It was the final, decisive day of the National. The cold air crackled with excitement as contestants arrived at site 9.  A cold, partly cloudy day was forecast for the area with temperatures rising to the mid 40's.. Early temperatures were in the low 30's with little wind and partly cloudy.

The ninth was a water triple with two retired marks under or tight to the arc of a close shot flyer.  There were only 5 "clean" dogs going into the 9th.

Test 9 - Actual distance	Test 9- close up of far marks

Originally it was a quad, but judges moved the short left flyer to the right shore . Beyond was a far shore were two sets of guns stood, One was up on land and threw a dead duck flat to the left. It fell 115 yards out, straight away from line, in tall, sparse weedy cover 115 yds from line. To the left and right on shore another set threw  a dead duck flat to the left that landed at the edge of the shore also about 115 yds. from line. The right shore flyer guns shot a mallard to the left and sluiced it in the water only 36 yds. out.  The order was: left, middle, right. As the dog was sent for the flyer, the other two guns retired. A switching wind, cold water and closeness of the lines could divert dogs from their marks. A bunch of branches in the water right off the line could also divert dogs,

The test lasted about 15 mpd, began at 7:46 with dog 13 and ended at 12:22 with #10. 11 dogs were called back for the 10th They are: 5, 13, 14, 18, 34, 42, 45, 51, 52, 62, and 65. Those lost were: 3, 10, 16, 41, 69, 79, and 89.

                                                       Test 10, Land Quad, Actual Distance

The 10th  was a land quad with two shot flyers and a retired gun beginning with dog 5. The line was on the top of a grass covered bunker and faced a rolling field covered with various tall, sparse grassy cover.

On the far left a set of flyer guns shot a flying cock pheasant  well ridden to the left where it fell in the grass 293 yds. away. The second set was to the left and closer in. They threw  dead duck angled back to the right about 190 yards from line. A third set deeper to the right shot a flying duck angled back to the left, also landing in the grass 225 yards away. The final set was located closer and to the right. The threw a dead duck angled back to the left falling about 140 yards away. The order was: Left, flying cock, left middle dead bird, right middle flyer duck and right dead duck. The test took about 12+ minutes per dog.  It began at about 1:20 p.m. and completed at 3:15 with dog 51. Four dogs handled on the 10th, mostly on the left rooster.

After, it was announced that the awards would be made at Busch HQ. After a short ceremony, the finalists were announced and the winner as FC-AFC Cashman's Fat  Lady Zingin', owned by J.M. and L.K. DuBose, Handled by Mac DuBose. Congratulations were given and the Du Boses  invited all to a Winners party a short time later at HQ.

(L) Jerry Patopea, Merry Lake, Jane Patopea	Bil Bowen & Lisa Hayes	Test dog, 9th series