Please enjoy some of these photos from the first two days of the 82nd National Open …
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| Saturday morning drive to the grounds … |
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| Who'd have thunk it??!! |
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| S A N T A Sighting! |
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| Brooks Gibson – "Great Nanook of the North!!" |
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| Tim Burdon leads us in early morning prayer |
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| The Pledge of Allegiance |
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| Mark Atwater of UpClose Photo trying to stay still AND warm! |
Came to the line at 2:16 pm
Came to the line at 2:18 pm
Came to the line at 2:13 pm
Came to the line at 2:10 pm
Came to the line at 2:08 pm
This is the first in a series of fun facts about dogs … we hope you enjoy them and learn a thing or two about our best friends!
Came to the line at 2:01 pm
Came to the line at 1:59 pm
Came to the line at 2:05 pm
Came to the line at 1:56 pm
Came to the line at 1:54 pm
Came to the line at 1:52 pm
Came to the line at 1:49 pm
Came to the line at 1:46 pm
Came to the line at 1:43 pm
Came to the line at 1:39 pm
Came to the line at 1:37 pm
Test Dogs:
Owner: Joe James and Sarah Shelton-James
Handler: Joe James
Test 6 – Land Blind
The bright sunny day we were having has given way to a mostly cloudy day. The temps feel like they have dropped back into the upper 30's as the sun slipped behind the clouds. The field is the same location as the 5th Series, winds have shifted to be coming from the West.
The line has moved about 30 feet SW of the previous line for the 5th. Once sent, the dog will angle down the hill, across the road and a mowed path. The line will catch the corners of these clumps, hit the gap of two artificial trees, climb the hill, getting above the terrace going very near the mature tree near the brushed holding blind of the Left Retired station from the 5th Series. Continuing on towards a small grassy covered mound, where they will recover a rooster pheasant at about 307 yards away.
This test takes approximately 2-3 minutes per dog to complete.
6th Series Land Blind – 307 yards
Close Up of Land Blind 
Sketch of the 6th Series by Jean Wu
Tuesday November 15 – Wednesday November 16, 2022
5th Series – Land Quad with Two Retired and Two Flyers
81 Dogs Started this Series
Test Dogs: Test Dogs started out the day Tuesday bright and early at 6:48 am, beginning with "Gretta," and then "Steel," giving the competitors a look at what the 5th series was all about. On Wednesday morning a single test dog "Steel" was run to show handlers any new conditions and/or factors for the test on the second day.
Lauren and Ryan came back to the line at 11:59 am
LF – Line was inside the guns, then several loops to get her bird.
RF – Lined went under the arc, a few small loops to get the bird.
RR – Line under the arc, and one small loop to the bird
LR – Line almost to the bird – turned right and got it.
**This completes the 5th Series at 12:06 pm**
Jerry and Maci came to the line at 11:49 am
LF – A little zig zag and she had her bird!
RF – Nothing slow with this gal! She was through the stubble and on to her bird very quickly!
RR – She got nearly to the end and deflected left to initiate a hunt wide left of the bird – she worked it out and got her mark.
LR – She had to be handled to this bird.
Malcolm and Poncho came to the line at 11:41 am
Poncho arrived to the line quivering with excitement .. he is shown all the stations and is launched!
LF – Excellent recovery of this bird!
RF – Crashing through the corn stubble, he got a little deep but quickly worked it out and retrieves his bird.
LR – Nice line through the cover – he pulled left – looped around the backside of the gunners and then over to the bird!
RR – Excellent mark!
Rob and Rain came to the line at 11:32 am
LF – A few loops and he got the bird.
RF – Line went under the arc, short hunt in the area and to the bird.
RR – Line was behind the blind, then she turned right and went down the hill to the bird.
LR – Line took her under the arc, she turned towards the bird and went right to it.
Jimmie and River came to the line at 11:22 am
LF – Several loops and then she had her bird.
RF – Came in left of the guns with a couple loops left, then over to the bird.
LR – Several large loops deep and left, then back to get the bird – Got it!
RR – Good line to under the arc, turned right and she got the bird!
Lynn and Dara came to the line at 11:14 am
LF – Several loops in the area, then she got her bird.
RF – Good line – curved right and grabbed her bird.
LR – One loop in the area and she was on to the bird.
RR – Good line to the bird!
FC-AFC LOCK FIVE’S TANGLED UP IN BLUE – Tango had to scratch.
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| Mark and Tango |
JD and Tim came to the line at 11:04 am
LF – High Flyer – he went straight to it!
RF – Came in behind the guns – looped around them – out into the strips of cover – and he worked it out and got his bird.
RR – Headed to the RR blind – came in just left of it – circled right then down to the bird.
