These are not callbacks. Simply, this is a listing of dogs without handles on marks (nothing included regarding other work such as hunts on marks or blind work) up to this point...which is the end of the eighth series.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Remaining dogs that have not handled...
...after Test Eight: 25, 45, 51, 66, 70, 73, 76, 87, 103, 112, and 114.
Cutting a handsome profile...
............................................is #100, Inherit the River "Cutter" owned by Janis Olsen and Robert Reuter of Truckee, California and handled by Rob Reuter...and he has terrific manners in the holding blind.
Final update for now...
...Test Eight closed with three consecutive handles; unfortunately, those were numbers 11, 15 and 17; and #15's handle became a pickup.
The early news on Test Nine is that it will be about a thirty minute drive from Headquarters and there may be NO internet signal. It's a possibility that nothing will be posted tomorrow until the National is over, but we'll give you an update about that situation as we can.
Callbacks will be given later...
...thanks for reading.
When the going gets tough...
...................................what would you do? I know...you expected to read "the tough get going." Well, that is the case in the story I'm about to share with you, but I'll ask you again, what would you do in the face of tragedy and adversity?
Many of you know real estate icon Benjy Griffith of Macon, Georgia from "back in the day" when he competed in trials (1980s) with such dogs as "Doc" (FC-AFC Another PHD) and his pride and joy, "Red" Hawkeye's Indian Red, a little golden male that ran like the wind, in Benjy's previous days in the field trial sport. He also owned Super Babe, a female that he sold to Lanse Brown; this little female amassed over 100 all-age points.
Benjy was as healthy as the best of us when one day, while playing a rigorous game of tennis, tragedy struck him on the court as he tore a carotid artery and was disabled immediately. He was rushed to a major medical center where he received all the necessary care and was put on a hepa-drip, but at 5 p.m. his condition became grave as he threw a clot. This was July, 2005.
Brain damage. Loss of control to his right side. It's been a long haul over the past 2 1/2 years but he's worked hard at rehabilitation. This involves technical advancements and old-fashioned treadmill work. He still has no use of his right arm, has extreme difficulty making his right leg work, and he has trouble with speech.
He can't play tennis anymore. He can't do many of the things that he used to take for granted...(probably, things many of us are guilty of...taking for granted, that is). But, this has brought him back to the dogs in ways that are very meaningful and special to him.
And Benjy has run this National through series five with #107, Premier's Iron Man Ozzy, "Oz". Although snap decisions are quite taxing, he's dealing with them while experiencing the joy of running dogs again.
Think about it. Benjy cannot use his right arm. In order to give right-hand casts, he uses his left arm by crossing it over to the right, as you can see in the enclosed photo. He also can't walk very well, but although he uses a cane to reach the line, he abandons it to move about when handling...and deals with the problems he encounters with a leg that won't work right when he has to move fast.
In the fifth series, Oz took off for his second retrieve, sent for the right-hand retired bird set against the tree line. He disappeared around the corner of the woods just deep of the bird, and when he reappeared, he was steaming across the field to the left. By the time Benjy was able to react with a whistle, Oz was at least 100 yards from his bird and it would have required massive right-hand (arm) casts to hope to recover the bird.
Up to this point, Benjy was in pretty decent shape with Oz. He assessed his situation, and accepted that what was required would be more than he could handle at that moment. He called Oz in to him. And he turned to the judges and politely said, "That's it. Thank you."
"You don't want to handle to that bird?"
"No, thank you. We're through."
Benjy realized his limitations at that moment and accepted them more graciously than might be expected.
Bird dogs, coonhounds and especially his beloved retrievers help to keep Benjy focused and working toward more rehabilitation. He's not giving up.
He is living his life.
Please...live each day to the fullest!
Well-marked routes...
...are the norm at this National. The Traffic Committee and Grounds Committee deserve kudos for the hard work they're investing to get folks from Point A to Point B in good fashion.
Here you see a helpful sign and part of the trail (carved out by Grounds) to the gallery and the eighth test.
