I didn't see Max run that much but have very vivid memories of the times I did.
The first time I saw him was at the N. Texas trial in Ardmore when he blew Sherwin Scott off on a land blind and Sherwin had to make the walk of shame to get him in. Maxx prey drive was phenominal and getting him into the line without a bird was some kind of a task.
The next time I saw him was at Mike Lardy's workshop a week after his Canadian Natl win the last time. They were running a double blind and Max just turned around and popped. I asked Lardy if that bothered him that he popped and he said "no, he probably heard a bird or something". Hmmm. I got some fabulous pics of Max on line, with me shooting him with a long lense and getting shots you would not get at a trial or Natl due to the closeness I was to him. I have often wondered if Sherwin had pics like this, cause most of us never think to get action shots of our dogs at the line (me included). He spanked a nice retired gun triple on this test if I recall, and his butt I don't think was ever on the ground on line.
The next time I saw him was quite a bit at the last Natl in Oklahoma in 2000. I was a bird steward which means I was at the line during many series. I remember him really doing a nice job in the super tough fifth series which had a bird thrown down from a steep hill to the bottom of a pond behind a huge stand of cattails. Dogs were bailing out early and not hunting down to the bird. Max did it exremely well, and was only beaten by his son Prize who ultimately won the trial. Interestingly enough, Max almost never ran this series. He had a walking pheasant on the flier and the judges decided to give him a re-run after Mike had already sent him. Lardy was tooting his lungs out and pleading for Max to return and Max was having none of it. He was putting on a very hard hunt and was oblivious to the whistles. Lardy left the line, went almost across the road to get him (which I don't think was exactly cricket) and the judges were having discussions about when it was time to drop him. After warning him that he was going to have to get him Max finally gave in and retured to run the test six dogs later.
I also have probably the ONLY film ever taken from a National from the opposite end of the line. I was a blind planter in the seventh series (I think) were we were camo'd in a huge brush pile blind, directly behind the blind pole about 430 yards. I have video of Max and several other dogs actually running the blind from start to finish. I'm sure the head bird steward would not have been happy to know I was filming while the Natl's were being run!
My last time to see Max was a very sad time at that National, and I was behind him on the line when Mike lost him on the water blind in the 8th. Max was the very last dog to run and as the sun set a white pvc drain pipe was illuminated as if it had a spotlight on it. None of the other dogs were affected by it, but it shone like a mirror when Max ran in the setting sun. The dog had to get on a big broad point and cast off. Not a very tough blind by today's Open standards but a usual Natl Open blind. Mike put him on the point at an angle where he let him get on and off on his own will, unlike the other contestants who stopped them and cast them off. Max went over that point with a full head of steam and saw that white cap and that was it. Mikes first whistle was normal, the second had some concern to it. The rest of them were as hard as a man can blow and still retain his plumbing. The Fox 40 emergency whistle was ignored as well. Afterward Mike would say that Max was losing his hearing, and that was probably true, but that prey drive had something to do with it also I'm telling you. Sadly, Pat Sawyer had just arrived before the blind to see Max finish and maybe win his last trial. She was in tears afterwards as I'm sure Mike was, and sadly, that's the last time I saw this magnificent animal.
