NSTRA Field Trial

Dakotazeb

Dakotazeb

Well-known member
The Mid-North Region of NSTRA is holding a trail on March 17-18 at the Minnesota Heartland Preserve by Granite Falls, MN. I just talked to the person putting on the trial and we are short of participants. I'd hate to see this trial canceled so anyone that is interested please let me know and I'll get you the info.
 
We are still in need of entries for the NSTRA trial by Granite Falls on March 17-18. If you ever thought about giving this a try this would be a great opportunity to do so. We need to get some entries in within the next week to 10 days or we may be forced to cancel it.
 
Just a follow up to this thread. The trial in March got postponed and it now going to take place this coming weekend, April 21-22. The trial is not full so if you want to give NSTRA a try this is your chance.

Or if you can't make it this weekend we are holding another one the following weekend, April 28-29, also at the Minnesota Heartland Preserve by Granite Falls.

Even if you do not want to participate but have an interest and would like to see a NSTRA trial you are certainly welcome to come and observe. Hope to see you there!
 
Just got back last night about midnight from a trial in Savage, MT. Elle ran 3 braces over the weekend and did very well. Just missed a placement yesterday. She ran great and all her scores were quite high. Another bird or a back here or there and we would have been in could have placed. But she did beat her bracemate in all 3 runs. Two of the runs were against the same dog that is a 2x NSTRA champion. In fact she has run 6 braces so far this year and beaten her bracemate in 5 of them. So I feel really good about that. Saturday she have a 94 point retrieve which impressed both myself and the judge. I flushed and missed the chukar and the bird flew over 200 yds. to the other side of the field. Elle ran all the way over there, found the bird and brought it back. She saved my a$$ big time.
 
Nice going Zeb,those placements can be hard to come.I,ve always heard NSTRA is 20% dog,20% handler and 60% luck.Seems like you got the dog hope the luck comes your way!!
 
ROCK said:
Nice going Zeb,those placements can be hard to come.I,ve always heard NSTRA is 20% dog,20% handler and 60% luck.Seems like you got the dog hope the luck comes your way!!
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No doubt there is a certain amount of luck in any trialing. In NSTRA it can be the bracemate you draw or the time of day of your brace as scenting conditions change greatly during the day. I would give a much higher percentage to the dog. Maybe 60% dog and 20% each for the handler and luck. Actually I might even give the handler less.

When I run my Brittany in NSTRA trials she is performing 100% on natural ability. I have not spent one minute training her for trials. She is my hunting buddy and house pet. She preforms very well in the trials probably due mainly to her breeding. The majority of my training has been obedience and then just taking her hunting. A lot of OJT.
 
Congradulations..................I think bringing the hunting companion out for a Trial like that, speaks volumes of the dog ability as well as the owner.

Wish I could find some time right now.
 
LOL, I know all about that luck thing George. Last year the one dog I have was on fire placing, now I can't get a 3rd series with him and the other dog is getting some. Not that the dog is doing a bad job, just those things that are out of your control keep happening. For example, last trial shot bird first bird, runs across a plowed field. Dog can't trail it in cow dung and dry dirt. First bird out. I take another guy's dog to run for the first time and win, LOL. Good luck at the next one.
:cheers:
 
I found out today that Elle did get 4th place on A Field on Sunday. We got bumped from 3rd, and a placement, later in the day. That's 4th place out of 32 dogs so not too bad. The 4th place might get me into the Regional Elimination Trial but I'm hopeful she will pull a 1st, 2nd or 3rd prior to the elimination trial so we will be in for sure.
 
I posted on Friday in the Minnesota forum that Elle did get a 4th place at the trial a week ago in Savage, MT. You only get championship points for the first 3 places so she was close. With the 4th place she will now qualify as an alternate for our Regional Elimination Trial at the end of May.

UPDATE!!!!!!

Just got home form the NSTRA trial by Granite Falls, MN. Yesterday was nasty as we battled rain most of the day. Even some small hail in the afternoon. Elle had 3 very good runs over the weekend and did come away with a 3rd place on A field today. She just missed placing with her other two runs. Another bird or a back and she could of had 3 placements. I ran the last brace on B field knowing that 3 birds and a back would place. She nailed 3 birds in the first 10-15 mintues so I started following the other handler and dog thinking I'll either get another bird or a back if that dog finds a bird. Wasn't to be as neither dog found a bird in the last half of the run. I think we had cleaned the field and there were no birds left.

It was a nice ride home knowing Elle finally got a placement. I'll be back in Granite Falls next weekend for another trial.
 
Well, I'm off today to Oakes, ND for the final trial of the spring. On Saturday we have our Regional Elimination and Championship trial. Only dogs within the region that have had a placement during the past 12 months are eligable. And this event has a little different format from a regular trial. In first round the dogs are paired up just like a regular trial. Then they take the top 6 scores and they run another brace. The top two scores from these 6 then face off in a 1 hour brace to determine the Regional Champion. On Sunday and Monday we have a regular trial.

I'm not sure at this time if we will have any fall trials but I am considering going to Lewistown, MT in Sept. for the Endurance Classic, which is a national trial and features a "beat your bracemate" format throughout.

Wish me luck. I'm going to need it this weekend. :)
 
We had a very good weekend. Elle didn't advance beyond the first round on Saturday in the Regional Elimination but did great in the regular trial on Sunday and Monday. Sunday she had a 4th place on A field and today a 4th place on B field and a 1st Place on A field. With just a little luck Sunday's 4th could have been a 1st and today's 4th a 2nd. But I was really happy with here performance. That's her first 1st Place finish. She is really starting to figure this game out and making the other members in the region take notice that she is a dog to be reckoned with.
 
Thanks guys. Too bad the spring trialing season is over as Elle is really on a roll. Hope it carries over to Sept. and next spring. After her performance this weekend I'm really considering heading to the Endurance Classic (a national trial) in Lewistown, MT in Sept. Just have to convince the wife! Think I'll try to convince her to come along and then we can also stop and visit my sister in Wyoming on the way home.
 
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