Winner's Party Begins 1:30 p.m. at Ryderz in Oakdale

Everyone is welcome!

Winner is Dog #71 -- Emmit and Jim Gonia!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Finalists Assemble -- The Gallery Awaits the Winner...

Quite a gallery!

Finalists

Finalists

Breaking down this test site...

and setting up the table area...

Dog #49 on line -- last dog HANDLE

... Willie has his go-bird flyer.

He's down behind the holding blind on the retired mark...  handling to the bird... still down on the flat area. Now he has the bird.

A short hunt and he has the left middle flyer.

On his last bird, and he's got it. 

NFC Two Rivers Lucky Willie and Dave Rorem

Dog #70 on line HANDLE

Piper has the go-bird flyer nicely.

A little hunt around the holding blind for the retired mark and has it, about to deliver.

She is zooming around on her left middle flyer. Now is handling. Piper had a flyer fall on this station that was a pretty tight angle back. She was hunting left and right of it and a bit deep... and then started harder to the right... toward the right middle flyer, when Mark handled. She doesn't yet have the bird. NOW she has it. One bird to go.

Tight few loops and she's into her last bird.

FC Wing Magic's Standpipe Moon and Mark Edwards

A Bird Out Of The Crate...

... on the right middle flyer.

Here Comes Tiny, #58

Tiny had a loop and then got the go-bird flyer.

She made a few loops down around the holding blind before picking up the retired mark.

Just a short hunt around her left middle flyer... and she's got it.

Currently she's behind the right middle flyer and is hunting... now she's worked over to the bird and has it.

FC Little Bit Dangerous and John Henninger

Ali, #54 on line

Ali raced out to his go-bird and is almost back.

He had a tiny hunt right nearly on top of his retired mark.

Another very tight few loops nearly on top of his left middle flyer mark and he's returning now.

Just pretty much went straight to this right middle flyer -- nice job!

FC-AFC Lanes Let's Get Ready To Rumble and Mark Smith

Dog #51 running now HANDLE

Blue quickly has his go-bird flyer.

After a short hunt on the retired mark, he's coming back with it.

Blue went up the slot between the two middle flyer guns and a bit deep and then turned to commit to the right middle flyer and he went over to that bird. Coming back.

Al Arthur is handling Blue to the left middle flyer. He's got it. 

FC-AFC Sara's Blue Streak and Al Arthur

Dog #49 On Line -- NO BIRD

Dog #84 on line -- Reagan

Reagan has a short hunt on her go-bird flyer, which fell hard back behind the guns.

She went just inside her retired mark and curved right over to it.

Her left middle flyer was a tight angle back fall and she had a short hunt before coming up with it... did nicely. She's got a wing over her face on her return... can't see.

For her right middle flyer, she went wide right out to the area and then came up the hill and looped around into the bird.

FC-AFC Citori's Vista 40th Pres and Michael Moore

Pete, #31, on line

He had a hunt on his go-bird flyer and is now coming in with it.

Now has the retired mark with a loop to the bird.

Pete went straight up into his left middle flyer and has it.

And just looped into his right middle flyer.

FC Seaside's Pelican Pete and Steve Yozamp

Dog #71 is on line now...

Emmit has gone straight to his go-bird flyer.

He went just inside the retired mark, made a quick loop down and right back up to the bird.

Now headed to the left middle flyer and has stepped on it.

And now has curved right into his right middle flyer and his final mark. Nice job!

FC Watermark's Running Back and Jim Gonia

Fizz on line -- Dog #20 HANDLE

Fizz went straight to his go-bird flyer.

She missed her retired mark on the way over the hill and made a loop down by the holding blind before coming back up to the bird. She's on her way in...

She went down for the left middle flyer behind the gun and looped and then appeared to dig back (toward the back of the right middle flyer station) and Judy handled her to the left middle flyer

For her fourth bird she went between the bird and the gun and a bit deep and then turned and came back down to the bird. 

FC-AFC Hardscrabble Carbunnation and handler Judy Rasmuson

Dog #15 -- Moses

His flyer was good...

Moses went over the hill and right back to his retired mark...
 
Moses went in front of the gun for his left middle mark and had a tight loop to the bird.

