Test 5 – Land Quad with Honor
We all woke up to a little bit of California fog this morning. The temperatures are in the low to mid 50’s and the winds are calm.
The Judges
As we waited on the hillside for the fog to rise, looking to the North, four gun stations appeared on the far hillside. Today’s challenge will be a land quad with two flyers, a rooster pheasant and a drake mallard. As the visibility increased, so did the excitement in the crowd. The first test dog, Inherit the River, was called to the line.
Long Retired (left) and Short Retired (right)
The long retired gun to the right is 395 yards from the line and is the first bird down. The guns are standing on the right side of a run off creek in front of a small grove of trees where the hen mallard is thrown across the run off ditch right to left on the edge of a large rock pile with the guns retiring in the trees. (This first bird was originally a hen pheasant, but was changed to a hen mallard after the test dogs ran.) The second bird down in down the creek from the long bird, 295 yards from the line. The guns are standing on the right side of the creek and throwing the hen pheasant 45 degrees back left to right, then retiring in the creek bed. The third bird down is a rooster pheasant flyer to the left of the retired guns 135 yards from the line. The flyer is thrown left to right and land on a slight hillside. The last bird down is a drake mallard flyer off to the left of the pheasant flyer and is thrown left to right 200 yards from the line. The bird lands up the hill and on the side of the hill.
The Flyer Stations
The first test dog handled on the rooster flyer and the two retired guns. Yakity, the second test dog, picked up all four birds without a handle. At 8:05 am, the first running dog was called to the line. It appears it will take between 7 and 9 minutes per dog to run this test.
To get you all up to date on where we stand as of this morning, here’s how the competition is stacking up:
| #2 Boone |
Handled on the center bird in the 3rd Series |
| #8 Sugar |
Handled on the center bird in the 3rd Series |
| #11 Gus |
Handled on the left hand bird in the 3rd Series |
| #12 Dusty |
Handled on the memory bird in the 1st Series |
| #13 Banner |
Handled on the memory bird in the 1st Series |
| #14 Streak |
Handled on the left hand bird in the 3rd Series |
| #19 Chad |
Handled on the center bird in the 3rd Series |
| #20 Megan |
Handled on the center bird in the 3rd Series |
| #26 Charlie |
Handled on the memory bird in the 1st Series |
| #31 Willie |
Handled on the center bird in the 3rd Series |
| #33 Norman |
Handled on the center bird in the 3rd Series |
| #35 Davey |
Handled on the left hand bird in the 3rd Series |
| #43 Cutter |
Handled on the memory bird in the 1st Series |
| #47 Cody |
Handled on the memory bird in the 1st Series |
| #49 Brook |
Handled on the center bird in the 3rd Series |
| #50 Trace |
Handled on the memory bird in the 1st Series |
| #51 Dakota |
Handled on the memory bird in the 1st Series |
| #53 Tide |
Handled on the center bird in the 3rd Series |
| #71 Yadda |
Handled on the left hand bird in the 3rd Series |
| #74 Gunner |
Handled on the left hand bird in the 3rd Series |
| #75 Blue |
Handled on the left hand bird in the 3rd Series |
| #79 Ely |
Handled on the center bird in the 3rd Series |
| #83 Twister |
Handled on the left hand bird in the 3rd Series |
By 10:00 am this morning, the sun has warmed the valley and the breeze
is stirring out of the NW. Eleven dogs have run the test so far. Number 71 has had two
no birds and 83 just had a no bird. Dogs number
67 and 68 had double handles, and 73, 74, 75, and 76 handled as well.
The large space between the retired guns and the flyers is very inviting
and the dogs are going between the flyers and the retired guns. If they
keep driving up the hill, they appear to be getting lost and thus the
handles. So far, the weather hasn’t had much effect on the marks, but the
wind is starting to pick up.
The folks at Swing Time Café have been here to feed the hungry crew.
Breakfast and lunch are being served daily and they always have a smile
on their faces and are eager to cure any hunger pains. Stop by the wagon
and check it out! The food is great!
The volunteer fire department from Uvas is on site daily to see to any
fire and medical emergencies. They are ready to go if they are needed.
Update - 1:30 pm (PST)
The breeze is increasing slightly out of the NW. It isn't
quite a wind yet, but it is helping keep the heat down. The dogs need
quite a bit of courage and perseverance to finish out this test. They
are running an average of 5 dogs an hour. As of noon time, 22 dogs have
completed the test. Handles on the long retired guns came from dogs 87, 5, and
7. Dogs 83 and 1 handled on the short retired gun and number 8 handled on the pheasant
flyer. The flyers are both being thrown with the wind so they are long
and very enticing. Let’s see how the rest of the field fairs through the
rest of the day. It is thought this test will not finish today and will
run into tomorrow.
The gallery has really increased today. It seems the interest is
growing every day. Those coming early are getting front row seats.
Update - 4:00 pm (PST)
It appears that the terrain is the toughest factor on the long bird. Winds are only 2-4 mph, so are not a real factor.
In my opinion, dogs number 23 and 35 did an excellent job in the 5th series. Dogs 12, 38, and 40 handled on the long bird; Dog 24 handled on the short bird; and dog 7 handled on the pheasant flyer. Unfortunately, dog 13 broke on the pheasant flyer and dog 17 had to pick up.
Update - 6:45 pm (PST)
Nine more dogs ran this afternoon before the evening set in. Of the last nine dogs to run today, one, # 48, had a double handle. The last running dog of the day was #49. 10 more dogs are left to run the 5th Series tomorrow morning. The test dog is scheduled to run at 7:00am.
Everyone has left the grounds and is looking forward to the Worker's Party this evening.
Worker's Party
The Worker's Party was held at Headquarters Wednesday evening. As usual, the Hostess Committee, chaired by Robin Gulvin, planned a great evening for those who have contributed their time and effort into making this National great. The buffet had a plentiful affair with salads, fruit, vegetables, chicken and beef. There was live music in the background for all to enjoy. After the meal, Field Trial Chairman, Gary Ahlgren thanked everyone for their help and then started the raffle. Several prizes from Tri-Tronics, Dogtra, Purina, Eukanuba and Brenda Little were raffled off. Dessert of ice cream and pie was served as the band sang Happy Birthday to Glenda Brown. The photographer was on sight to take pictures of all the committees and their members. A good time was had by all.
Good Night!!
Chester Koeth, co-chairman of the Throwers committee, hard at work
