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| Friday,
June 23rd Tests 7 and 8 |
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| Test 7 - Land/Water Blind |
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Test Six - Land Blind With A Cold Honor |
| The Seventh series was
a land/water "no see-um" beginning blind with a
dry pop on the left. A dead bird lay behind the
popper guns about 25 feet from them. Across
he water another dead bird lay on the bank and dogs
had to swim past both of them, then cross a heavily
scented point beyond brush pile a short distance
in front of the line made a good initial line difficult.
Dogs had to pass the dead bird hazards and re-enter
water twice before recovering the bird which lay
on land. Dog #37 initiated the test which
took about 6-7 MPD and was completed by 12:45 p.m.
Again, dogs perhaps did a bit better than expected,
but attrition was now factoring into the equation.
The callbacks
arrived with only 33 numbers listed. Eleven had
succumbed to the series. Those lost were: 25,
40, 44, 46, 51, 56, 63, 66, 67, 77, and 95.
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| Test 8 - Water Quad With Two Retired
Guns and Honor |
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It
took quite a while to set up and adjust the Eighth Series.
It was a water quad with two retired marks and an honor
(diagram and photo coming) It began with dog 52 and
was up and running by 2:30 The first mark was on the
deep left, gunners threw a bird to the left where it
fell on land, 225 yards away. The second was the shorter,
middle left bird thrown right from land across water
to a small island 75 yards deep. The third was to
deep left and tight to the second gunners - a hip pocket
configuration. They threw to the left where the bird
fell in grassy cover 125 yards from line. The fourth
mark was a flyer shot left, deep between the island
mark and the far right one (first bird down) It was
the longest mark, falling approx. 250 yards away.
The honor dog sat to the right of the running
dog .the entire test took about 14 MPD to complete because
of the several lengthy swims. As the dog was sent for
the first, the far right and middle left (island) guns
retired.
Tight lines, numerous cover changes and water reentry's
challenged even the best marker. The excitement of a
four bird drop also distracted them and there was trouble
a plenty. Again the test would probably not finish
by dark and could be suspended until Saturday. The test
was quite difficult and few did it without handling.
Several had double handles who were fairly clean up
to this test. Dogs would square or channel the different
water areas and wind up lost, on their way to a previous
bird or out of sight in the woods.
While test 8 ran, a video
crew filmed the action for an AKC TV special to
be aired on the Outdoor Life network program. Susan
King was "wired" for sound which will air with
the tape.
While sunny in the morning,
it clouded up during the afternoon with light intermittent
rain from about 5 to 8:45 p.m. when the series was suspended.
There are about 10 left to run in the morning and no
partial call backs were given. Of those who have run,
only a select few have not handled as yet. They are
reported as 4, and 7.
The test dog will run at
7 a.m. with the first running dog at 7:30 a.m.
The next test is scheduled
to run back at the LeGrande ranch in the vicinity of
the 4th series water blind. It is rumored to be a quad.
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( l to r) - Andy Attar, Brad Bowyer
and wife Sonja |
(l to r) - John Russell, Pat Burns, Marvin
Blount
and Sandi McCourt |
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Retriever
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- 2004. All Rights Reserved. |
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