Ray has been involved with gun dogs of different breeds all his life, starting with spaniels and labs, but also the obligatory terriers, as the son of a gamekeeper and also being one himself for 10 years, and by adding to this the experience of handling an English Setter. For his middle years of work he was not able to have gun dogs, so during that time any contact was through his employer’s family or friends who had more sedate breeds, being St. Bernards, Collie and Whippet.

So when the partnership with Anita came along, a dog also came into their life, being a lab ‘Brandy’ and later a cocker ‘Duncan’. It was another 18 months before the appearance of ‘Sabbie’ the first Italian Spinone that was to start a new way of life for them both. By this time they had lost their two original four-legged friends, so with their first Spin they did some showing, then a second Spin came along ‘Purdey’ , and by this time they had found out the working abilities of the breed, so set about learning how to handle an HPR.

The years progressed and so did the handling and Ray started to enter working tests, and later started to help at working tests, and progressed on to field trials up to the present day. He worked four generations of Spinones in trials and awards with all the dogs, so he gained some understanding of this intelligent dog. To add to this gang Ray purchased a German Longhaired Pointer ‘Teak’ who was chalk and cheese to the difference in the HPR breeds working/personality, but he has been quite successful in the field trials. Besides handling, he stewards, trains, organises and judges at working tests and field trials.

Ray hopes to help and support others to understand the workings, not only of their gun dog, but themselves as handlers, so helping them move forward to enter working tests and field trials, as some of his group have done with great success.