Catching up...

Dave has been so busy that he hasn't had time to catch up with his blog posts. So I will take the liberty and do so for him.

I joined Dave at the Show Me Vizsla Club field trial in Thayer, Iowa, in mid-October. This was a one-day (Friday) trial with only an Open Derby and Open Gun Dog stake offered. In some tough derby competition, Panna took a third place and Sara a fourth. Zeke took second in the Open Gun Dog stake. Saturday was the beginning of the Hawkeye Vizsla Club trial. Moxie won the Open Gun Dog stake with Zeke taking third. Sunday we awoke to thunderstorms, and the field trial committee decided to cancel the rest of the trial.

After getting Jack Sharkey's motorhome and Dave's truck and trailer towed out of the mud, we headed on down to the Hickman ranch for the NVA Quail Classic. Being the first ones there, we were able to park where we could get ourselves out if the rains continued. The weather cleared on Sunday afternoon, and Monday, the starting date of the classic, brought ideal trialing conditions. Dave ran Colonel in the first brace of the shooting dog stake, scoring seven finds, a forward race, and nice moves to his finds. Brinkley also ran on the first day of the classic, scoring two finds and motoring hard at the end. Mason was in the last brace of the first day, putting down a powerful race and also scoring seven finds. At the dinner on Monday night, the judges announced that Mason was "dog of the day" and Colonel was "second dog of the day". Tuesday brought some nastier, rainy weather, and many of the shooting dogs didn't handle the adverse conditions so well, or were picked up by their handlers for not performing. The stake concluded that day, and at the dinner, Mason was named Winner and Colonel was Runner-Up. Sara and Dylan ran in the Derby classic. Though neither placed, they both performed well.

From the Hickman ranch, we ventured on to Branched Oak near Raymond, Nebraska, for the VCA National Field Trial. It was a week of heartbreaks. Dave ran Mason, Moxie, Colonel and Zeke in the National Championship. Both Mason and Colonel were called back to the second series of the National Championship. Mason had a bobble on the retrieve, and Colonel got frustrated in the thick cover and got too "hunty" and was picked up. Sara and Dylan ran in the Derbly Classic. Sara had a nice forward run with a couple of finds. Dylan put down a beautiful course but unfortunately went birdless. Mason's owner Lisa handled him in the National Amateur Championship. He started off with a strong run, but bumped a bird on a relocation attempt. I handled Colonel in the National Amateur Championship and was called back for the second series. Colonel, as in his typical style, put on a bird finding show in the second series and did not place.

From the VCA Nationals, Dave headed on to Illinois to the Gateway GSP Club field trial. Pete, Judith Hamilton's pointer, took second in the Open Limited Gun Dog stake, with Dave's pointer Daisy taking fourth. Moxie was second in the Open Gun Dog retrieving stake.

From Illinois, Dave went to Connecticut to the Pointer Associates of New England (P.A.N.E.) trial. Dave handled Judith's setter Specter to a first place finish in the Open Limited Gun Dog stake, with Pete taking second, and Moxie a fourth. Colonel won the Amateur Limited Gun Dog stake, Pete was second, and Specter third. Sara took fourth in the Open Derby.

Dave then went down to Wye Island, Maryland, for the APC National Field Trial. With a lot of help from scout Ray Dohse, Dave won the National Championship with Daisy.

Next stop was the Southern Maryland English Setter Club trial at Rosaryville, Maryland. Sara won the Open Derby stake. Moxie won the Open Gun Dog retrieving stake, with Zeke taking second. Colonel won the Open Limited Gun Dog stake, and he took third in Amateur Limited Gun Dog.

Dave spent Thanksgiving weekend back up in Connecticut to judge a US Complete Shooting Dog championship. Then we went to Medford, New Jersey, the following weekend for the Delaware Valley GWP Club trial. Specter took third in the Open Limited Gun Dog. Daisy took second in the Open Gun Dog stake. Colonel was second in the Amateur Limited Gun Dog stake. And Dylan was fourth in the Open Derby.

In mid-December our club, the Old Dominion Vizsla Club, hosted its fall field trial at South Hill, Virginia. Dave's string did quite well. Mason took third in the Open All Age. Colonel won the Open Limited Gun Dog stake. Daisy won the Open Gun Dog stake. Sara won the Open Derby. Dylan won the Amateur Walking Derby. And Colonel took third in the Amateur Limited Gun Dog.

Dave headed down to winter camp at Ray Dohse's place in Georgia after the Old Dominion trial. The last trial of this year will be the Central Georgia Pointing Dog field trial at Leesburg, Georgia.

Sadly, Dave lost his number one horse, BEAMER, to anterior enteritis on arrival in Georgia.

Grace Anne