Welsh qualifier in place - where are all the good English Dogs?
  4. AlbertJ
    We are inviting show organisers throughout the UK and Ireland to apply for qualifiers for two exciting international lurcher championships that are being repeated this year at the Great Game Fairs of Ireland. The Master McGrath Racing Challenge taking place at Irish Game Fair at Shanes Castle, Antrim on the 7th July. The race is run over 150 yards and the winner takes away a prize fund of £500 plus other prizes at least to the value of £1,000 - however prizes are still coming in and this is likely to top last year's prize fund of over £1500 cash & prizes. All qualifiers get a limited
  5. AlbertJ
    DB, Lookng through your posts and questions it appears that you aren't really interested in what we are doing at the fairs but just want to criticise our events. Interesting you say you don't go to either Moira or our events! It is also interesting that you appeared to accuse me of having 'Young Man' & ' Flash' as aliases! Interesting also that you suddenly claim to have a bull/greyhound cross and ask what way it would be classified at our events in an apparent attempt to try to criticise our events. As I said I would love to see a photo of this dog! I think it is good the diffe
  6. AlbertJ
    DB, I have taken advice from active owners in each of the groupings and their opinion is that over 150 yards this should bring fast dogs of each group together much as last year's Master Mc Grath brought large and small dogs together over the distance. Have you raced your dog and if so where and over what distance? Alternatively if straight racing is not for you, it is good that the countrysports Fair at Moira later in the month is doing simulated coursing so that lurcher owners have the opportunity to try both straight racing and simulated coursing. Love to see a photo of your dog
  7. AlbertJ
    So that each grouping can initially compete fairly much 'like with like' with the chance of winning a good prize before having the opportunity to compete with novice dogs of different breeding in the final . It also means that people can enjoy something a bit different seeing a good mixed breed final.
  8. AlbertJ
    Defeating what purpose?
  9. AlbertJ
    DB, I am not going to 'second guess' the race organisers by classifying individual dogs defined by description or hypothetical breeding. The classes we have come up with are fairly broad and if anyone wants to talk about their likely classification they should give Matt Lee a call. However the final decisions will be made on the day when the organisers can actually see the dogs. No matter what class anyone ultimately runs in they have to face qualifiers from the other classifications in the final.
  10. AlbertJ
    Sorry Pigsy - problem with my browser. Some interesting points. At the end of the day I thankfully will not have to make these decisions myself but the people running the event. As with all classifications that you try to come up with there are hypothetical or even sometimes odd cases that blur the boundaries set. Apart from the obvious question why would someone prefer to run their dog against under 23" rather than under 21" if it fits that class I suppose there would be nothing to stop it. Whippet racing at Ballywalter is for all pure bred whippets , 'Non Peds' can run with under 21".
  11. AlbertJ
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  13. AlbertJ
    Ballywalter is on the beautiful Ards Pensinsula in Co. Down with plenty of good B&Bs , and self catering accommodation and one of the finest unspoilt and uncrowded beaches in the UK or Ireland. Just 20 miles from Belfast and you almost literally are in another world.
  14. AlbertJ
    At Ballywalter we will have over & under 23" , Pedigree whippets and a race for 'non ped whippets'/lurchers under 21". We will also have three sets of heats for novice dogs of any size ( i.e dogs that have not won a race) . Two dogs to qualify for a Novice Final race AT Ballywalter. The Novice final at Ballywalter has no connection with the Novice event at Shanes Castle but is a stand alone event with, what you can see are good prizes. Basically because of the controversy on the web about classifying dogs we are trying these classifications at Ballywalter in order that our 50th F
  15. AlbertJ
    Thanks for queries about the Director's Challenge Novice Racing heats and Finals - these will be held at Shanes Castle where my fellow Director Philip Lawton will 'shake the moths' out his wallet and give €300 to the overall winner. We are running a SEPARATE Novice series of races at Ballywalter on a similar trial format to what we think will be the format of Shanes Castle. There are good class and final prizes to be won at Ballywalter BUT class winners and the Final winner WILL NOT BE eligible for the Novice race at Shanes Castle. Hope this is a bit clearer than my first post. Al
  16. AlbertJ
    The Ballywalter Game Fair will take place on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th May from 10.00 to 6.00 each day. We are pleased to report that in addition to the new Fine Food Village in the Courtyard the fair already has several more stands booked in that last year and we are receving new enquiries every day - all stands will have either a countrysports or country living focus as we want this fair to be a very traditional one.The updated web site will go live next week highlighting the several new attractions and many of the traditional ones - see www.ballywaltergamefair.com However there has
  17. AlbertJ
    DBs, The reason why we have split the lurchers into three classes , AS A TRIAL, for our new Novice competition was quite simple as a number of lurcher owners contacted me to say that the racing was being dominated by a number of elite 'long dogs' and that their 'working dogs' did not have a chance against these dogs. To give more people a chance we decided to bring in a novice class - very common in all sports , and our events at the fairs. This is open to Novice dogs only - dogs that have not won a race. My colleague Philip Lawton who had initially suggested the Novice race said he woul
  18. AlbertJ
    DB, Are you slightly paranoid ? Unlike some people, possibly including you, I only come on this forum under my own name because I genuinely wish to get constructive feedback on how we can improve our events. I have neither the time or inclination to come on and put views up under aliases. Albert
  19. AlbertJ
    Flash, it is a pity that more and more people are having to resort to 'pming' on this site rather than give their opinion openly in case they get abuse or negative comments. However I have found this site useful in terms of getting both constructive and other more negative criticism of our events. Both have led us to bringing the terrier, lurcher & whippet events at our shows up to similar standards to our shooting & gundog events as well as giving them a similar profile. As with anything we do we constantly try to innovate and improve all facets of the events and negative co
  20. AlbertJ
    DBS. 'Young Man' whoever he is can speak for himself I am not afraid to give my opinion right or wrong under my own name. Albert
  21. AlbertJ
    DBs We are always willing to listen and act on constructive criticism! And it appears to be working as we had record entries at all three fairs last year. AlbertJ
  22. AlbertJ
    Over the years we have taken advice and positive suggestions from many people including Dessie. Albertj
  23. AlbertJ
    DBs, So far you seem to be in a minority of one on this - that hardly smacks of people recognising you as some sort of expert! But I would be delighted to hear some positive suggestions from you as to how the racing can be improved to give the widest opportunities for competitors. Albertj Albertj
  24. AlbertJ
    DBs Why so negative? This is a genuine attempt - a trial to see how it works - to spread the prizes around a bit for people wanting to try their dog without having to go up against the top dogs. Novice competitions in clays, gundogs and angling are all accepted why not Lurchers. The final between the three classes over 150 yards will be interesting. Alberj
  25. AlbertJ
    Ballywalter will have show and racing on the 6th May starting at 11.00am We will run a Novice Racing Event kindly sponsored by Premier Event Catering - good prize money for class winners and overall winner. We are runnning three classifications:(a) Rough Coated Lurchers (b ) Terrier cross lurchers © Smooth coated lurchers/long dogs. Top two from each classification go through to six dog final. 7th & 8th July Irish Game Fair at Shanes Castle, Co Antrim : Racing Saturday Final of Master Mc Grath and heats and Final of Novice Challenge followed by the All Ireland Racing. All Ireland
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