Roll of Honour

Dave Benson & Moudy
Dave Watt & Dynamite
Mick Guy & Mist
Ian Higginbotham & Vinny
Christyne Judge & Skye
Karen Newman & Drizzi
Pete Collins & Kidsty
Nick Fayres & Yana
Rick Outhwaite & Bo
Roger Pickup & Paddy
Mike Hadwin & Brin
Joy Grindrod & Anna
Mick Guy & Spin
Dave Watt & Jack
Chris Francis & Loch /Tarn
Kirk Outhwaite & Gali
Paul Mc Cracken & Blisco

Dave Benson and Moudy

David and Moudy graded in May 2003. Moudy is a Bedlington Terrier / Greyhound cross - a breed commonly used for hunting game and a very unusual sight on the fells. David (known for his dry humour) has been a member of Kirkby Stephen MRT for many years and an Assessor with the Association. In June 2010, David left the Cumbrian Fells to join the Cairngorm Mountain team as Health and Safety Officer. David will be continuing his association with us on our annual visits to Scotland for avalanche training. Moudy and David attended many callouts in their partnership.

Searchdog Dynamite (a member of Kirkby Staphen MRT) was Dave's 2nd searchdog. She retired in April 2010 at the age of 13, a great servant of the Association, and she and Dave have done a lot of callouts together. Many of us can remember Dynamite (pictured on the right) setting out on her training, as the only thing that would make her bark initially was either a Hoover pipe or a handbrush! In his own unique way, Dave brought her on to be an effective search dog, and after a long career, she has earned a quiet retirement.

Ian Higginbotham and Vinny
Ian started training his beautiful German Shepherd Vinny in the Spring of 2006. Ian bodied for SARDA Lakes before deciding to train a dog. Although a german shepherd is an unusual sight in SARDA Lakes, this gentle giant of a dog progressed well and had lots of admirers. Ian and Vinny graded in March 2008. Sadly, Vinny was diagnosed with an illness that forced his early retirement in November 2009. Ian is now in training with his new puppy whilst Vinny takes charge of fireside sleeping!

Mick Guy and Mist
Mick started training Mist (known as 'the Ratter') in 1999, grading 18 months later. Although she sustained a spinal injury this little dog was a stalwart of the SARDA teams and attended many callouts over the years - resulting in some very successful finds. Retired in November 2009, Mist is now looking forward to her very favourite game of destroying squeaky toys whilst Mick continues to go out with searchdog Ginny

Mike Blakey and Comet
Mike and Comet graded as a team in the Winter of 2000, following a final assessment in white-out conditions in Coire an Lochan (Cairngorms). Comet, a red Border Collie, began his training with Mike whilst he was a member of Dartmoor MRT in 1997. During the years, Comet made many finds and was also known as 'lucky'! Mike was the Training Officer for SARDA Lakes 2004-6, and remains an Assessor and member of the management committee. Mike is now about to start training with puppy Moss.

Christyne Judge and Skye
Christyne and her border collie Skye graded on the Scottish winter avalanche training course in Feb 2002. Skye was a great favourite with everyone because of his repertoire of 'tricks'. Following a number of injuries and operations Christyne decided to retire him in April 2008 after 6 years of operational duties and attendance at many searches. Read Skye's account of his recent operations here

Karen Newman and Drizzi
Handler Karen Newman and her lively border collie Drizzi graded in 2002 and worked with SARDA Lakes until spring 2007. They have now moved to the north of Scotland with fellow handler (and Husband) Pete Collins to start a new life.











Pete Collins and Kidsty
Handler Pete Collins and his border collie Kidsty graded in 2003 and worked with SARDA Lakes until spring 2007. They have now moved to the north of Scotland with fellow handler (and wife) Karen Newman to start a new life.








