Evening star., 1917-10-28

There can be no doubt that the main
tained and even increased interest in
the ownership and breeding of bird
ever-increasinE interest in the many
field trials held to show the qualities
Of pointers and settlers. There are
many sportsmen who are wont to de-
ride field trials and field trial dogs. In
fact. they have been known to refer
to them as limitation bird hunts over
imitation bird dogs" Pin one of these
doubling Thomases down to facts,
however. and 1t will be found that his
doubts spring from having never
witnessed the running of a real
field trial. These doubters often are
obsessed with the idea that great
feld-trial dogs are not great gun dogs.
Nothing could be further from the
facts, but 1t Is admitted they are not
gun dogs from the viewpoint OF one
who wants his dog to potter along at
a snail's pace, never getting fifty yards
away from his handler.
Three Prime Requisites.
There are three requisites for first
class feld-trial dog. These are pace
very wide range and first-class nose
Combined with these must be obedi-
ence to control and rare intelligence
in seeking "birdy" ground. Not all
ield-trial dogs combine these quaiities.
but all great ones must possess them.
In the great free-for-all championship
stake OF the National Ciuo, run at al
houn, Ala, In 1916. thirty-seven beYies
of birds were found In six hours time.
and not single flush is recorded by
one of the four leading dogs-John
Proctor, De Soto Frank Lewis Z:
Morris and Gibraltar Ollie, each OF
which ran four hours. Their COM
bined scores amounted to fifty beVles
pointed in perfect style and numerous
single bird points.
Let any OF those who contend that great
field trial dogs are not geat bird dogs
cut out these figures and compare them
with the work of some CT their meat
dogs" In nutshell. nearly all great
field trial dogs are fine gun dogs. but
not all good gun dogs are even second
rate field trial dogs They lack the neces-
sary speed and range, or the qualities
that are designated as Glass" Lack of
space prohibits going into details about
the qualities OF the two classes of dogs,
but persons open to conviction can enjoy
the opportunity of seeing field trial dogs
perform, and that in sight of the dome
Of the Capitol. at the annual meet Of the
National Capital Field Trial Club next
month
lTp 1niOT1IidtloH VI tIcSc "ito AAsAF y
not witnessed the running Of bird dog
trial a brief description of the manner of
conducting one Is that II is similar to a
hunt over two high-class gun dogs the
owners being on horseback and followed
by two judges to decide which is the bet
ter dog.
Trials Start November 8.
The trials of the National Capital Field
Trial Club will start Thursday. Novem-
. 7ayfx- ttn ing hEa "a
trial party will assemble at the fntersec-
ton OF Bradley lane and Wisconsin ave-
nue.. Immediately at the northwest corner
of the Chevy Chase golf links. The con-
tending dogs will have been braced at a
meeting held the evening before, the
drawing being just as al golf or tennis
tournament. Mounting. the party rides a
few hundred yards along the railroad
track to the place for putting down the
first brace of dogs With the marshal. or
dogs follow. Then come the two judges
of the trials followed in turn by the
spectators.
For the information of those witness
ing their first trial it may be said there
can be no more serious breach of field
trail etiquette than for one of the gal
le-y'' to get in advance OF the JUDGES
After the dogs are turned loose. the
contest is on and the heat continues
for thirty minutes. just as would an
ordinary hunt. The handlers try to
drive their dogs at top speed and send
them as far out as possible, speed aud
range, next to bird work being the
controlling features. After thirty min
utes the dogs are ordered up" by the
Judges, and another brace put down.
and this continues until the entire en-
try list has run. with only an intermis-
sion for the noted lunches which the
club serves for all visitors at its cozy
clubhouse. 1.-The House in the Woods"
After the first series" has been COM
pleted the judges confer and make up
second series" composed Of the dogs
that in their judgement have shown the
most class in the first. These are braced
and run as long as the judges deem
necessary, after which the Judges an
nounce the winners" of first, second
and third places.