DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5 | DAY 6 |
These daily updates are brought to you through the concerted team effort of; Dennis Voigt & Fiona McKay Retrievers ONLINE (Write ups), Dona Martin Ottawa Retriever Club (Drawings), Christine Campbell Ottawa Retriever Club (Page layout) and David Wallace Working Retriever Central (Site posting and updates).

Day 1, Monday September 15th

Test 1 & 2 - Combined Land Triple and Land Blind

     The day dawned clear and crisp, typical of an autumn day in eastern Ontario.  The caravan left headquarters at 6:45 a.m. and arrived at the test site 20 minutes later, after a scenic drive through a woodland trail.  Parking and gallery and exercise areas were all set up before arrival.
     The test was set up in a rolling hay field bowl with scattered cedar clumps, rock piles and hedge rows.  The land triple had the first gunners on the left at 155 yards.  They threw a dead duck to the right and then retired to a holding blind close by, behind cedar trees.  The second bird in the middle was also a dead duck thrown to the right to a grassy knoll at 206 yards.  The third bird, a hen pheasant, was a short 44 yards on the right, thrown left.
     The instructions for the entire trial were that the handler must be on the mat when sending their dog for marks.  After picking up the marks, the handler moved to a second mat 10' to the right to run a land blind.
     This blind was a hen pheasant 145 yards away at the edge of a hedgerow to the left of the retired gun.

     The 1997 National was started with an honourary test dog, NAFTCH FTCH Brasdor's Razzl Dazzl.  Razz, now retired, was well-known to most of the contestants.  She was run by Tom Glen who, after the retrieve, was unable to stop her from eating the judges' donuts.  The two official test dogs, FTCH Supernova Sunday Kelly, owned and handled by Bill Kennedy, and Culandubh's Midnight Sheena, owned and handled by Cris Stoddard, ran the test.  After these two test dogs, the judges moved the blind mat to the right and Gordon Dunlevie ran another test dog, Luke's Special Air Service.  For this blind (and all others at the National), the dog had to be on the mat.

     Dog Number 1 was called to line at 8:22 a.m.  Short hunts on the middle gun were quite common as the hills and wind caused dogs to line to the wrong side of these gunners.  Fortunately for the handlers, the wind angling in from the right was favourable for the dogs to find this bird quickly. After picking up the short pheasant, some selected this bird second and and others third. A few dogs were affected by drag-back and the rolling cover en route to the retired gun but, generally, work there was quite good.
     The land blind was handled quite well by most dogs, although it was easy to dart into the cover at the end so several security whistles were often required.
     The test remained similar all morning although scattered clouds rolling through caused the sun to play "peek-a-boo" frequently.  When it was out, it got quite warm. Backlighting gradually made the birds and gunners a little less visible as the day wore on.  The wind stayed steady at 5-10 mph. Later in the day, more dogs began hunting on the wrong side of the middle gunners and we also saw some big hunts short of the retired gun.
     Eighty-eight dogs were entered but there were three scratches.  Unfortunately, two were owned by Joe Leptick and both were recent National champions, #31 1996 NFTCH AFTCH Raindancers Dryland Drifter and #24 1997 NAFTCH Raindancers Lonesome Dove.  The other scratch was Alan Kay's #38 Bob'n'Chantell's Dougal of Minard. The last dog ran about 6:30, good timing for a full day of testing. Later that evening judges posted the call backs with the
news that 3 dogs had been dropped, two of them National Champions, #9 NFC Storm's Riptide Star and #36 NAFTCH FTCH The Shooter, and dog #86. Amazingly, with the scratches this now meant that 4 National champions were missing from the original entries. The test planned for Tuesday morning - a water blind starting at 7:30 by dog #20.

