Series 10
The final series of the 2001 National was a water quad involving an honor. The first gun, which was located at the rightmost station (274 yards) threw a duck from right to left in an alfalfa field approximately 75 yards from the water’s edge. The gunners then retired to a blind covered with poplar branches. The two middle guns made a mama and papa or flower pot configuration. The right gun of the flower pot was next, throwing a duck from left to right with the bird landing along the shore close to the line of the long gun (174). The other gun of the flower pot threw a duck right to left landing in medium cover along the shore (165 yards). A breaking bird was thrown into the slough from a gun station 10 yards to the left of the running mat. This test required three long swims and took approximately 20 minutes per dog. Early in the morning the winds were calm such that insects made rippled circles on the waters surface that only the swimming dogs disturbed. Later in the morning the wind was stronger but did not seem to affect the test significantly. Dog 22 was the first to run.
The test was tough. Two running dogs broke and most competitors handled on either one of the flower pot marks or the retired gun. Only dogs 5 and 17 completed the test without handling.
THE WINNER
FTCH AFTCH SONAR, L.M., Owned and Handled By Al McKean
The finalists gathered in front of the clubhouse for photographs and gifts. Speeches were made by the trial chairman Doug Hildebrand, the judges, and Don Martin, president of the National Retriever Club of Canada. Don Martin then proposed a toast to 2001 National Amateur Retriever Champion.
