10th Series – Land and Water Triple with a Sluice

Test 10 will be a Land and Water Triple with a Sluice on the Tech Ponds. The guns will shoot left to right around the horn.

Gun Station #1 is located 247 yards in front and slightly to the left of the mat. The dog looks down a hill and out across multiple pieces of technical water. The guns shoot and throw a hen mallard to the right, landing on land at the end of a channel. The dog must go down and navigate at least 2 pieces of water to retrieve this bird. (We will refer to this mark as L for Left)

Gun Station #2 is in the middle of the test. These gunners are in front of a large cedar tree facing neutral. They throw angled back towards the cedar. There is a levee in front of these guns that runs from the front to the back of the test that angles away to the left pushing the dogs left and away from the bird. The bird is a hen mallard landing approximately 229 yards from the mat. (We will refer to this mark as M for Middle)

Gun Station #3 is is a flyer station. These gunners are positioned approximately 182 yards away, to the right of the mat. The guns are across the pond on a point, shooting to the right out into the water. A sluice comes after. The bird is a mallard. (We will refer to this mark as F for Flyer)

9th Series – Tight Land Double

Test 9 is a Tight Land Double using pheasants. The mat is on the side of a hill looking out through a corridor that is formed by trees and heavy cover on the left and a mound on the right.

Bird #1 is the Long Bird. Two guns sit on the near side of a gravel road facing neutral. They stand and throw a hen pheasant away from the mat, across a road. This bird lands at the base of a chunky cedar. (We will refer to this mark as L for Long Bird)

Bird #2 is a rooster pheasant closer in to the line on the handlers left. This bird is thrown along a line of very tall cover. The bird lands behind 2 pieces of brush that have been placed just outside of the cover. (We will refer to this mark as S for Short Bird)

8th Series – Land Double with a Retired

Test 8 is a Land Double with a Retired

We are in the Grader field on the Hayden Property this morning. It is a clear and cold morning with the wind at the handler's back. The mat is almost at the base of a hill that stretches from a tree line on the left, and there is fence and tree line on top of the hill. On the right there is a lot of area with trees, mounds and bushes. A gravel road runs through the test from bottom to top on the right side of the field.

Gun Station #1 is located at the top portion of the field. This is a well-brushed blind that will be Retired. The bird is shot and thrown from the gunner's position to the left of the road, across the road towards a large tree and bush. This will be a hen pheasant and the gunners are approximately 246 yards from the mat. (We will refer to this mark as RR for Right Retired)

Gun Station #2 is approximately 172 yards away, just left of the mat. These gunners are standing at a group of 2 cedars. They will shoot and throw a hen pheasant to the left towards the tree line. The field is open between the mat and the fall area. (We will refer to this mark as L for Left)

The Right Retired bird has several factors to negotiate. First, the dog will have to be positioned on the mat to have the best view of the throw and fall. Initially, they must navigate through trees around the line. Then, as they start to climb the hill there is a hay bale, and then a brush pile to keep them in a corridor or to distract them. And finally they must cross a road and go to the back side of a tree and bush to find their bird.

This test is taking the dogs approximately 3-4 minutes to run.

Test photo to come...

Test 7 – Water Double

Test 7 – Water Double

This will be a Water Double in the "Derby Field." The mat is on a mound facing south. The field runs down to a gravel road, then starts to rise on the far side. There is a pond as the hill starts to rise. Just on the far side is a cluster of cedars. To the left and a little fart her up the hill is a 2nd small pond. Progressing further up the hill close to the top is Gun Station #1.

The Bird #1 Gun Station is located 320 yards from the mat. This hen mallard is thrown right landing at the base of a clump of trees. The line to this bird takes the dog down the hill, across the road, up through pond 2 and continues up the hill to the bird. (We will refer to this mark as L for Long)

The Bird #2 Gun Station is located behind the lowest pond. These guns sit 196 yards from the mat. They are located in front of a group of cedars on the back side of the water they shoot then throw a hen mallard to the right towards a tree line. This bird lands behind the shore line. (We will refer to this mark as S for Short)

6th Series – Land Double with a Flyer

Test 6 is a Land Double with a Flyer

This morning we are at the "Dam Field" for this series. This will be a Land Double with dead hen pheasants. The mat is on a hill on the north side facing south. The field is bordered on the left by a long dam and on the right by a tree line. The mat is close to the North end of the dam. The field is almost shaped like a bowl.

Bird #1's gun station is located 227 yards from the mat. These gunners are just deep of a large cluster of evergreens. They will shoot, then throw the hen pheasant to the left landing on top of a terrace that runs left to right across the end of the field. (We will refer to this mark as LL for Long Left)

Bird #2 is the hen pheasant flyer station. These gunners are closer to the middle of the field. Their station is 167 yards from the mat. They will throw then shoot to the right towards the tree line. The bird will be thrown towards a small grouping of 3 or 4 bushes. (We will refer to this mark as F for Flyer)

This test is taking approximately 3-5 minutes per dog to complete.

