What recession?

[captainjack]

Just got back from Texas and opens are averaging over 100 dogs with competing trials in the area. Entry fees are 80 dollars across the board ie. open to derby and pros are running up to 20 dogs.
One club got so fed up with the out of state pros that they set their open entry fee at 120 dollars and amateur at 40. Rumour has it that no pros are going and the club is quite happy about it.
Be thankful that you are where you are running trials.


captainjack.

[3 black dogs]

Just got back from Texas and opens are averaging over 100 dogs with competing trials in the area. Entry fees are 80 dollars across the board ie. open to derby and pros are running up to 20 dogs.
One club got so fed up with the out of state pros that they set their open entry fee at 120 dollars and amateur at 40. Rumour has it that no pros are going and the club is quite happy about it.
Be thankful that you are where you are running trials.


captainjack.

Clubs here look forward to the pros showin up to boost the entries silly americans no pro's no income that theory won't last to long once they start loosing money on thier trials.

Chris

[captainjack]

Chris,

I think you missed the point....the southern circuits over winter are saturated with pros. I guess some clubs are getting tired of putting on trials for the pros. Could you imagine, Mountain Valley putting on a trial for 100+ dogs - remember their clubs are suffering the same decrease of working members as we are. Their situation is quite different than ours as our trials are manageable and thus my comment , " be thankful where you are".

[krakadawn]

Very similar in the south for numbers as well. Some areas are moving toward having a 'conflicting' trial to get numbers down to a manageable point.Last year's Snowbird was at 122 for the Open-this year down to 81 as there was another trial 2 hrs. to the north. One particular Pro split his truck with 1/2 going each way. I certainly would hope that doesn't get to that point here in Ontario when you can't even run on the first day of the trial and tests are carried over to the next day-sit and wait-sit and wait-sit and wait!!!
Jim

[3 black dogs]

Chris,

I think you missed the point....the southern circuits over winter are saturated with pros. I guess some clubs are getting tired of putting on trials for the pros. Could you imagine, Mountain Valley putting on a trial for 100+ dogs - remember their clubs are suffering the same decrease of working members as we are. Their situation is quite different than ours as our trials are manageable and thus my comment , " be thankful where you are".

If this is the case peter and they are still getting the numbers after raising the entry fee's then why don't they start to hire some folks to do the labor portions of the trials such as the throwing. Entry express does all the paper work the hardest job would be the marshall and to have to Judge that many dogs. But from what I am hearing the first series are always a Ball buster and if you are lucky enough to make it through the rest of the trial isn't that bad.

Look at the PRTA trial 56 dogs dropped in the first ???

Chris

[captainjack]

Chris, I guess I am not making a case for ....."we are "lucky" to be where we are." But if you can not see the problems with 100+ open dogs, 100 + amateur dogs, + qual dogs, and + derby dogs other than marshall and judge, I guess time delays, mechanics, grounds, traffic, birds, including flyers are all done by entry express. Obviously, they do hire their bird boys.
Come on Chris, make my day...say it, "we are lucky to be where we are"!

Peter

[eden beardsall]

I enjoy the pros we have here but I wouldn't like to see too many more . I agree that 100+ is more work than most clubs can handle . As far as hiring people most people would not do the work for big bucks that our volunteers do for nothing . Ask how many people would work as a bird boy for the wages we pay. We are lucky that we get kids who like to get out and play with the big guys . They like the money but most of them like to get out in the swamp.

[3 black dogs]

Ok Peter you are right.

Chris