I know Howard! I have not gotten a report all week!!;-)

Got my fingers crossed for some good news regarding Lexi!!

Andy

 

Yeah, an' it's like she left her cell phone in the motel or something.

 

I will update you tomorrow. I'm judging the derby for Saturday. What's the dog's name.

 

Hey Bubba, the dog's name is, Alexus - Pursuit of Perfection, owned by Lynn Kimball. But she's not running tomorrow.

 

Howard and Andy, I heard third hand that Lynn and Lexi got a jam. Sorry folks but that's all I know.

 

How did you do Becky?

 

A HUGE congratulations to Rebecca Allen and Henry, first place and new QAA in the Tall Pines Q!!!! (Not to mention breeder and mentor Valarie Marks)
2nd - Rainey, Larry Johnson (Congratulations Larry - y'all rocked!!!)
3rd - Eazy, Brady Collins
4th - Hawk, Bruce Halverson
RJ - Bookie, Bruce Halverson
Jams - Laska, Jacquie Anderson, Allie, Darrell Frisbie
Dr. Tom Strickland and Jim Houldridge set up beautiful tests, wish we could have done better.

 

Saturday derby results:

1st - #3
2nd - #11
3rd - #5

Sorry, I don't have names.

 

It's unfortunate that a Derby with only 14 dogs and finished at 1:00 PM same day start could only have 3 placements.

 

What the heck happened in the derby?/!@#?

 

The derby and the Q are for the AMT and owners. This is a shame

 

I am not sure what this means?

 

11 actually started. We called back all dogs to the second in the derby. Only dropped 3 in the second and one picked up. Two were dropped in the third. That left 5 going into the forth. The first 3 series were all set up within 150 yards and the first 2 series were pretty straight forward and open marks. We had five dogs pretty close going into the 4th. We set up a relatively normal derby double with plenty of separation. Two of the five were picked up. That left three to finish. Sometimes the field of dogs doesn't perform to the level you would like. Maybe its the dogs, maybe it was the day. I will say that the three that placed performed very nicely. It was difficult to get separation between these dogs that were extremely strong. Congratulations to them all.

Anyone that wants to complain is more than welcome to take my place in the judges chair and allow me to run my dogs. The time of completion was a factor of only having 11 dogs to start, weather being cold that led to short swims and not having to wait for a single dog all day long (it was only a derby and a qual). The handlers were more than cooperative moving between flights. A lot of them, even ones that didn't finish, commented they had a blast, and that the setups were good and fair. If anyone that was there and thought it was not fair, PM me your number, and will gladly call you to discuss any problems.

 

Bubba
I apologize for not being clearer on my statement. I have no idea what the dog work or test where like as I was not there. My comment was the fact that there were only 11 dogs. These double D/Q‘s in my opinion are for the Amt owner the new guys and gals. Where are they? We need more new blood in this sport and I do not see it coming. In the coming year I for one will seek out at least one new young or even old dog person and make it my mission to help them.

 

Bubba
In the coming year I for one will seek out at least one new young or even old dog person and make it my mission to help them.

Hey Bruce,
I'm old. Do I qualify???

 

No problem.

We were talking yesterday about the age of the people involved in Tall Pines, and that eventually they are going to need help from our younger crowd. To be honest, I think most of the younger crowd are starting in hunt test and not transitioning into field trials. I am just starting to transition over more and more. I plan to talk to the guys in our HRC club that have more advanced dogs about getting involved with a FT club and running some of the lower stakes. Hopefully I can recruit a few.

 

Any info on the Friday derby placements?

 

Larry Johnson with Rainey won. I am not sure the other placements.

 

The unfortunate situation was that 11 dogs started and still, regardless of that fact that they picked up all the birds were dropped in a Derby that lasted 5 hours. When you have 2 days to complete an event and only 11 dogs, if they pick up the birds why not carry them? Many people running Derby's are new to the sport and a Green means something. Why are so many judges opposed to giving out Greens, not to mention RJ's and 4th's???

 

I actually attended the Tall Pines/Mobile FT and I have a bit of a different take on the trial The judges that were selected for this FT were some of the best FT judges in the SE. Mitch Brown, was selected to judge the National Am, (and NO they didn't judge it like the National Am). The other judges were no less qualified.

The entries were very low and the water was 49 degrees, the judges knew this going in and planned their set ups accordingly. The set ups I saw were VERY SOLID! They weren’t crazy hard and sure not easy. I spoke with people in both the Derby and the Q and heard only one complaint the entire three days. I did hear people say, "my dog was not prepared to run that set up and took itself out". I heard the same statement from people running in the Q and the Derby.

On Friday, my dog ran four series in the Q and picked up all the birds. I did not get a ribbon. I am a youngster in the sport and I did not want or deserve a ribbon. I don’t want charity. I do feel it would be nice to get one, IF AND WHEN my dog and I preform the way we should.

I am sure these Double Q/D, aren't the only answer to get more people into the sport but they sure do help.

Thanks Marshall and Wes for breaking your neck and putting this FT on so we all could run our dogs!!!

The JOY of running your FT will be etched in this beginner's mind for many months. Thank you Tall Pines and Mobile RC.

 

In regards to trying to get new blood into the sport, that’s exactly what Wes Lee and Marshall Dunaway were trying to do by running the double, (just trying to give the new people more chances). It’s why I came, and I know for a fact it’s why many others did too.

Again-- as new blood--- thank you-- we will not disappoint.

Thanks Jim for some of the description of the series too-- learning by reading, and your awesome "photos"!

Congrats again to all at Tall Pines...

Kim