Gallery Greetings 3 |
by Ken McCartney, an avid Field Trialer
DAY THREE: Seventy-nine dogs to a water triple.
Summing up through three series, the judges are well in control. The blinds were seldom outright failed but the dogs separated themselves. At one point after about 25 dogs had run, someone over heard one judge saying "I am glad that we did not scent that little point in the channel on the left. No one is crossing it as it is." It was tough to be on the correct side of all the bushes, ditches, and water in these two. Since nothing was said about what really mattered there was some judging done and eleven dogs made being alive more precious for the survivors. Glenda Brown is hand sharpening wooden pencils she bought at Staples. Chief Marshal Gary Ratzlaff told me that if Staples Office Supply does not deliver to the field, Glenda would need a bigger gear bag before week's end to keep on drawing pictures.
I have not seen many, if any, out right failures to pick up the birds. From what I have observed, the dogs are getting the birds and the judges are having to choose who did so acceptably. That said and knowing the kill rate is going to have to slow down to have any survivors, I am not hearing anyone complain about the call backs. If anything the judges are still carrying some big hunts that then had to handle in the first series.
For those of you who have not been here, this is how the NARC is organized and how it runs a trial. It is by committee.The Field Trial Committee consists of the NARC club's President and four Vice Presidents. Each year the trial is in a different time zone. While in the Mountain -- the president and fourth Vice are from this time zone. The VP's rotate up one level each year until they reach the hot spot. VP's serve as directors and vote the clubs's business at a business meeting before the annual meeting, but for the most part are not much more involved than the US's VP. This group picks next years judges at the business meeting just before the annual meeting. The Pres does the real work. Which consists of choosing the fourth VP, a Field Trial Chairman, and the location of the trial. Elections have been a rubber stamping of the board's suggestions by the membership since I have been involved. Most of the real work is done by the Field Trial Chairman. I will say that Dean Ellis has been a very active president. He should be very proud. This trial is one of the best organized affairs I can recall.
The Chairman's duties include finding trial grounds, training grounds, and picking his sub committee chairpersons. He is in charge until the first bird is shot, then the buck passes to the Chief Marshall. As in most years, with the usual exception of the gunners committee, the chairpersons come from the time zone hosting the trial. As you might suspect the local clubs contribute mightily. I see several Idaho Field Trial Club equipment trailers here this year.
It's a tough job finding willing workers and particularly so doing it in advance. It gets done, though, as the year passes and contestants qualify. There are some notables not here this year was their absence announced by their names listed on a committee they had hoped to serve. Co-Chief Marshall Tim Coulsin came over Friday a full week before the trial and worked all week setting up training grounds. With this kind of effort it was left to him to remind the general membership meeting that the game can only be played with volunteers. He rightfully pointed out that a NARC Trial is a richer experience if you participate right from the start. Just ask first timers Larry and Lori Morgan our friends from Colorado here for the first time and both on committees.
The Committees-Marshals--The rank and file in this one see that handlers make it to the holding blinds and make it to the que properly up all week. If you have never been to a trial with the handlers wearing their numbers on the backs you cannot appreciate how nice it is to follow the leader. The bosses of this committee are a bit more stressed. In addition to scheduling the rank and file to the holding blinds they have serious duties during set up and organizing for each test. When your bird thrower has thrown a couple hundred thousand birds the fine points are fairly easily managed.
Bird Throwers-- As most years this committee has a lot of professional dog trainers involved. And the throws so far have been just short of spectacular. Many handlers complained about how far their flyer went [then secretly routed for all of them to be that tough (remember tough=good here). They throw live and dead birds and lots of Pheasants.
Grounds-Somebody has to put up the gallery ropes, move and position five port-a-poties, chop weeds build trails to the holding blinds the gallery and the parking lot.
Guns-This is the crem del la crem of every National. This group is unique in that it is a good old boys club extra ordinaire. The members come from all time zones and are very clickish. They should be. They do both Nationals every year and at their own expense. They shoot all the live birds, pop all the dead birds, and are the biggest party animals you can imagine. Saddam Hussain did not eat as well as these men do. They put up a front row tent and tantalize the general public with the smells of food fit for kings. It is an exception for one of them to have a dog qualified but that happens-John Russell (86, 93), John Goettl (72). It is tough to join this group. I remember in the year I was president writing my field trial chairman's Gun Captian and begging to have a local gunner who was an excellent shot and had worked my trial very hard included. He did not get invited! The chairmen have a lot of responsibility. Not every two shooters make a good team. Later in the week with double flyer quads this is a job for which the group has to earn its accolades. They do. On top of the hard work co-chair Swede Anderson asked me today "do you have any idea how long it takes roasting two baby lambs to stand there basting Thyme?" It's a tough job, but somebody....