LR – Up the middle of the field – over the terrace and went very deep – had to handle back to the bird.
Dave and Kai came to the line at 10:55 am
LF – Nice Job!
RF – Came in by the guns – out to the 3rd strip of corn stubble – back to the 2nd strip and the bird!
RR – Down the right side through cover – straight to the fall area and then her bird!
LR – Across the field towards the blind – came in on the left – 1 loop deep left ad then turned quickly and got the bird.
Amie and Floyd came to the line at 10:47 am
(the dog did not appear to see the Right Retired thrown...)
LF – Came in under the arc with a tight hook to the bird.
RF – Line took him under the arc, a quick right turn and he was back to the bird.
RR – Line was left of the retired guns, then he ran down and grabbed his bird.
LR – Good line – went slightly past the bird, turned around and got his bird!
Rob and Rain came to the line at 10:45 am and had a No-Bird on the flyer
They will come back after 5 dogs
Danny and Colt came to the line at 10:36 am
LF – Drove to the area in front of the guns – turned left and move to the bird.
RF – Perfect line!
LR – Up the terrace – 1 quick turn and then he had his bird.
RR – Straight to the fall area and his bird. Excellent!
Andrew and Raymond came to the line at 10:28 am
LF – Out to the area in front of the guns for a turn and then moved left to the bird.
RF – Very nice line to this bird!
RR – Straight line to the base of the cover – up on the right to his bird.
LR – Perfect Mark!
Hunter and King came to the line at 10:21 am
LF – A few loops and he got his bird!
RF – Line to under the arc, a right hook and he had the bird.
LR – Great line and a tight turnaround to grab the bird.
RR – Several large loops left and right, then zero'd in to get his bird.
Alex and Duke came to the line at 10:14 am
LF – Good line out and one loop to the bird.
RF – Lined to the bird and a couple tight turns to get it.
LR – Great line into the cover – kept going with a couple loops deep and then back to the bird.
RR – Good line out and he got his bird!
Ed and Clyde came to the line at 10:03 am
LF – Headed right to the guns for a long left flyer bird – moved deep and back right and left for a few loops and then he got it.
RF – Straight to the bird!
LR – Perfect Line – Very nice!
RR – Out by the bird but climbed the hill on the right – got very deep and wide left and over by the flyer area – then back to the Left Retired area – was handled out of both of those areas – but the gunners needed to come out to help. The dog Picked-Up.
Al and Blue came to the line at 9:56 am
LF – Made quick work of this bird!
RF – Straight across the stubble to this bird!
LR – Across on a great line – under the arc and directly to the bird!
RR – Drive straight to the fall area – right turn and he got it!
Breck and Drake came to the line at 9:36 am
LF – Ready to roll! Up the hill and entered the fall area under the arc, Drake made a couple of tight loops deep and then he had his bird.
RF – Crashing through the corn stubble on a nice angle, he quickly recovers his bird.
LR – He came into the field wide right, made a couple loops deep and moved into his bird.
RR – Very good bird!
Jerry and Max came to the line at 9:27 am
LF – Out under the arc – turned Left and Right missed it and then hunted deep – moved wide left and got it
RF – Out to the area and quickly got his bird.
RR – Split the field – jumped the terrace and went deep left and right behind both gun stations – over to the right side and then on to his bird.
LR – Smack!
Tim and Jenny came to the line at 9:17 am
LF – Came in under the arc – hunted a little deep and then left – got it!
RF – Out by the guns – moved right across rows over to her bird.
LR – Down the right side of the field up the terrace and left of the right blind and deep, came in from behind and got it.
RR – Up to the blind, turned right and straight to the bird!
Craig and Rayna came to the line at 9:09 am
LF – Hunts deep of the flyer but she worked it out and got her bird.
RF – Nice angle through the corn stubble to pin her mark.
LR – Through the cover and onto the bird!
RR – Beautiful mark!
Andrew and Peaches came to the line at 9:00 am
LF – Nice Flyer!
RF – On line and locked in for the next bird! Nice Job!
RR – Arrives a little high of the bird, but quickly adjusts to grab her bird.
LR – Tail wagging and ready to go again! She hits the area and starts to hunt deep – she is handled to the bird.
Alan and Google came to the line at 8:51 am
LF – Came in under the arc to the right – turned left and hunted behind the cover and got his bird.
RF – Into the cover by the guns then deep left behind the guns – moved and worked 2 more cover strips in front of the guns to find his bird.
LR – Lazer line straight to his bird!
RR – Came in just left of the bird – stopped – looked – turned and snatched up his bird!
Douglas and Ranger came to the line at 8:41 am
LF – Extra long left and deep bird – brief hunt but he got it!
RF – 2 or 3 turns in the area and he got it!
