The Worst Field Trial I Ever Attended
Vizsla Club of Greater Cleveland, Harpster, Ohio, April 3-4, 1982
Friday arrived with everyone gathering at the clubhouse in warm,
balmy weather in the eighties. By Sunday we would see a drop in
temperatures over sixty degrees and over a hundred degrees if
you count the windchill. It was so cold & windy by Sunday that I
marshalled the entire Puppy brace from my car. Marylee Sloane was THE only gallery person & she rode every brace of Puppy which her Sandman won. In Gun Dog Ch Camarily Rose befuddled her handler Bob Sloane. He sent her for a retrieve on the backcourse for a quail. She dashed out & zipped back to lay a very dead pheasant in Bob's hand. Terry Reuben rode so long in the saddle he never got out of it & froze to the saddle from not being able to dismount & go to the bathroom. He was pulled over by the police on the way home (late eighties?) and was taken to the hospital who originally thought him inebriated. That trial is never to be forgotten by myself. dlb
Saturday opened with a brisk breeze of the west, brisk being somewhere between 40 and 45 mph and the temperature in the low thirties, making the wind chill factor about zero. Just a beautiful day to run dogs except that neither man nor dog would believe that.
The Open Gun Dog with Stan Moats and Reuben Terry serving as judges got started in good time as with a hundred and three entries, all but one were Vizslas, there was no time to lose.
After looking at twenty Vizslas, Stan and Reuben could come up with only two placements. David Kayser and his Redef’s Ta Ta Beki Kahn took a third while Brandai owned and handled by Dan Montambo got the fourth. Let me say here that the weather was a definite factor in the work of the dogs and handles. I believe it was the worst weather of any trial I have attended in some nineteen years of going to trials.
The same two men then judged the Open Puppy Stake consisting of some fifteen young Vizslas and quite a crop this year, much better overall than the last couple seasons in my opinion. When all was done and a lot said, the judges’ decision stood with Bob Sloane and Camarily Sandman holding the Blue (remember Sandman), Jim Busch with Askim holding a strong Red, F K’s Rivendell Reaghan and Chauncey Smith holding the Yellow while Gary’s Golden Dream had the White Ribbon. To show the quality of the young dogs with Spring, there were three Honorable Mentions going to Joie de Vivfe Du Bosha handled by Kristin Keller, Rippi’s Sweet Brandy handled by Ken Crago and Abbey Get Your Gun handled by Del Seelye. This was in weather that old experienced dogs just would not do it, but these pups sure did their thing.
Stan Weiss and Chauncey were not as fortunate in judging the Amateur Limited Gun Dog as after looking at twelve Vizslas, they were still looking for a clean performance and had to withhold all placements. Again, the weather took its toll.
Stan Moats and Reuben Terry in the meantime were judging the Open Derby Stake and again the young dogs came through. Pat Johnson handled his J-Paces Ball of Fire to a first, Askim and Jim Busch picked up another second, Ch. GezenGus and Chauncey Smith got third while Gary Kern and Gary’s Golden Dream got another fourth. This was with twenty-one derby entries, all Vizslas.
Smith and Weiss braved the weather to judge the Amateur Gun Dog Stake with sixteen Vizslas entered. Again they had a hard time finding clean performances by dogs and handlers. It was the last brace of the stake before they found a clean dog and then both dogs had acceptable work. However, they were only able to award a first and third placement. Geno Woehrle with Woehrle’s Windjammer Jody earned the first and Bob Sloane with Ch. Camarily Rambling Rose CD took the third. Rose could have been in second except her style on point left something to be desired as did her run, both problems could have been caused by the weather as that was evident with most dogs in this stake.
Moats and Terry finished the weekend judging the Open Limited Gun Dog with eighteen Vizslas and one GSP. When it was all over and everyone was more than ready to head for home, Clif Boggs with his new Dual Champion (finished just a week before) Behi’s Jeri Redef held first place followed by Del Seelye and Pride’s Joy in second with Paul Rothan and NAFC 1981 DCH Fieldstone’s Tip Top Timmy in third and Clif again with DC, AFC Behi Csecse Cyors Lab (Fleeta) in fourth. (written by Clif Boggs)
