FTCH qualification criteria and trials

[James]

Because you have such a large country its easy to for get that there are many different things within the same "sport". I openly admit to not having a great deal to do with spaniel trails over the pond, I have seen a few retriever ones and I cant hide the fact that I think they are shocking. We are very restricted over here on the way we can hunt game, this inturn has stopped somethings happening, not all good but not all bad either.

[FCSpringer]

James you mentioned spaniel trials so what is it? Retriever trials don't resemble hunting over here either not even sure they use birds over here. Think they might be run solely on dummies

yes It gets my goat as well when comments like that are made about others trials as well. Clearly well miss informed. Perhaps I am better off sticking to US dogs for another trial prospect. I have never seen birds tossed in the air and blasted as said in our Springer trials. It is close to true upland hunting. Why did this topic get to the point of other trials any way . I thought it was about UK events. But since the comparison arised, Yes we have had as many as 80 dogs. You simply pull up your boot straps and put the time energy and hours in to get them all in fairly, no matter how long it takes. You get to see a much wider view of the gene pool this way. The qualifications seem to be easier in the UK to become a champion. If you get entered.

[James]

[quote="FCSpringer

The qualifications seem to be easier in the UK to become a champion. If you get entered.[/quote]


How so?

[starburygundogs]

Well hopefully no hard feelings and sorry if I let it fly a bit but just ireks me when people paint spaniel trials over here with the same brush, they aren't prefect but I haven't been to the prefect trial in either NA or the UK. As far as throwing birds by hand have seen it done with pigeons plucking a few flight feathers and throwing them make them very challenging to hit but this is more for a practice and not sport as there is a surplus of feral pigeons in cities. Although this practice is illeagal in some places for years it was just outlawed recently here. Have also been to tower shoots where pheasants are released from a tower for the guns as this is the only way to set up a driven shoot over here. So with a pond inbetween it does make a world of difference.

[starburygundogs]

[quote="FCSpringer

The qualifications seem to be easier in the UK to become a champion. If you get entered.

How so?[/quote]

Well in america you start with lets say 40 dogs in the first you lose 5 and that would be alot going to the 2nd so now you have 35 dogs going to the 3rd they most likely will only be bringing back 15 dogs. UK you start with either 16 or 18 dogs thats out thrid series. I feel like when I get to the 3rd I have gotta be in the silk sometimes your right sometimes it goes bad in the 3rd but just how I train and having been to the UK and seing your trials if I got a run watch out I would definately feel good any time I got a run.

[James]

Its sounds as though you have seen a few uk spaniel trials, so you will already know that you need to win a novice trial first. After that (and that alone is hard enough) you then have to either win 2 more open trials or 1 open trial pluss the Championships to be made a FTCH. You can have alot of runs through out the season that you dont get a flush, in an open thats never going to get you in the top spot. So thats 3 different trials on three very different days you need to win, put this together with that all the dogs in the open trials have already proven to be of a very good standered means its not easy far from it. But again we all see things differently.

[FCSpringer]

[quote="FCSpringer

The qualifications seem to be easier in the UK to become a champion. If you get entered.

How so?[/quote]


Enter your dog against 15 - 20 or so and see how it goes. Double that or triple it with talented dogs and see how that goes.

[FCSpringer]

Because you have such a large country its easy to for get that there are many different things within the same "sport". I openly admit to not having a great deal to do with spaniel trails over the pond, I have seen a few retriever ones and I cant hide the fact that I think they are shocking. We are very restricted over here on the way we can hunt game, this inturn has stopped somethings happening, not all good but not all bad either.

I would like to see what it is you are referring to. I doubt it is an AKC licensed field trial. But rather some other fun event for novice handlers as there are many. But not hardly a representative of true field trials at all.

[James]

[quote="FCSpringer

The qualifications seem to be easier in the UK to become a champion. If you get entered.

How so?

Enter your dog against 15 - 20 or so and see how it goes. Double that or triple it with talented dogs and see how that goes.[/quote]

FCSpringer, on the home page of your web site your dog has an E-collar on. Are you allowed to run the dog in a trial with that on?

[starburygundogs]

James I am sure your first dog wasn't bought with the purpose of trialling in mind. So there was a dog you bought you thought geeze I just gotta trial and this dog quite possible was really good or so so. When you get that special dog and you may have had it or not but you will go to trials knowing that no matter the situation if you have a little luck on your side this dog is winning or placing. And james being only a part timer still have work and a family life I don't want dogs that place once and its a struggle to keep em placing I want dogs that are super and alot of that has to do with handling you think Ian, John or Davy go to trials hoping or wishing they might win no they do it at will with a little luck cause they have 1 prepared and they know that given a chance no dog can hold a candle to what they are running and I am not comparing my ability to them just when I go to a trial I am expecting to win I don't wanta be surprised. May sound real cockey or arrogant but thats what it takes to win anywhere at anything. But I do say luck plays a major role in the uk trialling game wheater it be spaniels or retrievers

Your right, you should always go believing your dog is good enough to win, and on top of that you have to be ready to take that good luck when it comes along. If you go thinking you cant win then there is no point in going in the first place.