And he went straight on out to his right middle flyer... good job

FC-AFC Drakes Bay Parting of the Sea and Wayne Curtis

Dog #88 to the line -- Pink HANDLE

Pink has her go-bird flyer and now has stepped on her retired mark...

She went behind the gun on the left middle flyer and had a short hunt just a bit deep of the guns before going to the bird.

Handler Al Arthur has just put the horn on FC-AFC Seaside's Get The Party Started from deep of the right middle flyer and she has her last mark.

Dog #84 Reagan -- NO BIRD

Diesel--#72 on line

He has his first bird with a hunt to the left on the hill for his first flyer.

Headed to the retired mark now... short hunt in the area and has it.

On his third bird he went behind the gun of the left standup flyer with a hunt and then over to the bird.

Quickly comes up with his fourth and final mark... FC Premier's RSK Powerstroke and Alan Pleasant 

First Dog--#71 NO BIRD

Second test dog is on the line right now...

Last Test is a Land Quad

With three stand up guns and one retired bird... More soon

Contestants are on the line... Test Dog

The first test dog is on the line right now...

Photographers Molly Schlachter and Laura Owens

Getting ready at the tenth series

Final preparation...

Gwen Jones, Retriever News, Reporter Extraordinaire

Retriever News Managing Editor Tina Ebner and Rick Dirmeyer of Eukanuba exchange views

Landowners -- THANK YOU!

Ray Goodrich

Marilyn Boatright

Sponsors of this Blog at Tenth Series--THANK YOU!

L to R, Bob West and Dean Reinke of Nestle-Purina

David Carrington of Avery

Incredible Redition of the National Anthem...

I

... By Lindsay Robinson

Official Announcer Dean Ellis Welcomes Tenth Series

Dean gave a moving speech about the dogs in our sport.

The Color Guard...

The Grand Entrance is Imminent...

As the gallery applauded, finalist contenders approach the tenth series

...  An extremely brisk wind is blowing, thus providing a biting wind chill on top of this hill.

We wait...

ANTICIPATION!

It's quite a novelty to have just one test scheduled for the final day of competition, but more particularly, to have a "leisurely" start time... yet it's quite hectic and that's to be expected...

The day is beautiful with a bright sun accompanied by a few wispy white clouds... our weather has been phenomenal all week and promises to provide the final touch to this day.

Good luck to all contestants still remaining in this 2011 National Championship!

Living right?

The rain held off until the ninth series was completed... Woohoo!

Tomorrow promises to be one big day... See you there.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR FINAL SERIES

Traffic Chairman Luann Pleasant says that the Sonora Gate will be the entrance for the tenth series.

All handlers are requested to be inside the gate no later than 8 a.m. to stage for the grand entrance to the final test.

Also, a few contestant pins for dogs/owners/handlers still in have not been picked up and are available at the Hostess Wagon.

Thanks for your cooperation! Good luck all!

Callbacks

15, 20, 31, 49, 51, 54, 58, 70, 71, 72, 84, 88

Dog #71 starts

Twelve dogs back.

Last dog of this test -- Dog #42 has her flyer HANDLE

Tia went up the slot for her left retired mark and got on land, turned left and hunted and back and Danny Farmer has just handled her quickly to the bird. Talk about poor timing for a wind change.

After swimming the first pond, she stayed in tight on land to her long retired mark to get it tidily.

Announcement on Tenth Series

It will be somewhere on the Boatright-Goodrich Ranch.

Test dogs will commence at 8:45 a.m. with the test to follow.

Can't remember when this has happened... in recent history. 

Callbacks for the Tenth Will Be Given Here

Uh-oh... Eva is way up the hill hunting...

Dog #40... She's covered the entire hillside and eventually wound up with the long retired mark.

She just got the left retired island mark from the left.

Pete is hunting deep of the standup left mark...

... Dog #31, After getting his flyer, he went to the right of the left standup gun station, deep and then got in the cover and then went more left and just got in the water near the left retired mark island. He swam then left nearly to this shore and went back and got the island retired bird.

Now, he's got the standup island bird... and he went left with a hunt on the long retired to then get the bird.

Dog #20 now has all four birds

After Fizz, (FC-AFC Hardscrabble Carbunnation) got her flyer and standup gun, she went to the backside of the red island and then over to her left retired mark.

