Hunt Trials!
I spoke too soon...they had a diversion bird in his afternoon land segment and he shocked me...he didn't switch...he passed 5 straight events and has his HR title. I got wet (and a little bruised) Patsy took the original "getting wet" for me and when I showed back up she was in on my drenching. I still think her daughter got it the best or worst depending on how you look at it. Fellas, if you are ever in need of a good trainer I'll tell you what...Jesse Sheppard out of Tishomingo has made unbelievable progress. 1 month ago, before I took Dutch to Jesse, he was weak at best in the water (whistle's/hand signals) was pretty good on land in that area, was anything but steady, had never seen a diversion bird or a walkup, didn't know a thing about following the swing of the gun with the shooter, and now 1 month later he has mastered all these things to a point good enough to get his HR title. I'm impressed!
We, as I said before, are switching gears now and headed toward trying to get a HRCH this fall. Good luck to you on your HR title this fall. After seeing what I saw this weekend the only difference between between the tests are triples vs. doubles, distance, honoring (which honoring is how Jesse got Dutch to quit breaking so that's not a problem), they seem to throw in a few more obstacles in finished, and they are a lot more critical of your dogs handling...cast refusals kill you in finished whereas they aren't as critical in seasoned. There are other judging differences also, but I aint no judge, so I don't know any of them. Goosebruce's dog passed yesterday, and I can only assume that he'll pass today, congrats go out to him as well.
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goosebruce
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Theres a lot more difference than you realize... this weekends test were as straightforward as it gets... see the other extream and only then you realize somewhere in the middle is where ya ought to be to really be ready to run. Rowdy smashed both days, still hasn't had to handle on mark this spring, and I know chance's chipper dog passed both days as well. We're 10 straight passes this spring, and we'll be on the low profile till the grand gathering end of april. travis
Hey Goose, enlighten me on the points deal. Dutch passed 2 started events, and now 3 seasoned events. His next step is finished, How many points does he have now and how many points is each "pass" in the finished class worth. I keep hearing about the "500" point club and the "1000" point club at only 10 points a pop that would take a LONG time so I can only assume that a finished pass would be worth more than 10 points. Also how many passes does he need in Finished to get his HRCH? Is it 4? Thanks in advance...DD.
points
Fifteen points for each finished pass. Tracy---you should be at forty total points with a Hunting Retriever title. You will get a certificate in the mail signifying the title. Dutch will need 100 points for a Hunting Retriever Champion title. In other words, sixty more points or four finished passes.
Sure was fun getting you wet Saturday nite. Hope the ice chest lid in the face didn't hurt much.
Sure was fun getting you wet Saturday nite. Hope the ice chest lid in the face didn't hurt much.
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goosebruce
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The skinny on points...
Yup.. 5 points for a started pass (max of 10).. 2 more passes get you a SHR title... 10 points for each seasoned pass (max of 40, or 30 if you already have 10 from started) 40 needed for HR.. 15 points per finished test, 100 for a HRCH with 60 of those having to come from finished tests, 10 points for an upland pass, with 4 passes needed for UH title (some clubs run 4 upland hunts in a weekend, so its possible to UH in a weekend, like we all did), you have to have a HRCH dog to enter grand, and 40 points for a pass there. A grand title requires 2 grand passes, and 300 points. You can continue to run any catergory after you title, but only finished, upland, and grand passes count toward 500 & 1000 point club. 500 points is definetly a milestone, so HRC is nice enough to send the owner a free jacket at 500 points... like the one patsy always wears. Right now, rowdy is at 320 (28 outta 30), and thats smoking for his age. We should 500 this fall, before he is 3 years old. Chances chipper dog is at like 450, but thats misleading because she has missed LOTS of tests for being in heat (like all of last fall). Plus, we miss weekend tests when preparing for the grand gathering so with only a limited number of tests, that becomes the limiting factor. travis
stopped by for a bit on saturday afternoon, was very interesting, people I talked to were very helpful and friendly, we watched 4 dogs in the finished water test, meant to get there earlier, but had a little trouble getting everybody on the road, then had to get back for kids baseball/softball practice but was pretty cool and fun to watch and a well run event..thanks..
point dogs
Grand Hunting Retriever ChampionMissy's Cajun DakotaMaster Hunter was sitting at 1825 with Bill Autrey when I picked up the 'Super' Star pup down in Texas. Man, do I have a lot to follow!!
Side note-- I believe Ellis Howard in Georgia should have broken 2000 points with his Jimbo dawg either this weekend, or the weekend before last...depending on all passes. Not to bad for a blamed chocolate dawg! Deep down he's gotta be a black dog....
There's a big jump from seasoned to finished dog work. Hope ya'll guys have your game face on. Like goose said, those tests where straight out the teaching manual. Just wait til you feast your eyes on one of them Larry Mc tests! I'm still waiting on the day Steve V starts setting up tests!!
Side note-- I believe Ellis Howard in Georgia should have broken 2000 points with his Jimbo dawg either this weekend, or the weekend before last...depending on all passes. Not to bad for a blamed chocolate dawg! Deep down he's gotta be a black dog....
There's a big jump from seasoned to finished dog work. Hope ya'll guys have your game face on. Like goose said, those tests where straight out the teaching manual. Just wait til you feast your eyes on one of them Larry Mc tests! I'm still waiting on the day Steve V starts setting up tests!!
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goosebruce
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Josh mentions the top all time point dog, and the top all time grand pass dog... Those aren't typical... I think there are only 5 or 6 1500 point dogs of all time. And maybe only 220 or so 1000 point dogs. Cody, bill aturys 1825 point dog, has 10 grand passes, more than any othter dog. Since the grand is a twice a year only event, you get the ideal of how many years of campagining, and the age of the dogs we're talking about there.
