[Ironwood]

The scenario:
Fourth and last series, water double, both gunners visible, the long memory bird is thrown up on land some distance from the water's edge from the end of a long channel swim provided the dogs don't cheat the channel. Last bird down is shorter but still requires the dog not to cheat the water to retrieve the mark again if it is done correctly.

By the way six dogs are into this last test of the day.

The dog under judgement sees all the birds thrown. Up to now the dog has performed well with no major or minor faults. In an earlier land series the dog in question had small hunt on one bird but stayed in the area and came up with dead duck. The dog was steady for all birds and delivered all birds to hand flawlessly through outthe trial.

It gets interesting in the last series on the last long bird the young dog swims a perfect line to the bird down the channel goes directly to the mark puts its head down to the bird immediately turns arround and swims all the way back to the the handler without the bird. The handler without fane fair discreetly sends the dog back to the bird. Again the dog swims a perfect line to the bird and retrives it to hand.

Should the dog be dropped. If the dog is not dropped when it was clearly in the colors what ribbon should it receive; green or remain in contention for one of the colors?

 

[whitefoot]

Assuming it's an AKC field trial, I believe that dog has committed a serious fault and failed the test.

3. Returning to the handler without the bird where not called in, except on a marked retrieve where the dog was confused as to whether it was sent.

 

[TroyFeeken]

The bird should be inspected by the judges to determine if that dog should be given a rerun opportunity. Sometimes by the 4th series those birds in the minor stakes are getting pretty bad. If the bird was inspected and to be a fair condition without any protruding bones or bugs or bug larve and the dog returned without the bird, the dog should be dropped and not receive a ribbon as that bird required a handle.

 

[Tim Carrion]

Step 1: excuse the handler/dog when the dog returns empty. No resend. 2: one or both judges take a quick trip to inspect the bird and spot it landed. If bird and spot are okay the dog is out. If either spot or bird is determined to be the cause of the dog not picking up the bird the judges can decide to rerun the dog judging only the pick up and return of that bird OR they could choose to judge the dog to the spotand place dogs accordingly.

Tim

 

[Mark]

Out of interest in the case of a rerun, dog having been previously scored to the bird, and only the pickup and delivery of the bird to hand is being judged, is a handle permitted albeit that a handle on a mark in the derby is an eliminating fault. The Mark has already been scored so is this scenario viewed as a handle on the mark.

Mark

 

[Ironwood]

Thank you. The dead ducks may have been salvaged from a previous licensed trial. It clearly was the the s case in other stakes that some birds showed significant degrading after the water tests. It is not for certain what birds were directed to the monor stakes. The handler was disappointed in the call but accepted it and took some satisfaction up to that one bird he had a young dog he could be proud of.