Optimizing Rotation in Field Trials
Optimizing Rotation
I believe that the typical way in which judges rotate dogs can be improved.
If a field has 100 dogs and the land series starts with dog 1. Most judges divide 100 by 4, which equals 25. The land blind will start with dog 25. The water blind will start with dog 50. The water marks will start with dog 75. I believe this rotation is unfair to the first quartile of dogs (dogs 1-25)
Why?
In general, I believe it is a disadvantage to run in the first quartile. The wind is in the judges favor. Lighting in early morning is not optimal. There is little bird scent on the ground. There is little dog scent on the ground. Handlers have not had an opportunity to “read” the test.
I correspondingly believe that the last quartile (dogs 75-100) are typically the next most disadvantaged group. There is often too much bird scent on the ground. There is similarly too much dog scent on the ground. As the day wears on, the quality of the lighting diminishes.
Accordingly, it is my belief that dogs in the second and third quartile have the greatest opportunity to survive the first series land marks and go on to compete further. And I believe that of the two, the second quartile is to be preferred to the third.
I further believe that the land blind is the easiest series for a good handler to survive.
Under the traditional rotation,
The dogs in what I consider to be prime real estate (second quartile) for the land marks, start the easiest series.
The dogs in what I consider to be poor real estate (fourth quartile) start the most difficult series - the water marks.
In addition, over the course of a trial, not many dogs will remain in the fourth quartile. As a result, dogs in the first quartile frequently start both the land marks and the water marks.
To address this inequity, I rotate dogs as follows
Land marks First quartile (1-24)
Land blind Fourth quartile (75-100) The easiest series for a dog to start for the second most disadvantaged starting group
Water blind Third quartile (50-74) The second most difficult series for the second most advantaged starting group.
Water marks Second quartile (25-49) The most difficult series for the most advantaged starting group. This also insures that dogs that started the land marks will be the last to run the water marks.