Test 1 & 2 (Combined Land Triple and Blind)

 

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Day 2, Tuesday September 16th

Test 3 - Water Blind
     Another clear morning greeted the caravan as it reached the Lanark Sand and Gravel complex of ponds, gravel mounds, wild cover and rolling hay fields.  The test was a water blind run from a gravel plateau down a steep bank through cover and parallel to a road.  The entry, at 91 yards, was at the corner of the pond with a gravel pile to the right and cover to the left.  Almost invariably this required handling at the entry.  Once in the water, the line was along the shore which had much attraction to many of the dogs.  Two culverts and patches of cover created spots where dogs could quickly disappear.  A cross-wind and the large body of water on the right all helped to push dogs ashore, even at the end.  The float-board with a duck was in front of a patch of cattails at a total distance of 212 yards from the line.
     The first test dog ran at 7:30am. and the first dog, #20 was called to line at 7:40 a.m.  The first several dogs surprised the gallery and did very well.  Soon however, the hazards of the test became more noticeable as dogs began to struggle with the entry, get out early or scallop down the shore.  This pattern persisted all day as the dog work remained erratic with nice clean jobs interspersed with struggles.  Several dogs picked up and others got to shore and the road before smelling the bird. Winds were gusty to 20 mph but scattered clouds and temperatures in the 60's made for a pleasant day.
     The test was completed by about 3:30pm and everybody was pleased to get a bit of relaxation time before heading to headquarters for an Eastern Ontario evening social with pizza, lasagna, wings and submarine sandwiches.
     Callbacks were given out later in the evening and 62 dogs were called back to the fourth test, a water triple, in the same location as the water blind.  Several well known dogs were dropped including another National champion, #43 NFTCH Hiwood Apache Scout. Dog numbers 2, 8, 10, 11, 12, 25, 30, 32, 43, 50, 52, 53, 58, 68, 71, 75, 76, 81, 82, 85 were dropped.
 

Test 3 (Water Blind)

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Day 3, Wednesday September 17th

Test #4 - Land-Water Combination Triple Marks
    The fifth clear morning in a row presented a slight east wind and a warning of impending rain.  By set-up time at 7:30 a.m., a bank of clouds had rolled in and the wind had begun to swing to the south.  The 4th test was situated at the same location as the 3rd.  The line was located on the mound at the water's edge where the dogs entered on yesterday's water blind.
    Across a pond in front of the line, two gunners threw a dead duck to the right on the far shore at 150 yards.  The second bird was a land retrieve of a dead duck thrown left on the left at 85 yards.  These gunners stood at the edge of a gravel mound and they retired as soon as the handlers sent their dog.  The middle bird (60 yards) was last down and along the edge of the pond thrown angle back to the right.  The line was barely into the water for this bird.
    The lines to all three birds crossed the road in front of the mound.  The first dog, #41, ran at 8:06 a.m.  Throughout much of the day, the work on this test remained quite consistent.  A few dogs picked up the left bird first but most picked up the middle bird first, then either left or right next.  A bush at the water's edge on line to the long bird pushed the dogs either wide or tighter to the guns.  Several dogs that went left landed short or at the guns.  Hunts here were generally not long and most dogs stayed in the area and soon smelled the bird as the wind angled in towards the line.  The retired gun bird didn't present any serious problems early in the day, although a lot of dogs went under the arc, drove deep then looped downwind back to get the bird. Late in the afternoon, the weather turned foul and a steady downpour started. The wind shifted more to the south (a cross wind from right to left) which made the retired gun significantly more difficult.  Dogs were only able to wind the bird when directly behind it, encouraging wide ranging and deep hunts which resulted in several handles.
    The test was completed just after 5 pm.  Callbacks later in the evening confirmed that most dogs had survived as  55  were called back.  Dogs # 5, 6, 19, 33, 35, 46, and 80 were dropped.  Land marks are planned for tomorrow's test, starting with dog number 59. Both contestants and judges hope the rain will end by morning as we pass the middle of the week.

