Driven trials

[reidller]

I'm wondering if anyone could give me a brief description of how a driven retriever trial runs, compared to a walked up one. On the shoots I pick up on a good chunk of the birds tend to land roughly in the same areas, are the dogs sent for ones in areas where a few have fallen, or just ones in outlying areas where only one or two are? It must make it more difficult asking the dog to pick a particular bird when there are presumably a lot of birds on the floor, in roughly the same area, especially if they're falling into woodland where you ant see much of the dog anyway.
I suppose it seems like a more sustainable and accessible way of putting on a trial, I guess the gundog club buy the day then sell the pegs to reimburse themselves?

[AlandJake]

Without suggesting you go and help out at a retriever trial for yourself.....

I have helped at retriever trials, marking where birds have fallen on a drive. Notebook and pencil, sketch of the physical features and a scale.

Then note down what birds (partridge, hen/cock pheasant, runner) land where.

When judge n entrant come out I can say to judgey, there's four pheasant in the area under "that tree", running pheasant landed this side of track just there, and tucked into wood etc.

Then judge can send dogs where he or she likes, and I tick off on my sheet what has been picked, so when the four birds around "that tree" have been retrieved, we don't send any other dogs there.

And if there's multiple birds in an area, dog's just gotta bring one back, nice n tidy like.

[romanriver]

in brief, boring and drawn out!

[reidller]

Without suggesting you go and help out at a retriever trial for yourself.....

Perhaps I should, I carried game at a walked up trial last year but haven't looked into helping at a driven trial yet. Although reading romanrivers comment, perhaps I won't!

[Judy]

Works much like picking up really, you stand and watch then send the dog for retrieves!

[AlandJake]

I am perhaps sounding harsh, having turned to the Dark Side.

Seriously, volunteering to help, and helping out, at a driven retriever trial will answer an awful lot of your questions. Plus you will be doing FT Sec a massive favour.

It is v much horses for courses. Personally, I'd be offering to carry game at every open spaniel trial I could. But that's just me.

[Naj]

Sorry to be the harbinger of doom but I can’t see how this can be sustainable or justified, especially in the present climate. Leaving wounded stuff to wait it’s turn while the judges take their time sorting through the dogs raises ethical questions and also goes against BASCs Code of Good Shooting Practice, which the KC has signed up to.

Naj

[reidller]

Sorry to be the harbinger of doom but I can’t see how this can be sustainable or justified, especially in the present climate. Leaving wounded stuff to wait it’s turn while the judges take their time sorting through the dogs raises ethical questions and also goes against BASCs Code of Good Shooting Practice, which the KC has signed up to.

Naj

I meant more to do with availability of grounds, I guess it's probably a bit of a chore for the estates to put on a few days walked up for trials and not that many willing to do it, where as a driven trial I would've thought any club could buy a shoot day at most places and run it as a trial themselves

[Springfield Pointers]

Given that a lot of your shooting is driven, and dogs are selected for their ability to the task of picking up. It makes sense to have a test for it that mirrors a day in the field. I'd agree that it may be boring and drawn out if you're used to other tyoes of shooting over dogs. But would agree that it has its place. I'd guard against using it as a standard though.

[ips]

Given that a lot of your shooting is driven, and dogs are selected for their ability to the task of picking up. It makes sense to have a test for it that mirrors a day in the field. I'd agree that it may be boring and drawn out if you're used to other tyoes of shooting over dogs. But would agree that it has its place. I'd guard against using it as a standard though.

I agree, surely its a better facsimile of what most folk do with there dogs ?