Traffic-We have to get there. And by caravanning at 6:00AM we do in order to run in order. Throw in road signs, parking lot, and street traffic control with the getting up early this is an all day job with many members.
Hostess-These ladies are great! They feed the judges, and provide snacks for the entire field along with drinks for the announcers, front line marshals, as well as an occasional overworked news reporter. Their traditional motor home hosts the clothing concession during the week. They put together a packet for each contestant with the running number, catalogue, numbered hat, and various other goodies the receipt of which is the high point of the pre-trial Saturday.
Game Stewards-These guys are good people. In addition to having training birds for their friends as the hen pheasants get replaced in the trial by ducks they plant blinds. I have been on this committee before and can tell you that a day like yesterday with an all day double blind is a real stressful event for a small committee of dedicated souls. The blind planters ran so hard yesterday the judges had to have a marshal on hand to check to see if the blind was down. It was every time. Not because Glenda the Gruesome kept after them (her co-judges agreed I could call her that by quoting them), but because these judges say "please" and smile a lot. That is just good people skill and national judges with enough sense to use them are making this a great trial. With overnight to think about it, Glenda approached me today and asked to be referred to as Glenda the gracious, or gorgeous, or glamorous, or of the great gams [I had to ask—legs], but time will tell.
Special Committee-This is the chairperson's favorite. Anything he can't get to can be delegated here. Gifts for the raffle, a water truck to settle the dust, you name it.
I could name names but our catalogue is inaccurate and does not include walk ond. So wait for the next issue of RFTNews with pictures and see your friends, knowing that they make it possible.
[the author can write the King's English with much better results if you want to wait for the time it takes, I hope that -- you will be forgiving for expedited coverage - it would be easier to sleep than doing this]
Summing up through three series, the judges are well in control. The blinds were seldom outright failed but the dogs separated themselves. At one point after about 25 dogs had run, someone over heard one judge saying "I am glad that we did not scent that little point in the channel on the left. No one is crossing it as it is." It was tough to be on the correct side of all the bushes, ditches, and water in these two. Since nothing was said about what really mattered there was some judging done and eleven dogs made being alive more precious for the survivors. Glenda Brown is hand sharpening wooden pencils she bought at Staples. Chief Marshal Gary Ratzlaff told me that if Staples Office Supply does not deliver to the field, Glenda would need a bigger gear bag before week's end to keep on drawing pictures.
I have not seen many, if any, out right failures to pick up the birds. From what I have observed, the dogs are getting the birds and the judges are having to choose who did so acceptably. That said and knowing the kill rate is going to have to slow down to have any survivors, I am not hearing anyone complain about the call backs. If anything the judges are still carrying some big hunts that then had to handle in the first series.
For those of you who have not been here, this is how the NARC is organized and how it runs a trial. It is by committee.The Field Trial Committee consists of the NARC club's President and four Vice Presidents. Each year the trial is in a different time zone. While in the Mountain -- the president and fourth Vice are from this time zone. The VP's rotate up one level each year until they reach the hot spot. VP's serve as directors and vote the clubs's business at a business meeting before the annual meeting, but for the most part are not much more involved than the US's VP. This group picks next years judges at the business meeting just before the annual meeting. The Pres does the real work. Which consists of choosing the fourth VP, a Field Trial Chairman, and the location of the trial. Elections have been a rubber stamping of the board's suggestions by the membership since I have been involved. Most of the real work is done by the Field Trial Chairman. I will say that Dean Ellis has been a very active president. He should be very proud. This trial is one of the best organized affairs I can recall.
The Chairman's duties include finding trial grounds, training grounds, and picking his sub committee chairpersons. He is in charge until the first bird is shot, then the buck passes to the Chief Marshall. As in most years, with the usual exception of the gunners committee, the chairpersons come from the time zone hosting the trial. As you might suspect the local clubs contribute mightily. I see several Idaho Field Trial Club equipment trailers here this year.
