Isaac and Torq came to the line at 1:06 pm
SimF – Torq easily recovers this bird.
LR – Ended up at the timbers – took a right and then he had his bird.
F – Big splash into the water and through it for a nice job on his flyer.
MR – He began to fade left on his line out and was handled to this bird.
Johnny and Flex came to the line at 12:54 pm
SimF – Straight to the bird!
F – Curved in to get his bird.
LR – Line was behind the flyer guns and left of the retired shore bird. Several large loops in the field and outside the arc – then he moved on past the guns and found his bird!
MR – Hunted deep, but was handled to the bird with several whistles.
Craig and Madduxx came to the line at 12:42 pm
SimF – A big Splash and then he headed back with his bird.
LR – Very nice mark.
F – Great line and right to the bird!
MR – Another great mark!
Danny and Willow came to the line at 12:30 pm
SimF – Straight to the bird
LR – One loop to the bird!
F – Some large loops in the area and then on to the bird.
MR – Handled before she reached the water and then more whistles to get to the bird.
Hunter and Rysk came to the line at 12:19 pm
SimF – Excellent!
LR – Out to the holding blind – circled around to the bird and got it!
MR – Went out wide right but adjusted and came out of the pond at the blind – a quick left and he had his bird.
F – Very nice line to the fall area and he quickly got it!
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Mark and Limit came to the line at 12:08 pm and had a No-Bird on the flyer
They will come back after 5 dogs
Tim and Hex came to the line at 11:56 am
SimF – Smack!
LR – Went back to the left and hunted the area tight – moved right and to the bird.
MR – Excellent line across the field to the pond – in and then he came out just right of the bird – 2 loops deep, back to the shore and then onto the bird!
F – Straight to the fall area and his bird.
Marcy and Tavi came to the line at 11:45 am
SimF – Quick recovery of her bird.
LR – One loop deep and in left of the bird – got it!
F – Nice line – a big splash through the pond – a couple passes in the area and she had her bird.
MR – Her line going out to the area was wide and left – she crossed the water and needed to be handled to the bird.
Lauren and Ryan came to the line at 11:33 am
SimF – Smack!
LR – Came in on the left side and went a little deep but a quick turn put her right on her bird!
F – Nice line – 1 big loop in the fall area and she quickly had her bird.
MR – Got out right of the blind – had a turn deep right – came back to the blind and then she was out to her bird.
Craig and Buzz came to the line at 11:21 am
SimF – Good start grabbing his birds!
F – Came out into the area of the fall from the timber – out near the fall and he located his bird.
LR – Nice Bird.
MR – A few extra shakes to shed the pond water and Buzz was off for his last bird ... but he had to be handled and then eventually picked up.
Rob and Rain came to the line at 11:08 am
SimF – Straight to it!
F – Close to the Left Retired and kept going – out to the fall area of the flyer – made a loop – recovered and she got it.
LR – Wide left by the mound and got very deep – worked his way around deep of the blind – came in closer and she got it!
MR – Headed left – handler made several casts to get her into the water and she got it.
Jim and Slam came to the line at 10:56 am
SimF – No trouble scooping up this bird!
LR – A big splash! and he was through the water – a tight hunt in the area of the fall to pull out his bird!
F – Very nice line to his flyer.
MR – Straight to the bird!
Dedication, leadership, commitment, integrity, humor, mentoring, and the love of the field trial sport only describes part of Dennis Bath’s involvement and why the 2022 National Open Championship is dedicated to Dennis Bath.
His son, David, writes, “My dad bought his first lab in 1967 for hunting from Tom Sorenson. Shortly thereafter he went to a field trial in Wentzville (MO) and decided he would like to participate. Figuring he was an amateur, he entered the Amateur Stake. He was quickly eliminated before the birds were shot. Promptly he acquired a rule book to find out how to master this game. I think he is still trying. He is also constantly trying to improve this sport and the dogs he truly loves”.
Dennis has given the sport a great deal of his life … Many years ago Dennis was instrumental in initiating the Purina Outstanding Field Trial Retriever Award. In 1997, the Outstanding Amateur Award was added and Dennis is still a charter member of the committee.
Dennis has held every office in the National Open Retriever Club, including President for two terms and secretary-treasurer for six years. He was his time zones Gun Captain for both the NRC and NARC for many, many years and the Corporate Liaison for both National Clubs. He has judged over 125 All-Age Stakes, including three Nationals: two National Opens and one National Amateur. Locally, he was President (and worker) of the River King Retriever Club in Illinois for 40+ years.
