WINNER'S PARTY

NINEPIPES LODGE, SOUTH OF RONAN ON HWY 93, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REMAINDER OF THIS AWARDS CEREMONY

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO DOG #85, GRADY, AND CHAD BAKER!

AND THE WINNER IS--

DOG #85-- GRADY AND CHAD BAKER!!!!!

NOTE ABOUT HOOK #9

NOTE THAT HOOK IS A RERUN. HE HAD ALREADY RUN THE GO-BIRD FLYER, AND WAS ALREADY SCORED ON IT. He handled on the bird in his re-run, But, Again, HAD ALREADY BEEN SCORED. Hope this clears up any confusion. Thank you.

Now--We Wait!

Last Dog to the Line... #9, "Hook" -- NICE JOB

Dog #9, Windy City's Bent Tail, owned and handled by Charlie Hines.

Handle on the go-bird flyer for Hook. HE HAS ALREADY BEEN SCORED ON THIS BIRD. Then, he had a really nice left flyer. Hook is currently hunting the middle flyer; he's got it.

Hook is swimming for the long retired mark. And had a nice one. Game over!

REBIRD IN PROGRESS! One Dog Left To Run...

The right-hand flyer station was out of birds, as was the left flyer, and a quick replenish mission is nearly completed. Charlie Hines and Hook wait in the last holding blind for their re-run on this test. They are the last dog to run.

Headed for Birds-- #49, "Windy" HANDLE MIDDLE FLYER

Dog #49, NFC-AFC Candlewood's Something Royal, owned by Ken Neil and Brenda Little and handled by Ken Neil.

Windy has nailed her go-bird flyer. Next, she's taken some water and hunted low behind the left flyer. She's on the hillside, and now back to the edge of the water and the tules and hunting between there and the gunners; has the bird.

She's had a substantial hunt on the middle flyer--now Ken is handling her to it.

Windy cut a piece of right-side land en route to the long retired and scooped it up--she's done!

Working the Test, #34, "Norman"

Dog #34, FC-AFC Trumarc's Stormin Norman II, owned and handled by Mark Rosenblum.

He has had a small hunt on his go-bird flyer. Now, after a hunt on the left flyer, Norman is setting up for the middle flyer. And he has it... headed for the long retired.

Norman crossed the land behind the middle guns and kept driving and has just nailed the long retired!

"Ethel" Running The Tenth -- HANDLE LEFT FLYER/HANDLE MIDDLE FLYER/Handle Retired

Dog #27, FC-AFC Vinwood's Don't Look Ethel, owned and handled by Charles Hays and Danny Farmer, is handled by Yvonne Hays.

She's got her go-bird flyer and is setting up for the left-hand flyer. On it, Ethel dropped down and got in the left edge of the channel, and Yvonne has been handling her from the flat below the hill that the left flyer is shot from--with multiple whistles she's trying to get her up the hill and in front of the guns. She has that bird.

From behind the middle gun station, Yvonne is handling Ethel to that bird--she's got it, too.

A handle from the water to the retired mark rounds out the test for Ethel, and she's got all four birds.

On The Mat--#25, "Skeeter" HANDLE LEFT FLYER/HANDLE LONG RETIRED

Dog #25, FC-AFC Wolf Creek CR Skeeter, owned and handled by Robby Bickley.

He's had a quick hunt on his go-bird flyer...

Skeeter is handling currently on the left flyer... he went down and bailed into the water and Robby began casting him from there. He's got the bird.

Now, he has his middle flyer and did well on it...

A handle is in progress for the long bird, which began near the middle gun station.

Re-Run -- Dog #92 "Ruby" HANDLE ON MIDDLE FLYER

Dog #92, AFC Flyway's Ruby B. Gonia, owned by Helen and Don Graves and handled by Don Graves.

Ruby had a quick hunt just deep and around for her go-bird. Now, ... a hunt for the left flyer, Ruby is nearly back with it.

After a substantial hunt behind the middle flyer station, Don Graves is handling Ruby to her flyer fall.

Ruby has just had a very nice job on her long retired mark to finish her test.

Up At 'Em... #12, "Oatie"

...Dog #12, FC-AFC Suncrest Wild Oats, owned by Arnie and Linda Erwin and handled by Linda Erwin, has his go-bird flyer.

Oatie had a big hunt low several times and over the ridge deep of the bird to the left flyer. On his middle flyer he had a nice area hunt.

He just handled on his long retired mark from behind the middle flyer gun, to the bird.

