[Tom Watson]

First series is reportedly a tight triple, followed by a remote cast blind, then pick up the marks. Weeping and gnashing of teeth of Biblical proportions!! Not many doing well as of noon time. That's the last report I have. Should hear more later this evening.

I guess with 110 entries one can expect a bloodbath in the first series.

 

[Franco]

I spoke on the phone this morning with a Pro who has won several Nationals and this is what he had to say about the first two series, "&^%#*&* (*%@$%"!!!

Triple with the two long birds thrown towards one another tight, one long gun and a shorter gun retire. Before picking up the marks, the dogs have to sit facing the marks and a remote cast to the blind, which is an over, is given. As I understood it via the phone, the blind was actually planted over and IN at 200 yards. Dogs that wanted to dig back got into trouble real early.

The way that it is going, should be about a 18% called back to the third series if they don't call the handles back.

Sounds like a grand time. :wink:

 

[Lyle Harne]

I spoke on the phone this morning with a Pro who has won several Nationals

That's a short list 1985-2005:
8 - Lardy
3 - Farmer
2 - Eckett
Gonia, Sargenti, Curtis, Parrott, Ledford, Hays, Mock, Arthur

 

[Franco]

Only one of the three is at this trail. That would be the dude with 3 National WINS.

Last night I had Playboy Playmate Lindsay Vuollo call Mark Smith to wish him and my dog, "Good Luck". So when Danny got on the phone this morning, I figured he wanted to talk about that. But instead, he wanted to discribed what was going on at the trail. Anyhoot, the good luck has worked so far and I know how lonely Mark is up there, two plus months in S Dakota with a trailer full of dogs and no kareokee bars! :lol:

 

[Ricky Elston]

Is Mark still playing???

 

[Franco]

Is Mark still playing???

Spoke with him mid-afternoon. He had two dogs with Excellant work, two pick-ups and one he's not sure will be called back. He still had three more dogs to run. Probably won't finish the first two series before Saturday. The judges are making the most of time. Tough land blind first and if a dog fails they don'tget a shot at the land marks.

 

[Tom Watson]

North DAkota FT

Thirty dogs left to run tomorrow in the Open. Only a handful are clean. Quite an a$$ripper. Probably will come up in the Judges Corner in the Field Trial News.

Qual is finished. Awaiting placements.

 

[Gerard Rozas]

God Bless Judges who give 4 days of their time,
Go through airport lines and hassles
Work for 12 hours a day in all kinds of weather, sometimes for 3 days
So we can play a silly game.

 

[Henry V]

The Q finished at 8:00. ~33 dogs ran. Results are:

1st: #31,Shadow's Sweet Something, D.Luttrell, C. Ledford
2nd: #7, Call Me June's Pretty Penny, Mark Hays
3rd: #5, Apex For A Few Dollars More, E. Krampe III, M. Smith
4th: #29, Du-In Alotta Jak, C. Brandl, Lynn Troy
RJ: #25, Disco Disco Duck, C&s Wilbanks, R. Brasseaux
J's: #3,14,18,19,21,30,36,40

NDRC would like to thank all the judges and workers that make this field trial possible.

Anyone who is interested and qualified to judge should let our FT secretary know. I am sure that he would be glad to pencil you in for a spring or fall field trial in the next couple of years. Several in the club strongly believe that a cap of our open entries at 80 dogs would be best for everyone involved in our field trials. This field trial has only solidified this belief.

 

[Tom Watson]

North DAkota FT

Henry:

Judging from the comments here, I think the 1st series of the open has done a lot to decrease your entries for the next trial!

 

[Franco]

19 dogs to the water blind which is wrapping up right now. Rorem had 6, Farmer 5, Ledford 2 and Smith with 2. Maybe 12 dogs to the water marks this afternoon. Two days to run 108 dogs.

With 108 dogs, judges had to setup a bloodbath with the first two series. 18% to the waterblind is about right for any Open/Special. I think all of the dogs still in are qualified to enter this Special.

Maybe a Restricted next year? I've had a dog run this trial every year for the last 6 years and this has always been a big trial.


Update; 12 dogs to the water marks.
Rorem 5, Farmer 3, Smith 2 and 2 local Amateurs.

 

[Tom Watson]

North DAkota FT

Booty:
Thanks for the update.

 

[Suzanne Burr]

Mr. Booty wrote: "With 108 dogs, the judges had to set up a bloodbath with the first two series."

