Having been privileged to attend a few nationals as the 'sketcher' it is really interesting to be on this end of the computer this time. I find Vick's blog fascinating and can state for a fact that she stays at the line blogging her little heart out from the time the first dog of the day runs until the last.
The report is done by Tina Ebner who is experienced more in the hunt test venue than in the field trial world. I know she relies heavily on getting info from 'informed sources' and tries to relay the basic info with Vicky's beautiful blog filling in the moment to moment play by play.
I was told that Jean Wu was doing the sketches as she is a local and also a contestant. I doubt if she is going to be as fortunate as I was because I got to go to the line when the test was being set up to start my sketches - not sure they would allow a contestant to do that.
And btw, could it be an all girl team to win? I think Mary Jane Sutter and Pepper were the most recent but there are some great teams to watch: Birdy and Yvonne Hayes, Jerry Lee and Lynne Dubose, Tia and Suzan Caire, Pogo and Ms Martha, Yakkity Yak and Linda H, Jackie and Jean,and our favorite 'dark horse team' in this part of Texas, Gracie and Sylvia (all the others have experience this is team Gracie's first nat'l). Sorry if I missed any other all girl team. Someone will jump in and fill in the void- no doubt.
I skipped making picks this year - too many favorites - besides the 'girls' theres Barb and Prime, the Mia(and Miah) girls, Ted's crew, Choco brothers Drake and Roux, sentimental fave Kate Simonds as well as Wendy, Diamond, Anna, Ethel, Norman, the big yeller feller Skeeter and the list goes on...
BTW, who is going to step up and do the tally sheet when FOM and Bullet are there??