03 25 05 480 W, 6 I - + 121 - 120

LONE STAR OPEN FIRST SERIES

This is an overall view of the test. 92 dogs

Approximately 70 run by Professionals
The remaining 20 run by Amateurs. Four of those are mine - Ace, Britt, Mootsie, and Zowie

Order of birds as follows:

1) Momma bird (or Poppa, I can't remember which is called which) thrown right to left behind trees and thick cover
2) Flyer thrown left to right - many falls landed (from the perspective of the line) to the right of where the Momma bird (Bird no. 1) landed
3) Left hand bird thrown from left to right into dense cover
4) Poppa bird thrown left to right along side hill of dike (road on top of dike, with large pond behind)


This photo shows both the Momma and the Poppa gun stations. Gunner is walking to Momma station. Momma bird lands behind two trees and thick cover


After the dog picks up the Poppa bird (last bird down), the Momma Bird retires to the Poppa bird station. The left hand gunners hide in the thick cover.


This photo shows the flyer station in greater detail. Many flyers landed to the right of the fall of the Momma bird. You can see the trees where the Momma bird landed on the right edge of the photograph.


If you look carefully, you can see gun stand location (red ribbon) and the location of the left hand bird (orange ribbon on right edge of photograph)

Early on, only 1 dog in three succeeded. As the scent built up, success rate improved. Then later in the day, the flyer station was in shadow, the flyer and other birds were harder to pick up and failure rate increased accordingly.

My guess - 50% attrition ratio for the test

Most handlers went for the birds in this order
1) Poppa
2) Left hand retired
3) Flyer
4) Momma

I went as follows with Ace and Mootsie
1) Poppa
2) Left hand retired
3) Momma
4) Flyer

Why? I compete as I train.

Ace was very good. Mootsie was exceptional. Zowie was too pumped up for his own good.

Zowie blew threw Poppa bird, then looped and nailed Momma bird. Nailed left bird and flyer. I sent wide on Poppa Bird - thinking he would not want to go where he had been and thinking he would wind the Poppa bird. I still don't know how he failed to wind the bird. He went wide and hard, and went over the top into the pond. I had to blow come in whistle and handle.

Twenty dogs to run tomorrow morning.

I have one more bullet, Duncan's Britt, to run.


Cha Cha was very entertained at her first field trial.

Loved the test site photo and the detailed photos of the throwers and their locations. Descriptions of how the birds are thrown and how the handlers are picking them up is great. Just like being there. Speaking of just like being there how about some streaming video, Ted.
Tom Vaughn (Email) - 26 03 05 - 04:26

Tom

Streaming video?

With dial up, it took me forever to load these photos last night
Ted (Email) - 26 03 05 - 04:36


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