DAY 5: Flight C: Mike Collson and Corrine Clavey; Complete Test 3 "Rifle Range" and Move to Test 4 "Speed Bump"

“Rifle Range” is a land triple with a blind and an honor using all pheasants. The first bird is thrown to the right at 84 yards. The second on the handler’s right is thrown to the left at 104 yards. The flyer is the third bird and is to the handler’s left and is shot to the right 110 yards. The blind is to the left of the flyer at 125 yards. The terrain for this test is very uneven, throwing the dogs off-line both left and right. This test took an average of five to seven minutes depending on the work of the dog.

Arriving at the "Rifle Range" today, we saw that the wind was still in the face of the handler. The breeze is now 15-20 mph, 65 degrees and clear and bright. The word in the gallery today is that most everyone is doing this test. The wind has been the handler's friend; not only for scent, but the winger on the right is often not putting the bird behind the mound. Of all the dogs we watched today, there was only one handle. This was reflected in the callbacks when only six dogs were dropped from Test 3, the "Rifle Range."

"Speed Bump" is a water triple with a blind using all ducks which takes place in a pond with a small island in front of the line and another small island to the left of the line. Bird number one is located on the far side of the pond, thrown to the right at 61 yards. The second bird also lands on the far bank and is thrown to the left at 48 yards from the line. The third bird down comes out from the handlers left, landing in the water 35 yards from the line. The water blind is straight in front of the handler. They must swim the first piece of water, cross the left-hand point of the right-hand island, continue swimming to the far shore where they pick up the bird, located at 68 yards from the line.

Judge Mike Collson gives the test Scenario for Speed Bump

Test Dog #1, "Tonka," at "Speed Bump"

Test Dog #2, "Indy," at "Speed Bump"

At 2:18 pm, Test Dog #1, "Tonka," came to the line. He had a small hunt on the left bird, smacked the right-hand bird and had to handled on the troublesome middle bird. He completed the blind for a total of seven minutes of running time. At 2:26 pm, Test Dog #2, "Indy," came to the line. She had a very nice job on the left-hand and went straight to the right-hand bird, but once again there was a handle on the middle bird. Indy did a very nice job on the blind. The gallery was worried that the middle and right-hand marks were so close where they felt that dogs would think that they had been there and would not go back in again, forcing a handle. Of the first six dogs that ran, including the test dogs, there were five handles.

Test Dog, "Tonka"

Test Dog, "Indy"