Sunday, June 15, 2008 |
6:20 am
The first morning of competition has arrived! Temperatures are in the mid to upper 60s. A slight fog lingers and the gray clouds above threaten us with more thunderstorms. The Contestant's Caravan has just left Shaw's Supermarket and will arrive shortly at the test site.
The first morning of competition has arrived! Temperatures are in the mid to upper 60s. A slight fog lingers and the gray clouds above threaten us with more thunderstorms. The Contestant's Caravan has just left Shaw's Supermarket and will arrive shortly at the test site.
We will bring more information about the 1st series later this morning.
11:00 am Update
NARC 1st series - Land Double; 2nd series - Land Blind
The overcast skies could not dampen the excitement of the first day of the NARC!
A short drive of 10 minutes to a pastoral farm on Bliss Road showed the judges had set up a combined 1st and 2nd series. The first was a land double with hen pheasants (of course!) to the left side of some beautiful water. To the left is a long flyer, at a distance of 258 yards. The hen pheasant is thrown and shot to the left. The flyer guns let the pheasant ride out a ways landing well away from the guns. To the right is a short retired dead hen pheasant, at a distance of 195 yards. This bird is thrown to the left, and the gunners retire behind a holding blind. These two retrieves make up the 1st series. The short retired is thrown first and the long flyer is shot second.
After the double, the 2nd series, a land blind, is found along the far right side of the beautiful water, between 3 hay bales, marked by an orange stake just to the right of a stand of pine trees. The terrain is short to medium grass. The distance to the blind is 245 yards.
11:00 am Update
NARC 1st series - Land Double; 2nd series - Land Blind
The overcast skies could not dampen the excitement of the first day of the NARC!
A short drive of 10 minutes to a pastoral farm on Bliss Road showed the judges had set up a combined 1st and 2nd series. The first was a land double with hen pheasants (of course!) to the left side of some beautiful water. To the left is a long flyer, at a distance of 258 yards. The hen pheasant is thrown and shot to the left. The flyer guns let the pheasant ride out a ways landing well away from the guns. To the right is a short retired dead hen pheasant, at a distance of 195 yards. This bird is thrown to the left, and the gunners retire behind a holding blind. These two retrieves make up the 1st series. The short retired is thrown first and the long flyer is shot second.
After the double, the 2nd series, a land blind, is found along the far right side of the beautiful water, between 3 hay bales, marked by an orange stake just to the right of a stand of pine trees. The terrain is short to medium grass. The distance to the blind is 245 yards.
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1st Series - Long hen pheasant flyer & short retired gun
2nd Series - Land Blind to the right of the water
Margaret Brown and Pine Acre's Pass The Ammo, LM, the first test dog team, came to the line at 7:31am sharp. Ammo was quickly handled on the short retired after going a bit deep thru the fall. This took 4 minutes. Ammo took a nice line between the left and middle bales but fell off a bit to the left, ducking into the pines before being handled to the hen pheasant to the right of the stake. This took 2 minutes.
The 2nd test dog team of David Opseth and Contrails Bird Strike, MH, LF, came to the line and did a clean job on the double in 4 minutes. They had a line on the blind between the middle and right hay bales, with only one handle to the stake. Then the dog darted behind the stand of pines to the left and came out way left before heartstopping handles before finding the pheasant. Obviously, the blind was going to present the handlers with some dilemmas.This team took 6 minutes.
The first dog, #93 FC-AFC Tartans Prime Time, took the line at 8:07 am and was sent for his birds...pinned the flyer....picked up the short retired without any handle...followed by a 2 whistle blind...wow!!!
The 2nd test dog team of David Opseth and Contrails Bird Strike, MH, LF, came to the line and did a clean job on the double in 4 minutes. They had a line on the blind between the middle and right hay bales, with only one handle to the stake. Then the dog darted behind the stand of pines to the left and came out way left before heartstopping handles before finding the pheasant. Obviously, the blind was going to present the handlers with some dilemmas.This team took 6 minutes.
The first dog, #93 FC-AFC Tartans Prime Time, took the line at 8:07 am and was sent for his birds...pinned the flyer....picked up the short retired without any handle...followed by a 2 whistle blind...wow!!!
The gallery watches as the 1st and 2nd transpires
11:40 am Update
We've just been informed that there has been an additional scratch, #104, Candlewoods Power Surge. There have also been 6 dogs who have handled in the 1st series, and one who had to pick-up. Those dogs that handled include, #s 96, 106, 117, 120, 122, and 124. Unfortunately, dog #125, FC-AFC Hightest Black Ty Affair, had to pick-up. After dog #117, the committees did a re-bird and a gun change.
The sun is starting to break through the clouds, which is causing both the temperature and humidity to rise.
