2013 NGDC Vetelytar's Tuff as Leather

We have a special affinity for "Tucker", as he is the brother of our own dog Tessa.  Tucker is owned by Bob Braley of Bakersfield, CA.  I have been priviledged to be able to work with Tucker since 2012's South Dakota Summer Camp.  As a result, he and I have a great bond and Tuck really wants to please. 

Tucker ran the first brace of the third day of running.  I was concerned, as the first brace of each prior's day running the multitude of coveys and wild pheasant had unhinged some very good dogs, another on my string "Pearl" only the day before in a very early bird.  But - the luck of the draw is what it is and Tuck most definitely rose to the occasion.

Tucker broke away smartly and reached well, occasionally stopping to look for direction and taking it nicely.  He topped the first dam and dropped to the draw on the right and was found standing.  This was very near the spot Bailey had found a bird the day prior, but unlike Bailey's find, Tucker's was the lone point so the judges elected to have it for the retrieve bird.  Thankfully also was that this bird flew quickly and in a good direction for the gunners to drop it, although it took multiple shots.  Tuck held well and made a perfect retrieve to hand. 

He then took the course forward and though he has never run it prior, he has a knack for finding the course.  I think he picks up the disturbed earth of the horse track, but no matter the reason, he always found the front. 
He dropped from sight at the first pond and the bottom dog dropped out a few moments later.  As we approached Tucker was standing at the edge of a drop off, the bottom dog standing beneath him.  I'm not certain if the judges felt it was a decided find or an honor, but I'm confident Tuck had the bird and was standing before the bottom do came down and pointed.  I don't know the bottom dog would have been able to see Tuck on top of the dropoff so I would have ruled it a divided find.  Regardless, the bird flushed and was blanked with all in order.
The dogs moved on towards the second pond and Tuck's bracemate established point.  Tuck backed with no command.  I did whoa him as they attempted to produce a bird, however this point became a non-productive.  I took Tucker on and he worked up the terraces well.  On the turn down he took an enormous cast across the valley and Janet went to scout him, not realizing he was in fact on course and in view of the judges.  The wind was strong and the sounds of the recall whistle could not reach her.  She gathered Tuck in from a fantastic forward cast and brought him back, only then to realize the course shift.  It is easy to become turned around on this course as there are multiple hills and turns.  It is easy to become disoriented. I must commend the judges as they did not fault the dog for the faux pas of his handling team.
Tucker then worked up and over the dam and had another find, handling it perfectly.  He continued to reach the entire rest of the brace including through the Pheasant Gauntlet.  He finished the hour going away at time.  As a side note, when he came in to be leashed he was still so strong that I had to half-hitch him around the loin as he was pulling so hard.

I obviously am very proud of Tucker and he is a very good dog.  He had a great day among a very fine field of dogs.  There were many dogs that could have won if only for a slightly different scenario presented itself or a slightly different outcome of a piece of bird work. 

The truest icing on the cake however, is that Tucker's owner was considering just retiring Tucker and not sending him with me to Colorado.  I'm very thankful that I was able to convince him that his dog should have this chance, and I'd even wager he is as well!

Highlander's Bailey's Wildest Dreams Run

What can I say about Bailey... I love that dog. 

Bailey is a celebrity of sorts, with many people knowing him through Rod's blog.  He definitely had a fan club here at the NGDC.  I had several people approach us and ask "Is that Bailey?  I've read so much about him and just love Rod's blog.  www.redbirddog.blogspot.com 

Bailey ran in the afternoon of the second day of running.  He maintained what most hunters would consider a true foot handled gundog range.  The grounds here at Calhan have seen drought in the last season, and with snow recently off not a lot of new growth had taken place.  This meant cover that might typically be 1-2 feet tall was only a few inches.  As a result, dogs that had reach to distant objectives generally fared better than the moderate working dogs.  Those of us that hunt know that it's those moderate range dogs we really like when it comes to putting birds in the bag - exciting as the others may be to watch.

However, Bailey is a strong and experienced dog.  He knows terrain, wind and appropriate cover and even in this atmosphere he worked the draws that would hold birds.  On the first bird he was on point, as was his bracemate 40 yards down on a separate bird.  The bracemate's bird flushed easily and Bailey held through the bracemate shot while I was working to flush.  Bailey's bird however, did not want to flush and the dismantling and removal of a Christmas tree pile was achieved with Bailey holding through it all to finally produce and blank the bird. Bailey moved on with no delay chase and eventually caught up to his bracemate.

The second find came in a low area just before a spot that became known as the Terraces, an ascending step up a hill.  He was working scent on a line of deadfall winter cover when a bird popped wild from the opposite side and end.  I "whoa'd" him for the wild flush and then saw the bird run back to cover.  The judge advised that this would be a kill bird for a retrieve - the retrieve being a component of the National Gun Dog Championship.  Every dog has it's strong point and it's weak point.  Bailey's strong and weak points are interconnected.  The best term to describe this is "over-retriever".  Over-retriever is when a dog is so excited to make the retrieve that it breaks on the shot. 
After a few attempts at a flush and a throw of a hat the bird finally flew and was cleanly killed.  Thankfully, Bailey's training held and he stayed until sent for the retrieve, which he could not see from his vantage point - the deadfall cover being well above his head.  He nevertheless ran around the line of deadfall, hunted the bird out quickly and retrieved with all in order.

