Tuesday night in the campground was a good one for visiting under the big tents as many of the competitors and workers organized a potluck supper. Steaks, chili, BBQed veggies, lots of salads and dessert as well as contributions by the bar made this a very satisfying and relaxing evening.

Test 4 - Water Blind (Keeper)

A perfectly still, cool (5C, 41F) morning with heavy fog greeted competitors and workers who were stirring at 5am Wednesday, but the fog quickly burned off to reveal a cloudless sky with bright Saskatchewan sunshine. The 4 th test - a water blind was set up and ready by 7:30 am, when a caravan left the campsite to lead competitors along the West edge of the property to the NorthWest end of the same water pond used for marks in the 3rd test.

TEST 4: Water Blind - scratched

The blind had a no-sight launch from behind the right edge of a running mound located in the Northwest corner of the pond, where the canal exited the pond.. After clearing the mound, dogs descended a steep bank with heavy cover (grass and buckbrush) at the spot where the canal exited the pond. The line was to then take a wide-based point of land and re-enter the water, swimming towards the middle of a long narrow point, crossing the point and carrying through to the water again to the blind. The initial line appeared to be quite challenging for both test dogs, as did re-entry to the big water after crossing the wide point. The wind shifted and seemed to be building so that the dogs were running into a brisk South wind. Neither test dog responded reliably to whistles near the end of the blind. The judges wisely decided to scrap this test as they felt variable wind conditions could lead to problems for some dogs on the back-end of the blind.

TEST 4: Water Blind - the keeper.

The judges regrouped and sent competitors back to their trucks while they very quickly set up a different, shorter water blind on the same pond. This blind was run from a little further down the West shore of the pond, running in a SouthEast direction. The line for this blind was just touching the right edge of a small bush on shore, descending the slope into the water, going past the left edge of one island (79 yards from line), over the left edge (10-12 feet) of a second island (95 yards from line) and going past the right edge of a point 139 yards from line before picking up the mallard at the blind (185 yards length). The test dog ran at 8:45am and had some trouble with the initial line and some problems at the point, wanting to slide out of sight into the bay to the left at the back end of the blind.

The initial line presented challenging for many dogs, with some dogs entering the water fat to the right, others determined to miss the islands entirely to the left. Most handlers succeeded in getting their dogs to cross the island and then to challenge the line near the point, but the number of whistles required was varied. Three dogs were picked up.

The wind was not much of a factor - it stayed light, shifting from SouthEast to SouthWest and occasionally dead calm. This test went fast, with an average of 8-10 minutes/dog, All dogs had completed the test before 2pm. Handlers were excused to return to the Clubhouse after they ran the blind to wait for callbacks. The judges were feeling kind, and only dropped the 3 dogs that had picked up by their handlers (Dogs 6, 24 and 36). There will be 32 dogs starting test 5, and dog 37 will start.

The Judges

Competitors were called to start a land quad (Test 5) at 2:30pm. The test they set up was a fairly tight and technical but pretty test, with two short birds (one through a small dugout, the other retired) and two long birds. The order was center right (short, retired), center left (short, through water), left (long), then right (long). The test dog did the test well. After consultation with the Field Trial Committee regarding concerns about maturing foxtail in the test, the judges wisely decided to scrap the test and call it a day. The bar is open and preparations are underway for tonight’s Workers Party.

Submitted by Sue Taylor,

Note: Drawings are all done by Tim Fahl (“first draft Tim”), SRC member and Equipment Chairman.