In Motion-- #85 Re-run -- "Grady"

Dog #85, FC-AFC Cody Cut A Lean Grade, owned and handled by Chad Baker, has his go-bird and is hunting his left flyer right now.

He speared the middle flyer.

And... he swam on down and just nailed his long retired bird!!

Running: #9 "Hook" NO-BIRD WHILE RUNNING

Hook was retrieving his go-bird flyer when a no-bird was called on his middle flyer... it was walking up the hill.

Birds are being picked up right now.

"Pogo" On Her Way... HANDLE RETIRED BIRD

Dog #111, FC-AFC Trumarc's L'il Ms Pogo, owned and handled by Martha and John Russell and handled by Martha Russell, is driving for her right-hand flyer. She has it.

Pogo just had the tiniest hunt on her left flyer. She's en route to the middle flyer now.

Ms Pogo has just drilled the middle flyer.

Pogo, when sent for the long retired, was rolling toward the bird on land behind the middle flyer station when she broke right deep of it, and Martha handled her to the long retired bird.

Now on the Mat--#110 "Chase"

Dog #110 is AFC Coolwater's Storm Chaser, owned and handled by Alex Washburn.

Chase had a hunt on the go-bird flyer but has it.

Now, Chase is hunting the left flyer around the fall and also a few loops behind the gun. Now he has this mark and is coming back.

Alex is handling Chase on the middle flyer after a hunt behind the gun. He has it.

Chase swam his way to the long retired, and is now coming back with this last bird.

Now Running, #96 -- "Jerrylee"

Dog #96, FC-AFC Great Bunns of Fire, owned by Lynne and Mac DuBose and handled by Lynn DuBose.

She drilled the right-hand flyer and now just had a great job on the left flyer and has been sent for the middle flyer. Now has it... and sent for the long retired. She has crossed and is driving behind the middle flyer but peeling left and has just bent into the holding blind on the far shore. She has it!

NO-BIRD FOR #92 on LONG RETIRED

Dog #91 To The Line... "Tyson" HANDLE RIGHT FLYER/HANDLE RETIRED

This is Dog #91, FC-AFC Sureshot's TKO, owned and handled by Alvin Hatcher.

On the go-bird, after an extensive hunt all around in front and behind the fall and the guns, Alvin is handling. His flyer went way up the hillside angled back.

He had a nice left flyer and is en route to the middle flyer.

Alvin is handling Tyson to the retired mark up the channel and now they have the bird.

GRADY No-Bird on Left Flyer

Dog #80 Up Now "Freedom" HANDLE RETIRED

Dog #80 is Watermark's The Black Pearl, owned by Howard Kuning and Chad Costa and handled by Chad Costa.

Go-bird, fine. Left flyer, did well. Middle flyer--another good one. Now Freedom has been sent for the long retired.

She went across tight behind the middle flyer guns and just as she was about to drive over the hill, Chad blew and handled. He's handling now...

Dog #63 On Line... "Miah"

... This is #63, FC-AFC Bayou Teche Miah, owned and handled by Stephen Ritter. After having just scooped up the go-bird, she's out at the left flyer. She just went inside the bird and continued looping all the way down to the water's edge (down a hill) on the right. Then she went back up toward the guns, and back down again, made a couple little loops down near tules on the left edge of the channel and is now up around the bird. She has it and is coming in...

Third bird--the middle flyer, she has gone in at the back side of the guns and made a few loops back there, and then went up into the flyer area and hunted some there before getting the bird. She's bringing it back now.

For the long retired, Miah squared the water and drove across and up the hill behind the middle flyer. She then crossed over the water to the left and now has the bird!

We Are Off And Running... Dog #60 "Saber"

#60, FC-AFC Tealcreek Patton's Saber, owned by Chris and Portia Hatch and handled by Chris Hatch. Go-bird down, left flyer speared, got the middle flyer and has just been sent for the long retired...

and he's done it! Nice job--Saber is in the clubhouse.

Test Dog to the Line...

... All four birds went off with streamers ... at the same time. Lily was a bit surprised! So was Nancy White.

It Can Happen In A Second...

... Ted Shih rolled his truck on I-90 near Livingston, Montana, not long ago. Pete Hayes was behind him and both Pete Hayes and Joe Broyles are on the scene now. Ted is okay and his dogs are okay--the truck is totaled.

A vehicle in front of Ted suddenly slowed down and he had to brake and that's all he remembers...

We are reminded how quickly things can change, and how every second counts. Thanks to the man upstairs with regard to the condition of Ted and his dogs.

