Day 1
Series One - Land Marks & Blind
August 21, 2023
Report composed by Sue Taylor with help from Tim Fahl (drawings) and Jesse Vanhouwe (technology)
The caravan gathered at 7:30 am at the Clubhouse and travelled the short distance to the Lost River Property. There was lots of excitement in the air.
It rained a little overnight and skies were cloudy for the start of the test. There was a light breeze from the SouthEast (17km/hr), with predicted slightly increasing winds from the same direction by noon. Temperature this morning (8am) is a little chilly at 12C, with a predicted high of 20 degrees C this afternoon. A perfect day for running dogs.
The scenic bowl on the Lost River property is filled with at least 6 dozen snow goose decoys. Gunners and wingers are hidden behind a brushed-in bale and two of the natural bushes in the bowl. When the caravan of participants arrived they were welcomed by marshall John McDonald and told some basic ground rules. There is a tent set up for the judges, a smaller tent set up for the artist Tim Fahl, the marshall and the book marshall Sue Taylor. There are two large tents behind the test up on the hill for the gallery. Sponsor banners are displayed, including Purina, SportDog, Garmin, and Kent. Each test has a sponsor, and this test was generously sponsored by participants Sarah, Sean, Steve and Leroy who have been enjoying their stay at the Saskatoon Retriever Club – and we have enjoyed having them here. Professional photographer Mark Atwater is well concealed in a blind to the left of the running line.
The judges John Kuepferling (Quebec), Peter Ferin (Ontario) and Bill Marshall (Alberta) are ready to roll. They described the scenario. You set out goose decoys the night before, hoping to attract some ducks for a shoot this morning. Handlers are to bring their dog to line when called and sit them within a painted circle and signal when ready. The judges will call and the call will be answered from behind the bush hiding the middle bird winger and then a mallard will be fired from the winger, thrown left to right and shot, landing just in front of the west edge of the next bush (54yds). The judges will call again and the call is answered from behind the right hand bush and a high flying duck is launched from a winger left to right and shot, landing in the decoys 83 yards from line. The judges call again and the call is answered from behind a brushed in bale on the left and the go bird duck is thrown as an angle back (70 yards). Dogs are released to retrieve whichever bird they want, and while they are returning with the first bird retrieved a diversion bird with two shots will be launched from behind the test to the left, landing pretty close to in-line with the go-bird. After all the birds from the triple and the diversion bird have been retrieved, the handler will take their dog to the holding blind and the judges will call for the blind to be planted. The line to the blind is just to the left of the brushed in bale hiding the go-bird gunners and then up the hill through several decoys. Once they get the blind and return to line dogs are moved to the left and released.
Nearly ready to start, there is a lot of nervous energy in the crowd. Club member Rhonda Morari will announce each dog on the loudspeaker system as they come to line. Just about ready to start, but first we are pleased to honour one of the great Master Hunt test dogs that has spent years showing our Club Hunt test trainers how it is done. Honorary Test Dog GMH BIGSKY’S PRETTY IN PINK CDX RA WCX MH (Pinky), owned by Ross and Lynn Campbell, handled by Ross Campbell came to line and was clearly excited to be there. She sat, Ross called, the diversion bird gunners called back and then launched the diversion bird 25 yards. Pinky was shaking with excitement but stayed until sent and ran out and found her bird.
The official female test dog was then announced. PRAIRIESTORM PRETTY PEGGYSUE CGN MH CDX WCX (Peg), handled by Wally Turk. Peg watched all her birds but crept a little more each time a bird was launched. Once all the birds were down judges requested that she be brought to heel before being sent. When sent, she left like a rocket. She looped behind the middle bird on her way to slowing down to pick up the go bird. She was then sent for the diversion bird. When she was sent for the middle bird Wally had trouble getting her turn away from the go bird, so he sent her and had a quick handle that sent her between the bushes and to the bird. She then went right of the right hand bird but handled back to it easily. Her initial line to the blind was left through the decoys and Wally had many casts getting her convinced to go to the right to get the blind. He persevered, however, and got the blind.
The male test dog SMOK’NGOLD’S STARFOX SH WCX (Fox) handled by Alan Davies was then announced and called to line. Fox sat obediently in the circle and watched his birds go down. He went right to the go bird when sent. The diversion bird – a nice big mallard drake- nearly beaned him on his return to Alan but he dodged it and then happily retrieved the diversion bird. Fox was sent for middle bird next and he just missed it and was going up between the bushes but Alan caught him with a quick whistle and handle to the bird. He was then sent for the right hand bird and winded it after a short hunt. His initial line to the blind was also to the left in the decoys, and had some difficulty recovering until he was past the blind.
The test was now ready to start for the participants. The first running dog, Dog 11 was called to line at 9am and the test was underway. The test went well. In the first 11 dogs (before the first bird change) 7 dogs handled on the middle bird and 3 dogs handled on the right hand bird, with 2 dogs handling on both. The wind changed for a while to straight south instead of southeast (now it is back to SE), making winding the middle bird a little more challenging. One dog handled on the diversion bird. Most dogs picked up the go bird, then the diversion bird, then the middle bird and then the long right bird but several selected the longer right bird before trying to convince their dog to check down for the shorter middle bird. Most of the blinds were good, with an average of 4 or 5 whistles and handlers keeping their dogs close to the correct line. A few dogs had only one or two whistles.
Not much changed in the test through the day. The wind was a little stronger from the SE and dogs in the area of the falls had a little easier time winding the birds. There were still many handles on the middle and right birds and at least one more double handle. There were a few no-birds due to winger issues and popper issues but they were dealt with quickly, with handlers going back two dogs to run.
The last dog to run, Dog 10 came to line at 2pm. It was still cloudy, with a SE wind (21km/hr gusting to 30km/hr). 18C. A huge army of volunteers helped take down the tents and pick up decoys and load trailers. Now we wait.
At 4pm judges announced callbacks. Dogs 25, 26 and 37 were dropped. 32 dogs are invited back to Run Test 2 tomorrow morning. This will be water marks and a water blind. Convoy to leave Clubhouse at 7:30am.
