Thursday, June 20, 2002 |
Thursday was the last day of spring and put it's best face forward. It arrived sunny, clear and warm with temps in the low 60's. Unfortunately some of the workers were not as perky. Wednesday night's workers party had been an unmitigated success. Dinner, a band, dancing (liquid libation, of course) and prizes were enjoyed by all. A bird throwing contest in the parking lot of the host club, The Bum Steer, after supper added to the merriment. Mike Bassett won the accuracy award, while Andy Attar took distance. A run off of the two found Bassett to be champion. (What about the one that landed on the roof?)
In spite of the revelry, test number 5 was reinstated quickly on Thursday morning with the ten or so dogs left to run in attendance. Sandi McCourt, still in full leg brace, had recovered enough to run her dog last.
The test dog ran promptly at 7:30 am with the first running dog, #67 arriving on line at 7:56. As during the previous morning, work was not a good as yesterday afternoon and about half the dogs had to handle. Number 5 ended at 9:45 with dog #84.
The new site was announced as about 1/2 hour away and call backs would be given at the current site. While caravans formed to journey to the site of Number 6 in the Poe Valley, the callbacks were announced. 51 dogs remained for the Sixth. The 17 lost to the quad were: 3, 11, 17, 24, 30, 41, 42, 48, 56, 58, 73, 74, 76, 88, 89, and 91.
In spite of the revelry, test number 5 was reinstated quickly on Thursday morning with the ten or so dogs left to run in attendance. Sandi McCourt, still in full leg brace, had recovered enough to run her dog last.
The test dog ran promptly at 7:30 am with the first running dog, #67 arriving on line at 7:56. As during the previous morning, work was not a good as yesterday afternoon and about half the dogs had to handle. Number 5 ended at 9:45 with dog #84.
The new site was announced as about 1/2 hour away and call backs would be given at the current site. While caravans formed to journey to the site of Number 6 in the Poe Valley, the callbacks were announced. 51 dogs remained for the Sixth. The 17 lost to the quad were: 3, 11, 17, 24, 30, 41, 42, 48, 56, 58, 73, 74, 76, 88, 89, and 91.
Gun 1
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Gun 2
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Flyer
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As the caravan(s) arrived, the test was forming in a large pasture with a winding stream snaking through it. The raised shore varied from raised gravel to cattail lined . Above it was a wide expanse of cropped pasture grass. By 11:30 a.m. a relatively short triple was ready for a test team. After the first one ran, judges mad an adjustment or two and ran the second. Satisfied, they called for the first dog. Number 9 appeared on line at 11:45 am.
The test was a land /water triple with a retired gun and shot flyer. The line was located on top a raised shore of the cattail lined creek. Deep on the left, across several twists of the stream a set of guns threw a dead duck flat to the left. It splashed on the bottom of the shore about 185 yards from line. Closer in and to the right a second set was positioned on top the pasture. They threw a dead hen pheasant flat to the left where it landed on the shore's bottom about 73 yards from line. Farther to the right a group of gunners shot a flying mallard to the left, across a depression. It fell in cropped pasture grass about 95 yards away and was sluiced. As the dog was sent for it the left guns retired to a blind behind a hill. The order was left, middle, right.
Number 6 got off to a rough start. The first two handled, the third had a herd of cows chase it (rerun) and number 4 got a no-bird. One or two did it, then a couple picked up. It was brutal.
To recover all the marks, dogs had to cross the cattail lined creek, which was cooling on the hot dry day. The flyer fall was clearly visible and dogs hustled to get it. Once back, only the short middle stand out guns were visible. The bird, however, lay at the base of the creek and early dogs had no wind. The creek, cattail, and rolling land distracted dogs from a firm mark. Since they had not seen it land at the bottom, perhaps their depth perception was skewed. Many of them seemed to run over it then appear on the far bank where they hunted the pasture beyond. Once there, most were hesitant to return to the sunken creek and handles were necessary to recover the pheasant (light and different scent than the flyer duck could have caused some problem). After a hunt and perhaps a handle, memory of the long retired bird became hazy. Again, they had not seen the bird land on the bottom creek shore and those factors combined with the numerous terrain changes also caused long hunts and handles. In some cases there were double handles on the marks.
By mid afternoon, the list of dogs that had not handled so far, dropped dramatically. Number six was a real bear. Of course there were a number of very nice marks and an appreciative gallery applauded the victors.
Because of the long hunts and handles, there was doubt that the test would be completed on Thursday. However, it did finish shortly before 8 pm when #12 (cow interference rerun) returned to line. In all, approx. 33 of the 51 dogs (about 60%) had handled (and/or picked up) on the sixth.
Callbacks were posted about 10:20 PDT and only 30 potential NAFC's remained. Those lost were:
4, 5, 9, 10, 12, 16, 18, 19, 22, 25, 31, 33, 49, 51, 52, 53, 63, 78, 84, 94, and 95. The next test will be back at the site 3 ranch. Starting number will be 38.
The test was a land /water triple with a retired gun and shot flyer. The line was located on top a raised shore of the cattail lined creek. Deep on the left, across several twists of the stream a set of guns threw a dead duck flat to the left. It splashed on the bottom of the shore about 185 yards from line. Closer in and to the right a second set was positioned on top the pasture. They threw a dead hen pheasant flat to the left where it landed on the shore's bottom about 73 yards from line. Farther to the right a group of gunners shot a flying mallard to the left, across a depression. It fell in cropped pasture grass about 95 yards away and was sluiced. As the dog was sent for it the left guns retired to a blind behind a hill. The order was left, middle, right.
Number 6 got off to a rough start. The first two handled, the third had a herd of cows chase it (rerun) and number 4 got a no-bird. One or two did it, then a couple picked up. It was brutal.
To recover all the marks, dogs had to cross the cattail lined creek, which was cooling on the hot dry day. The flyer fall was clearly visible and dogs hustled to get it. Once back, only the short middle stand out guns were visible. The bird, however, lay at the base of the creek and early dogs had no wind. The creek, cattail, and rolling land distracted dogs from a firm mark. Since they had not seen it land at the bottom, perhaps their depth perception was skewed. Many of them seemed to run over it then appear on the far bank where they hunted the pasture beyond. Once there, most were hesitant to return to the sunken creek and handles were necessary to recover the pheasant (light and different scent than the flyer duck could have caused some problem). After a hunt and perhaps a handle, memory of the long retired bird became hazy. Again, they had not seen the bird land on the bottom creek shore and those factors combined with the numerous terrain changes also caused long hunts and handles. In some cases there were double handles on the marks.
By mid afternoon, the list of dogs that had not handled so far, dropped dramatically. Number six was a real bear. Of course there were a number of very nice marks and an appreciative gallery applauded the victors.
Because of the long hunts and handles, there was doubt that the test would be completed on Thursday. However, it did finish shortly before 8 pm when #12 (cow interference rerun) returned to line. In all, approx. 33 of the 51 dogs (about 60%) had handled (and/or picked up) on the sixth.
Callbacks were posted about 10:20 PDT and only 30 potential NAFC's remained. Those lost were:
4, 5, 9, 10, 12, 16, 18, 19, 22, 25, 31, 33, 49, 51, 52, 53, 63, 78, 84, 94, and 95. The next test will be back at the site 3 ranch. Starting number will be 38.
Charles Hays and Eddy on line
Gunners lair - Tony Snow with lobster dinner
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Shon Garrison and announcer Dean Ellis
Lynne DuBose (L) and John Russell
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