Monday, November 14, 2011

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Test Three: Land and Water Triple

The Third Series is a land/water triple. The pheasant flyer station was replaced with a duck flyer station in the same location. The mat was moved laterally about 65 yards to the west. The new test faces south east. The first bird is a dead Drake duck thrown angle back to the left from a gentle, sloping bank up onto a level plane about three feet higher than the bank area. This bird is approximately 260 yards and is on the far side of a cove and directly off the back of the flyer station which is located on the nearside of the cove and is retired. The second bird is a dead Rooster pheasant at about 230 yards and sits to the left of the first set of guns. The dog must cross a small finger of the lake. The pheasant is thrown to the left across a small inlet and up against a row of heavy cover. The third bird is the Drake flyer and is a about sixty yards straight in front of of the line.

When we arrived this morning a little before 6:00 am, the trial grounds were already busy. The traffic committee was out with flashlights guiding us and the game stewards were busy putting up blinds to cover their ducks, delivering ducks to gun stations and getting their chairs ready. The grounds committee was pulling porta-potties on trailers, cranking up generators and taking care of last minute requests. There is a steady breeze out of the NW, a fine mist clinging to the water and it's cold, 48 degrees.

Test 3 this morning...

The test dog came to the line at 6:38 am, the handler was Mary Ahlgren running AFC Buck N Poncho. They did a nice job with the test.

Judge, Lee Jolley, just rode out to the rooster gun station on an ATV to see what was creating such a problem for all of these dogs (see Callbacks). Upon returning, he commented that he could not find any reason the d0gs can not find the bird. He went back to the judges tent, conferred with the other judges and we are running the next dog, currently #82. Let's see if work improves as the morning moves along.

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Off the Line...

“It was a great first series,” said Chris Ledford, handler of 1994 NFC Candlewoods Raisa Ruckus, who is here with three dogs this year. “It wasn’t easy; but, it was not designed to put ‘em out right away.” That’s the way Chris believes a first series should be. “With all the time, money and effort people spend to get here, they shouldn’t throw a hen pheasant in a spot where the dogs can’t get it.”

Chris is owner of Wild Wings Kennels, keeps about 18 dogs in training, and runs mostly in the Southeast and Midwest. He has been coming to Nationals in California since 1991. His wife Chandi might be joining him later this week.

The site of Combined Series 1 and 2, and the third series, is Woodward Reservoir, an excellent choice, says Chris. It was just opened recently which enables “way more property to work.” Besides being a big fan of this property, Chris is delighted that this is the first time two decades that he has not had a problem with his dogs’ feet in California. The cover here has a lot of green, even though the rainy season has not yet started.

Generally speaking, Chris does not like marks to have water in the background, which was the case in the initial series; however, this did not pose a problem for his dogs.

Not one to predict front-runners in the National, Chris points out, “You can go from Penthouse to Outhouse in zero-point-three.” 

                                                                                          ~ Joule Charney, Contributing Writer
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Test Dog at 6:38 sharp!!

A very sparse Gallery this cold misty, morning

Mary Ahlgren with AFC Buck N Poncho, "Buck"

The visibility is poor in the misty morning.

Lynn Moore and Kippy Swingle

Looks more like the Loch Ness Monster....call name "Nessie"

Mark Smith and "Tex"

Overheard from a Handler to a Marshal...
Hope some of us survive these "easy" tests do that we can get to the "hard" ones!!! 

The dogs continue to struggle today. 17 dogs have run--only 6 with no whistles. We have had 4 handles, 2 double handles and 5 pick-ups. Dog #4 is currently running.

Just spoke with the Retriever News office and Wisconsin and they had the same starting temperature as we did this morning...only theirs is only going up to 53 degrees and ours in California hopes to top 65 degrees or so....let's hope so!

44 dogs have run. There have been 14 handles and 6 pick ups.

Note: The 2003-2008 Performance Books are on sale for $65 on the grounds. This saves the shipping and handling charge from Wisconsin...just in time for the holidays.

The Merchandise Committee is setting up to sell NRC Clothing, etc.

Now, they're set up and ready for sales

Site Concessions is going to be selling a varied breakfast and lunch menu

Vickie Lamb apparently likes living dangerously, her Blog station is set up directly over this hole

Lanse Brown and "Eva"

The Gallery enjoys the warmer temperatures of the afternoon

Bart Gallant and Swede Anderson

Avery Sporting Dog has very kindly lent Retriever News a tent for the event as ours was damaged in shipping.

This is how Test Three looks in the mid-afternoon sun.

David Carrington from Avery and John Parrot

Judy Rasmuson, Nancy White and Susan Bledsoe

We have been informed by the Official Announcer, Dean Ellis, that the Fourth Series will not begin until tomorrow. We have a little less than ten dogs left to run.

Out of the 87 dogs that have run, 23 have had handles, with three a double handle...and eight pick-ups. We are on the last dog...a rerun for #57, Ray Voigt and "Jet," with a quick handle on the middle bird.

The Callbacks will be posted at the Headquarters Hotel...Motel 6. The next test will be in the same area in the morning. Test dog at 6:30 am -- SHARP! 

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Dogs called back are: 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53, 54 ,55 ,56 ,57 ,58, 59, 60, 61, 63, 65, 67, 68, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75, 78, 79, 83, 84, 85, 88.
 
Dogs dropped... dogs in parentheses are prior drops/scratches:

(6), 8, 11, 12, 13, 24, 26, 27, 52, (62), 64, 66, 69, 73, (76), 77, 80, 81, 82, 86, 87, 89, 90

Dog #85 starts the water blind.

Stats Synopsis
Entered ..........................90
Scratches ........................1 (6)
Dropped after S#1/2 ......2
Starting the 3rd ..............87
Dropped after S#3 .........20  
Starting the 4th ..............67