So plans are made and parents are asked, for the Young Entry would like to bring their friends, and this has to be cleared with parents. Suitable clothing and particularly footwear needs to be worn, and instructions issued about conduct, Health and Safety not having missed the Ratters.

New dogs must be assessed or else references obtained before they are allowed to join in, for we do not want fighters, or dogs that are not trustworthy with livestock and farm cats. It takes quite a lot of background work before we assemble on the day.


Here are most of the usual team, and a few new faces. Ahmed has brought Young Ahmed, and Bethany and Tom have brought some new friends. Wayne is here for the first time, so is Blake, and here comes Carrie with her dog Agatha. Agatha is a Dandie Dinmont, as long in the body as Dreadful the dachshund, with a bigger topknot than the bedlington terrier, and possibly a shared pedigree with the latter if you went back far enough.

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette August 27