5th Series – Water Double with a Flyer and a Sluice

Test 5 is a Water Double with a Sluice

After an early morning rain delay, the crew is busy setting up a new test for today. We are at the "Tech Pond" location for this test. This will be a Water Double, and should take each dog about 7 minutes to complete. The mat sits on the side of a paved road facing a large series of technical ponds. As you look out across the ponds from the mat, the terrain rises on the far side, and has a gravel road that runs left to right and continues on up the far hill.

Gun Station #1 shoots and throws a hen duck to the left. This station is located about 338 yards from the mat on the handler's far left. This bird lands in an open field that is terraced. To get to this bird, the dog crosses the field and enters pond 1. They go over a point of land and re-enter pond 1. After exiting this pond on the far side, they will climb a hill and get into a 2nd small pond. Upon exiting that pond, they will cross the road, drive the hill and get their bird. (We will refer to this mark as LL for Long Left)

Bird #2 is a flyer station. These gunners are to the right of the mat 105 yards from the line. The gunners throw and then shoot a hen mallard to the left. There is a sluice on every bird. The gunners are located out on a point of land and the bird will land in the water in front of the mat. (We will refer to this mark as F for Flyer)

This test is taking approximately 5-7 minutes per dog to complete.

A light breeze has started to pick up at this test. So far it is too light to make much of a difference, but we will see as this test gets going if it becomes a factor.

4th Series – Land Double

Test 4 is a Land Double with Hen Ducks

Test 4 is located in "Bob's Field." This test will be a Land Double with Hen Ducks. The mat faces a field with a gravel road that starts to the Right of the line about 20 yards and moves in front of the test and proceeds on the upper Left side – the balance of the field drops off to the right. 

As the dog looks out from the mat to the right, gun station #1 is down the hill on the right at 224 yards from the line. They will shoot and throw a hen duck angled back towards the brushy base of a tree. It will land behind the tree. (We will refer to this mark as R for Right)

Gun Station #2 is in front of the mat about 171 yards from the line. These gunners are just Right of the road in front of a mound. They throw a hen duck to the Left over the road and slightly down the hill. (We will refer to this mark as L for Left)

This test is taking approximately 4-5 minutes per dog to complete.

3rd Series – Land and Water Double

Test 3 is a Land and Water Double

We are set up today in a field called "The Derby Field." It is 63 degrees with a light rain and a light breeze. This will be a Land and Water Double with Ducks. The sits up on a hill overlooking a pond. Beyond the pond, a large field rises us towards the far tree line. 

For Bird #1, (we will refer to this mark as LL for Long Left) the gun station is about 317 yards in front of the mat. The gunners shoot and throw a drake mallard to the Right with the duck landing in a wide strip of cover that is just deep enough to hide the bird. The dog navigates down the hill and enters the pond between a clump of bushes and a hay bale. Crossing the pond on an angle, they exit the pond, cross a road, drive the field to the right for their bird.

There are so many areas for the dogs to get lost. If they square the pond exit, they end up behind the guns in a wide open field, If they miss the cover there is an opening deep of the guns. They really need to mark this bird!

For Bird #2, (we will refer to this mark as R for Right) the gun station is located 103 yards to the handler's Right. This Hen Mallard is shot and thrown to the Right, landing behind two cedars.

There will be a gun change after 27 dogs run today.

2nd Series – Water Single

Test 2 is a Water Single

The mat is on the top of a hill facing NW. At 20 yards in front of the mat is a cluster of newly planted trees about 6' tall. They are just to the right of the line to the bird. The gunners are on the opposite hill throwing a hen mallard to the right landing behind a clump of bushes. 

The line to the bird takes the dog down the hill, across a small angled pond, up and over a gravel road, and up a terraced hill to the bushes – 199 yards from the mat. 

This test is taking a quick 2 minutes per dog to complete.

1st Series – Land Double with a Flyer

1st Series – Land Double with Rooster Pheasants

The Terrace Field
Rooster Pheasants
Dead Bird Left is 205 yards thrown Left to Right
Rooster Flyer Right Guns at 171 yards shot Left to Right

Watch:

The left gun has a small mound on the way.
Right gunners have a clump of two bushes on the way that might push the dogs towards the gunners!

Good morning from the 2022 Derby National! The skies are clear and it is 57 degrees – perfect weather for working AND watching the dogs! We are in the Terrace Field. The mat faces west. 

Bird #1 is a Rooster Pheasant thrown the the right. This gun is located to the left side of the mat 205 yards from the line. There are 2 terraces to go over and then a mound – the dogs can go Left to Right, or over the top and proceed into a bowl. Then they climb a far terraced hill to the bird. This bird lands at the base of a huge clump of cedars. (we will refer to this mark as L for Left)

Bird #2 is a Rooster Flyer to the handler's right. This bird is thrown and shot to the right. The gunners are 171 yards from the mat. The dog goes at an angle over the terraces to the right. There are four small cedars in a clump – and two large round bales forming a line going left to right. As the dog climbs towards the fall area, they have to work the terraced terrain to get their bird! (we will refer to this mark as F for Flyer)