The last trial of 2022 dawned bright, cool, 42 degrees, with a light breeze, perfect. We had dry feisty birds, thanks to the efforts or our great supplier Phil Ezell, a new and eager bird planter, James Gill, who was mentored and schooled in the art by Doug Cross, as well as Bob Dorn and Mick Gill, who did most of the judging, with timely fill ins by Larry Naas.

This was the last trial to earn points for DOY and POY, as well as Handler of the Year. Although James Parnell pretty much had HOY sowed up after the first trial, where his excellent string had him 10 points ahead. He was steady all year, always in the mix and finished 10 points ahead, congratulations.

The Gun Dog race was a different story with three dogs within a point of each other to start the day. Tom Alexander and Boomer, who were a point in the lead, drew the 1st brace. That can be good and that can be bad, depending on weather. Well at 8 am the sun was barely up and there wasn’t a breath of air moving. Boomer did his usual great job of covering the field but was only able to move two birds and score on one. Game on.

Next up Gunner and Larry Naas. Scenting conditions must have been ideal, as all the dogs in the field found birds, and there were very few carry over from brace to brace. Bob Williams & Mike, who came in second for the day, along with Bob Dietrich & Daisy cleaned the field in the brace just ahead of Larry and Gunner. Gunner was able to find birds but only got two with one retrieve, while brace mate Ben Faulkner and Dottie stole three fulls with a wily smirk.

Now it was up to Gene Gray and Joe to perform. And perform they did, see lead photo of Joe on point. That dog is a bird finding machine and soon racked up 4 fulls and a back, with the first find coming in 7, that’s SEVEN, seconds. That quick work earned him DOY and 1st place for the day, beating Bob Williams’s Mike by 51 seconds.

We had a some new members who got involved in this washing machine and acquainted themselves really well. Bob Deitrick and his girls Daisy and Dottie, handled that big field really well and found birds and ran till their tongues hung out. Russell Davis and Kronk as well as Brian Lacinski and West found birds and are more than ready to hit the field when the season starts.

One other thing of note was the number of backs for the day. 9 total for 16 dogs. Huh. That is more than I have, or anyone of the other old guys I talked with yesterday, have ever seen and there were more, but we can only score one per brace. Why yesterday? Scenting conditions were great but we judges really tried to distinguish between a true back and a scent point. Now those backs didn’t have to be long, I think a couple were just for one or two seconds, but a back, the honoring of another dogs point, is a back. Even had one handler call his dog as being on point, not backing. That’s knowing your dog and being a good sportsman, what we are all about as a club.

One other thing I’d like to know. How can two dogs, being as different as the two pictured above, go out in the same field and find more birds than were planted and end up one retrieve apart? I mean they are about 40# different in weight, half again as big or small, and certainly have different hunting styles. They both work their hearts out for the owners and earn that kibble at the end of the day, that’s for sure.

Thanks to Purina for their sponsorship and the great Pro Plan Dog Food as wining prizes. All the board members and volunteers, our great bird supplier Phil Exell, and all the others who make having these trials possible. And of course it goes without saying, the Ohler family for allowing us to use this great little part of the prairie. Well our season is over but the real one is just around the corner. Good luck, have fun, be safe, and we will see you in the spring.

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