I dual registered Sally. She is registered in American Field but I also registered her in American Kennel Club. I dual registered Tur Bo and ran him in a AKC hunt test. I enjoyed the hunt test so I dual registered Sally and ran her in a hunt test, put on by, Heart Of America German Shorthaired Pointer Club, at Harding Gamebirds near Ridgeway, Missouri last weekend.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Sally on point.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
I ran Sally in the Junior Hunter hunt test. In Junior Hunter the dogs only have to point a bird and the handler must shoot a blank pistol at the flush. The dogs are judged on hunting, bird finding ability, pointing and train-ability.
In the hunt test you run your dog with another dog and handler but they aren’t competing. It’s basically a pass fail situation. There is a judge for each dog and they are mounted on horses. This was the first time Sally had ever been around a horse. Before we started I lead her near a horse, at a water bucket, where she could smell it. After just a few seconds she was okay with them.
Sally was running with a large male Weimaraner. We let the dogs loose and went about a quarter mile before we got to the bird field. Sally went toward the bird field before she should have so I called her back. She was over a small hill. About the time I thought she might be on point she popped out about a 100 yards ahead of me.
At a word from the judges we went into the bird field. The bird field was about 2 acres in size along a hillside dropping into a small low spot. It was open on 3 sides with a row of trees and brush along one side.
There were flags showing the boundaries.
The dogs were working into a strong north wind. Sally was working the west side of the field and the other dogs was on the east. I saw the Weimaraner on point but Sally didn’t. She went to the east when she heard the blank pistol but came back in front of me.
After a few minutes she pointed into the brush along the west side of the bird field. As I got close she moved a couple of steps to the south and went back on point. I went in front of her and when the quail flushed I shot the blank pistol. The judge could probably tell I wasn’t used to shooting the blank pistol. I actually tried to aim the blank gun at the bird.
It was really warm for the dogs. I had brought water and had watered her a couple of times. As we hunted the field I heard Mr. Mox shoot his blank pistol. Sally went over the hill and I tried to call her back. The judge rode to the top of the hill and said she was at the water tub that was at the start. When I got close she was standing in the tub circling trying to get enough room to lie down. Willie Castro, the judge told me that time would be up by the time I got to her. As I snapped the leash to her collar he called time.
To get a junior hunter title you must qualify 4 times. Sally qualified for one leg of her junior hunter title. We will try for another tomorrow.
Sally pointing a quail.
On Sunday, Sally and I didn’t get to the hunt test until a little after twelve o’clock. We were running in the last brace of the day but someone had canceled with 3 dogs. When I got there, they were running the first brace of the juniors. It only takes 15 to 20 minutes to run a junior hunter brace.
Sunday was hotter than the day before. Sally ran with a young short hair. About 50 yards from the break away both dogs were chasing a quail that was in the air. I’m not sure where it came from. We went on around the toward the bird field.
Just south of the bird field I saw a quail running on the ground between the two dogs. The short hair pointed and Sally started to point but the temptation was too great. She went toward the quail and it flew. She followed. The lady running the short hair fired her blank pistol.
Sally followed the quail to a strip of brush. I saw her point and another quail flushed. I called her out of the brush and got her started through the bird field. The wind was out of the south and we were going with the wind.
Sally pointing a quail.
As we went through the bird field Sally stopped along the brush where she had pointed the day before but didn’t point. She continued on and then took off to the north really fast. She may have flushed a quail and chased. I never saw the bird. A little later she did it again and the judge said she was chasing a quail. I called her back and time was up, thankfully.
Sally is just ten months old. She did real good on Saturday but Sunday was an off day for her. I hunted her during the last season and during that time I had more than one off day. So I’m okay with her having an off day.
Running in a hunt test is different from running a field trial. In the hunt test, there is no competition and everyone is wanting your dog to do well. The Heart Of America German Shorthaired Club puts on a good hunt test. They seem to have enough volunteers that each brace goes off on time.
The judges on Saturday were Willie Castro and Ken Noth. On Sunday they were Chuck Parietti and Waylon Russel. These guys have to, or get to, watch each dog. They have a tough job and they did it well.
I enjoyed my two days with the HOAGSPC, they were a friendly bunch and I will be back.
Some of the people at the hunt test.
Sally’s hunt test ribbon.
Sally Joe pointing a pigeon.