Grand Nat. Invitational pictures/trip.

[JGF@Gratiot]

I don't normally take pictures at trials, but my wife gave me a new camera for Christmas, and I traveled 14 hours to watch the trial with a friend who had some dogs in the invitational, so I thought I would get some shots in since I walked every brace for 3 days. For those that might not be familiar, many trials are awarded points based on the placement times the number of dogs entered. They accumulate over the year. The invitational is a trial in which the top 14 coverdogs as far as points accumulated, compete for 2-3 days for a championship. All dogs entered were champions, multiple champions, or runner-up champions. However, I do beleive there were 2 dogs that declined the invitation due to the length of travel. The format then goes as follows, all dogs run the one hour stake for 2 days, no dogs can be ordered up. The judges then call back however many dogs they want to see on the final day (4 were called back). It is a good endurance trial, as a dog is supposed to run a field trial caliber race for the three days, as well as be nearly mistake free for the entire trial on bird manners/honoring/staying broke/etc. Thus this also requires a dog to be consistent, not just throwing down a championship performance one time out never to be heard of again. There are many other variables but that is it in a nutshell for those who may have never heard of it. The winner was CH Sunkhaze Fast Break, a pointer from Maine o/h by Mike Flewelling, and RUCH was Quail Trap Tom, o Dave Hawk, h Vance Butler. Here where some pictures from the trip. Let me know if they don't work as I am not very good with the computer/picture stuff.

http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee240/jgf_gratiot/?action=view&current=c4db72de.pbw

[JGF@Gratiot]

whoops the computer was being wierd on me there so I don't know how to delete the other ones that posted, sorry about that

[slammer]

That is pretty funny. My wife took a black & white photography class a few years ago and her main subject was headstones. Of course she noticed that and was far more interested in those than the dogs.

[Merimac]

I enjoyed the shots. I thought there was going to be an early 4th of July here with the Red, White and Blue ribbons. Thats how it goes some days.

Two weeks ago I think I saw half of the MS team in the American Field.

Well, I hope that the MI trial season will start soon.

Good luck

[FindTheBird]

Nice job despite the fact that coverdog trials (and forest bird hunting in general) has got to be about the toughest hunting photography in existence.

I stopped up at the horseback trial in Ionia today hoping to snap a pic or two but got there just as the guys were loading their horses & dogs.

[JGF@Gratiot]

The headstones were on what they called surprise, the cemetary course; I think the date on the one was like 1824 or something near that. I had some other pictures that would have been good but I didnt figure out the focus feature on my camera until the last day so it was focusing on nearest object instead of the center object. There were quite a few woodcock and one grouse during the trial.