Dennis has owned and competed with many Labrador retrievers, but we all will remember his greatest accomplishment in winning back-to-back National Amateur Championships with Lawhorn’s Cadillac Mack in 1979 and 1980. (Note that the 1979 and 1980 National Amateurs were the first two National Amateurs Dennis had ever run!) “Mack” accumulated 218 All-Age points and was inducted into the Retriever Hall of Fame in 1993.
In 2002 he became President and Editor-In-Chief of Retriever Field Trial News and was a Retriever News Board member until 2022.
Dennis was inducted into the Retriever Hall of Fame in Grand Junction, TN in 2000.
With this in mind, we believe our friend and fellow sportsman, Dennis Bath, is deserving of this recognition.
2022 NRC President Mitch Patterson wrote, “I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this dedication and I’m proud to call Dennis my mentor, and friend.”
Dennis came to the trial grounds and the Workers' Party on Tuesday, November 15th. It was great to see him!!
Malcolm and Poncho came to the line at 10:43 am
SimF – Straight to the bird.
F – Stayed on a nice line – came in just right – made a quick turn and grabbed his bird.
LR – Way left, came in around the blind – popped – re-established his hunt and he got it.
MR – Wide right going out toward the flyer guns – had to handle back to the blind, then to the bird.
Dave and Kai came to the line at 10:29 am
SimF – Nice recovery of this bird.
LR – Out to the area, worked it out with a few tight loops.
F – Very nice line and a quick recovery of the flyer.
MR – Terrific line arriving at the shoreline just right of the bird – she pulled right and hunted right of the gunners – and then made her way over to the bird.
Amie and Floyd came to the line at 10:14 am
SimF – Nice line!
LR – Headed towards the blind – circled and came in towards his bird from the right and got it!
F – Went out by the Middle Retired area and kept going – had a large set of loops left and right between the flyer and middle retired birds – but he decided to go left for the flyer!
MR – He entered the pond heading right and away from the bird – got out and hunted wide right – came back towards the blind – passed a few times and he worked it out to get his bird.
Tim and Jenny came back to the line at 10:00 am
SimF – Nicely done!
LR – Good line – through the water and stayed tight to the area until she could pull out her bird.
MR – She hit the area right of the gunners – made a loop in the field and moved left to her bird. Smart.
F – Headed straight to the area! A splash into the water and she was on her way – a tight hunt in the area of the fall – and then she stopped – shook off the excess pond water and reached down to grab her bird! Very Classy!
Rob and Rain came to the line at 9:57 am and had a No-Bird on the Middle Retired (it didn't make it into the water)
They will come back after 5 dogs
Danny and Colt came to the line at 9:45 am
SimF – Quick recovery of this bird.
LR – Nice line – a big water slitting entry into the pond as he jumped in the water on-line to his bird!
MR – Couple of shakes to shed off some of the water and he was ready for his next bird! He went out angling across to the water – came in behind the gunners and launched himself off the point and into the water! He swam across and stayed on the shoreline to grab his bird!
F – Another big splash into the water! Out again and right up to his bird. Very well done!
Hunter and King came to the line at 9:23 am
SimF – Straight to the bird
LR – Slightly left line and he made a slight curve in to the bird.
F – Line took him under the arc, curved left and then straight to his bird!
MR – Line brought him under the arc – made a couple of short loops past the retired guns and then came back in for his bird.
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Alex and Duke came to the line at 9:15 am
SimF – Straight to it!
F – Straight to the flyer!
MR – Went down to the pond and then down the right shoreline – went back and forth on the shore – did not want to re-enter the cold water – Dog was picked up
Jerry and Max came to the line at 9:08 am
SimF – Straight to his bird!
F – Dog went in to get the left retired bird and established a hunt in that area, then ran towards the flyer and grabbed the flyer bird instead ...
Dog was dismissed by the Judges
Craig and Rayna came to the line at 8:51 am
SimF – Straight to the bird!
LR – One loop under the arc and to the bird!
F – Line brought her out to behind the flyer guns and the middle of the field – she made several large loops in the open field behind the flyer guns and then made more loops in front of he guns before finding her bird.
MR – Went across the water – far right into the field – was handled to the bird.
Alan and Google came to the line at 8:39 am
SimF – Straight to the bird!
LR – Lined into the woods to the blind and back out to the bird! Nice.
MR – Lined out across the field into the pond aimed at the back the flyer guns. Circled deep right of the gunners – worked his way left then right then way right – working closer to the Middle Retired – and he got it!
