great western flat-coated retriever club great western flat coated retriever club gwfcrc flat-coated retriever society of america fcrsa flatcoat flat coat flatty flats southern california akc breeders akc dog show conformation akc huntest akc hunting test obedience agility canine dog dogs frank holbert t |
GWFCRC 1997 Hunting Test
Another successful GWFCRC Hunt Test weekend took place April 19 and 20. Our second consecutive test was larger than the previous year, and larger than other tests this season at Prado - a testament to the good reputation our test is earning. In fact, because of the large number of Junior entries, a second Junior test was added. Master and the two Junior Tests ran on Saturday, with the conclusion of Master and the Senior test running on Sunday. All the judges commented favorably on the work of the dogs. Here’s the view I got, from the shady tables at Basecamp Trotter:
Later in the day, Master got more challenging—not running the series, but getting to it at all, across the great Mud Hole. Now we know why the vehicle of choice for Field events is not the Ford Aspire. The Orton Suburban hardly noticed the mud hole, and did equally well on an emergency run out to Riverside to pick up the test ribbons, to replace some that were suffering from Technical Difficulties. Saturday evening saw some very enthusiastic ticket buying for the raffle, which featured a starter pistol gun thingy (technical term), a folding chair, flat-coat and lab collectors plates and a lot of other great prizes. Then there was another great GWFCRC tailgate dinner, arranged by Sarah Messick. This time the creative entree was steak skewers, barbecued corn, salads and of course, terrific desserts. It was heartily enjoyed by everyone.
Sunday morning was a little warmer, but still overcast, as the Master test ran it’s final series and was completed by about 11, and Senior got started and ran throughout the day. Final Results for the two days of tests are the following:
Junior Hunt Test A: 33 entries/starters (21 labs, 6 goldens, 4 flat-coats, 2 chessies) 18 qualifiers (13 labs, 3 goldens, 1 flat-coat, 1 chessie) **Flat-Coat qualifier—Ch Dexmoors Makers Mark (Judy Dexter) Junior Hunt Test B: 33 entries/32 starters (18 labs, 7 goldens, 3 flat-coats, 4 chessies) 16 qualifiers (10 labs, 3 goldens, 1 flat-coat, 2 chessies) **Flat-Coat qualifier—Pudljumper Spaceman’s Folly (Gretchen Jensen) Senior Hunt Test: 28 entries/27 starters (17 labs, 3 goldens, 3 chessies, 1 curly, 2 flat-coats) 11 qualifiers (7 labs, 2 chessies, 2 goldens) Master Hunt Test: 29 entries/28 starters (25 labs, 4 goldens) 11 qualifiers (9 labs, 2 goldens)
Click here for more 1997 Hunt Test Photos
All Photos by Allison Taub Last Updated 09/24/98 |
by Alison
Taub
I ventured
to the top of the hill where Ruth Deming was ably marshaling the Master land series with
lots of help. Then I headed over to the Junior water Test where Cynthia Trotter’s
grandson was out on the center island, skillfully tossing ducks into the middle of the
decoys. Brent Baharie was the distinguished Wearer of the Waders who got to for a swim and
plant the decoys. I have pictures!
It has to
be said that we definitely owe the success of these tests to the tireless efforts of Frank
Holbert and Adrienne Ayles, who made everything run smoothly with good preliminary
organizing before tests, including duck emergency medical treatment, and on the day of
test by constantly running from site to site to make sure there were birds, enough help
and that everything was on track. We’re lucky to have really hard working, competent
people helping build the reputation of the GWFCRC test. Hey, I know—let’s make
them do it again next year!
