# National Amateur Retriever Club 2021 Championship



## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

Wow, keep us updated. I just went through the call back list and only noticed one Chesapeake as well. Maybe I missed some??


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

DblTrblGolden2 said:


> only noticed one Chesapeake as well. Maybe I missed some??


Nope just one. 
New rules limit entry to just one Peak, any more than that and the grounds get to oily


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Sounds like Lee and Maci did well yesterday.


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

SRW said:


> Sounds like Lee and Maci did well yesterday.


Thank you for the update!


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## Hildae (Aug 15, 2012)

SRW said:


> Sounds like Lee and Maci did well yesterday.


Jake isn't going?


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Hildae said:


> Jake isn't going?


Need 7 points including a win for the year. Jake had a win but only 6 points.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I’m looking forward to the next series! I know Bounce (Cindi Little). Bounce was running derbies with my Riot. She was a very cute puppy. I have some nice videos of her and Cindi. I hope Cindi does well.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

132 dogs called back to the 3rd series. The first series was an interrupted double with a blind so it counts as series 1 and 2. 

Series 1&2









The 3rd series just got under way and weather forced the judges to call it for the day.
It is a triple, flier on the left and two retired marks. 
Series 3








This is a tough test, very steep terrain, lots of factors influencing the dogs. The judges will get answers from this one.
The action continues 6:15 tomorrow morning.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Go Lee and Maci!!!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

When a NFC titled dog gets picked up, you know it’s a tough series!


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Remember when I said the 3rd series was a tough test? 80 dogs called back to the 4th, 52 were cut.
Lee and Maci are out but deserve a big congrats for making it to both the NAFC and the NFC 

The clear favorite to win it all is #77 (Lily's mom)


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

[QUOTE="SRW, post: 7862791, member: 200648"

The clear favorite to win it all is #77 (Lily's mom)
[/QUOTE]
Okay, I’ll watch #77 starting tomorrow…. Just cause she’s Lily’s mom. 

Great job Lee & Maci!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Great job Lee and Maci! You were in good company out there.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

71 dogs called back for the fifth series tomorrow. Number 77 “Just” is one of them.
5th will most likely be a marking test, a big one.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

SRW said:


> 5th will most likely be a marking test, a big one.


Wrong, ya big dummy. It's a land blind, and not a real challenging one.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

6th series will be land marks. A quad, good chance there will be 2 fliers and 2 retired guns.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Will it be a mixed bag too?


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Alaska7133 said:


> Will it be a mixed bag too?


Most likely, I would bet at least one retired mark is a hen pheasant.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

If you were in this series, it's a quad out of order and 2 retired, how would you set up your dog? Would you go to the line and point out each gunner location, seen or unseen? Would you do it in the order that the birds will fall? Would you really focus on where that hen pheasant is going to come out of? What would you do with your dog to make sure they are set up on that quad, knowing one mark is a retired hen?


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Alaska7133 said:


> If you were in this series, it's a quad out of order and 2 retired, how would you set up your dog? Would you go to the line and point out each gunner location, seen or unseen? Would you do it in the order that the birds will fall? Would you really focus on where that hen pheasant is going to come out of? What would you do with your dog to make sure they are set up on that quad, knowing one mark is a retired hen?


I don't point out gunners unless I absolutely have to. I training and trials I walk to the line slowly and, if possible, directly towards the most difficult gun to pick out. With repetition you can use your dogs anticipation of retrieving to your advantage. In training I will call for a bird even if the dog fails to pick out the gun, next time he will look harder. At an event I will help the dog find a gun if I have to, always doing the minimum, he needs to think he found it. 
Ideally the dog has found all the guns before we get to the line and I encourage him to focus on the most difficult bird longest.
Keep in mind Jake and I missed qualifying by a point so my advice may not be the best.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

that's interesting you don't point out the guns. I haven't heard that approach before. Its neat to hear everyone's take on it. The way I do it, some taught to me some picked up on my own, I walk to the line slowly as well. I usually point her towards the hardest bird she sees that first then I move around a bit and she takes in the big picture on her own. After that I get her on the mat and show her the birds and I use cue words that work well for my dogs. I show them to her in the opposite order they go off so she is settled and not head swinging when the first bird goes off. If there is a particularly hard bird I will show her that A LOT and I will sometimes move her off of it and come back just to make sure she remembers. It seems to work fine...


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Do to the heat yesterday the 6th was changed to a triple. 47 dog made the cut. Today was a water triple, very tough. Down to 31 dogs going into the 8th series water blind tomorrow. #77 "Just" is still in with a very clean performance so far.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

They 8th series this morning is a water blind. It does not look particularly challenging, we will see.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

how exciting!!! Doreen is in our training group!!! So that means my trainer won the National Open this year and one of his clients won the National Amateur in the same year! How exciting. I need to step up my game ha ha!! Ptar and Doreen are one of those teams where you think they talk to each other with real language they just know each other so well. And Doreen never stops working and training.....


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## Ivyacres (Jun 3, 2011)

We've never competed but I always find this is very interesting. Thanks for all the updates.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Congratulations to the winner and all the finalists. 

The 9th and 10th were both quads with 2 fliers and 2 retired guns. Very tough marks to establish a clear winner.

For those that don't compete in field trials, just qualifying for the NARC is a real accomplishment. Each series completed adds to that.


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## acolic (May 27, 2020)

SRW said:


> 132 dogs called back to the 3rd series. The first series was an interrupted double with a blind so it counts as series 1 and 2.
> 
> Series 1&2
> View attachment 883731
> ...


For us newbies what do the acronyms in the diagram mean?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

acolic said:


> For us newbies what do the acronyms in the diagram mean?


R1 (or 1R) 1 - first bird thrown, R - retired gun, the thrower gets in a blind and is hidden from view after throwing.
F2 A live bird "Flier" thrown and shot. 2 designates it is the second mark thrown
B - blind
PH - pheasant hen
PR - pheasant rooster
MH - mallard hen
MD - mallard drake


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

A little more info (I'm absolutely not an expert or super knowledgeable). 
When a live flyer is shot versus a dead bird thrown, the dog wants to go for the live flyer first. Let's face it a dead bird isn't as yummy as a live flyer. And sometimes the live flyer isn't dead and the dog makes a game of getting it and bringing it back.
Hen pheasants have almost no scent and are hard for a dog to find.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Bird placement that challenges experience field trial dogs is far more complex than most people realize. There are so many factors and combinations of factors that influence dogs. Much of field training involves teaching dogs to fight different factors such as not fading with the wind, not squaring on entry and exit of water or cover and many other things.

I know a couple people that I consider true masters at bird placement. They will tell you "Just put the birds where the dogs don't want to go". Easy to say, much harder is finding those places on unfamiliar grounds.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Is it because so many of the field trial dogs are so good these days, they have to find harder and harder ways to separate one dog from the next?


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Alaska7133 said:


> Is it because so many of the field trial dogs are so good these days, they have to find harder and harder ways to separate one dog from the next?


That’s a huge part of it.
I thought the third series was an example of a great test. On paper it doesn’t look extraordinarily difficult. If you have been to the grounds you can appreciate what a nice test it was. The judges needed to cut the number of dogs and they did it with an honest test of marking ability.
When I was there I heard that in set up the dogs were running the test in eight or nine minutes. At the actual event it was taking up to 15. Both retired birds were placed very well and the close flyer was a big influence on the dogs.
It was also a good example of every dog having their day. A couple of former national champions and some very High Point dogs went out in the third.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I was quite shocked to see a NFC dog go out in the 3rd. That's tough!
That close in flyer was definitely a mind bender for the dogs.


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