10th Series Test Description

10th Series – Water Quad

Welcome to the 10th Series of the 2023 National Retriever Championship!

We are at the Morley Property in Creswell, Oregon. This morning is overcast with fog and drizzling rain. It is 46 degrees and expected to warm up to 55 degrees with light rain early this afternoon. There is a 3 mph breeze blowing from left to right across the field.

The mat is facing East, on the face of a large hill overlooking the field.

This Quad is thrown: Left Retired, Right Retired, Right Flyer, and then Left Flyer.

Bird #1 is a hen pheasant, thrown left to right, landing 307 yards from the mat. The line to this bird takes the dog across the field and into the water, across a point and back into the water before reaching the bird at the far shore. This gun station retires as soon as the dog is sent for the last bird down. We will refer to this bird as LR for Left Retired.

Bird #2 is a hen mallard, thrown right to left, landing 279 yards from the mat. This is a bridge bird, thrown across the water to the far peninsula. This gun station retires as soon as the dog is sent for the last bird down. We will refer to this bird as RR for Right Retired.

Bird #3 is a Drake Mallard Flyer, shot left to right, landing approximately 370 yards from the mat. We will refer to this bird as RF for Right Flyer.

Bird #4 is a Rooster Pheasant Flyer, shot left to right, landing approximately 225 yards from the mat. We will refer to this bird as LF for Left Flyer.

This test is taking 13-16 minutes per dog to complete.

9th Series Test Description

Series 9 – Land and Water Triple

We are at the Kongsore Property in Creswell, Oregon where it has warmed up to 51 degrees. It is still overcast skies with a 3 mph NW wind.

The mat sits on top of a large hill, overlooking a field dotted with hay bales and 3 pieces of water. 

This triple is thrown middle, right, left.

Bird #1 is a Rooster Pheasant thrown left to right, 368 yds from the mat. The line to this bird is down a large rolling hill, across 2 pieces of water and out to the end of the field. This gun station retires as soon as the dog is sent for the last bird down. We will refer to this bird as LR for Left Retired.

Bird #2 is a Hen Pheasant thrown left to right, 342 yds from the mat. The line to this bird is off the side hill and down a channel. The gun station retires as soon as the dog is sent for the last bird down. We will refer to this bird as RR for Right Retired.

Bird #3 is a Hen Pheasant Flyer shot right to left, landing 120 yds from the mat. We will refer to this bird as F for Flyer.

This test is taking each dog approximately 7-8 minutes to complete.

8th Series Test Description

Series 8 – Water Blind

We are at the Kongsore property in Creswell, Oregon. It is overcast, 43 degrees with a 2mph NNE wind.

 

The mat faces South, on the face of a steep side hill overlooking a field of rolling hills and several pieces of water.

 

This water blind is 400 yards long. The line to the blind requires the dog to angle across 2 steep side hills, sliding right of 2 small pine trees. They then encounter a road which they must angle across before clipping the corner of 2 (of 3) pieces of water. In the 3rd piece of water, the dog must angle in, and swim past a small island before pushing out of the water to cross a ditch and climb a large hill to their bird.

This test is taking each dog approximately 6 minutes to complete.

Aerial View

Ground View from the mat

8th Series Drawing

7th Series Test Description

Series 7 – Land Triple with an Honor

We are staying at the Duck Central property in the same field as where we ran the 6th series. The mat has moved 10 yards to the north, it now faces southeast overlooking a field of striped cover. It is overcast and 45 degrees with a 4 mph north wind. 

This triple is thrown middle, right, left. 

Bird #1 - is a rooster pheasant, thrown right to left across a channel, landing 130 yards from the mat. The line to this bird requires the dog to go through several patches of cover and cross a channel to get the bird. The gunners retire when the dog is sent for the first bird down. We will refer to this bird as MR for middle retired. 

Bird #2 - is a Drake mallard, thrown right to left 205 yards from the line. This bird is thrown into heavy cover at the far shore of a channel. The gunners retire as soon as the dog is sent for the last bird down. We will refer to this bird as RR for Right Retired. 

Bird #3 - is a Drake Mallard flyer, shot right to left 220 yards from the line. The line to this bird requires the dog to cross a channel to get the bird. We will refer to this bird as F for Flyer.

This test is taking each dog approximately 7 minutes to complete.

6th Series Test Description

Series 6 – Land Blind

We are back at Duck Central, in the same field where we ran the 5th series. 

The mat for the 6th faces NE.The skies are overcast, drizzling rain, with a 4 mph north wind.  

The blind is 320 yards long. The line to this blind requires the dog to cross a swale, navigate a patch of cover tight to a tree, and cross another thick patch of cover before encountering the fall area of the 5th Series test hen pheasant flyer. The dog must then push out left of a mound, between a small pine tree and a corner of water before clipping the corner of a mound to get to the bird. 