Test 4 (Land Water Combination Triple)

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Day 4, Thurdsay September 18th

Test 5 - Land Quad with Honour

     Despite the heavy rain the night before, contestants were greeted with another beautiful, clear morning as they drove back to the Lanark Sand & Gravel property.  The judges had set up a land quad in a huge sandy bowl.  The cover in the field was sweet clover and vetch.  The long gunners threw a duck to the left at 210 yards.  The second gunners were at 170 yards and threw a duck to the right almost in line with the long bird.  This created very little difference between the lines to the two long birds.  The third gunners were on the right at a large white rock at 125 yards.  Although the gunner stood on top of the rock when throwing the cock pheasant to the left, when they sat down they were barely visible to the dogs.  The last bird was a hen pheasant at 115 yards thrown to the right so that the line was directly at the second gunners.  The line to all four birds started down a hill and across a road and then a drainage ditch.
     When the test was set up at 7:00 a.m., the left three gunners were barely visible because of the sun which was a fireball directly overtop of the long gunners.  Fortunately, the judges decided to wait until lighting conditions improved.  When the test dogs ran at 7:40 a.m., the gunners were gradually becoming more visible.  The first test dog, Kelly, hooked 3 guns but quite a few contestants hoped their dogs would do as well.  The 2nd test dog handled on two birds, confirming that there would be lots of problems in the next few hours.
     The wind was light from right to left.  Judges decided to wait a further 15 minutes before calling dog #59 to line.  Unfortunately, the first dog broke but the second dog, El Nino, did a very nice job.  From then on we saw a steady variety of handles (on one or two birds), good clean jobs and a variety of hunts and looped gunners.  All four birds created problems.  A major challenge was getting the go bird out without running through.  The four birds and the run down the hill created much momentum and dogs did not readily check down as they neared the gun.  The long gun was also hooked by many dogs.  After running the test, dogs honoured on the left.
     Clouds rolled in around mid-morning and lighting conditions did improve but the wind remained light. The gallery had an excellent view of the test and there was much interest in watching it.  The mechanics of parking, canteen wagon, toilets and gallery placement were very smooth as they had been all week.  Traffic Chair Don Wilson had the contestants’ vehicles parked each day as neatly as the best Valet parking.  Honey Wilson helped him there but also was a major assistant to Bill Kennedy, Gun Captain, in lining up gunners and throwers throughout the trial.  The Wilsons, from the Pine Ridge Retriever Club and Bill, from the Eastern Ontario Retriever Club, demonstrated how nearby clubs supported this National.  Another example was Orley Hamilton, from South Western Ontario Retriever Training Club, and Ron Craig, from the Mountain Valley Retriever Training Club, who played an invaluable role all week as assistant Marshalls.  It’s doubtful if many Nationals in the future can be hosted without this kind of inter-club cooperation and support.
     The test which started at 8:15 a.m. took 8½ hours to finish at 4:45 p.m.  Callbacks were given as judges quickly prepared for the 6th series, a land blind.  Thirty-nine dogs were called back to the 6th series.  Dogs dropped were #7, 14, 15, 18, 22, 34, 42, 45, 48, 49, 59, 62, 65, 74, 78 and 87.  Dog 73 would start the 6th.

Test 5 (Land Quad)

Test 6 - Land Blind
     For the sixth test, a single land blind, the judges moved the line about 100 yards to the right.  There, they set up a "no-see-um"start as they placed the launching mat behind a sand mound.  There was a dry shot from a hidden gunner to the left.  A bag of birds was placed about 30 yards to the left of the line at about 60 yards from the start.  The line to the blind was to the left of a pile of rocks and to the right of a large culvert blocking a road.  The final few yards to the 275 yard blind was up a steep hill.
     Since the marks from the last series were off to the right, many dogs needed left casts to stay on line.  The bag of birds was not a major hazard since the wind was downwind or slightly from right to left.  A lot of dogs had 5-6 whistles and didn’t get into serious trouble.  The most dangerous spot was at the end where a white stone attracted many dogs.  At this spot, they were only a few yards from cover and disappearing.  Most handlers retained control.
     The test dogs ran at 5:15 p.m. and did quite well.  The first dog was #73 at 5:30 p.m.  The sun was off the left shoulder of the handler but quickly began to sink below the horizon.  At 7:10 p.m., the judges decided to stop the test for the day.  They announced the test dog would run at 6:45 a.m. the next morning.  No partial callbacks were given as everybody raced off to the Workers’ Party at the Old Barn in Carleton Place.

