Over the years the Golden Retriever Club of Vic has endeavoured to encourage its members to compete in obedience by holding obedience and gundog obedience classes at Members competitions and Restricted Obedience Trials on the same day as our Championship show.

The first Restricted Obedience Trial was held in 1981 in conjunction with the 14^th Annual Championship Show.  This trial was judged by Keith and Jenny Ralph and had a total of 25 entries.  These restricted trials were only for Golden Retrievers.  The club held 13 Restricted Obedience Trials for Golden Retrievers before deciding to include all the gundog breeds.  In 1994 the club held its first Restricted to Gundog Obedience Trial as an event separate to our Championship Show. 

In 1987 the Club decided to award the Aspley Golden Lady AOC trophy each year to the Highest Scoring Golden Retriever in Trial in honour of the first Victorian Golden Retriever to gain her Australian Obedience Champion Title (AOC).

Aspley Golden Lady AOC, Lady, and her handler Ruth Nicholls earned the title of Australian Obedience Champion in 1976.  There has only been one other Victorian Golden Retriever to earn her AOC.  This was Tiptree Timbarra AOC, Fern, also trained by Ruth who was awarded this title in 1993.

In 1994 for the first time, a Golden Retriever was awarded the prestigious title of Top Obedience Dog of the Year by the Victorian Canine Association.  Trevor Arnold and his dog, Quaygold King Tide CDX had to qualify for this event by consistent high performance throughout the year.  He then competed against nine other finalists on the day to win this title.

As part of the National Championship Show 2000, hosted by the Golden Retriever Club of Victoria, the club again held an Obedience Trial restricted to Golden Retrievers.  There was a record entry of 42 Golden Retrievers entered in this trial.  As a part of this event the club held a special competition for The Golden Retriever Obedience Dog of the Year.   The Golden Retrievers that competed in this class had been invited to compete after qualifying in competition at trials throughout 2000.  The Golden Retriever Obedience Dog of the Year was awarded to Marion Manson’s dog Yellowfetch Aftershock CDX.  

In 2006 the Golden Retriever Club of Victoria made history by hosting the first obedience trial in Victoria to be held with the two new classes of Community Companion Dog and Utility Dog Excellent.  These two classes generated a lot of interest with a number of people coming to the trial to solely to see dogs competing in these classes.

The fifteenth Restricted to Group 3 Obedience Trial was held in 2008 by the Golden Retriever Club of Victoria.  The trial has continued to be well supported by gundog exhibitors and has included many varieties of gundog.  We would like to thank all the exhibitors from the gundog group who have helped make these trials a success.

Obedience Trial Winners (pdf file)

HONOUR ROLE OF AUSTRALIAN OBEDIENCE CHAMPIONS
Aspley Golden Lady AOC (Lady) owned by Ruth Nicholls titled in 1976	Tiptree Timbarra AOC (Fern ) owned by Ruth Nicholls titled in 1993