remmy wrote:Rob, those championships you mentioned are, for the most part, frequented by the same few pros. The chukar you will only see some west coast dogs. The region 8 and Hun you will only see one or two pros with most of the dogs owned by one person...im not knocking them, just stating a fact. The sharptail and chicken you will have one or two different pros from the midwest. Have you been to Eureka? Booneville? How about a championship east of the Mississippi? Region 4, 5, Great Lakes, Ohio, Wye Island? We've got some big running dogs in these trials here.
If you are referring to AA dogs that's one thing. Shooting dogs, however, I do not see a difference other that style. I've been to a few Pointer Shooting dog championships and trials. The pointers have more class but as far as running bigger...I don't think so. I ran my GSP in some pointer trials and flat out left the pointers in the dust. Lost her one time and another I had the trial won flat out and my dog screwed up on her last find. The judge was in such disbelief because he said she won it.
Being to those few championships does not allow you to say you have seen the best or biggest running GSP's in the country because those dogs only represent a small percentage of the GSP's running in championships.
I've been asked by a bunch of pointer guys who judge some of our trials"Why do you guys (GSP's) care so much about the run? We want our dogs to hunt." That comes from pointer guys. Have you been to Wye Island? The Pointer guys don't run there because its basically a race course with long edges. The dogs run really big there!
What happened in the past happened because they wanted to better our breed, which, by the way, they accomplished. Does it still happen today? Probably but so what? I don't do it and I don't care. That doesn't make our dogs mutts. I've heard it done with Brits, Vizslas, Weims too. It happens. So what. If you don't like it you don't have to buy one of those dogs.
Pointers are not the end all.
Bob,
First thing first, i'm referring to AA dogs, not Shooting dogs.
Next, what trial area east of the Mississippi compares in size to any of the prairie venues?
Next, '"Those pros" who attend the prairie trials have alot of the biggest running GSPs in the lower 48.
Maybe not all of the biggest running
GSPs in the 48, but
a very fair respresentation of the biggest running GSPs. I mean, if someone- anyone.... an Amateur even, had a huge running GSP that was cleaning the clocks of every AA GSP east of the Mississippi....... are you telling me the owner of this dog wouldn't get this GSP out to a Prairie Championship? Makes no sense. I've been to Ardmore & Booneville, but haven't been to Eureka.
I've been to Wye Island...... beautiful edges, nice grounds. But it doen't hold a candle to any of the prairie venues with regards to depth or breadth. If someone back east had a GSP that they felt
could compete on the prairie, I"m betting 1 to get you 20 that they would figure out a way
to get that dog out there to run!
Lastly, i've seen your dogs run in Medford and also at Wye Island. I was very impressed with both dogs I saw you cut loose.
Have a good fall.
Rob