Nick Fayers and Yana
Yana (Nick's first dog) is a gentle brown and white Border Collie bitch. It took nearly 2.5 years to train Yana, finally grading in October 1999. Yana has served Langdale Ambleside MRT and SARDA Lakes for 8 years, but Nick took the decision to retire her and she will now be enjoying life to the full as Nick has decided to start training a new pup Sam - commencing in late 2007.





Rick Outhwaite and Bo
Ric has been involved in mountain rescue since 1984 and was first placed on the SARDA call out list in 1990 with search dog 'Arrow'. Search Dog Bo (spot the link in the names), a Border collie / New Zealand Huntaway cross, who was on the SARDA Lakes call-out list for ten years, retired in January 2006 at the age of 13, after Ric felt that Bo could no longer maintain the necessary standard. Ric started training his new pup Col early in 2007. Sadly, Bo passed away in Nov 2007 at nearly 16 years.

Ric is the Chairman and an assessor with the Association.



Roger Pickup and Paddy
Paddy died on 16th October 2005 aged 9 years 10 months after a very short illness. Paddy was a much-loved family pet and also a Searchdog with the Langdale Ambleside MRT. Paddy started his career as a search dog in August 1998, had passed his yearly assessment on 24th September 2005 and took part in his last search on 10th October 2005. Paddy was involved in 100 searches and had 6 finds.He will be much missed.Roger started training his new dog Beinn in March 2006.




Mike Hadwin and Brin
Mike spent 3 years as a body before deciding to train a search dog! Brin graded in March 1995 and worked up until March 2005 when he suffered a stroke and after 10 years Mike decided to hang up Brin's jacket. Brin spent a happy 3 years in comfort keeping an eye on Mike's new graded searchdog Fly and Mike's pet German Shepherd Paddy. Mike continues to be an Assessor and member of the management committee with the Association. Brin sadly passed away in November 2008



Joy Grindrod and Anna
Anna was one of the longest serving dogs. She retired at the age of 13 and died aged 16 in Sept 2004. Anna was graded 'Novice' dog at 2 years old on the Annual Course with SARDA England in Keswick, then was upgraded to full search dog a year later in Patterdale. Over the years Anna and Joy attended many searches, becomming regularly aquainted with the Upper Esk and Central Lakes. They also travelled further afield to the Borders and the Dales. Joy is still involved with the Association as an Assessor and in 2007 her new puppy Einich began training.



Mick Guy and Spin
Spin was an unusual blue collie, born with blue eyes, and a blue-ish grey coat. She and handler Mick Guy graded with SARDA England in 1992 and they worked alongside Chris Francis' dog, Tarn, in Keswick MRT for  7 years, making 3 finds. She retired early with acute arthritis, but pottered on gamely, passing away in 2004, at the age of 15. She, (along with other Keswick MRT Search Dogs), is buried in the “Search Dogs Graveyard” in Whinlatter, close to one of the current training areas. Mick has since gone on to train Search dogs Mist and Ginny - both of whom are on the callout list at November 2007. Mick is now Training Officer for the Association



Dave Watt and Jack
Jack worked for ten years and in his time made two finds, one of them, unfortunately, a man who had died from natural causes.He was a real rogue - lovable with people, but a fighter when certain other male dogs came near. He made headlines when he was introduced to the Queen, who thereafter took quite an interest in Search and Rescue Dogs. Jack died in 2004 at the age of 18 and is buried on Dave's farm.

Since Jack, Dave graded his second searchdog Dynamite and in 2006 he completed his assessments with his third dog Flash.

Chris Francis and Loch / Tarn
Chris has been a member of Keswick MRT since 1983, and has attended approx. 700 rescues and 240 searches. “Loch” (on the left of the picture) was Chris's second dog and was graded in 1994. She had worked on approx. 130 searches until her retirement in October 2004. Loch passed away on 6th December 2006 at the grand age of 14 years and 9 months. She was buried next to “Tarn”, Chris's first dog who was graded in 1985 and worked until 1994. Chris started training his new puppy Beck in 2010