The trial was held on Hank McNeil’s beautiful properties that make up the Winslow Conservancy in Winslow NJ. The derby and Amateur were run in the Bairdmore Ave property. The Open was run in the area known as the quarry, and the Qual was run in the area know as the blue berry field with water run in the area known as the duck pond.

The Derby started with a small field of 10 dogs following four scratches. Happily, the judges did not use the small field as a reason for setting up an easy test. The first series was held in the an open field with variable grass cover and large hay rolls situated throughout the field. The memory bird on the left was thrown left to right at a distance of 300+ yards. The flyer on the right was shot left to right at about 200 yards.

The second series was in the same field. The line was rotated 90 degrees with the line just behind a water filled channel which caused dogs to lose sight of the field as they crossed. Marks were at a distance of 250-300 yards and both were thrown right to left. The memory bird was thrown angled back from a gunner sitting on the far side of a second water filled ditch. The right hand go bird was thrown from the shadows of the woods back across a ditch. Several dogs had difficulty with the marks and two dogs were picked up.

The final series was a very complex but fair water series where dogs needed to re-enter the water several times crossing points and islands. Water levels were well below the land level so that dogs repeatedly lost sight of the marks. Only three dogs were able to complete the marks without handling and no fourth series was held. As one who had a dog entered that had to be scratched, I was very sorry to have missed this derby. It was tough but had no tricks and the winners picked themselves by their performances.

Click here for Photos from the Derby

The first series of the Open was a triple with a relatively short (100 yards) flyer shot right to left, a retired gunner throwing right to left on a tight angle to the flyer at about 400 yards, and a second retired gunner throwing left to right on a tight angle to the middle gun at a distance of about 300 yards. The terrain included multiple bodies of water, tough lighting, hill and wind factors to get good separation among the dogs.

Click here for Photos from the Open

The first series of the Amateur was held in the same field where the derby had been run the prior day. The first series was a land triple with a flyer and two retired guns. The center gun was particularly challenging because of difficult lighting and a pattern of hay bales that made it easy for the dogs to target the wrong bale and end up hunting deep to the right towards the flyer. Several dogs ended by returning to the old flyer fall. The only negative about the set up was that the wind was blowing from left to right across the field in a way that allowed dogs to be saved by the wind with a relatively weak mark downwind while dogs with a better mark upwind ended with big hunts. The judges were aware of this but had little choice. Work was generally good, the weather was perfect, and it was a great day to be running dogs.

Click here for Photos from the Amateur

The qualifying began with a mixed first and second series. Dogs first ran a land triple with a flyer on the right and a single retired gunner on the left. Dogs that succeeded then immediately ran a long land blind to the left outside of the lines to the marks but within the scent cone of the left-most retired gun mark. Most dogs were able to pick up the ducks, but with a wide range in performances that resulted in less than helf the dogs being called back for the water blind.

Click here for Photos from the Qualifying

Jeff Goodwin Photography

MUCH THANKS TO CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR AND PHOTOGRAPHER JEFF GOODWIN – Jeff Goodwin is a photographer residing in Yardley , Pennsylvania . When not taking pictures, Jeff earns a living as President of a computer consulting firm, InSys Technology LLC . He is a member of the Newtown Camera Club and his photos have won numerous prizes in club contests.

 

 

TRIAL RESULTS

Open – Judges Glen Golden and Leo Plourde

• 1st – FC CK’s Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit owned by Marion Stroud Swingle and handled by Mark Mosher
• 2nd – FC Rebel Ridge Total Eclipse owned by Steve Brenner and handled by Ed Forry
• 3rd – FC AFC Greenwing Bright Eyes owned and handled by Craig Stonesifer
• 4th – Foxhill’s Buchanan owned and handled by Bill  McCourt

Amateur – Judges Sue Westlake and Steve Kurlansky

• 1st – FC AFC Rubie Begonia owned and handled by Barton Clark
• 2nd – FC AFC Croppers Hit and Run owned and handled by Newt Cropper
• 3rd – FC CAFC Money Talks II owned and handled by Van and Jennifer Ames
• 4th – Brink’s Virginia Lady owned and handled by Steve Ferguson

Qualifying – Judges Jenny Grasse and Alex Abraham

• 1st – Sydenham Lakes Carbon Fiber SH owned by Joe Johnson handled by Bart Clark
• 2nd – Colonial’ Bad Influence owned by Michael Coutu handled by Mark Mosher
• 3rd – Blue Ribbon Vinny the Enforcer owned by Bruce and Audrey Coleman / Rick Millheim
• 4th – Smokin Auggies Menace owned and handled by Breck Campbell

Derby – Judges Jenny Grasse and Alex Abraham

• 1st – Rev Blu Genes owned and handled by Rex Bell
• 2nd – Cleared for Takeoff owned by David Ospeth handled by Jeff Lyons
• 3rd – Twin Pine’s Crank Her Up owned and handled by Elissa Kirkegard