CALLBACKS FOR TEST TEN

9, 12, 25, 27, 34,  49, 60, 63, 80, 85, 91, 92, 96, 110, 111

Dog 60 starts

Tenth Series Move In Progress

Jerrylee does this test

Jerrylee got her flyer, and on her second send went for the right-hand bird and went right into the cover to the bird. On her retired mark, she went out to the left of the holding blind and hunted left of the blind back and then to the right where she recovered her mark.

Hook Got His Birds

After the flyer, Hook, #9, hunted short toward the standout blind and then turned left and hunted this side of the water, crossed and got the middle retired bird. He then came back and did a nice job on the right-hand mark.

TALK ABOUT POGO!!!!!!!

Excellent Flyer. Straight to right-hand bird. Middle mark--Pogo came up JUST left of the holding blind, turned right into the cover and came up with the bird! WOW!

Chase Handled on Retired...

Dog #110 got the flyer and then swam wide right of the right-hand bird before recovering to it. She went wide left on the retired mark and deep, and had to be whistled back in to the bird by handler Alex Washburn.

Brooke HANDLE on RIGHT Bird

After her flyer, Brook went out and ended up with the middle bird second. She actually didn't have any very long hunt, but hunted between the middle bird and the right bird, although she never actually got over into where the right bird lands, and retrieved the middle bird. Then, on the right bird as she drove by on the right and started deep, he handled her quickly back to it.

Scary flyer--But Eva Has A Bead On It HANDLE RIGHT-HAND BIRD

... Dog #98, Eva's walkout flyer was bordering on being the second no-bird in a row this morning, but her number was called and she kept her focus and concentration, zeroing in on the wide bird. Then, she went right of the standout mark, a bit deep and turned left, working her way to the retired mark.

For her right-hand bird, Eva slipped by and got deep, hunting around the grove of trees in the distance. She worked her way back and when she entered the water, handler Lanse Brown cast her to the bird.

NO-BIRD on walkout flyer for #96

Ruby and Don Graves...

Ruby made excellent work of the flyer and the right-hand mark. For her retired bird, she came out way right and just deep of the old fall and then went way deep before coming back and hunting the area for the mark.

Tyson Hatcher has done the test

Dog #91 had a good flyer and a nice right-hand mark, and then went in for the retired mark, hunting out of sight for quite some time before coming up with the bird.

GRADY IS A HERO!

Grady got the flyer and then cut right of the gunners to cross and make quick work of the right-hand mark. For the retired mark he went left up near the pump house, turned right, and worked quickly down to the bird-- great job on this test!

HANDLE on #80, FREEDOM

Freedom got her flyer and then hunted left for her standout right-hand mark. Upon getting this bird, she split the difference coming back. Handler Chad Costa put Freedom on his right to send for the middle retired bird and she went left up near the pump house and while she was around the property road, he handled her to the mark.

Freedom and Chad on the honor

This Is Where #76 Should Be Coming To Line...

... But, again, unfortunately, "Comet" Harger has come in season and Linda scratched her earlier this morning.

Dog #73--OZZY

After the flyer, Ozzy went up the middle, got around the pump house and hunted and then worked over to the retired mark. When sent third, he went right of the right-hand bird and drove deep. It appears he may have slowed down and resumed hunting in a big loop back into the bird.

Benjy and Teresa Griffith with Ozzy after the ninth test

BIRDY HANDLES

... She got her flyer and then went right of the holding blind for the right-hand bird, she went back and forth a couple of times and then crossed and got this bird. Birdy is handling currently to the retired bird.

Miah Ritter Does the Test

With a good flyer and a good area hunt on the right-hand bird, Miah, #63, went left of the holding blind and then checked down and came back and got her third bird.

Saber HANDLES on Retired

... After a good flyer and right-hand bird, Saber went left for the retired and as he was going deep, handler Chris Hatch whistled him back to the mark.

First Dog of the Morning --

... At 7:01 a.m.

Test Dog to the Line...

Nancy White and Lily demonstrate the test to remaining handlers.

UNFORTUNATE NEWS!!! OH MY!!! NINTH SERIES SCRATCH

Dog number #76, Comet with Linda Harger... has come in heat. She just scratched her, officially.

And made it to the ninth series... oh my!

One Last Time...

... the Judges prepare to leave Headquarters for one more day of grueling National Amateur Championship testing.

L to R, Pat Nicholls, Mary Howley, and Mitch Brown 

-- THIS IS THE DAY --

A new day is dawning... and what a day it will be!