Pick Up 47. FC Midway Twin City Limits, "Leo," LM, Seth Kelly

The dog broke on the flyer and was allowed to attempt the test.

Flyer: good mark

RR: stepped on it

LR: took off on a path back to the RR: Hunted the RR bird hard where the gunners were standing to make the throw before they retire into the pine trees. Handler attempted to Handle with no avail and ended up having to Pick Up the dog.

Handled 46. FC-AFC Bay Blue's All American Girl, "Libby," LF, John Russell

came to the line at 2:13 pm

Flyer: scooped it up

RR: traveled a path along the tree-line got a bit deep est a hunt deep and to the left of the channel where the gunners stand to throw the bird before crossing over the channel making a couple passes back and fourth across the channel before finding her bird.

LR: exited the first piece on the far right corner, right of the rock, went out of sight a bit before reappearing on the hill side making way to the left toward the fall just coming into the mark shallow of the fall then all of a sudden, popped, the handler yelled back and the dog had to est a hunt near and around the fall area before catching wind of the bird to complete the test.

45. AFC Kirkwood's Ace of Lone Star, "Lexie," LF, Casey Adams

came to the line at 1:58 pm

Flyer: Pinned it!

RR: est a hunt to the right of the bird, got to the left of the channel hunted hard before making way over to the right to retrieve the bird.

LR: jumped into the first pond to the right of the flyer, exited in the right corner just right of the rock, traveled up the hill into the cover hunted along the tree line for several passes before coming up with her bird.

44. FC-AFC Bob and Ed's Excellent Adventure, "Chef," LM, Ed Krueger

Flyer: Smashed it!

RR: traveled a path along the tree-line crossed over the channel, hunted near the gun station, then worked his way over to the right to retrieve the bird.

LR: enter the pond to the left of the Flyer station, swam the middle of the pond to the end. exited and made a hard right towards the fall just missing the bird, made a couple passes in the area before smelling the bird and retrieving it.

Handled 42. Aragorn XIII, "Aragorn," LM, Julie Cole

Flyer: Smacked it!

RR: ran down the treeline, just missing the bird, made a loop near the gun station, then went to the fall area to retrieve the bird.

LR: exited the first piece of water over the middle of the rock, dog popped and then was Handled to the bird.

40. FC-AFC Shelbie's Liberty Bell, "Libby," LF, Chris Byers

Flyer: Snatched it up mid-stroke

RR: traveled a path along the tree-line near the fall, just missed the bird on the right,hunted left near the holding blind hard before making a move toward the fall and retrieving the bird.

LR: exited the 1st piece of water a right of the large rock shore, re-enter swam to the back of the pond exited , in the corner drove to the tree-line, made a couple passes deep of the fall before making a move to the right toward the fall area to find her bird.

39. FC-AFC-FTCH Laird's Cynful Wisdom, "Wiley," LF, Chris Parkinson

Came to the line at 1:02 pm

Flyer: drilled it!

Right R:hammered it!

Long R: skimmed past the flyer guns on the left, exited the pond just right of the rocks, traveled up the road to the tree-line. Jumped into the trees out of sight, reappeared hunting the tree-line hard before making a move down the side-hill into the area to retrieve the bird.

Handled 38. FC-AFC Wight's Goddess of Victory MH, "Nike," LF, Tracy Wight

Came to the Line at 12:50 pm

Flyer:Pinned it!

Right R: straight to the bird

Long R: took a hard angle right across the pond, squared the shore upon exiting the pond, est a hunt short on the land bridge and was Handled to the bird.

A View From The Right Retired Gun Station

Here is an interesting view of the line from the Right Retired gun station. We are located in a heavily wooded area with the smell of pine in the air!

 

Test Dogs 7th Series

Test Dog #1

Margot & Bug

Came to the line at 12:10 pm

Flyer: smacked it!

Right Retired: reached the holding blind, went deep of the marshy channel the bird was thrown across, hunted deep before working her way over to retrieve the bird.

Long Retired: jumped into the first piece of water, skimming the backside of the flyer station. Swam toward a large rock land bridge then re-entered the water cont. to swim exited the pond and put her nose on the bird.



Test Dog #2

Micheal & Bo

Came to the line at 12:26 pm

Flyer: Nice mark!

Right Retired: front-footed it!

Long Retired: swam a path pushing right off of the Flyer station, exited to the right of the big rock reaching the land bridge right and shallow of the fall made a big loop toward the fall just missing the fall area shallow then turned and went to retrieve the bird.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Rain, Rain go away, come back another day when the National is over! ;)

And just like that....

The clouds have now lifted and the sun is shining through on location at the 7th Series!!