F – Out and into the pond, came out and ran right to the fall area and his bird!
Jason and Lethal came to the line at 8:27 am
SimF – Straight to the bird!
LR – Line took him under the arc – curved straight into the bird!
F – Out across the pond and came out well behind the flyer guns – a couple large loops behind before hunting the other side – a few more loops and he was at the bird.
MR – Lined to the bird nicely – but he kept going! – A quick whistle brought him back and he needed to continue to handle to the bird.
Kenny and Jammer came to the line at 8:15 am
SimF – Straight to the pond and to his bird!
LR – Took a line straight to the fall area of the bird – looped around and had a turn in the trees – back to the fall area and his bird. Very nice mark.
MR – Line out to the Middle Retired – into the pond and back out for 1 turn by the blind – quickly back around to his bird.
F – Took a good line out and entered the pond – out to the area under the arc and he was on his bird!
Chris and Betty came to the line at 8:03 am
SimF – Straight to the bird!
F – Came in under the arc, looked to the left, then made a few short turns and was on her bird.
LR – Went to the wood past the bird – had a few loops back and left, then she got it!
MR – Swam across the water and came out left of the bird – but one quick whistle got her on the bird.
Please enjoy these photos from the National Open in Paducah, Kentucky …
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| Bert Windham, Leigh Windham and Andy Curtis |
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| (L-R) Charlie Hines, Jerry Patopea, Danny Farmer and Breck Howard |
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| Craig Crook, Andy Curtis and Dave Smith |
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| Dan Partington |
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| (L-R) Cindy Howard, Lauren Hays, Glen Curtis and Curt Showalter |
Test Dogs:
Owner: Joe James and Sarah Shelton-James
Handler: Joe James
Test 7 – Water Quad with One Flyer, One Simulated Flyer and Two Retired
The day is starting out cold at about 24 degrees. We arrived at the field in the dark with activity all around us! The crews this year have been outstanding! Blinking Traffic directional lights on the NRC signs lead us into the area. The Grounds crew have 4-wheelers loading equipment and the gunners and throwers in white are out in the field.
Test 7 is going to be a Water Quad with 2 Retired and 1 Flyer and 1 Simulated Flyer. The field is a flat pasture with pieces of water dotted around the area. We are bordered on the east and west by tree lines. The end is wide open.
Bird #1 is a flyer station located 280 yards from the mat. This is in front of and slightly left of the handler. These gunners throw then shoot a mallard to the left toward the trees. The line to this bird takes the dog across the field into a finger of water and then back out to the bird. (We refer to this mark as F for Flyer)
Bird station #2 is on the left at 255 yards. This Retired gun comes out of the timber and throws to the right with the bird landing near the shore in the water. This is a hen pheasant. (We refer to this mark as LR for Left Retired)
Bird #3 is another Retired gun station in the middle right of the field. This is a hen duck thrown to the left. The gunners are 250 yards out from the mat and retire behind a hay bale. The bird lands in the water across the pond. (We will refer to this mark as MR for Middle Retired)
Bird #4 is the Simulated Flyer. This drake mallard is thrown to the right landing in a small swim-by pond with decoys. There is also a sluice from these gunners who are 150 yards from the mat. (We will refer to this mark as SimF for Simulated Flyer).
It is very likely that the Left Retired bird will be missed as the dogs will be drawn to the stand-out flyer guns.
This test is taking approximately 11-12 minutes for each dog to complete.
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| Close up of the left side of the 7th Series |
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| Close up of the right side of the 7th Series |
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| Flyer – Mallard – 280 yards |
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| Left Retired – Hen Pheasant – 255 yards |
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| Middle Retired – Hen Duck – 250 yards |
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| Simulated Flyer – Drake Mallard – 150 yards |
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| Sketch of the 7th Series by Jean Wu |
We have run the two test dogs for the 7th series and we are waiting to start the test at 8:00 AM with our first running dog. The test description is being completed and will come shortly, with the test dog information to follow!
Welcome to Day 6 of the 2022 National Open! This morning we are heading into the 7th Series here in Paducah, KY. The weather for the next three days looks [COLD, brrr] favorable (and relatively similar!), with mostly clear skies and cool temperatures. Today after the sun rises, temps should get up into the low 40's by this afternoon, and wind shouldn't be a factor. But we will find out as the day progresses!
We are setting up at the 7th Series, preparing to run test dogs shortly ...
