What a day!!!!!

WoW!!!!! I don't normally write my blog (or "Diary" as its become) on a Saturday, but I am so amazed and thrilled with Olli I had to write it now.

Today was a different days shooting, as we had a guest team of 9 guns shooting. A nice group of people turned up this morning, farmers businessmen and a lady gun too, none of which have shot on our ground before, so they were looking forward to a day of unknown quantity. I was slightly nervous about how well Olli would do in front of this group, because I wanted to impress them or at least not be embarrassed! We set off to the 1st drive and Olli was fit to burst with excitement! He was trying to walk to heel, but kept running ahead then running back as if to say "come on mum!!!" The drive was awful. Hardly a bird came out the cover, and we were all thinking it was going to be an embarrassing day as our guests were of high expectation! Thankfully the rest of the day was superb. Pheasants flying high and fast in all directions and Olli worked his butt off! Climbing large piles of rubble at one site to retrieve a bird from the top, going through fences to chase injured birds and bring them back, across fields, in dense hedges and using his nose a lot more now to find birds that we hadn't seen come down, on high bramble covered banks.

19 birds over the day, all brought back beautifully. 19!!!!!!

Needless to say I am very, very proud, and Olli is very, very asleep under my chair. Bless him.

Tomorrow we are off to Cornwall at 6am for the last dog competition of the season, and Olli has his other hat on, agility spaniel. That is if he ever wakes up!! Lily of course is raring to go and will hopefully go clear again, if i handle it right! Fingers crossed.