Series 7 Water Triple Test Description

We have moved to Kent Sweezy's Stick Pond Property, directions are located in the online training and testing manual.

Weather conditions were challenging and wet when we arrived. It was pouring rain while the grounds crew, bird stewards, and marshal's were working to set the test up. We are standing on the top of a hill with the mat facing Northwest. We are over-looking this very busy stick pond, there must be 200 dead trees sticking out of the water. A ducky setting in this rainy weather. The wind is blowing lightly out of the East.

The first bird to be thrown in this water triple is straight up the middle of the test situated on a side-hill about 40-50 yards deep of the end of this stick pond. This bird is a dead Hen Pheasant thrown to left landing in medium to heavy native grasses. This mark is measuring at 250 yards and retires into a clump of trees. (Long Retired)

The next mark to be thrown in a swing to the right and shallow of the first mark. This mark measures at a distance of 109 yards and is situated deep of the water's edge next to two pine trees where the gunner's retire in an invisible holding blind. This is a dead drake Mallard thrown to the right, landing on the side of the pond in heavy cover. (Right Retired)

The go-bird and Flyer of the test is a Drake Mallard Flyer. This is a tough bird for the dogs to stay still and watch as it is thrown hard angle back to the left landing just off of the shoreline in the open water. The Flyer is only 40 yards from the line and has a sluice. The are the only guns to stay out.
Another challenging test, again putting the Judges in total control. If the dogs manage to retrieve all three birds the test will take between 14-16 mins per dog. (Flyer)

Flyer Station

Long Retired

Right Retired

Good Luck To All!!!

Callbacks to the 7th Series

Callbacks to the Seventh Series :

1, 2, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 21, 24, 26, 30, 32, 33, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 63, 64, 70, 72, 73, 78, 80, 82, 85, 87, 88, 89, 92, 93, 94, 101, 102, 105, 107, 108

53 Dogs callback to the 7th Series

4 dogs were dropped : 43, 61, 66, 90

Dog #38 Starts the 7th Series

Series 7 will be held at the Kent Sweezy Test Site, directions are in the on-line Training/Test Site Manual


Good Luck To All!!!

Pat's Perspective -- Red Zone (6th Series Land Blind)

The photo I have shown below focuses on the end of the 6th series land blind at this years National Amateur Championship.  The trouble area is highlighted.  I like to call this the Red Zone.  It is an area of extreme danger. Let me tell you all of the factors that make this Red Zone super challenging. 

First of all you are going right through the fall area of the previous days flyer pheasant.  The line to the blind is very close to the island of trees and 20-30 yds deep of them.  The blind planter and holding blind are left and behind that island.  In order to be downwind of the blind you had to be in a very small corridor.  If you misjudged the depth and gave your dog a come in whistle too soon, many of them took that as permission to hunt and get out of control.  These handlers really had to be on their game to execute good Red Zone handling. 

Red Zone is one of my passions in coaching handlers.  I guess I got it from Rex!

24. FC-AFC Valtor's Hayseed Kid, "Kid," LM, Breck Howard

Came to the line at 10:27 am

2 whistles to reach the tulles, carrying this cast all the way to the trees, 3 whistles to get past the trees where he went out of sight needing 2 whistles to finish the blind.

This dog concludes the 6th Series....

21. FC-AFC In The Hunt Farm's Executive Sweet, "Sweet," LF, Linda Bogusky

Came to the line 10:24 am

2 whistles to get to the tulles, 1 whistle just deep of the tulles, carried this cast all the way to the left hand group of trees, 1 whistle at the trees and to check down on the bird.

20. NAFC-FC Dottie Ray's Ivy League, "Ivy," LF, Andy Kahn

Came to the line 10:21 am

4 whistles to reach the tulles, 1 just deep of the tulles, 2 to get past the trees, and 2 to retrieve the bird

19. FC-AFC Good Idea's Outta Sight, "Stevie," LM, Ken Neil

3 whistles to the tulles, 1 whistle just deep of the tulles, carrying the cast almost to the bird, needing 1 addition whistle to retrieve the bird.

17. Road Tripp, "Tripp," LM, Mark Medford

Initial lined carried deep to the tulles, 1 whistle at the trees, 1 whistle to clear the trees, then a few more whistles to complete the blind.

101. FC-AFC Lanes Lets Get Ready To Rumble, "Ali," LM, Bobby Lane

Came to the line 10:14 am, 2 whistles to tulles, 2 whistles to get past the trees, 2 whistles near the end to complete the blind.

Note: This dog ran out of order because he wasn’t on the grounds when his number was original call.