Test 6 (Land Blind)

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Day 5, Friday September 19th

 Test 6 - Land Blind (continued)
     The nine contestants left to finish the land blind arrived shortly after 6:30 a.m. in the pre-dawn.  Clouds were rolling in and the wind was from the southeast, a little stronger than last evening.  The test dog indicated the land blind had not changed significantly including the dangers at the very end.  Dog #57 started at 7:05 a.m. and all were finished by 7:40 a.m.  The work was quite good and the last dog, #72, lined the blind.  Judges were quick to give call-backs with 31 dogs invited to run the 7th test, a water triple.  Dogs dropped were #3, 17, 21, 37, 51, 55, 64 and 84.

Test 7 - Water Triple with Retired Gun
     The judges moved to a location about 100 yards past the end of the land blind where they could overlook the ponds of the 3rd and 4th series.  From a large pile of crushed stone, the line faced towards the mound used in the 4th series water marks.  Two gunners stood and threw a dead duck to the right into cover at the corner of the pond at 125 yards.  The line to the bird paralleled the shore of the near pond.  These gunners retired behind the mound after the last bird down.  The left gunners stood across the far pond at 200 yards throwing a duck to the right at the base of a large gravel pile.  The last bird down was about 50 yards to the right thrown back into the corner of the pond.
    Dog #13 started at 9:45 a.m. after the two test dogs ran and both handled.  The first dog also handled as it became clear that getting and holding the angles through water and across the road was very difficult.  The temperature was dropping into the low 50's as it turned 100% cloudy.
    Dogs and handlers struggled a great deal with this test.  Everyone took the last bird down first but otherwise there was much variation in the order of pick-up.  Generally, the work on the long left bird was quite good although some dogs sent for it ended up near the retired gun and some sent for the retired gun ended up going long.  The retired gun proved to be an extremely difficult bird for almost all dogs except three or four.  Dogs #16, 47 and 63 got it cleanly but others hunted short and worked back while many dogs drove deep and hunted extensively or were handled.  The land mine of activity from the 3rd and 4th series created a very difficult situation for hunting up the mark.  The wind got very strong (up to 35 mph) as the sun came out and this created more wild hunts.  After watching these results, some later dogs were handled quickly as they neared the area of the fall.
     The test was finished near 4:00 p.m.  The judges knew the strong wind conditions could not be relied upon tomorrow for a split test so they adjourned for the day.  Talk about this National running into Sunday was now widespread as most contestants expected a water blind, and a land and a water marking series to be left.
     Call-backs were anxiously awaited at the Old Barn and shortly after dark the grim news arrived that 19 dogs would be called back to the eighth series.  A land quad would start at 7:00 a.m. with dog number 28.  Dogs dropped were #23, 29, 40, 41, 54, 56, 57, 61, 69, 73, 77 and 79.  As contestants discussed the call-backs and tests to date, a heavy rain began to fall.

Test 7 (Water Triple)

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Day 6, September 20th

Test 8 - Land Triple
     The trees were still dripping from the all night rain when contestants headed out to a new site for a land triple.  A strong northeast wind with temperatures in the low 50’s made a raw morning.  As we drove into a series of rolling hay fields with hedgerows and rock piles, the judges were setting up the 8th series and the rain began again.  The long retired gun at 280 yards from the line was a dead duck thrown left and shot first.  The line to this bird was over a grassy knoll, across a road and driving up a hill while fighting a strong cross-wind.  The second bird was also a dead duck thrown right at 214 yards.  They stood at the right side of the grassy knoll and threw to the edge of a cut hay field.  The line to this was part of a rock pile, through a hedgerow and into the hay field.  The last bird down was on the left at 240 yards and a cock pheasant.  The gunner threw it to the right to land at the edge of a hedgerow near a gap.  The first two test dogs handled but a third test dog #10, did very well.  Both the long retired and the right bird created problems for dogs.  Some dogs returned to the right bird when sent for the long.  Others failed to drive the hill and ended up deep out-of-sight behind where the gunners had stood.  A few dogs drove wide of the bird and disappeared in the woodlot.  There were 5 pick-ups as well as some handles but also some excellent jobs.  About 9:30 a.m., the rain stopped but the wind continued although the work remained similar.  The test which started at 8:15 a.m. in a downpour with dog #28 was finished by 10:35 a.m.   Instructions were given to pack up and move to a water site where a blind would be set up and call-backs given.  Another scenic drive brought us to a large hill overlooking a bay of Clayton Lake filled with wild rice and stumps in between scattered islands.  Several duck blinds indicated this area would be used by local waterfowlers when the season opens next week.  As the judges set up, call-backs were given.  Eight dogs were dropped, #’s 4, 13, 20, 27, 39, 44, 70 and 83.

