SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

The Daily Report is brought to you by Purina PRO PLAN, official dog food sponsor, official dog food supplier, and sponsor of judges’ travel to the National Retriever Club of Canada.

It’s a beautiful morning here in Callander, ON! The morning started with a slight delay due to ground fog, and the temperature is 14 degrees with very light winds at 5km/h from the south. The forecast is for a high of 28 degrees with winds remaining fairly calm at 5-7km/h from the south all day. The caravan arrived at Sergio and Monica Gazzola’s farm at around 7:15. Donna and David Wardle expertly parked over 70 vehicles.

The first two tests are combined (series 1 & 2) and will be a double and a blind.  The test is oriented N/NE with the light wind at the handler’s back.  Handlers will run the double marks, then by invitation run the blind…The blind is hot when the dogs are running the marks.  The gunners are instructed to sit down in their chairs after they throw, making the long gun still visible, but the short gunners mostly disappear behind heavy cover.  Gun #1 on the left at 235 yds is a hen mallard thrown slight angle back L-R, and gun #2 on the right at 102 yds, also a hen mallard thrown steep angle back.  There is heavy cover in front of gun #2 obscuring the fall.  The true line to the long gun is through the tip of the heavy cover.

Handlers are on their own to run the blind after they hand off their 2nd bird.  The blind is 200 yds to the left of the long gun with a prominent point of heavy cover on the left side.

Everyone was invited to the line where for the “Passing of the Paddle”, an NRCC tradition. Darlene Broomhead, 2023 National Retriever Championship Judge passed “the paddle” to the 2024 Judges where Chris Brandl accepted the paddle on behalf of  Rick Roberts, and Mike Zelman to start the 2024 National Retriever Championship.

The opening ceremonies traditionally include the running of the Honorary Test Dog; this year we paid homage to “Dealer” Baypoints Let It Ride who passed on July 28.  “Dealer” was owned and loved by Karen Carson for 13 years.

Official Female and Male Test Dogs coming to line are Play It Again Little Two Bits QFTR-JFTR “Cici” and Doug Shepard, and Baypoint’s Triple Distilled QFTR-JFTR “Jameson” and Hope Roberts.

The first test dog “Cici” and Doug Shepherd came to line at approximately 7:50. Cici plowed through the heavy cover and quickly picked up on the go-bird.  On route to the long bird, she faded early before the gunners and headed into the heavy cover behind the gun station, gave a short hunt, then popped out beyond the guns and to the bird.  Cici did a nice job on the blind with just one whistle at the end to put her on the bird.

Male test dog “Jameson” and Hope Roberts came to line next – a quick hunt on the go-bird after the heavy cover, then knew exactly where the long bird landed for a quick pickup.  Jameson flared the point of cover on the left and needed one whistle to put him back on line to finish the blind.

11 dogs have run up to the first bird change. The early work was similar to the test dogs in that they either go directly to the long gun or fade early into the heavy cover, then pop out deep of the gun.  No issues on the go-bird.  The dogs are either lining the blind or needing one or two whistles as they fall off the slight slope to the left or flare the point.

Dog #4 came to line at 8:10. There were 7 scratches:  2,28,35,60,61,67,69.  69 Dogs will start.  The test takes approximately 4:00 minutes per dog.

There is minimal cell coverage at the site so uploading of video will come later.  Thank you for your patience; we will get updates as soon as we can.  Stay tuned….

Today also included official photos of dogs & handlers by Leanne Etstey. Thank you to Artist Peter Ferin for doing the test drawings, and to Karen Carson for videoing the test dogs.

We respectully acknowledge that we work, live, and play on the tradidonal territory of the Anishinabek Nation that is protected by the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850. This land is occupied by the people of Nipissing First Nation.

Thank you to the Official Sponsors of the National Retriever Championship:  PRO PLAN, Banded – Avery Sporting Dogs (ASD), and Garmin.

Official Sponsors

Host Club

Thank you to Artist Peter Ferin for doing the test drawings, and to Karen Carson for helping with the videos.

Series 1 & 2 test dogs.  Male test dog Jameson running the marks; female test dog Cici running the blind.