Saturday, June 22, 2019

10th Series – Test Description

The 10th Series of the 2019 National Amateur Retriever Club Championship is a Land/Water Quad with three Retired birds including one island bird.

The mat faces east looking out over a beautiful valley with the Mission Mountain Range in the background. The whole field is dotted with various size mounds and ponds.

Bird 1: Long Retired - This rooster flyer lies in front of the line. The gunners retire behind well-brushed blind behind a medium-sized tree. The gunners shoot a rooster pheasant angled back to the left landing 385 yards from the line. The line to this bird has a large hay bale that has been placed at the base of the mound with the mat. The bale forces the dog either left or right and they must remember where this mark lands or the bale will throw them off their line.

Bird 2: Left Flyer - This hen pheasant is directly off the handler's left shoulder. These gunners come out and shoot this bird flat to the right, landing approximately 208 yards from the line. The line to this bird will take the dog down the mound and over to a smaller mound. The dog will then across a gravel road and then out through a field with medium to heavy cover.

Bird 3: Island Bird - This is a retired gun station left of bird one. The gunners throw a duck that will land on an island 255 yards from the line. The dog must navigate several pieces of water and mounds to get to the island.

Bird 4: Right Flyer - This is the go bird. It is to the right side of the test. These gunners are the only stand out station in this test. The guns will shoot a hen mallard back to the right with the duck landing 315 yards from the line.

This mix bag quad with three retired guns is beautiful to look at, but will be challenging to run. It is expected that the handlers will run this in order of the outside - outside - and leave the two hardest birds for the last. All four of the marks cross some water, although the water can be easily avoided on the left-hand bird.



Tenth Series Land Quad with 3 Flyers and 3 Retired
1st Bird – Long Middle Right Retired Hen Pheasant Flyer – 385 yards
2nd Bird – Left Retired – Dead Rooster Pheasant – 208 Yards
3rd Bird – Island Bird/Left Middle Retired – Flyer Hen Mallard – 255 yards
4th Bird – Right Go-Bird – Flyer Hen Mallard (no retire) – 315 yards