Test 8 (Land Triple)
 

Test 9 - Water Blind
     A single water blind had a long entry of 100 yards with the line over a pile of white pine boughs.  As the dogs neared the water, 2 gunners in a canoe off to the right, became evident.  Dogs who veered that way were in danger of disappearing behind a slight hill to the right.  After entry, the dogs had to head just left of a log island and crawl over a log before heading out through wild rice and scattered ducky-looking sticks.  The wind was angling from the left pushing the dogs off line to the right.  The island became a hazard for several dogs as they curled around behind it.  The total distance to the duck placed on a log was about 270 yards.  Most handlers made an attempt to get the early hazard.  A few dogs encountered problems at the entry and others at the island but the majority did good to very good work.  The test started at noon and was finished about 1:30 p.m.  Unfortunately, two dogs, # 72 and 88, were dropped leaving 9 Finalists for the tenth.

Test 9 (Water Blind)

Test 10 - Water Quad with Honour
     The grounds crew, gunners and marshalls quickly set up the 10th test as four canoes were prepared for the water quad.  The first canoe paddled 340 yards to a far island where they made a huge throw to the right to a small island of logs and cover.  This left a large gap for the dogs to swim through.  The second canoe was at 260 yards and threw to the left across an opening in the wild rice to a clump of floating logs and twigs.  The third canoe was at the log island  (160 yards) en route to the water blind.  The gunners there also threw to the left so that the line to the water blind was under the arc.  Finally, a 4th canoe was on the near shore (70 yards) and gunners there threw straight back into the water.
     This test took 25-30 minutes per dog.  Judges were concerned that daylight would not last until the last dog so all (including the handlers) agreed to run only one test dog.  That dog, #20, did an excellent job.  About half of the dogs entered this series without any handles on marks.  The first two of those handled on two birds!  Others had 1 or 2 difficult behind-the-boat hunts as all three of the longer birds caused problems.  The wind remained quite steady and strong but conditions changed from cloudy and drizzling to partly sunny and cool.  The longest and second longest birds were only pinned by a few dogs and, as the test progressed, fewer and fewer dogs had a chance at winning.  When the last dog had run at about 6:30 p.m., there were comparisons among 3 or 4 dogs, but 1 or 2 seemed favourites in almost everybody’s book.  As always, only the judges had enough detailed notes to make the final decision.  That decision occurred fairly quickly but everyone headed to the Old Barn for the presentations after the nine finalists posed for pictures in the setting sun.
     There was a party atmosphere after all the hard work all week.  Judges and Finalists were presented with gifts and the winner was announced to whoops and cheers for a fantastic job by new NFTCH NAFTCH Nilak Simba, #63, owned and handled by Diana Howard of Oakville, Ontario.
     The trophy was presented by NRCC ex-President (and hubby) Charles Howard and together, Simba, Di and Charlie opened the bar to the many friends and cheering workers and contestants.  It was a tough National with a hard-working crew from the host Ottawa Retriever Club and elsewhere.  As the 1997 National drew to a close thoughts already turned to next year’s National in British Columbia.  See you there?

Test 10 (Water Quad with Honour)

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