It's a tough job finding willing workers and particularly so doing it in advance. It gets done, though, as the year passes and contestants qualify. There are some notables not here this year was their absence announced by their names listed on a committee they had hoped to serve. Co-Chief Marshall Tim Coulsin came over Friday a full week before the trial and worked all week setting up training grounds. With this kind of effort it was left to him to remind the general membership meeting that the game can only be played with volunteers. He rightfully pointed out that a NARC Trial is a richer experience if you participate right from the start. Just ask first timers Larry and Lori Morgan our friends from Colorado here for the first time and both on committees.
The Committees-Marshals--The rank and file in this one see that handlers make it to the holding blinds and make it to the que properly up all week. If you have never been to a trial with the handlers wearing their numbers on the backs you cannot appreciate how nice it is to follow the leader. The bosses of this committee are a bit more stressed. In addition to scheduling the rank and file to the holding blinds they have serious duties during set up and organizing for each test. When your bird thrower has thrown a couple hundred thousand birds the fine points are fairly easily managed.
Bird Throwers-- As most years this committee has a lot of professional dog trainers involved. And the throws so far have been just short of spectacular. Many handlers complained about how far their flyer went [then secretly routed for all of them to be that tough (remember tough=good here). They throw live and dead birds and lots of Pheasants.
Grounds-Somebody has to put up the gallery ropes, move and position five port-a-poties, chop weeds build trails to the holding blinds the gallery and the parking lot.
Guns-This is the crem del la crem of every National. This group is unique in that it is a good old boys club extra ordinaire. The members come from all time zones and are very clickish. They should be. They do both Nationals every year and at their own expense. They shoot all the live birds, pop all the dead birds, and are the biggest party animals you can imagine. Saddam Hussain did not eat as well as these men do. They put up a front row tent and tantalize the general public with the smells of food fit for kings. It is an exception for one of them to have a dog qualified but that happens-John Russell (86, 93), John Goettl (72). It is tough to join this group. I remember in the year I was president writing my field trial chairman's Gun Captian and begging to have a local gunner who was an excellent shot and had worked my trial very hard included. He did not get invited! The chairmen have a lot of responsibility. Not every two shooters make a good team. Later in the week with double flyer quads this is a job for which the group has to earn its accolades. They do. On top of the hard work co-chair Swede Anderson asked me today "do you have any idea how long it takes roasting two baby lambs to stand there basting Thyme?" It's a tough job, but somebody....
Traffic-We have to get there. And by caravanning at 6:00AM we do in order to run in order. Throw in road signs, parking lot, and street traffic control with the getting up early this is an all day job with many members.
Hostess-These ladies are great! They feed the judges, and provide snacks for the entire field along with drinks for the announcers, front line marshals, as well as an occasional overworked news reporter. Their traditional motor home hosts the clothing concession during the week. They put together a packet for each contestant with the running number, catalogue, numbered hat, and various other goodies the receipt of which is the high point of the pre-trial Saturday.
Game Stewards-These guys are good people. In addition to having training birds for their friends as the hen pheasants get replaced in the trial by ducks they plant blinds. I have been on this committee before and can tell you that a day like yesterday with an all day double blind is a real stressful event for a small committee of dedicated souls. The blind planters ran so hard yesterday the judges had to have a marshal on hand to check to see if the blind was down. It was every time. Not because Glenda the Gruesome kept after them (her co-judges agreed I could call her that by quoting them), but because these judges say "please" and smile a lot. That is just good people skill and national judges with enough sense to use them are making this a great trial. With overnight to think about it, Glenda approached me today and asked to be referred to as Glenda the gracious, or gorgeous, or glamorous, or of the great gams [I had to ask—legs], but time will tell.
Special Committee-This is the chairperson's favorite. Anything he can't get to can be delegated here. Gifts for the raffle, a water truck to settle the dust, you name it.
I could name names but our catalogue is inaccurate and does not include walk ond. So wait for the next issue of RFTNews with pictures and see your friends, knowing that they make it possible.
[the author can write the King's English with much better results if you want to wait for the time it takes, I hope that -- you will be forgiving for expedited coverage - it would be easier to sleep than doing this]
