Conclusion of Series 7
Dog 20 ran the land blind at 8:00am this morning, concluding test 7. Everyone caravanned back to the top of the hill from yesterday 6th Series. At 8:15am Dean Ellis announced the call backs. Dogs 1, 5, 14, 16, 19, 20, 23, 25, 28, 31, 33, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 46, 49, 60, 63, 65, 71, 72, 73, 86, & 87 were invited to run the 8th Series. Unfortunately 12 dogs were dropped. These were dogs 2, 4, 11, 18, 43, 50, 51, 62, 76, 77, 81 & 85.
Series 8 – Land/Water Quad with Honor
Series 8 is a land and water quad with 2 retired guns. Test dog Yakity handled on the right retired gun and the long flyer. The judges were contemplating changing to a triple and had test dog Cutter run the triple. He completed the test without a handle. In the end, the judges decided to keep the quad and dog #35, FC Bluenorth’s Davey Crockett came to the line.
This is a beautiful test set in the valley with two pieces of water. It is a cool morning here in Northern California with the breeze a bit
variable. The green arrows indicate the varying direction of the
wind. It is overcast this morning which should help keep the dogs cool
as they run this very intense and lengthy set of marks.
Left Retired Gun, Center Flyer Station, Right Retired Gun
Short 4th bird (to left of other marks)
The line for this test
is on a hillside overlooking a valley with a tree topped hill in the distance.
The first bird down on the right is a mallard hen. The bird is being thrown
right to left across the front corner of the small pond. The bird is landing
on a grassy clump towards the edge of the water. This mark is 270 yards from
the line and the guns retire to a holding blind well camouflaged amongst the trees.
The second bird down, a mallard drake, on the left and 200 yards from the line, is
thrown on the long spit in the large pond left to right in the medium height grass.
These guns are retiring behind the spit and are well blended with the environment.
The center bird is a flyer thrown next and is a drake mallard thrown left to right. It is 340 yards from the line. The 4th and final bird down is a short
70 yards from the line off to the right of the three other marks. The guns are
sitting in a rolling ravine where they can be seen from the line when they are standing
to throw. This short bird is being thrown up the hillside left to right and is a
rooster pheasant.
The first few dogs have run the test. After picking up the short rooster pheasant, they are picking up the left hand bird on the spit. The line to this bird is almost directly at the flyer station sitting out on the hillside. In order to pick up the right hand retired bird, the dogs must run off the back side of the short gun. The terrain to this bird is a downward run to the left edge of the pond. Some have climbed up the hill on the right behind the hidden guns, but they are figuring out the mark and getting into the water to make the retrieve without a handle. The cover where the center flyer falls is thicker and taller than we have seen throughout the trial. We have seen some hunts for this bird and the dogs are coming up with the duck.
It is anticipated this test will conclude between 2:00 – 3:00 this afternoon and the next test will get started today. Let’s see how it goes from here!
Update - Noon (PST)
The wind is changing and is now blowing from the North. The previous wind was
blowing the scent of the right retired bird across the pond from left to right.
With the wind change, the scent is being blown straight back along
the left edge of the pond. Fourteen dogs have run the test and the right
retired bird appears to be giving the dogs the most trouble. The dogs are
staying right of the pond on the side where the holding blind is, putting up a
hunt and finding their way across the pond to the bird. A couple of dogs
are going for the left retired bird on the spit and are wide of the spit on the
line to the flyer. They wind the spit bird, turn left and find the bird.
Dogs that are sent for the flyer are wide right and are putting up quite
a hunt to find the bird or they drive too deep between the flyer and right retired
bird requiring assistance from the handlers. The sun is starting to
appear with the clouds moving out. We’ll have to wait and see the
effect it has on the marks.
Of the 14 dogs that have run, #42 handled
on the right retired bird, sadly #60 was picked up, #65 handled on the right
retired bird, and two handled on the flyer. This test is taking
longer than expected with a few no birds on the right retired mark. If the
mark hits the water, the judges are calling a no bird on that mark.
For those of you who don’t think this is an emotional sport, I can tell you not
only is it exciting for the handlers and dog owners, it is just exciting for those
watching these wonderful animals with their handlers run. Today, I think my heart
stopped when I watched a dog pick up all four marks in the 8th series about as perfect as you can get. Even the gasp in the gallery was full of emotion and awe.
Update - 4:00 pm (PST)
The 8th series finished at 3:30pm with the running of dog #34. We caravanned through the 8th series test to the next valley for the 9th Series, a Land/Water quad with two flyers. Dean Ellis announced the call backs for the, starting with 5, 14, 16, 20, 23, 28, 33, 34, 35, 40, 41, 36, 49, 63, 72, & 86. Sixteen dogs will run the 9th series. Unfortunately, 10 dogs did not get called back, 1, 19, 25, 31, 42, 60, 65, 71, 73, & 87. The first running dog will be dog 72, FC-AFC Joey’s Zoom Zoom.
Series 9 – Water/Land Quad with 2 Flyers
The line for the 9th is on a small hill overlooking a valley with a large pond approximately
300 yards away from the line. Through the pond and on a dike, the first bird down, a hen mallard, is
thrown left to right on the back side of the dike. The guns retire behind the dike and are completely
out of the site. The dogs have to go down the hill across the long downward slope to the pond, across the
pond and to the bird which is 385 yards. The gun station for the second bird is on the left side of the line and
on the left side of a dry ditch which runs through the test to the pond. The terrain is steep and rolling with moderate
cover. The second bird, a hen pheasant, is thrown into the ditch from left to right, 200 yards from the line. After all
the birds are down, the guns from this station sit with the guns from the rooster flyer station. The rooster flyer
station is position to the left of the hen pheasant station and is the 3rd bird down. The bird lands up the hill to
the left of the guns 190 yards from the line. The last bird is to the right side of the line and is positioned on the
right side of a meandering road. The hen mallard lands on the right side of the road 230 yards from the line.
The wind is light and blowing left to right across the test. (Wind direction is noted with a green arrow in the
photograph).
Test 9
Test dog, Cutter, was the first test dog to run at 3:50 pm. He handled on the duck flyer, and the
long center retired gun but picked up the other two birds cleanly. Test dog, Yakity did a very nice job on all
four marks. At 4:00pm, the first running dog, 72, was called to the line. Due to the late hour of the day,
only five dogs were able to run the test. The first two running dogs completed the test, as did the last two dogs that
ran today. Dog #5 retrieved the marks by handling on two birds. The final dog to run today was 16 so the first
dog to run in the morning will be dog 20. Test dogs will be called to the line at 7:00 am sharp.
Everyone left for dinner and good nights rest, well for the most of us anyway. There are 16 handlers thinking
about tomorrow. Good night and we are all looking forward to Saturday!
