The morning seemed to come a bit earlier than the past few days. Alas, another day of testing is upon us. It rained last night and this morning the skies were complete overcast. There have been a couple intermittant drizzles, but nothing too serious as of yet. The sun as peeked through for minutes at a time, and we are sure to get showers on and off during the day. Temperatures, however, are very comfortable and hanging right around the low 70s; the high for today is 78 F. The humidity on the other hand is quite thick.
Complete Tests 2 & 3
At 6:50 am, the test dog team of Ty Rorem and Jazz were on the line and ready to go. They demonstrated the test nicely and then stepped aside in order for the judges to resume their testing. At 7:04, the first running dog of the day, #82 FC Westwoods Sunday Silence with handler Bill Eckett, came to the line. With 34 dogs left to run the combined 2nd/3rd, we should be ready to move on to the 4th Series in the late morning.
Handler Steve Yozamp handles Moses in the 2nd/3rd Series
12:30 Update
The combined 2nd/3rd Series came to an end shortly before 10:30 this morning. Dog number 13, FC-AFC Pineacres Ebonstar China Doll with handler Jimmie Darnell, was the final dog to run. When the callbacks came in, it was announced that the following dogs were invited to run the 4th Series: 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 100, 102, 104, and 105. This means that dogs 1, 5, 12, 14, 17, 18, 30, 40, 52, 101, and 103 have been dropped from the competition.
Contestants and on-lookers wait for the callbacks to the 4th series as the clouds darken
The final contestants, workers, and the judges came over to the site of Series 4 (just down the road from Series 2/3). They found that everyone had already gathered, the food wagon was set up, and the merchandise committee yet again had their merchandise displayed for people to shop.
The weather was starting to take a turn, as dark clouds covered the area. Thunder could be heard in the distance and got louder by the minute. There were also gusty winds out of the Southwest. Everyone knew what was about to come, but it was certainly not welcomed.
4th Series - Land/Water Triple
The 4th Series is a Land/Water Triple. First, the center gun station shoots and throws a dead duck from left to right into a small pond 335 yards from the line. They then retire behind a holding blind. Next, the left gun station shoots and throws a dead duck from left to right into a grassy area about 90 yards from the line. They retire behind a large tree. Finally, the right station throws and shoots a live duck flyer from left to right, landing about 115 yards from the line. These gunners remain visible while the dog is running the test.
Test 4 - View from the line
Just before 11:00, the test dog team of Ty Rorem and Jazz came to the line. The handlers gathered round and watched as Ty sent Jazz to all three marks without a single handle.
Ty demonstrates the 4th Series with Jazz as the handlers
(including her father Dave in the black jacket on the right) intently watch
As Jazz was returning with her final bird, a rather large bolt of lightning illuminated the sky and it began to drizzle. It was immediately announced that the 2nd test dog would wait until the system had stabilized itself and the lightning had subsided. As the gunners were gathered from the field and the handlers and workers returned to seek shelter in their vehicles, the sky opened and a massive downpour ensued.
Workers and Gunners take shelter as the rain comes through
The rain delay lasted for about an hour and a half. Finally, at 12:34 pm, the guns went off in the field for the 2nd test dog team of Danny Martin and Nike. At 12:53, the first running dog, #41 Waterdogs Shock And Awe with handler Paul Sletten, came to the line and the testing resumed once again!
Evening Update
Things this afternoon moved along quite well, despite the off and on rain drops. Testing ended at 4:50 pm with dog number 79, FC Landover Goldendaze Yukon with handler Scott Dewey. It had been announced over the PA system that dog 80 would be the last running dog, but the judges decided that it was too dark by that point, so Kenny Trott and Manu will start things off in the morning. Though it wasn't announced, it is assumed that the test dog will be on line Wednesday morning at 6:45 and the first running dog at 7:00 am.
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HaM delivers the last bird to handler Bill McKnight |
Chris Ledford lines Buzz to a mark in the 4th |
Dog work on the 4th has generally been good thus far. Of the 31 dogs that have run, only 4 have handled (#s 41, 49, 54, & 61) and 2 dogs picked up (#s 64 & 75). The remaining 53 dogs will run the 4th series tomorrow.
Good Night and Stay Dry!
Official Reporter Vickie Lamb hard at work
“Elected” -- RAY VOIGT
He is running three dogs, has co-trained five others and he is the youngest handler at this year’s National.
The name ‘Ray Voigt’ (pronounced ‘Vote’) usually appears with Mike Lardy’s, but this week, it is Ray who is at the Line. The decision for Mike’s assistant to handle the pro-run dogs here was made in early October. “All the dogs that we have titled have been a combination of the two of us.” However, “I’d run more trials this year and I got two of three qualified,” Ray explains, adding, it made “no sense” for him to run two and for Mike to run one.
Ray is running Nate (#32, Lydia Fekula and Jeffrey Schuett, owners), Dixie (#73, Jeff Lyons and Madelyn Yelton), and Ralph (#97, Sherwin Scott). The dogs being run by their owners are Dyna (#43) and Roz (#104) by Mac and Jerry Lee (#78) by Lynne DuBose, Cody (#9) by Charlie Hines, and Grady (#51) by Chad Baker.
This is Ray’s second time running at a National. In 2006, he ran two dogs who made it to the 4th and 5th series.
The twenty-six year old has been working for pros since he was 19, first with Rick Stawski, then, on a temporary basis, for Andy Attar. He has been with Mike for four years. Additionally, Ray takes in one pup at a time for other people, starting at seven weeks, and trains them during his evenings until they are eight months to a year old. ‘Voigts’ is part of Dyna’s full name because Ray bought her as a pup and trained her until she was Qualified All Age. He sold Dyna when she was two and a half.
Ray (no relation to Dennis Voigt, as is commonly assumed) was not reared in a working-dog family. Growing up in Minnesota, he developed a desire for a hunting dog “when I was old enough to start going hunting. My dad said that if I wanted a hunting dog, I had to train it.”
Ray got Kate when he was 14 and in the 8th grade. He joined the Minnesota Iron Range Retriever Club and began training daily with three or four amateur members who ran their dogs in hunt tests. His goal was only to develop Kate as a hunting dog. It turned out that she was a “decent dog,” as Ray puts it. His training partners encouraged him to run her in a junior test. “I did that and I enjoyed it, so I kept going.” At the time, Ray was 15 and a high school freshman. He began running field trials at age 16.
“Working with the dogs every day, to see the dogs advance, that’s why we do this. We do it for the dogs, and that’s the best part of it,” Ray says of his career with Mike thus far. “The highlight, in my view,” he adds, “is running three dogs at this National.”
Joule Charney is a owner/trainer/handler of hunt test Labradors from Paradise, Calif. You can check out her website (www.tenacular.com). She can be reached via e-mail at TenacularDogs@aol.com or by phone at 530-570-1187.
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