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The Open started with a triple with two retired. First bird down was in the middle thrown right to left from the top of a ridge down the slope to the base of a small cliff. The next bird down was on the left thrown right to left from the slope of a hill across a winding road into sagebrush on the other side. The gunner was standing behind the slope of the hill so only the top half of him was visible. These two marks were nearly equidistant and both gunners retired. The flyer station was on the right and much closer with the bird thrown right to left. There was a lot of terrain to negotiate to all three marks including a collection of small mounds, stands of sagebrush, and some rocky areas. Many in the gallery commented that it was a good test. The flyer proved no particular problem for the dogs, but the two long marks did. Most had a hunt, often behind the area where the gunner stood, on one or both of the marks. Some disappeared for some time behind the hills and on the flat beyond the marks. Some hunted short. Of the 33 starting the test (one scratch), 23 were called back to the land blind.
The land blind started on a flat area well back from a steep slope. Off to the left, two gunners shot and threw a poison bird high in the air, but I don't think most of the dogs could see it. The blind ran straight out along the flat between sage bushes and dropped off the plateau down into rolling terrain with the line to the blind downwind from the poison bird. Several casts were required to get the dog through the rolling terrain and then up over the middle of a prominent mound in the distance. The dogs then disappeared for brief period whether they went over the mound or not and reappeared somewhere climbing up the slope to the plateau on which the blind was planted. The terrain seemed to pull them left or right after they dropped off the mound even if they were right on line going over. So most dogs ended the blind with an over cast and a come in whistle.
Callbacks to the 3rd series tomorrow morning (15 dogs):
1,4,9,10,14,16,18,19,20,22,23,28,31,32,34
The land blind started on a flat area well back from a steep slope. Off to the left, two gunners shot and threw a poison bird high in the air, but I don't think most of the dogs could see it. The blind ran straight out along the flat between sage bushes and dropped off the plateau down into rolling terrain with the line to the blind downwind from the poison bird. Several casts were required to get the dog through the rolling terrain and then up over the middle of a prominent mound in the distance. The dogs then disappeared for brief period whether they went over the mound or not and reappeared somewhere climbing up the slope to the plateau on which the blind was planted. The terrain seemed to pull them left or right after they dropped off the mound even if they were right on line going over. So most dogs ended the blind with an over cast and a come in whistle.
Callbacks to the 3rd series tomorrow morning (15 dogs):
1,4,9,10,14,16,18,19,20,22,23,28,31,32,34