Also, I would like to point out to those who might not be familar with hunt tests... Most people involved do not campiagn a dog with the ideals of grand tests, and 500 point clubs and such. While anyone can, it's a view of hrc tests I don't want to leave people with. Hunt tests provide a catalyst for your training, a yardstick to see where your at, and a way to identify dogs for breeding purposes that have proved their abilites to a certain level. When you first go see a test, and get involved with this, so much emphsis is on the codys, and rowdys of the game, some people think thats all it is about. Well, its not. Its about everyday duck hunters, and there everyday dogs, getting better as duck hunting teams. So you get involved, and decide your dog and yourself aren't ever going to hit the road, and seek 500 points... That doesn't mean hunt tests didn't serve a purpose for you and your dog, or that ya'll fell short of anything... All it means is, you had fun, and had a better dog to show for it. Thats the purpose, and thats the intent, and thats usually the result.
Every single serious particpant in hunt tests I have ever met, started with the phrase, I just want a better duck hunting dog. Catching part of a conversation like the one we've had here might not lead you to understand that. So if I don't make that clear, I've painted an unfair picture.
The grand level is past nicely trained duck dogs. The grand tests the best hunting dogs on earth. You can't kick around a couple days a week, and train a grand dog. But the good part is, any serious amature willing to learn and to train hard, can train a grand dog. It isn't a field trial, where you're competeing against dozens of pros each having dozens of dogs. Its a balls out test of hunting dogs, but a test that a one or two dog man thats committed, can train like crazy a talented dog, and do it. It's a unique bred of test, none other like it in the world. As big as it, and as flashy, and all that, its still attainable by anyone willing to work hard enough. And that makes it all the more special.
HRC tests have something for every owner and dog. No matter how serious you get about it, a little, or a lot, you can have a better dog and have fun doing it. Don't read all this super dog stuff, and think you don't belong, because you do. We all like talking bout the big guns, who doesn't. But its not for them, they are just a part of it. Just a few years ago, I was looking for something, but I didn't know what it was. I wanted help, just wanting a better duck dog. Once I got involved, I found out what dogs could do, and I knew I had to have one. Just a few years ago, i could have never dreamed of training a handling dog. My present dog was more dog than I had EVER hunted with at only a year old when his first season rolled around. After 2 seasons, he's proved himself in every single hunting sitution I could imagine, in training, testing, and the real deal. And it was all possible because I found something that was about more than just big dogs... it works full circle. travis
Also, I would like to point out to those who might not be familar with hunt tests... Most people involved do not campiagn a dog with the ideals of grand tests, and 500 point clubs and such. While anyone can, it's a view of hrc tests I don't want to leave people with. Hunt tests provide a catalyst for your training, a yardstick to see where your at, and a way to identify dogs for breeding purposes that have proved their abilites to a certain level. When you first go see a test, and get involved with this, so much emphsis is on the codys, and rowdys of the game, some people think thats all it is about. Well, its not. Its about everyday duck hunters, and there everyday dogs, getting better as duck hunting teams. So you get involved, and decide your dog and yourself aren't ever going to hit the road, and seek 500 points... That doesn't mean hunt tests didn't serve a purpose for you and your dog, or that ya'll fell short of anything... All it means is, you had fun, and had a better dog to show for it. Thats the purpose, and thats the intent, and thats usually the result.
Every single serious particpant in hunt tests I have ever met, started with the phrase, I just want a better duck hunting dog. Catching part of a conversation like the one we've had here might not lead you to understand that. So if I don't make that clear, I've painted an unfair picture.
The grand level is past nicely trained duck dogs. The grand tests the best hunting dogs on earth. You can't kick around a couple days a week, and train a grand dog. But the good part is, any serious amature willing to learn and to train hard, can train a grand dog. It isn't a field trial, where you're competeing against dozens of pros each having dozens of dogs. Its a balls out test of hunting dogs, but a test that a one or two dog man thats committed, can train like crazy a talented dog, and do it. It's a unique bred of test, none other like it in the world. As big as it, and as flashy, and all that, its still attainable by anyone willing to work hard enough. And that makes it all the more special.
HRC tests have something for every owner and dog. No matter how serious you get about it, a little, or a lot, you can have a better dog and have fun doing it. Don't read all this super dog stuff, and think you don't belong, because you do. We all like talking bout the big guns, who doesn't. But its not for them, they are just a part of it. Just a few years ago, I was looking for something, but I didn't know what it was. I wanted help, just wanting a better duck dog. Once I got involved, I found out what dogs could do, and I knew I had to have one. Just a few years ago, i could have never dreamed of training a handling dog. My present dog was more dog than I had EVER hunted with at only a year old when his first season rolled around. After 2 seasons, he's proved himself in every single hunting sitution I could imagine, in training, testing, and the real deal. And it was all possible because I found something that was about more than just big dogs... it works full circle. travis
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goosebruce
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Gator, I remember when I had a fatdawg, and went and saw a club training day (not my club now btw)... I had a duck dog, but she couldn't do that stuff. I walked around for 20 minutes and left... nobody noticed me cause I had a duck dog, but she couldn't do that stuff. Guess what, everybody notices me now... but I still got a duck dog, and he can do all that. The guy who shows up with the duck dog, might just turn out to be the guy to teach you a few things in a few years, and damn sure may turn out to be someone ya want to drink a beer with. Thats the hrc, bro. travis
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