3:00 pm Update
We've just been informed that there has been an additional scratch, #104, Candlewoods Power Surge. There have also been 6 dogs who have handled in the 1st series, and one who had to pick-up. Those dogs that handled include, #s 96, 106, 117, 120, 122, and 124. Unfortunately, dog #125, FC-AFC Hightest Black Ty Affair, had to pick-up. After dog #117, the committees did a re-bird and a gun change.
The sun is starting to break through the clouds, which is causing both the temperature and humidity to rise.
3:00 pm Update
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Handlers view the line at the 1st Series during a gun change
The temperature is now in the high 70s to low 80s, and the skies have cleared almost completely. The wind has also picked up from next to nothing and has taken a change in direction. It is now blowing toward the south.
Numbers 5, 8, and 9 have now handled on the first series. Since the gun change at dog number 12, there have been 5 more handles with dogs number 14, 15, 16, 20, and 21. #17 received a no-bird on the flyer and was asked to come back after dog number 23.
On the short retired, dogs 9 and 15 took a path to the right of the gunners blind into the water, which led to the handles they both received.
4:45 pm Update
The breeze is a welcome cooling agent for those in the gallery and the worker's up on and near the line. The grounds around the holding blinds are still wet and muddy from the morning, but things seem to be drying up quite nicely. The temps continue to be hot and puffy, white clouds fill the sky.
Dogs 23, 27, 30, 33, 35, and 40 have all handled in the 1st series. Dog number 39 was called back due to the flyer being far out of the area of the fall. He is asked to come back and re-run at the end.
At 2:30, approximately 62 dogs, about half of the field, has run the 1st and 2nd series. Of these dogs, 20 have handled on the 1st series. To re-cap, these were dogs 5, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 23, 27, 30, 33, 35, 40, 96, 106, 117, 120, 122, and 124. There has also been one pick-up, #125. It is not likely that this combined series will be completed by the end of the day.
The 3rd series has been announced and will be a Water Blind, still on the land of Katharine and Marshall Simonds.
Numbers 5, 8, and 9 have now handled on the first series. Since the gun change at dog number 12, there have been 5 more handles with dogs number 14, 15, 16, 20, and 21. #17 received a no-bird on the flyer and was asked to come back after dog number 23.
On the short retired, dogs 9 and 15 took a path to the right of the gunners blind into the water, which led to the handles they both received.
4:45 pm Update
The breeze is a welcome cooling agent for those in the gallery and the worker's up on and near the line. The grounds around the holding blinds are still wet and muddy from the morning, but things seem to be drying up quite nicely. The temps continue to be hot and puffy, white clouds fill the sky.
Dogs 23, 27, 30, 33, 35, and 40 have all handled in the 1st series. Dog number 39 was called back due to the flyer being far out of the area of the fall. He is asked to come back and re-run at the end.
At 2:30, approximately 62 dogs, about half of the field, has run the 1st and 2nd series. Of these dogs, 20 have handled on the 1st series. To re-cap, these were dogs 5, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 23, 27, 30, 33, 35, 40, 96, 106, 117, 120, 122, and 124. There has also been one pick-up, #125. It is not likely that this combined series will be completed by the end of the day.
The 3rd series has been announced and will be a Water Blind, still on the land of Katharine and Marshall Simonds.
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After each contestant runs the first and second series, photographer Roger Byrd snaps their official photo. Here, Roger helps Judi Carter turn her number around in prep for the photo (left) and snaps the photo of Linda Harger and Yakity (right).
7:30 pm Update
The test has come to a conclusion for today at just before 7:30. The last dog to run was number 73, FC-AFC Trumarc's Stormin Norman II with handler Mark Rosenblum. More dogs handled on the 1st series since we lasted updated you. These dogs are numbers 48, 49, 62, 63, and 67. This brings us to a total of 25 dogs that handled out of the first 91 dogs to run.
The testing will reconvene tomorrow morning to finish up the 1st and 2nd series. The test dog is slated to run at 7:00 am, and the first running dog, #74 FC-AFC Fat City Pacer, is expected on line and read to run at 7:30 am.
Good Night!
The test has come to a conclusion for today at just before 7:30. The last dog to run was number 73, FC-AFC Trumarc's Stormin Norman II with handler Mark Rosenblum. More dogs handled on the 1st series since we lasted updated you. These dogs are numbers 48, 49, 62, 63, and 67. This brings us to a total of 25 dogs that handled out of the first 91 dogs to run.
The testing will reconvene tomorrow morning to finish up the 1st and 2nd series. The test dog is slated to run at 7:00 am, and the first running dog, #74 FC-AFC Fat City Pacer, is expected on line and read to run at 7:30 am.
Good Night!
Rockerin Red River Ruckus, after his first trip to the line
