MVVC AKC Walking Trial

[Greg Jennings]

All,

With the relocation to OH this Summer, I shifted focus from AKC Hunt Tests and NSTRA trials to AKC Field Trials.

It's a new game that'll require me to develop an entirely new experience base.

While I moved, my V Nav and my GSP pup Gunner were at Rick and Brenda's being boarded and trained. I got them back Labor Day weekend.

Rick did a wonderful job with the boys. He did his part. I've trained three days this week to get the transitioned to handling for me.

Nav made the transition a hitch as Rick and I both thought he would. Nav is now dead cold broke. I do still need to confirm his backing to MH requirements.

Gunner decided that I needed to make him do it for me. He broke on the flush on two repetitions. After those corrections, he's been great.

The Miami Valley Vizsla Club AKC Walking Trial this weekend will be my first field trial experience. I'm handling Nav in Amateur Gun Dog Retrieving and Gunner in Open Derby.

I have no pretensions of placing. My only goal is to have fun and start learning the game. I'm gunning and doing some bird planting so no matter how I do, I should learn a lot from watching some pro and semi-pro handlers.

Keep your fingers crossed. I'll post a review afterward.

Best regards to all,

[Ayres]

I'm looking forward to hearing the review. Walking trials are the only ones that interest me as of yet.

[mark_sd]

Good luck! Sounds like a gerat time! Look forward to your upcoming post with all of the details.

Mark.

[sdgord]

Greg, you will have a good time, I like the hunt test format personally the best,but the walking field trial is a close second. All you can hope for is a nice clean run. Some days you get it some days you dont. Our next foray into the walking trials both girls are getting entered in AWGD and OWGD. I like the idea of getting a shot at placing twice. Good luck and hope your judges know which end of the dog finds birds.SDGORD

[Greg Jennings]

I am crushed for time, so I apologize in advance for its lack of polish. I'm going to just jump to a Things I Liked/Things I Didn't format.

Things I Liked:

o The committee did a great job getting people where they needed to be.
o Everyone was very sportsmanlike and I didn't see the cutthroat tactics that I've seen in some formats.
o The grounds were very well prepared.
o The quail that were planted on the course were terrific flyers.
o I liked riding and having the extra visibility.
o I liked having birds planted along a course rather than run-run-run then a bird field.

Things I Didn't Like:

o The heat. It was 85 to over 90.
o One Port-O-Pottie isn't enough.
o The dinner was too expensive. Even at half-price, it cost $32 to feed my family of four. We ate at Uno's Pizzeria Sunday evening for $30 including tip.
o I didn't like the lack of visibility on the course. I do this to see my dogs work.
o The chukars used for the callbacks for retrieving. The whole callback for retrieve is too artificial.


I hope that's enough to discuss for now.

Best regards to all,

[ckfowler]

The heat this weekend was a killer! Breeze wasn't consistent enough to help much either. I think your birds came from Rich over at Outback as he usually supplies the Viszla club events. The heat really killed my couch potato dog on Sat but Sun we fared a little better (3rd). How did your dogs work for you over there?

[Greg Jennings]

We didn't get a placement. I thought the GSP did well enough but the judges didn't. The one thing that I don't like about the fomat is leaving the event not knowing what I need to work on.

The V ran first thing Sun morning. He didn't have any heat problems. The GSP ran at 3 in the afternoon. It was 90 degrees. He has so much heart that he'd run himself to death. He hit a creek at the end, watered and layed down in it.

Best,

[Casper]

Did you at least have a good time? Would you still go to that type of trial? How were the other people?

[TAK]

We didn't get a placement. I thought the GSP did well enough but the judges didn't. The one thing that I don't like about the fomat is leaving the event not knowing what I need to work on.

The V ran first thing Sun morning. He didn't have any heat problems. The GSP ran at 3 in the afternoon. It was 90 degrees. He has so much heart that he'd run himself to death. He hit a creek at the end, watered and layed down in it.

Best,

And if you would have placed? Your life as you know it would have changed! You would spend every waking moment trying to improve yourself, your dogs, etc...
Since you did not... you will not sleep until you prove to yourself what ever you want to prove!!!!!

[ViniferaVizslas]

Interesting thread as I signed my 9 month old V up for our first AKC FT. Ameteur Walking Derby & Puppy at VCOI tomorrow & Sunday. We're really more into NAVHDA and the HT format but I think it'll be fun and good experience rumnning in a brace for our SH tests in February.

[Greg Jennings]

Good luck. I think it'd be good experience for your pup.

One thing that's obvious is that a FT dog needs to learn to follow its handler by voice rather than sight.

That's something that I didn't know to do and will have to correct.

Best,