SEPTEMBER 17, 2025

Update 8:00 pm – Dogs called back to the series 7: 32 dogs back – 1,2,8,10,12,15,18,20,21,24,25,28,29, 30,32,33,37,38,39,43,44,48,49,53,54,55, 56,57,60, 61,64,65.

Update 2:45 pm – The last dog is on line!.  Callbacks will be at the workers party tonight.

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Day 4 Turns Up the Heat with a Big Land Triple at the 2026 Canadian National Retriever Championship

Series 6 returns to McParland Farm, where warm weather, two retired guns, an honour set the stage for another exciting day at the National.

Morning Conditions

Welcome to Day 4 of the Canadian National Retriever Championship. The weather offered a striking contrast to yesterday: 17°C at 7:00 a.m. and still holding at 17°C by 8:45 a.m., with sunny skies and a forecast high of 25°C. Winds began light out of the south-southwest around 5 km/h and were expected to switch west by mid-morning, with gusts up to 25 km/h possible later in the afternoon.

Series 6 Returns to McParland Farm

Series 6 is a land triple with two retired guns and an honour, set once again at the beautiful McParland family farm. The test sits in a lush green hay field, with islands of trees breaking up the middle and a long fairway stretching left toward the long gun. Those centre islands create the “mom and pop” gun stations for Guns #1 and #3, while the long retired bird waits far down the left side of the setup.

Series 6 Test Setup

This is a test with big memory, big distance, and big temptation. The right-hand side of the mom-and-pop is Gun #1, a rooster pheasant thrown left to right across a gap into the cover of another island. The station is fully brushed in, complete with a door for the gunners to enter and exit the holding blind, and it retires immediately. The distance to the gunners is 211 yards.

Gun #2 is the long retired bird on the left. The gunners throw a rooster pheasant left to right and retire immediately. On paper, the station sits at 365 yards as the crow flies, but the actual route asks much more of the dogs. The line runs tight past the go-bird, down and up through a valley, then to a bird placed on the crest of a hill up against the tree line. True yardage may be closer to 500 yards, and dogs are out of sight for a substantial amount of time.

Gun #3, the go-bird, is 197 yards and is thrown right to left on a steep angle back, landing in cover even with the drip line of a big maple tree. This bird converges with the long retired to the left on a knoll that slopes away. If dogs carry too deep, they can disappear over the hill or into the trees of the island, adding even more drama to the test.

Test Dogs Set the Scene

Test dog “Tex,” handled by Dennis Harwood, came to the line at 7:50 a.m. Tex went into the cover and quickly came up with the go-bird. For his second bird, he wanted the long bird and went left of the line, working his way to the tree line before disappearing from view. He travelled along the trees and eventually reappeared at the fall of the long bird. Tex finished on the right retired, leaving the line a little down the slope to the right before curling left under the arc, putting on a hunt, and coming up with the bird.

Test dog “Tule,” handled by Mark Jemison, came to the line at 8:00 a.m. Tule had a quick hunt on the go-bird, then went for the right retired next. She left on a good line and went directly to the cover, popped back out onto the cut grass, hunted briefly, and then returned to the cover to collect her bird. On the long left retired, Tule’s initial line was promising, but she quickly fell for the suction of the standout guns and returned to the go-bird area. Mark used several handles to drive her back to the long retired.

The First Dog to the Line

The test is about 8:00 minutes dog-to-dog. Dog #38, Prine, handled by Jeff Sanders, started the 45-dog field at 8:15 a.m., officially opening another important chapter in the 2026 National.

Sponsors and Support

Today’s generous series sponsor is Amherst Roofing & Sheet Metal, a local business, and the breakfast sponsor is the Labrador Owners Club (Ontario). Many thanks to both for supporting the day. The event is also fortunate to have the use of a UTV from Tayside Motorsports and a cart from Ireton Electric to help move people and equipment across the grounds.

A Wednesday Tribute to the Workers

And because today is Wednesday, it is time to pay homage to the workers. Workers are integral to any event, but especially to a National. Their efforts begin early in the year with the planning committee, then continue with boots on the ground — literally — to secure, prepare, and care for the grounds.

Three judges give no fewer than 12 days of their time and expertise to judge the event. The hospitality crew keeps judges and workers fed while also organizing the social events. The setup crew works alongside the judges when they arrive, and then the chief marshal and assistant marshal keep everything moving. During the event, the gun captain organizes two gunners at every station across multiple shifts each day. The Game Steward ensures the birds are ready.  Line marshals help move dogs to the holding blinds, and countless hands are needed to set up, tear down, move test sites, and take care of all the odd jobs that keep a National running.

To every person who lends a hand or takes on a role: thank you. Nationals do not happen without you. Tonight, the workers take centre stage at the workers’ party, a well-deserved celebration after another full day of Championship effort..

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