At about the 30 minute mark after going up, then down the terraces Bailey slowed.  I called him in for water and as he approached I thought I saw the slightest change in his gait.  On examination, this stoic boy had several cactus quills in one foot.  I pulled forceps and removed them.  After a few moments of testing he resumed his steady hunting pattern.

Bailey's third bird was on a treeline and upon my approach the quail ran down the treeline with great haste.  The judge witnessed their departure and advised me to blank them off and move on, which we did with great appreciation.  Bailey maintained a steady pace up the final long hill, watered at the bottom and was definitely "hunting" on our way to what became known as "Pheasant Gauntlet".  The final 4-6 minutes of the course winds through cattails, heavy brush and rounds a pond.  It was the undoing of several outstanding prospects.  As most were working hard to keep their dogs out of the Pheasant, Bailey was doing what Bailey does best, and that's hunt pheasant.  He worked the cattails, tried to track through the stand of heavier willow searching for the wily bird.  I thought it would be a well stamped finish if he pointed and stood a wild rooster, which I have seen him do many times before.  Sadly - we came up empty in the gauntlet but we made the hour clean with three finds. 

Bailey is a great dog, and I'll be happy to carry a gun behind him any day of the week. 

Charles' Rufus Tiberius

"Ty"

"Goofus Rufus"

For a dog that has only been with me a short time, this one already has a couple of nicknames.  I have had the pleasure of running Ty in a few events.  First trial was an all breed puppy stake at Santa Nella, CA where he took a third of twelve.  Then we did a double double hunt test and he earned his JH easily in a single weekend.  The culmination to this point is that his owner believed in his dog and allowed me to bring him to run in the National Puppy in Calhan, CO.

The "un-official" scribe report of Ty's run, Ty's bracemate was "Boomer" a grandson of our female "Nellie".

"This was in some ways a brace of trading places.  Boomer’s first cast from the breakaway was enormous, cresting the dam wall, hitting the creek bed on the right, before running the fence line and dropping into the midway field.  As the handlers approached the midway field, Boomer could be seen climbing the far hill.  Ty was, nevertheless, gaining stride and establishing a bold pattern of his own, dropping into the midway field and exploring the far edges of the corn strips.  Boomer got himself a little disconnected from his handler and the subsequent return cast left him winded, losing his stride for several minutes while catching his breath.  In the meantime, Ty had crested the side hill and established himself well forward on the final straightaway climb.  As time was called, Boomer had regained his stride and both dogs were going away strong and to the front."

My view of Tiberius was that he took a good initial cast, likely overshadowed by the extreme cast made by Boomer, as it was indeed spectacular.  Ty checked back in and as we crested the dam he was close, trying to get the lay of the land.   One trait I am learning about Ty, is he is a very quick study when it comes to learning and running new grounds.  Every different ground he has run he has inherently found the lines, objectives and reads the terrain.  He is also a dog that is not afraid to reach out, but still maintains a relatively easy handle and stays in contact.
Ty then began to reach across the flat working a line to the opposite side and stayed forward.  He worked distant objectives and his range built through the run.   I did notice when Boomer who is two months junior to Ty at only 8 months old was going through a lull Ty was building stride and running strong.  The highlight for me was about 2/3 the way through the run he was running to the front on a ridge from right to left, silhoutted by the skyline.   I was praying for a find, as I know he has high style and pointed against that skyline would have been a very memorable moment in any Judge's eye. Unfortunately, it seemed the bird planting for the puppy did not take into consideration Puppies that run to distant objectives as most witnessed bird contacts were within 50 yards of the course track.  Had Ty and others with larger runs had been rewarded for their reaching run, the lesser placements might likely been different, though Fig was the definitive winner in my opinion. 

It was wonderful consolation that many unsolicited, unknown participants approached us after the placements and said the really enjoyed seeing Tiberius and thought he should have been "in the money" as they say.  Regardless of the official placements, I could not have been happier with Ty's run.  He is a dog to watch in future competition. 

Charles - be very proud of your boy.  I am!

Honored

I find myself seated at my computer, in a motel room of rural Calhan, Colorado searching for words to define the experience of the past several days.  The snowstorm that blew in overnight shutting the area down is in fact a welcome respite of months of preparation, anxieties of travel and the highs and lows of this life competing with bird dogs.  The word that keeps resonating in my head is also the headline of this post.  I am honored.

I am honored that the owners of the dogs I have in my care have had faith in me and the love I have for their dogs.  That faith allowed me to bring four client dogs to the Vizsla Club of America's National Gundog Championship held at Rooster Ranch in Calhan.  As most have heard through the instant wired grapevine, we were also honored by the Judges of winning the event with Tucker - Vetelytars's Tuff as Leather.

In every event, one experiences highs and lows.  At a National level event, those highs and lows seem to mimic the terrain of this Western state with extremely high exhilarating peaks and the chasms, cliffs and falls of dissapointment.  I, along with my fellow competitors, experienced both through the four days of running.

Through those days and those moments of high and low emotion felt by all, one aspect held true and that was that even though the competition and competitors were fierce, every person I witnessed honored one another.  A "tough break - dog was looking GREAT" or very nice job you and your dog did was stretched from one to another to the next.  I have truly enjoyed my experience and though obviously winning is a special "high" which I will never forget - equal to this aspect was the opportunity to meet people from all over the country, watch them and their dogs run and share in this special moment and common bond.  

This post will be too long to recite each dog's run, so I'll post in subsequent posts of each dog's run from my perspective.