(Traffic is chaired by Mike Coutu and Ginny Sislane; Grounds is chaired by Bruce Butler and Mark Isenberg.)
Visitors from abroad...
......................................Larry Wharton, our official announcer, gave visitors from the Netherlands a warm welcome over the loudspeakers. Their names are Henny M. Schoor and Yel C. M. Boomgaard; they have brought their two Labradors to the States to run a hunt test in Maine this coming weekend. These women planned the National into their trip so they could view a few setups before going to Maine.
Henny tells me that there is no down time with paperwork or customs to bring dogs "across the pond" from the United Kingdom into the United States. However, the reverse is not true; she states that U.S. citizens need eight months of lead time to finish paperwork and meet regulations to travel with dogs to the UK.
It's My Turn...
...#84, Mickey Rawlins of Lost Hills, California heads to the line with "Molly" in the eighth series.
Just a few comments...on Test Eight
...Contestant Bill McKnight, Bigfork, Montana: "Really good bird placement."
...Contestant Steve O'Connell, Tallahassee, Florida: "To make it sure enough tough, throw that bird way out into the water."
...Pro Bill Eckett, Missouri: "Most of the dogs are doing this test so far...four haven't done it but the others are completing it in some form or fashion with various types of hunts...pretty setting for this test, too."
Trial statistics...
...prior to the running of this eighth test, 16 dogs are clean, that is to say, without any handles on marking tests.
These numbers are: 11, 17, 25, 45, 51, 56, 66, 70, 73, 76, 84, 87, 91, 103, 112 and 114.
Making the journey to the line...
...Carl Ruffalo and Cody pause for a candid shot as they head toward the water triple.
Drink in the air...
...Someone should bottle and market this pungent yet sweet North Woods air we're privileged to breathe on this day. The mixture of conifers, birch, low-lying tag alders, ferns and mostly hidden wild strawberries scattered about is absolutely tantalizing to the senses. Come get you some! We expect a moose to make a cameo appearance at any moment.
This property is owned by J. Kent Sweezey and located between Stowe and Morrisville off Stagecoach Road. It is a gorgeous North Woods setting which requires an effort to access with regard to parking and moving spectators and contestants, whether that be by ATV or on foot. That being said, it is well worth it!
Scratch that time average...
...Dog #21, who unfortunately had to pick up, worked for 22 minutes before that occurred; dog #25 took 14:33 to complete the test and dog #26 took 17:41...sooooo, scratch that previous time average per dog. This test is likely to take all day by virtue of the time involved; also, severe weather is predicted this afternoon. Currently it is trying to rain and I'm huddled with all these electronics under an umbrella of sorts. (We started with dog #18...according to the count, dog #17 would have been first dog, but that team had already started a test, so #18 was "it" this morning.)
Some final pruning was needed...
........................................Dr. Bruce Ahlers, judge, stands near some brush that contains a staub he is worried might injure a dog. Equipment was procured to eliminate the danger before any dogs were brought to the line.
Once the two test dogs ran...
...the judges grouped together for a final conference. (Left to right: Bruce Ahlers, D.V.M., Steve Kompf and Roger Fangsrud)
The first test dog this morning...
....Margo Brown and Pine Acres Pass the "Ammo" did a nice job on this water triple.
Greetings this morning at Test Eight...
............................................I'm going to quickly get a picture of the test up for you...more to come as soon as possible. We've had a number of logistics problems this morning with regard to where the running line is and where we actually have a broadband signal where I can transmit out.
Here is the eighth test, a water triple that is taking thus far an average of about eleven minutes a dog. That average could change.
The birds are all ducks and the test has two retired guns initially...If you look closely in this picture deep behind the flyer guns you will see the longest station. The right-hand station is more visible in the photo. Also, the flyer duck is sluiced, as all water flyers have been thus far in this National; once this bird is retrieved, the flyer station retires inside the bushes you can see just deep of where they are standing.
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