Play for cash!!!

[David McLendon]

i'm saying that if i go to any event to pay out cash or prizes, if the srs was in my area i would definitly be interested in it, in utah there is either akc field trials or akc hunt tests (that i know about). i'm not looking to play against the best in the world but against dogs at the same level. I don't have alot of options where i live to do those kind of events and steve my dog days are done for now but i know one way they would get me back into them and let me know when it happens.

Kurt to me the best dogs in the world are the ten or so in the finals at the National Open or National Amateur and are usually some of the same dogs in both. Anywhere that you compete whether it be for money, points or ribbon, it is not about running with dogs of the same level although at the upper end dogs are on a common plane at times, it is about winning, about being and finding the best. When you throw your chip in then it's on. You should give it a try if one comes close by but only one guy is going to walk away truly happy.

[Sharon van der Lee]

IMO The biggest problem with adding a cash prize is our sport is "JUDGED" therefore it is subjective and not always a clear winner. In horse races everybody can tell who won.

Lots of "judged" horse events pay big money (cutting, reining, cow horse), but they cost too. People that are in that game for big money, play big money. Lots of successful non-pros play and it is not necessarily for the check. I think these types have the same motivation as dog people. It's fun to train and try and bring out the best between the team of human and dog/horse. At least that is what I try for.

[Chris Atkinson]

Kurt to me the best dogs in the world are the ten or so in the finals at the National Open or National Amateur and are usually some of the same dogs in both. Anywhere that you compete whether it be for money, points or ribbon, it is not about running with dogs of the same level although at the upper end dogs are on a common plane at times, it is about winning, about being and finding the best. When you throw your chip in then it's on. You should give it a try if one comes close by but only one guy is going to walk away truly happy.

Well written David!

This is totally equivalent to the World Sanctioned Duck Calling or Goose calling venues.

Only 1 guy is happy at the end.....

Chris

[Chris Atkinson]

Lots of "judged" horse events pay big money (cutting, reining, cow horse), but they cost too. People that are in that game for big money, play big money. Lots of successful non-pros play and it is not necessarily for the check. I think these types have the same motivation as dog people. It's fun to train and try and bring out the best between the team of human and dog/horse. At least that is what I try for.

I agree.

This falls in that idea of pushing on the balloon somewhere.

If you want it to pay out big, there's got to be a big influx of cash to fund it. Only a certain portion comes from benevolent sponsors. Usually, if you want to play for the big payoff at the table, you need to be willing to ante-up big amounts on the front end to be qualified to play.

In today's world, the gold standard is All Age trials in North America. Prize money is not part of the picture. For most, the value of qualifying for Nationals, and FC/AFC titles with points (and the prospect of winning against dogs trained by the best in the world) seems to be the allure.

For folks seeking local events, competing against dogs of a slightly lesser caliber of training... it may already exist. But it may require some travel.

[Labs a mundo]

Lots of "judged" horse events pay big money (cutting, reining, cow horse), but they cost too. People that are in that game for big money, play big money. Lots of successful non-pros play and it is not necessarily for the check. I think these types have the same motivation as dog people. It's fun to train and try and bring out the best between the team of human and dog/horse. At least that is what I try for.

How true.
A friend of mine says that if you want to make a million playing with horses you need to start with 5 million.

Sharon, who's the good looking lab in your avatar?

[Rich Martin]

if you want to play for money they have a competition called the SRS..Super Retriever Series


once you bring prize money into a game, that game changes forever,and not always for the better..you would drive the amateur out of the game, and they are the backbone of the sport, they are the ones that put on the trials (no offense to the PRTA)..if you think people biaatch and moan about the judging now, multiply that times a thousand when you are competing for money

the people that I know in the FT game don't do it for money, quite a few are rich or even wealthy by some standards, they love to compete, they love the satisfaction of training dogs, they do it for the love of their dogs..

The dog games are one of the few competitions where a broke guy can run his dog against a millionaire's dog and may the best dog win...its also one of the few sports where a broke guy can engage a rich guy in a conversation about something they have in common, the love of a good dog..It hard to do that in everyday life but at a FT/HT it really is all about the dogs

I would like to add that everyone has the things they like to do. I know someone that wanted to race cars and make big bucks, well after 13,000 on a rolling chasis, 10,000 on a motor, few more thousand and misc only to crash the very first lap. The next year even more money on a new car, motor and won 100.00 in a race. it took a few years before winning the track championship which paid a couple grand. what they spent to what they won by no means show any profit but they loved doing it. I have no problem getting a ribbon to show the time and effort and money it takes to get it.

[JS]

Kurt, have you considered going pro?

Hang up a shingle and advertise for clients. You get the best of all worlds ... get to train dogs every day which you enjoy, get the competition rush, and most importantly, you get paid whether you win or lose! Sounds like just what you are asking for!

'Course you'll have to convince folks why they should let you run their dog.

JS

[labman63]

If you want to play a dog game for money get yourself an English Pointer a couple of good Tenn Walking Horses and a horse trailer and hit the road. Run in a championship(after you qualify) and clearly beat the competition and watch them award(your) prize money(several thousand dollars) to someone else. Now go do it again next week. I did it for 20 yrs and finally got a belly full of that and switched to retrievers and I don't care if I ever look a bird dog in the butt again. Give me a ribbon and I'll go home smiling.

[Rick_C]

Gooser already nailed it early in the thread but if the OP really gets no satisfaction from a "handshake and a ribbon" then it's time to quit the games for good.

Due to a longer than expected period of unemployment I haven't trained much this summer and only went to one hunt test/OH qual. That weekend my dog jammed the first qual either of us had ever run then ran the best Master series he's run so far. Money wouldn't have enhanced the feeling of pride in my boy I had driving home Sunday night in the least. Especially after getting our heads kicked in when we ran Master tests before we were ready last year.

Thankfully I'm back working and once getting fully relocated to the L.A. area I'll be looking for a good club and training group to get involved with here in So. Cal and anxiously looking forward to my next handshake and ribbon on a Sunday afternoon.

[JustinS]

I love going to hunt tests and don't mind helping at the field trials throwing birds because i know those guys running will throw birds
For me, and the whole purpose of all the training is to have a great hunting dog that wont screw up a hunt when a flock of mallards is circling to each his own but i am in college and couldn't afford a cash event don't butt me out of the games go find a different one that suits you better.