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NAHRA Judge's Clinic

NAHRA Judge's Clinic. President Frank Plewa & Tom Johnston. AGENDA. Introductions  Purpose of Judges Clinics Becoming a NAHRA Judge Judge’s Responsibilities Accepting a Judging Assignment Field Test Planning Scoring NAHRA test levels in brief. AGENDA. Test Design Marking Tests

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NAHRA Judge's Clinic

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  1. NAHRA Judge's Clinic President Frank Plewa & Tom Johnston

  2. AGENDA • Introductions  • Purpose of Judges Clinics • Becoming a NAHRA Judge • Judge’s Responsibilities • Accepting a Judging Assignment • Field Test Planning • Scoring • NAHRA test levels in brief

  3. AGENDA • Test Design • Marking Tests • Blind Retrieve Tests • Upland Hunt Tests • Trailing Tests • Firearm Safety • Code of Conduct

  4. So you want to be a Judge?

  5. PURPOSE OF CLINIC • Train New Judges • Calibrate Existing Judges

  6. PURPOSE OF CLINIC • To promote the field test standard • To maintain a pool of quality judges • To train new members to become quality judges • Meet continuing education requirement of judges

  7. JUDGING RESPONSIBILITIES • Design the Field test • Score the Dogs • Represent NAHRA & the Host Club

  8. Design the Test

  9. Score the Dogs

  10. Represent NAHRA & Host Club

  11. Becoming NAHRA Judge • Member in Good Standing • Pass Judges Exam • Handled and Qualified a Dog

  12. Remain NAHRA Judge • Attend Judges Clinic Every 3 Years • Agree to Judges Code of Conduct

  13. JUDGING RESPONSIBILITIES • Design Test & Score Dogs • Represent NAHRA & Host Club • Deciding the Breeding Stock of NAHRA Future

  14. JUDGING RESPONSIBILITIES • Understanding of the Rules • Compliance to the Rules • Voluntary and Serious

  15. JUDGING ASSIGNMENT • Accepting • Conflicts • Arrival • Professionalism

  16. Judge’s Equipment Be Prepared • NAHRA Rulebook • Score book • Pencil • Sunscreen, Bug Spray & Drugs • Raingear and appropriate clothing • Chair, Bucket, and Blind-bag • Umbrella & Umbrella stand • Flagging, poppers, and popper gun

  17. FIELD TEST PLANNING • The day before • Morning of the Test • Scenarios & Test Dog • Call Backs

  18. TEST DESIGN • Concept Based Test • Inverted Triple Marking Test • Poison Bird Blind • Location Based Test • How would I Hunt This & what would happen?

  19. TEST DESIGN NAHRA is Hunting Simulated Program

  20. Factors to Consider in Test Design • Technical Difficulty of the Concept • Distractions & ‘Fog of the Hunt’ • Physical Conditions of the Test Site

  21. Approaches to Test Design & Scoring • Design an “Easy Test” & Expect Near Perfection • Design a “Tough Test” & expect success, but not perfection

  22. Make it Real • Test where you would hunt • Use Decoys & Other Fun Stuff • Act Like you are hunting • Dress like you are hunting

  23. Test Set-up • Work Out the Mechanics • Estimate the Time per Dog • Run a Set-up Dog • Have FTC “Approve” Test

  24. Good Help Is Hard to Find

  25. Day of the Test • Meet Your Crew • Handlers Briefing • Test Dog • Don’t Be Afraid to Change the Test • Call Backs

  26. Score Book & NAHRA Rulebook • Always Carry NAHRA Rulebook • Prepare Score Book Ahead of Time • Be Prepared for Rain • Dogs Name on the Score Sheet

  27. Scoring

  28. What are you Scoring ? • Technical Performance • Line Manner & Behavior • Team Work

  29. Scoring Technical PerformanceMarked Retrieves • Marking the Fall • Remembering the Fall • Hunts the Area of the Fall • Returns without Delay

  30. Scoring Technical PerformanceBlind Retrieves • Line with Precision • Hold the Line • Stops Crisply • Cast Crisply

  31. Scoring Technical PerformanceUpland Hunt • Understands the Concept • Indicated Game Scent • Checks on Command • Under Control in Scent • Hunts the Entire Gun Line • Steady to Flush, Shot & Fall

  32. Scoring Technical PerformanceTrailing Test • Understands the Concept • Indicated Scent & the Trail • Recovers from Lost Trail • Can be called Off the Trail

