08 19 05 338 W, 3 I - + 117 - 110
CENTENNIAL OPEN LAND MARKS
Here are the Open Land Marks from the Centennial Trial. Order is Middle, Left, Flyer. Middle Bird is thrown right to left, then retired. Bird is thrown tight to the flyer station. Long bird is thrown right to left across water. Flyer is thrown left to right.
Wind was blowing about 40 mph when picture was taken, which is my excuse for poor image quality. This bird was about 350-400 yards from line.
Middle bird was thrown second, which I think made test harder. You can see that cover - big bushes in front of middle guns - and flyer guns forced dogs to left, where they had difficulty winding bird. Bird was well protected from wind. Middle bird about 250 yards from line.
Flyer varied considerably. Some flyers flew high then landed tight to the gun, which meant that you had to use the same line to get flyer and middle bird - tough proposition. Later in day, wind carried some flyers 80 or more yards. Because there was so much scent on the ground, and wind was howling, many dogs had considerable difficulty with flyer. Flyer guns about 175 yards from line.
Dogs ran downhill about 75 yards before the terrain flattened and cover changed. Many dogs took hard tumbles, including Mootsie, who did a complete somersault, when she got hung up in cover change.
89 dogs in Open, ten left to run in the morning. About one third of the dogs that ran picked up or handled.
Ace, Zowie - and Buffy in her first AA stake did well. Mootsie nailed flyer, I sent her tight to flyer guns, she had great line, had the hard fall - ran between flyer guns and winger, then got hung up in flyer scent. Fly runs first thing tomorrow morning.
Attagirl Buffy! Sorry about Mootsie. Glad for your older dogs Ace and Zowie. Gettem tomorrow and Sunday Ted!
Howard (Email) - 19 08 05 - 20:49
It looks like an inspirational set of marks. However, you description was confusing. Is the order Middle, Left, Flyer? Is the middle bird thrown toward the flyer and across the water or away from the flyer?
LF
Lanier Fogg (Email) - 24 08 05 - 13:25