The 9th Series Water/Land Quad with a Honor Test Description

The 9th Series is being held at Lucy#2 one of the premier retriever training properties in the nation. The landowner's John & Laura Parrott have designed this property around their passion for the field trial game and are gracious to welcome the 2013 NARC with open arms.

The terrain and views from this property will take your breath away, not just from walking up and down this challenging terrain, but from the endless possibilities of well-placed marks. The Judges have taken full advantage of this amazing property and have set up a 9th Series test that will be sure to get all of the answers they need to come up with their 10th Series Finalists.

Al Wilson 2013 NARC Judge commented, " We are protecting our winner and don't be surprised if a Handle wins this NARC!" 2013 NARC Judge, Lyn Yelton also commented, "the books are ugly and I have ran out of pencils with sharp tips." Historically it is possible for a Handle to win, it does not happen often, but anything in the 2013 NARC is possible.

The Judges goal is to find the best dog in the country that displays every attribute it takes to truly earn the title of National Amateur Field Champion! (NAFC)These three Judges: Lyn Yelton, Al Wilson, & Ted Shih have brilliantly set up tests where the dogs have eliminated themselves due to a failure of one or more aspects in the tests. Magnificent Job Judges!!! It has been a pleasure to report the 2013 NARC! Thank you from The Retriever News Team.

The 9th Series begins a top of a hill with the mat facing North.  The line overlooks a valley that has two technically diverse ponds. The wind is blowing out of the South to Southeast at times at 7-12 mph. The sky is mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon.

The first bird to be shot is a Drake Mallard smack dab in the middle of the test. This bird is being  thrown hard angle-back left landing on a hillside in a cover strip. There is a row of pine trees and this gun station retires behind the last two trees in the row closest to the pond. We will refer to this bird as the Long Left Retired (LLR). The line to the bird is down the valley into the pond for a big swim and then the dogs must re-enter another pond and negotiate two more peninsulas before having to punch up a hill to reach the bird. This bird is a whopper measuring at 440 yds!

The second bird to be shot is located to the right of the (LLF) and is a dead Hen Mallard thrown hard angle-back left. It too lands on a hillside in a cover strip with mowed paths around the area of the fall. The gunners retire in a large pile of brush nestled in the valley of the hilly terrain.This bird measures 320yrds. The dogs must make a swim here too and take only the first pond. Then once the dog makes the big swim they must punch out of the pond across a road and drive halfway up a hill before making it to the fall area. We will refer to this bird as the Right Retied (RR).

The third bird to be shot is a Hen Pheasant Flyer and is located to the far right of the test. This bird is thrown hard angle-back right and lands on a hillside in a cover strip with mowed paths around the area. This bird measures 230 yds and is a land mark. We will refer to this bird as the Right Flyer (RF).

The fourth and final bird to be shot in this series 9 test is a simulated Hen Pheasant flyer thrown flat on the hilltop to the left. This bird measures at 80 yds. We will refer to this bird as the (LF) Left Flyer, but it is a dead Hen being thrown.

This Test is taking 14 minutes 16 seconds per dog.