Re: Grand Reports...........
Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:28 am
The clapping and cheering at Gunners Up! was a trip. Never could explain it, you would have to have been there.
To give you guys some idea of how it goes:
Bitch check and line up at 6:00AM in Lowes parking lot. Leave at 7:00AM to site. Sit all day to run. Chipper and I ran at 8:00PM on the first day. Same routine on Sunday except that we did not get to run that day. Waited till 2:00PM to run the Purina water test on Monday. Callbacks and hurry to Gunners Up to run it at 7:45PM on the same day we ran Purina. Same routine Tuesday morning to run Avery water. Got to the line around 11:30AM.
I agree with Jonathan, the Purina water test will be talked about for a long time. The blind was about 70 yds. The line to the blind had numerous logs that your dog had to go over. When you dog came over the logs, it usually wobbled and came off swimming on a line that caused you to handle. Numerous open trails that enticed your dog to swim in the wrong direction and get out of site. Towards the end of the blind was a choice to go left or right. The path to the right was the easier looking path. Wrong! The next cast put your dog out of site and you just had to hope he came site where you needed him. Extremely tough blind. Travis came off with Juice and said anyone who passed that blind should be exempt from running any other water blinds. Problem with Purina was the safety factor. Mutiple logs in the way of every mark also. Right mark was picked up with dog out of site. The last dog to run in our flight broke a bone in its foot on the blind. I don't believe that we will ever see another test in that kind of conditions.
Both land series were very straight forward tests. Big marks with distractions to cause dogs to carry lines that took them away from the fall areas. The middle bird on Gunners Up was a prime example. A mowed path was tempting for nearly every dog I watched. A beneficial wind saved a handle for most of the dogs. The blind on Gunners Up was challenging for some unknown reason. A downhill slide by your dog and most had difficulty getting a good clean left hand back.
Tony and Daisy did line the Tritronics blind. Great job.
Avery was an interesting test. A pair of pinched marks that would give some dogs issues to figure out the middle bird. The area of the fall is muddled on the second bird picked up on pinched marks. A strategically placed bushy limb caused the difficulty for Chipper on the right mark. She has always swam around this type on problem and came back around on line. This time she chose to swim through it on an incredible straight line. The limb sank as she climbed over it and she swung to the left. She came out on the bank way left of the bird in the drag back scent of the blind. She would not let me handle her out of it and we were asked to pick up. End of story for us.
Judgement for line manners at this Grand were extreme. The judges gave very explicit instructions in the handlers meeting concerning Grand level control while walking to and from the bucket. Creeping was marked down heavily also.
The waiting to run had one benefit. You got to know the other folks running in your flight. We would set up out EZ ups together to get out of the rain and sun. Share good things to eat. Pull for every dog to pass. It was sad to see one of your friends, old or new, to go out. At the Canada Grand, Marinda compared it to an intensive care waiting room. You wanted everyone to get through. When they did not, it left you with an empty feeling.
The Grand experience is what keeps everyone coming back. Everyone needs to go. No way to expalin ti, you just gotta be there.
To give you guys some idea of how it goes:
Bitch check and line up at 6:00AM in Lowes parking lot. Leave at 7:00AM to site. Sit all day to run. Chipper and I ran at 8:00PM on the first day. Same routine on Sunday except that we did not get to run that day. Waited till 2:00PM to run the Purina water test on Monday. Callbacks and hurry to Gunners Up to run it at 7:45PM on the same day we ran Purina. Same routine Tuesday morning to run Avery water. Got to the line around 11:30AM.
I agree with Jonathan, the Purina water test will be talked about for a long time. The blind was about 70 yds. The line to the blind had numerous logs that your dog had to go over. When you dog came over the logs, it usually wobbled and came off swimming on a line that caused you to handle. Numerous open trails that enticed your dog to swim in the wrong direction and get out of site. Towards the end of the blind was a choice to go left or right. The path to the right was the easier looking path. Wrong! The next cast put your dog out of site and you just had to hope he came site where you needed him. Extremely tough blind. Travis came off with Juice and said anyone who passed that blind should be exempt from running any other water blinds. Problem with Purina was the safety factor. Mutiple logs in the way of every mark also. Right mark was picked up with dog out of site. The last dog to run in our flight broke a bone in its foot on the blind. I don't believe that we will ever see another test in that kind of conditions.
Both land series were very straight forward tests. Big marks with distractions to cause dogs to carry lines that took them away from the fall areas. The middle bird on Gunners Up was a prime example. A mowed path was tempting for nearly every dog I watched. A beneficial wind saved a handle for most of the dogs. The blind on Gunners Up was challenging for some unknown reason. A downhill slide by your dog and most had difficulty getting a good clean left hand back.
Tony and Daisy did line the Tritronics blind. Great job.
Avery was an interesting test. A pair of pinched marks that would give some dogs issues to figure out the middle bird. The area of the fall is muddled on the second bird picked up on pinched marks. A strategically placed bushy limb caused the difficulty for Chipper on the right mark. She has always swam around this type on problem and came back around on line. This time she chose to swim through it on an incredible straight line. The limb sank as she climbed over it and she swung to the left. She came out on the bank way left of the bird in the drag back scent of the blind. She would not let me handle her out of it and we were asked to pick up. End of story for us.
Judgement for line manners at this Grand were extreme. The judges gave very explicit instructions in the handlers meeting concerning Grand level control while walking to and from the bucket. Creeping was marked down heavily also.
The waiting to run had one benefit. You got to know the other folks running in your flight. We would set up out EZ ups together to get out of the rain and sun. Share good things to eat. Pull for every dog to pass. It was sad to see one of your friends, old or new, to go out. At the Canada Grand, Marinda compared it to an intensive care waiting room. You wanted everyone to get through. When they did not, it left you with an empty feeling.
The Grand experience is what keeps everyone coming back. Everyone needs to go. No way to expalin ti, you just gotta be there.