LR – Wide left across the field – hunted left and then he worked it out.
RR – Hunted deep in the middle – had to handle away from the Left Retired area to the RR bird.
Mark and Deacon came to the line at 8:36 am
LF – Brief hunt wide left and the on to his bird.
RF – Nice angle through the corn stubble and he got his bird!
LR – Good initial line with a great outcome!
RR – Steam was rising with each pant as Deacon was locked in for his 4th bird! Great job on this bird!
Ty and Driver came to the line at 8:25 am
LF – Good line to the area – hunted deep working his way forward to the bird.
RF – Angled through the first two strips of stubble, searched the second strip and then moved on to the next strip where he found his bird!
LR – His line to this bird faded left as he drove the hill landing behind the gunners – initiated a hunt – had to be picked up.
Jason and Lethal came to the line at 8:16 am
LF – Loop and Scoop!
RF – Out under the arc – a few turns and he got it!
RR – Ran out just left of the blind, hunted that side briefly – then moved right past the blind to the fall area and he got it!
LR – Came off a great line to the area and ran deep – hunted deep – but he worked his way back to the bird.
We are aware that the Callbacks page is currently down. We are working to find a solution to it as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience!
Clint and Dexter came to the line at 8:06 am
LF – Great line – Missed the bird – Turned left and then back to the bird!
RF – Had to hunt deep and right but quickly figured it out.
LR – Through the middle of the field – up the terrace – deep and left – worked his way back left and then over to the bird.
RR – Wide right going out and up the hill right of the fall. Got deep and came back under the arc and to his bird.
Bill and Trucker came to the line at 8:00 am
LF – Very nice mark on a long flyer!
RF – Trucker was locked in! He had a quick lick to his nose and he was on his way through the corn stubble – a brief hunt of one strip of stubble and then he bounded over to the next one and he found his bird.
LR – A loop left of the gunners – that extended right on the next pass and then he was on the bird.
RR – Nice line! Drove deep but recovered quickly to snatch his bird.
There is a short delay to the start of the 2nd day of the 5th Series due to the sun rising, which is obstructing the view of the birds. We will give handlers a 5 minute notice at which time they are being asked to come to the holding blind. We are being told that they will begin running at 8 AM.
Test Dog:
Owner: Joe James and Sarah Shelton-James
Handler: Joe James
Test 5 – Land Quad with Two Retired and Two Flyers
The mat and Judges' tent for this series are on a hill facing south. The test lays in a large field with the marks running east and west. The dogs will leave the mat running down the hill – crossing a gravel road – and then dropping down another 10 or 12 feet to the field below. We are in the "Power Line" or "Siren Field" field for this test. This is a grassy field on the middle and left side. There are intermittent rows of standing cover running both north and south. As you look left, the rows are at more of an angle east to west. There are trees surrounding the field, but they are at a distance that keeps them out of play. There are also a few trees in the main field. The right side of the field is a cut corn field with strips of standing stubble. This is an Inline Quad with Two Flyers and Two Retired.
Bird station #1 is a flyer station with a green head. The gunners are 165 yards from the mat shooting to the right in the cut corn rows and stubble. (We refer to this mark as RF for Right Flyer)
Bird station #2 is 240 yards from the mat and has two gunners retired behind a well-brushed hay bale, shooting and throwing a dead Rooster Pheasant to the Right. This bird lands in heavy cover radiating from the base of a large tree. (We refer to this mark as RR for Right Retired)
Bird station #3 is 245 yards from the mat and has two gunners in a well-brushed blind. They will shoot and then throw a dead hen pheasant to the right landing on a terrace that runs angle left to right across the field. A row of thick cover on the side of the terrace hides the bird until the dog comes up the terrace. (We will refer to this mark as LR for Left Retired)
Bird #4 is a hen pheasant Flyer shot to the left. The four gunners stand 270 yards to the handler's left, shooting so that the bird lands in tall cover. (We will refer to this mark as LF for Left Flyer)
The order for this test is right to left, starting with the green head moving to the retired rooster pheasant. They then throw the dead hen pheasant and the final bird on this left to right line is the hen pheasant flyer.
This test takes approximately 7-8 minutes per dog to complete.
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| 5th Series Land Quad with 2 Flyers and 2 Retired (left view of test) |
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| 5th Series Land Quad with 2 Flyers and 2 Retired (middle view of test) |
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| 5th Series Land Quad with 2 Flyers and 2 Retired (right view of test) |
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| Right Flyer – 165 yards – Drake Mallard |
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| Right Retired – 240 yards – Rooster Pheasant |
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| Left Retired – 245 yards – Hen Pheasant |
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| Left Flyer – 270 yards – Hen Pheasant |
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| Sketch of the Fifth Series by Jean Wu |
