The cavalcade left Headquarters promptly at 6:30 a.m.. Weather; land fog and cool (9?). Tests 1 and 2 were at Jemseg, about a 20 minute drive from Fredericton. Test 1 was a land tripple in a flat hay field with an uncut diagonal ditch, with an honour. The shooting order was right bird, a hen mallard as 185 yards, thrown left; left bird, a cock pheasant at 211 yards thrown left into the ditch. The throws were tight with only 32? between the left and right birds.
The test dogs ran at 8:00 a.m. and 8:22 a.m. with a delay for the fog. The first dog ran at 8:47 a.m. after the fog lifted. The day was bright and warm (20+?) and only a moderate wind from the west. The test took about six minutes per dog. Dogs 24 and 69 scratched because of injuries; dog 59 failed to show, leaving 71 dogs to start the 1999 National. The first series was completed by 3:30 p.m.. Dogs 20 and 34 were lost and 69 dogs were invited to test #2.
Test 2 was a land blind of 260 yards through the marks of Test 1. The line was slightly to the left of the line for the marks and over the middle guning station, just to the left of the first mark. The test dogs completed by 4:05 p.m. and dog #16 was the first to run at 4:10 p.m., under the rotation system. Test 2 was concluded at 7:35 p.m. in failing light and competitors, spectators, workers and judges adjourned to the Hospitality Room await posting of Call-Backs. Only one dog, #26, was lost in Test 2.
