Test 1 & 2

With a short delay due to an early morning fog, the trial commenced at 8:40. A double with a disappearing gun and a blind was set up and honorary test dog NFTCH AFTCH Dippomarsh Kerensa of Carronade, owner/handler Rosaland Pentecost ran. Female test dog Colleta Bay Magnolia, owner/handler Gar Clark and male test dog She Kon Kawera Hontsi (which translated from Mohawk means Hello Black Wind) owned and handled by Jim Green, both did well but showed the contestants where the challenges lay.

The memory bird, 149 yards out, on the left, was a drake Mallard thrown right, then the gunners retired. The go bird, 108 yards out on the right was a hen Mallard thrown left.

The line to the bind, located 284 yards out, passed just right of the go bird gunners. The rolling hills also added a degree of difficulty.

Dog # 41 Deer Ridge Black Talon, owned by Glenn Smith and handled by Dan Devos was the first competitor as the trial commenced on what was promising to be a hot, sunny day with southwest quartering wind.

The test took approximately 5 minutes per dog and with everything flowing smoothly, by 1700 the last dog had run.

Callbacks and a free BBQ were held at Bird Studies Canada. Dr. Scott Petrie, Science Director for Bird Studies Canada, provided a short but fascinating slide show presentation on the history of Long Point, with particular emphases on Mute Swan overpopulation and the relationship between Scaups and Zebra Muscles.

Ted Gadawski, presented a donation to Bird Studies Canada on behalf of the NRCC, in recognition of their valuable work.

Dogs # 32 and 56 were scratched, and dogs # 7, 41, 55 & 75 were dropped.