For Brit guys who like trials

[jetjockey]

The ABC Quail Classic starts today in Grovespring MO.  There are 59 dogs entered and it will run through Friday if there are no weather delays. They will run 6, 1 hr braces per day.  From what I understand they have a good number of wild birds on the grounds this year, but will release quail before the trial begins as well.  Should be a pretty good trial.  The Dog of the Year award isnt out of reach for anyone yet, but the door could get slammed shut depending on the outcome.

[jetjockey]

It's over.  We didn't get anything done, but had a good run.  Sounds like the #1 dog was a lock, and the next 5 or 6 dogs were a toss up.  My trainer said he was suprised they didn't place her, but that's trialing.  Next stop on the circuit for the Purina All Age Points Award is the Kansas Championship which starts Monday in KS.  Should be another big trial with 40-50 entry's.  There are only 6 points seperating the top two dogs now, with 4 major trials to go.  After Kansas,  many of the dogs will go to Tennessee for the Dixieland Championship, and then back to MO for a 1hr AAA and 1Hr AA trial that aren Championships.

[jetjockey]

Kansas is done, next stop is Nashville and the Dixieland Championship.  Its getting interesting at the top of the leader board.  The dog we bred my female to won Kansas, and my female took RU.  That should put him #1 in the country in points, and her #3.  3 trials left, and realistically, only 2 dogs left have a shot at the DOY award, but you never know. 

[Don Fischer]

Whenever you make a post about anything related to bird dog's, there is a law you have to post a photo of the breed of dog involved! I'll give ya a hand so you don't get in trouble! lol


Great excuse to post a dog photo!

[jetjockey]

Haha. I'm trying to get a copy of the winners picture.  Here's a picture of my high strung wild field trial dog.  ;-)

[jetjockey]

Congratulations to Mr House and his dog Speck for taking 4th out of 60 dogs in the ABC National Open Gun Dog Championship in Iona MI.  Nice to see a PNW Brit represented on the winners stand.

[JayBird02]

Looks like Jim and Spec had a good showing. Spec is a full sister to my Brittany.

[jetjockey]

The running order for the National is now out.  It's a smaller National then normal with just over 50 dogs entered.  Only 2 -3 dogs from the NW entered, and they are from Idaho.

[Stickerbush]

random question for those of you in to the high performance dogs and what not. Do you have your dogs go with trainers throughout the year and get them during the hunting season? I'm just curious how the relationship between the owner and trainer works, does the owner pay the trainer? Or do they work out some kind of deal? How does a dog get into this high caliber of trials and training?

[jetjockey]

I get my dog back after the National.  I'll then have her home until about the first of Feb.  That gives me two months to hunt over her down her in the South East where I live.  I pay a monthly fee, plus trial entry's and handeling costs, but all trainers are different.  Theres basically two ways to get into it.  Try to do it yourself, or send your dog off with a Pro to have it evaluated.  Its a little different in every part of the country and with the different breeds, but unless your retired with a lot of money, the easiest way for a dog to compete at the highest level is to send it with a Pro.  In the Brit world for instance, the big Championship trials occur during the week and the dogs might trial in 6 or 7 different states throughout the season.  It's nearly impossible for an Amateur who works to compete a dog and challenge for the dog of the year award unless the dog is with a Pro. 

[Stickerbush]

Interesting, I think it would be cool to have an awesome dog for hunting season and not have to watch over it for a lot of the year. Is it only 2 months the whole year you get it?

[jetjockey]

Our dog travels the circuit, and also trains during the summer at Summer camp in South Dakota.  For us, the spring circuit starts the end of January, and runs till about the middle of April.  She then comes home until the first of July.  After that she heads out to SD for camp for training on wild birds until the fall trial season starts in mid Sept.  The trial season runs until the end of October for Gun Dogs, and the beginning of December for All Age dogs who are qualified for Nationals.  I hunt and work her during Dec and January keeping her ready for the spring circuit.  Her off time when she's just a house dog laying around being lazy happens in the late spring and early summer..  This is just an example though.  Other breeds are different, along with different areas of the country. We have her home about 6 months of the year.

[jetjockey]

The Amateur Nationals is done.  It was the smallest entry in the history of the Amateur unfortunately, but supposedly still a pretty good trial.  The Open starts Monday and will run through Friday.

1ST. PLACE::   TLM FREQUENT FLYER-- Handler TOM MILAM
2ND. PLACE;; MTB Cabo Rita De Scipio-- Handler  Tom White
3RD PLACE:;  The Ace of Spade ---Handler. Tim Self
4TH PLACE;; Uncle Kracker--- Handler Bo Ackerman

[jetjockey]

Well that was fun!!  15 minutes into her run at Nationals and my pup disappeared.  The trainer knew she was standing but neither he, nore the scout could find her.   They road within 100 yards of her several times, but missed her.  That's the reason guys want big white dogs for their trial dogs.  Unfortunately my pup is small and Orange roan, so she disappears pretty easy.  After looking for 20 minutes they pulled the Garmin and found her standing a 20+ bird covey of wild quail.   Frustrating considering at this point, they supposedly don't have a lot to pick from.  I guess it's time to break out the Clorox and get me a white pup!  ;-)

[gregr072]

Jet are you in Booneville?  If so, how are the conditions this year?

[jetjockey]

Well it's not flooded!  ;-). 

I didn't go.  I was going to go but I'm trying to kick a cold that won't go away.  From what I've heard it's been damp with some good bird work.  Lots of feed strips and lots of birds, but not a lot of good dogs yet.  Weather has been pretty good.  Because of our new daughter I didn't really try to get my pup qualified for the Amateur, but I think I'm going to try this year.   I can drive there in 10 hours, so it's close enough to do a whirl wind trip.

[gregr072]

Are they finishing today, do you know?

[jetjockey]

Two braces left to go tomorrow.  It's still wide open from what I understand.

[gregr072]

Well it will be interesting to see what they do. There is only what, 3, 4 dogs posted?  That is a small number at this point in the trial, and if none of them are the clear favorites, hopefully one of the dogs puts on a good show tomorrow.

[jetjockey]

I think there is 5 posted.  The problem with the brit Nationals is it often takes a good Shooting Dog to win it!  ;-)

[gregr072]

This is true.

[jetjockey]

Except for this year!.....

I should have charged more for the puppy I sold. Uncle Kracker won it.  I've scouted him several times, and he is a nice dog.  He's also who we bred my female too. 

[gregr072]

Ha.  Yeah you should have!  I remember watching him as a juvenile.  I don't think I ever saw him in a broke stake before I moved west, but it's great to see dogs develop.  I'm also really happy for Tommy.

[jetjockey]

If my dog didn't win, I was pulling for Kracker.  He's had a heck of a year!  Bo and I have scouted for each other a fair amount the last couple years in Amateur stakes.  It's  been a huge learning experience running dogs with Tommy, and having guys like Bo and Jerry Mcgee scout for me and help me learn.  I can honestly say that if it weren't for Tommy, I wouldn't be trialing.  I'm glad the judges gave it to a true All Age brittany this year. That makes Kracker a NFC, RuNFC, GFC, And FC.  I'm looking forward to hopefully scouting him again at DiLane in GA.  With any luck I'll beat him again...  Twice!  ;-)

[gregr072]

Yes, they are all good people.  Jerry finished breaking my dog at summer camp several years ago before we moved west.  Tommy gave me a lot of handling/training advice, which really is amazing considering I wasn't even a client of his.  It'll be interesting to see if Kracker stays on a roll going into the spring season.     

[jetjockey]

Summer camp outside Ideal? 

[gregr072]

Yes.