Evening star., 1960-10-11

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settlers or pointers over
trial is il progress.
The dogs run for 30 minutes,
shifting back and forth for
20 minutes on the back course"
and 10 minutes in the bird
field" There the bird handler
has whirled quail in the air
for a few seconds to dizzy the
birds and make them sit tight,
then placed them under clumpS
Of grass for the dogs to
smell out.
Dogs Must Hunt Eagerly
The pointers and settlers get
their first test on the back
course. While the judges and
spectators watch critically from
vantage points on horseback,
the dogs display their form.
If they range too widely, 1t
counts against them. If they
loaf, it's also a demerit. A dog
must hunt eagerly and happily
and not neglect any of the
possible hiding places for birds.
The real test comes in the
bird field. While the dogs
handlers shout commands, their
charges sniff out the hidden
birds and come to rigid points.
Tail should stand out stiffly
and if the setter or pointer
quivers all over in its eagerness
to point out the quail. so much
the better.
It's a sin, Of course, not to
find a bird. but just about as
bad is to point out a barren
place. If the handler fails to
flush the bird it's an 'unpro-
ductive" and counts against
his dog. It's easier, too, than
it sounds because the little
quail have a nasty habit of
slipping away in the grass,
leaving nothing but their scent
behind.
Trial This Week End
Lately. the trend has been
away from bird fields and
that's the plan for National
Capital Field Trial Clubs an
nual fall trials this week end.
There will be no bird field as
such and quail will be liberated
throughout the course, to
mingle with the native birds
already there.
Blood lines count a great
deal, Of course, and there are
two types Of owners and hand
lers, amateur and professional.
An amateur owner usually will
have a professional train his
or her dog, but professionals
may compete only in the open
stakes, for which there are
cash prizes. The amateur must
handle his own dog in the
amateur events.
Trials are held spring and
fall and there is quite a circuit
Besides National Capital, others
in this area include the North
ern Virginia Field Trial Club
in Fairfax County. Anne
Arundel Club, which holds its
trials at Mount Airy; Oriole
Club, which has them at Sandy
Point State Park, near the Bay
Bridge, and Hagerstown CluE
at Hagerstown, Md.
Championships December 5
Big event will be the national
shooting dog championships
starting December 5 at Haw.
field Plantation, Orange, Va
Northern Virginia Field Tria
Club had its fall trials last
week end on the farm of its
president, j. R. Eagle, neal
Centerville.
Top event was the Virginian
an open shooting dog stake
which drew 46 entries and pro.
vided a leg for the winner or
the handsome Spunky Carolins
Duke Trophy, named for ar
outstanding field trial dog.
Winner was a male pointer
Dungannon, owned by r. G
Hicks Of Rocky Mount, N. C.
and the father of Dungannor
Bull Moose, the winner of the
first event in the trial. the
open derby for dogs under 2
years old. Dungannon Bull
Moose is owned by P. N. Davis
OF Hampton, Va, and handled
by Hunter Grove.
Area Dogs Place
A Falls Church dog, Bryan's
Colonel Don, owned by William
K. Bryan, shared third place
in the Virginian with a Rich.