  33. Started (with mild restraint) Intermediate & Senior Scoring Line Manners Judges should look for natural and trained abilities Focus, desire and memory (marking) Hunting desire (upland) Ability to follow scent (trail) • The rest is OBEDIENCE • Control going to the line • Control during Walks-ups • Control while marks are released • Control during a remote • Quartering & ranging • Walk up to the trail • Returning to handler • Bird handling • During Diversions • When leaving the line • Handling on marks and blinds • Honoring

  34. Scoring Approaches • Point Reduction Method • Big Picture Method • Scoring Each Test 0 to 10

  35. NAHRA Test Levels in Brief • Started • Hunter • Intermediate • Senior

  36. Started Field Test • Five Single Marked Retrieves • Two on Water & Two on Land • 50 Yards on Water • 75 Yards on Land • “Steady” but may be Steadied • Basic Hunting Situation • Be reasonable- No Tricks

  37. Hunter Field Test • Land Double 75 yards • Water Double 50 yards • Not tighter than 45 degrees • Steady & Deliver to Hand • 30 to 50 yard basic trailing test

  38. Intermediate Field Test • Land Double to 100 yards • Water Double to 75 yards • Land Blind to 75 yards • Water Blind to 50 yards • Blind not incorporated with marks • Upland Hunt no Flush • Trailing test

  39. Senior Field Test • Land Triple to 100 yards • Water Triple to 100 yards • Land Blind to 100 yards • Water Blind to 100 yards • One Blind incorporated with marks • Upland Hunt with Flush • Trailing test

  40. MARKED RETRIEVE • Setting up a marking test • Judging guidelines • Test concept • Hunting scenario • Scoring a marking test

  41. Marked Retrieve • "Marking" or memory of fallen birds is of paramount importance. • Ideal line is a “Laser Beam” to the fall – i.e. run directly to the bird and return with it.

  42. Area ofFall Marked Retrieve • The ability to "mark" does not necessarily imply "pin-pointing the fall." • A dog that recognizes the depth of the "area of the fall," hunts tight, then quickly and systematically locates the bird, has done a credible and an intelligent job of marking. • Such work should not be appreciably out-scored by the dog that "pin-points" the mark • NAHRA makes no explicit distinction as to the route to the area of the fall. • Does the dog know where the bird fell and proceed to that area?

  43. Area of Fall Marked Retrieve • Dogs that leave the area of the fall should be able to work their way back into the fall area. • We never know for sure why the dog doesn’t find a bird (placement, scented field etc) • The dog should set up a systematic - gradually expanding - search. • Once out of the area – a brief search and return to the area shows intelligence Dogs that go directly to the back side of the gun station probably did not mark the fall - that is much more severe than hunting the area of the fall and then drifting to gun stations

  44. Angled entry to Stream or road Area of Fall Gunner Marked Retrieve • There are a lot of factors that make up the area of the fall • Cover, Change of Cover, Slope, Lighting, Wind, Distance • Terrain and natural barriers (hills, angled entries/crossings) • Suction – from old falls, blinds, natural factors, unnatural factors (gunners, bird buckets etc.) • Speed of the individual dogs, • Whether one is establishing the "area of the fall“ for a single retrieve, the first bird of a multiple mark, or subsequent marks in a multiple marks Strong Wind Steep Slope

  45. BLIND RETRIEVE TEST • Setting up a blind retrieve test • Judging guidelines • Concepts • Hunting scenario • Scoring a blind retrieve test

  46. Blinds • Alignment & initial line • Carry on line - casts • Obedience - whistle sits • Stays within corridor • Teamwork • Continually improving position with each cast

  47. Cast Refusal (wants to go to ‘his’ spot) Steep hill and valley where you lose sight of the dog X3 Literal cast X2 Hard over - hard Back Blinds • Initial line • How close to a “perfect” direction towards the blind? • How long does he carry it? • How well does the handler/dog team deal with distractions? • Crisp whistle sits – dog immediately turns and looks to handler for direction X1

  48. X1 Blinds • Often times, in order to get the dog to go deep, a handler will allow the dog’s momentum to carry him too far out – i.e. doesn’t (or is afraid to) handle • Can’t get a whistle refusal if I don’t blow the darn thing! • Dog/handler team is “out of control” – subjective scoring deductions It is difficult to pass a team where one or the other of the team members refuses to handle!!!

  49. X1 Blinds • Think of a corridor around the line to the blind • Handler/dog team should stay within this corridor. ……not here Attack the blind… Handle here….

  50. Poison Bird Scented Point Acute angled entry Earlier mark Blinds • Factors in a blind – suction to go somewhere other than the line to blind

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