Fall Field Trials.

[captainjack]

Wow, I sure missed running a trial on thanksgiving weekend. I often wonder why we run trials in the heat of summer and then don't run any in the fall when the weather is better suited for man and especially dog.
The national is getting earlier every year and fall trials are a thing of the past.
If these are suppose to be waterfowl dogs, why are they not run in waterfowl weather?:confused:

[Baby Duck]

Peter

The fall would even tougher for a club to find help as most guys are hunting on the weekends. During the fall the dogs are doing what most of us truely have dogs for, HUNTING. The ribbons are nice but they do not taste very well!!

Mike

[Anna Scott]

What Mike says is true. We are trying to run just some fun events with club members and friends while working around, waterfowl, moose and deer hunting. It's a chore. Last October we were going to have some picnic trials at the end of the season. The weather was so awful in October that the ribbons are still sitting in the closet.

[Kevin Hannah]

Two words......

Hunting Season

[captainjack]

I agree that some are hunting, but again many are not. I remember the first year that Mountain Valley had their trial on thanksgiving weekend and people said the hunters wouldn't come. Len and Glayds Ikonen who were avid hunters ran that trial and everyone after.
My point is that fall is the time to be testing retrievers and not the summer. Courage is a trait not often tested as we are not testing in clement weather as one example.
I would expect that many trialers - hunters and non-hunters would enjoy a weekend at a fall field trial. Wouldn't you love to see a difficult cold water blind where the water was actually cold. or a set of water marks where the conditions challenged the courage of the retriever.
As was previously stated..... these are hunting dogs.

Peter.

[3 black dogs]

Pete

We changed the date to satisfy the masses and again we have people who prefed the oct trial also there was the water issue so you win some you lose some. I would love to see the dogs compete in real weather conditions as we all know some owners and others go into a big panic if the water is below 59-60 degrees but we all know some of these dogs are out till dec hunting. This year would have been a good year for a fall trial other than not having water.

Also as we discussed I have seen a trend of people who would rather have a root canal done than come out and help at a trial.

Chris

[Lpgar]

Chris

Was it to Satisfy the Field Trial Masses...or the Masses in Control at Christie?

Pete.... I agree....Kinda missed running a Trial on the Long Weekend. Might be an opportunity for a Club to host "special" event. Maybe a one dayer Qualifying or Amateur.

[captainjack]

Not just talking about Mountain Valley as I enjoyed their trial and their September date. But at one time LOC ran a September trial and they switched to July. The national open gets any earlier and we will be running it in August.

I can appreciate the fact that some trial grounds are not available during hunting season as would be the case at Long Point, but there is other suitable grounds where there is no hunting. I am sure that Iron Bridge had plenty of grounds if the trial was held in the once traditional end of September date. I remember seeing River Oaks Corky breaking ice at the 1980 National in St. George - now, do you think that that was a factor in him winning?

Perhaps if we had some natural hunting conditions to test the dogs, we would not to see the tricks used to eliminate dogs.

[krakadawn]

Peter,
As you know I hunt many days/week but would still enjoy a fall trial(s). They certainly bring a variety of circumstances (Cold water,shorter day,later start) with them but those are not 'deal breakers' .
By the way, thanks for the reminder about breaking ice at the 80 Nat.I believe that was the 6th series water blind and I had an early number.Washington's Minerva won the trial-good number of USA dogs there.

[North of 7]

I agree with CaptainJack it would be nice. Just to tell a story when Long Point ran their trial in April it was one of my favorite trials. That was before so many dogs went south for the winter but at this trial the dogs that didn't go south may have had the advantage because alot of fair weathered dogs did not like the cold water were our dogs didn't know any better. It was a hoot to watch. But I guess today we would have to put vests on the dogs so they don't get cold.
Jim

[ducksoup]

I missed Thanksgiving FT too -- however Maxx wouldn't have been able to run it as he aged out of Junior on Oct. 4th -- so somewhat selfishly I'm glad the date was changed so we had a chance to run at least two FTs together
Mike