2017 NRC 2nd Series Reflections: Have a Plan & Adjust as Necessary, But Sometimes, 💩 Happens!
-An Amateur Competitor's Perspective
By: Jamie Woodson #45
Whether running a business or running a national, everyone needs a strategic plan. Right? RIGHT! Important wisdom. We need a plan at every weekend trial, but it's absolutely critical when we step up to the line in a National.
I woke up early yesterday morning and decided to start the day by going over my list of pregame reminders in my head as I prepared for the second series water triple.
This list continues to evolve but I will confess it is primarily cobbled from coach Ray Voigt and the Handjem/FoxHollow pre-National training experiences we have had the last few years.
Game Day check list:
-Know when the gun changes are so you can go see the line and can time it properly for yourself.
-Be prepared but don't get rushed! The Marshal may yell for you. Be prompt but don't get rattled. Stay calm!
-Remember to take a deep breath. So much is going on and your are going to go too fast if you forget to slow down. Remember - deep breaths. Slow down. Don't get off your normal routine.
-Think through and talk through the test even if it's just an exercise to calm yourself.
-Pay attention to the wind and conditions. What's it doing shortly before and during your run?
-Pay attention to the other working dogs just prior to running. Is anything new or different influencing the dogs?
-Relax as much as you can and enjoy it. You have worked hard. You have earned it. A lot of people tried very hard to get here with great dogs. Enjoy this.
-Go slow! Not just to stay calm, but also to savor and enjoy every possible moment!
-Watch your flyer! You can't handle to a bird you don't see. If you have to handle, be strategic and handle from a smart spot.
-Take advantage of Pat Burns' tent. The Elite Retriever Training tent has drone footage of the test dogs and aerial shots of the sites. This can be very helpful for all competitors as you consider strategy for approaching each test.
-Last, but not least - Don't be nervous, this is much too serious to screw up!
The last one always makes me laugh! It was delivered personally to me by Mike Lardy shortly before I ran! 😂
Back to the second series - Much like the first series, the second series of this National Open is very, very challenging.
The middle bird (short retired) is thrown snugly in the hip pocket of the flyer gunners. Needless to say, it is a very challenging bird. There are other influences of terrain, water, and wind that push the dogs in certain directions but bottom line, it's a bird that requires a delicate balance of both looseness and discipline from the dogs and handlers. I'd give it a pucker factor of 9.7 on a scale of one to 10. 😉
Before I ran the test, about 40% of the field had handled, double-handled, or picked up (including our dog, "Baby" #32).
Yikes, right?
That said, I had my pre-game strategy fresh in my mind and had a plan with contingencies in my pocket as I waited in the holding blinds. As it turned out, I needed all of them.
"Keeper" was relaxed and happy coming to line. I could see her acknowledging all three gun stations even before she settled in on the mat. ✅ The test window is narrow so I was hoping for any kind of eye flick, ear twitch, anything to tell me she recognized the situation. I got it all. ✅ ✅ ✅ I stepped back and moved her ever so slightly to confirm she could distinguish the long bird (thrown first) from the short retired. ✅
I settled her back in on the long bird and I called for the birds. Each dog has their way of telling you they have it. Keeper's tell is ears up and a slight straightening of her back. She watched the long bird beautifully! ✅
Too beautifully in fact! The middle bird was thrown and shot right in front of us. As I simultaneously watched her and the bird, I noticed Keeper had her eyes focused intently on the long bird.
Oh, Snap!
That was not part of my plan. As the flyer gunners were called, she flicked her eyes, perked her ears, and took a tiny step when the flyer was thrown and shot. All I could think was... uh oh... I don't think she even acknowledged the middle bird as it was thrown.
Gulp! 😳
Long story short, she got the flyer and the long bird just fine but I had to handle her to the middle bird. Sigh! We are in excellent company with a lot of great dogs and handlers in that regard but we are here. And, that is really something.
I read my dog (as coach Mike Lardy wisely counseled), adjusted and changed my plan a few times in the sevenish minutes we were on line. I didn't panic (too much) and she was really working with me, but it just wasn't enough.
I suppose by big my lesson from the day was to have a plan and adjust as necessary. But sometimes, things just don't work out the way you hoped.
Simply put - 💩 happens!
As I walked off line, I remembered my friend Dennis Bath's words of wisdom, "walk slowly, enjoy this moment!" I had always thought that was advice after a wildly successful turn at bat. What I thankfully recognized as we meandered back to the truck was that these moments are precious, even the ones don't go exactly as we planned. Keeper is ten years old and we enjoyed our slow, wonderful path back to the truck for a treat for Keeper and hugs from Bill for both of us!
We begin again this morning with 25 dogs left to run in the second series. I suspect the transition to the third series will occur by mid-day for those who are invited back. Fingers crossed 🤞!
Until then, may the wind be in your favor and your flyers be friendly!
-Jamie Woodson #45