On the long retired bird, she went through the first water and pulled left and got out in the field left of the holding blind for a sweeping hunt that recovered into the bird for handler Judy Rasmuson.

Ozzie... HANDLE PICK UP

... Got his flyer, and got the standup left bird coming in from the right. Ozzie then went in the water in front of the standup gun while en route to the left retired, and kept bearing left all the way over to the left retired mark.

He pulled hard left on the long retired and is currently being handled by Alan Pleasant--right now he's in the tules in the far middle of the test. He's coming in... Now a Pick Up, unfortunately.

Dog #15... Moses on the run...

Moses had a short flyer but he did a great job, and on the standup gun he came up on the back side of the island to the bird. On the left retired he went on the shorter red island, hunted a bit and went out to get the left retired.

On the long retired he went through the first water, pulled left out to near the holding blind and then went over to the bird to complete the test.

Pink Is on a Tightrope!

WOW--did that long retired the pretty way, straight up through both pieces of water and on the bird!

Way to go, Pink--Dog #88, FC-AFC Seaside's Get The Party Started and Al Arthur

Reagan and Michael... HANDLE Long Retired

Two down and two to go... went left out swimming for the left retired, has it and is now headed for the long retired... FC-AFC Citori's Vista 40th Pres and Michael Moore.

Oh... she broke to the left behind/deep of the standup left gun and is now being handled out to the bird.

Emmit has quickly rounded up three birds...

FC Watermark's Running Back has just been sent for his long retired by handler Jim Gonia.

Has the fourth nicely... Good job. 

Diesel is a bit pumped...

No sit on line through four birds being shot...

He's (Dog #72, FC Premier's RSK Powerstroke) got all four birds and surely knew where they were!

Handled by Alan Pleasant.

Five dogs have handled coming into this test

Gun Change About to Commence...

Piper--One Down, Three To Go

Piper has gone straight to three birds... Pulled left on the long retired and then pulled from left on land over to the bird... coming in! This is FC Wing Magic's Standpipe Moon and Handler Mark Edwards.

Tiny has two ... HANDLE Long Retired.

and is now swimming left on the island retired mark... now curling into the island... has that bird...

For the long retired she got in the pond pulling left and went up through the cover and drove way deep and pulling left... John Henninger handled FC Little Bit Dangerous to the bird.

Ali !

... Thus far has two nice marks under his belt... (FC-AFC Lanes Lets Get Ready To Rumble). Handler Mark Smith is setting him up for the left retired... and he's launched. Headed up the slot, and now he's at the edge of the land and hunting a bit there and in and out and quickly over now to the island and has that bird.

For the long retired he went left up through the cover and out to the holding blind and hunted left of the holding blind and then over to the bird.

Tyson is Up Now...

Dog #60, FC-AFC Sureshot's TKO and handler Alan Pleasant. He has his flyer...

Tyson swam toward the left edge of the standup island bird and got up there and scooped it up...

He went up through the slot between the two islands for the left retired, got up on land and is hunting there. Now he's back in the water deep of the island and hunting. And now back on land up in the slot and hunting. Back in the water and over to the island and he has that bird.

He's in the water on a nice start to the long retired mark, up on land... sliced back in and out of the far pond, and has the bird!

Up now, Dog #53 HANDLE Left Retired--Last

FC-AFC Candlewood GoldenDaze Louie... and he has his flyer. Island bird retrieved, Louie has been sent for the left retired mark and he drove out between the left middle standup gun and that island to the shore and up to the tules--he's hunting there and left, now is driving deep and is out at the long holding blind. Now he's got the long retired mark.

He's been launched for the left retired and is headed through the same slot, skimmed the right edge of that island and up to the tules again. Hence a handle from Scott Dewey. He's got the bird.

Blue is swimming left of the left retired... HANDLE

Right now, Dog #51, (FC-AFC Sara's Blue Streak) is swimming left of the retired island bird--now Al Arthur is handling him to the bird.

Currently, he's en route to the long retired. He's hunting left on land... now out in the water... he's back hunting behind the holding blind... and now has made a wide turn and come back to the pond's edge and over to the bird.