Sorry, but I disagree. I judged a 100 dog Amateur a few years ago with 100 entries. No tricks, no gimmicks, just plain old "lay of the land" kind of tests. We started on time and finished in 2 days, too. It can be done.

And, no my dog didn't run ND, so no sour grapes.
Suzanne B

 

[Franco]

I don't think there were any gimmicks or tricks in this Open. Triple marks, two retired, run the blind first from a remote cast. Seen it in 60 dog Opens before. To me, tricks or gimmicks are when the birds are thrown in a pile and luck takes over. Or, blinds where you can't see the dog for a good part of the blind. Or, where the dogs have to swin 10 feet downwind of a floating duck at 200 yards on their way to a blind. Maybe the first two series were too difficult, but second guessing after is always easier to do. Don't forget that this was a trial loaded with FC's and/or AFC's( 32 All Age Titled FT dogs), a NFC and a Canadian Nat'l Champion. Plus, some big name Pros, so my guess would be that the judges felt that they had a very solid field of dogs and that the test would have to be very difficult.

 

[goosecaller]

Peeled out 89 in the first series wow now that's a whack! Hopefully they don't smell tar at the tailgate party! Tough deal but welcome to the big leagues! :lol: Good luck I'm going home to practice shooting a tight triple and running a remote cast blind before picking up the marks....Oh heck I can't even think of how to set that test up...and besides I would need a backup battery for my collar. Afterall, I have two dogs to run. :wink:
Neither one of them did this test and yes my grapes are pretty sour right now! :roll: That's along way to drive to go out in first/second series!
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THESE JUDGES? DIDN'T THEY SEE IN THE PROGRAM HOW FAR I CAME? ha! ha! Someone should start a poll...What's the farthest you ever traveled and closed your tail gate after the first test? and headed home that is...

Goose
Still trying to figure out what happened......

 

[Fetch1]

Goose, I understand where you are coming from, and Mr. Booty, I have no idea where you are coming from. I can't believe that you or your pro practice that crap. I won't get into it anymore here because I don't think this is the place, but it will be on the forem I'm sure. They had three days to do this, and many of us have judged 100 plus opens without doing what they did.

 

[Franco]

and Mr. Booty, I have no idea where you are coming from. I can't believe that you or your pro practice that crap. I won't get into it anymore here because I don't think this is the place, but it will be on the forem I'm sure. .

Great, I look forward to reading your comments on the main forum. Going to the water blind with 18 dogs is not uncommon. Extemely difficult is what you get with 100plus dogs.

In regards to my Pro training on crap; He has won 6 of his last 16 Opens with 5 different dogs and who knows, he many win this one! If he trains on crap, it sure works! :wink:

Here is what I've heard about the test;
1st Series, if the dogs didn't carry the over cast, they got in trouble. Blind begins from a remote postion.
2nd Series, tight Triple with two retired. Run after the blind. See it all the time in AA
3rd Series, tough techinical water blind. Multiple re-enteries.
4th Series is in progress. Water Quad with two retired.

 

[Fetch1]

Easy, Mr. Booty, I didn't say that your pro trains on crap. I know that he is sucessful, but cause you eat crap on the weekend, as a famous man once said, it doesn't mean you eat crap the other five days of the week. When is the last time you trained with him where he did that opening set-up? The only purpose of doing it is to bloody up dogs. I thought when I was asked to judge that I was expected to set up marking tests with well placed birds etc. I have judged there with a larger open and we didn't have to do what they did.

 

[Franco]

I understand Fetch 1, I'm just really happy with my current Pro.

He is not one to complain about the set-ups, so if they were that bad, he really didn't tell me. He is more concerned with homecooking. :wink:

Now Danny did cuss the first two series but, no one has told me either from the trial or here, what exactly about the first two series was not kosher.

I don't like 100plus Opens and have seen too many cut'em and gut 'em Opens. I just accept it with the territory.

But, lets not forget that there are 32 All Aged titled dogs in this rodeo.

Fourth series is over, several handles. Can't wait on results right now but a big congratulations to whomever wins this thing.

 

[Kyle B]

Im not exactly sure what you accomplish by going to the line, throwing three marks, have the handler back off of the line (so the dog is not by his side) and then run a blind that requires an over as the first cast (which I was told was past the flyer station). But it obviously accomplished what the judges wanted it to in that it cut up the field fairly quickly.

Hope your dog survived Booty, mine surely did not.