This blind is taking each dog approximately 2 minutes to complete.

5th Series Test Description

Series 5 – Water Quad with an Honor

For this series we are at Duck Central, in Junction City, Oregon.
The mat sits on top of a mound, facing SE. It is partially cloudy, 38 degrees with a slight NE wind.
This Quad is shot in this order: Right Retired, Middle Retired, Left Retired and then Flyer.

Bird #1 is a drake mallard, thrown 360 yds from the mat. The gunners stand on top of a mound, throwing their bird from right to left. The line to this bird requires the dog to navigate a thick patch of cover before catching a skinny corner of the horseshoe shaped pond. Upon exit, the dog navigates another thick patch of cover before swimming down a channel, past several duck decoys. This station retires as soon as the dog is sent from the line. We will refer to this bird as RR for Right Retired.

Bird #2 is a rooster pheasant landing 249 yds from the mat. This is a bridge bird, thrown left to right to a peninsula. The line to this bird requires the dog to navigate patchy cover and cross a road before swimming down the shoreline to the peninsula. The gunners retire as soon as the dog is sent from the line. We will refer to this bird as MR for Middle Retired.

Bird #3 is a hen mallard, thrown left to right 180 yds from the line, into a thick patch of cover. The line to this bird requires the dog to catch a skinny piece of water, drive past several goose decoys and angle across the pond. The gunners retire as soon as the dog is sent from the line. We will refer to this bird as LR for Left Retired.

Bird #4 is a hen pheasant flyer, shot Left to Right. The bird lands 168 yards from the mat, in a patch of cover. The line to this bird requires the dog to cross the horseshoe shaped pond. We will refer to this bird as F for Flyer.

In addition, there is an honor to the left of the mat. 

This test is taking each dog approximately 13 minutes to complete.

4th Series Test Description

We are at Goosehollow in the same field that we ran the 3rd series. It has warmed up to 50 degrees now and the sun is out. There is very little wind.

The running mat faces NE, overlooking a winding channel that has moved back about 50 yards from its 3rd series location. For this blind, a hen mallard is placed next to a brown shrub 235 yards from the mat.

The line to this blind requires the dog to angle down a hill, catch the corner of a large mound, cross a shallow ditch, and angle into a channel of water. The dog must then exit onto a scented point and angle back into and down the channel. The dog must then exit the water just past the fall area of the 3rd Series Bird # 2 (RR), and run 20 more yards to get the bird.

This test is taking approximately 5-6 minutes per dog. 

3rd Series Test Description

3rd Series  –  Land/Water Triple 

We are at Goose Hollow, in Monroe, Oregon.

The mat is facing north, overlooking a hayfield with a winding channel. It is currently 43 degrees and overcast, with a 12-mph wind blowing over the handler’s right shoulder.

The birds are being thrown Middle, Right, Left.

Bird #1 is a dead drake mallard, thrown Left to Right 202 yards from the mat. The line to this bird requires the dog to angle into and down a channel. When the dog exits the channel, they must navigate several goose decoys and then push up a steep hill. The gunners retire as soon as the dog is sent. We will refer to this bird as MR for Middle Retired.

Bird #2 is a dead hen mallard, thrown Left to Right 160 yards from the mat. The bird lands behind a small piece of cover. The line to this bird requires the dog to cross a channel, push across a wide point and then angle back into the channel, cross it and find their bird near the shore. The gunners retire as soon as the dog is sent. We will refer to this bird as RR for Right Retired.

Bird #3 is a Drake Mallard Flyer. It is shot Right to Left 165 yds from the mat. The line to this bird requires the dog to cross a shallow ditch and angle up a rolling hill. We will refer to this bird as F for Flyer.

This test is taking approximately 6-7 minutes per dog.

1st and 2nd Series Test Description

 1st and 2nd Series  –  Land Double and a Blind. 

The mat sits atop a mound, facing north overlooking a flat field scattered with hay bales. It is overcast skies and 47 degrees, with a slight breeze at the handler’s back. 

Bird #1 is a dead Rooster Pheasant, thrown angled back right to the left at 165 yards, landing in the ditch. The gun station retires as soon as the dog is sent for the flyer. We’ll refer to this bird as RG for Retired Gun. 

Bird #2 is a Rooster Pheasant Flyer, shot right to left at 200 yards. We’ll refer to this bird F for Flyer. 

For the blind, the handler moves to a mat 5 yards to the left or the original. The blind is approximately 204 yards long. The line to the blind carries the dog through a small pot hole pond and then through a hay bale keyhole. 

This test is taking approximately 5.5 minutes per dog.