WELCOME to Master Amateur Invitational … Fourth Series
Today's test for Flight B is a very meaty walk-up, water triple with a diversion bird, water and land blind. The flyer station situated on the back side of a causeway is shooting the first bird left across water to a small point creating bridge bird 52 yards from the line. The middle bird, thrown left flat slightly down a gentle slope lands in an area with no cover 138 yards from the line. The right-hand bird also thrown left flat to an area with no cover at the base of a pine tree landing 106 yards from the line. Upon the return from the first bird retrieved, a diversion bird is thrown to the right at 30 yards landing in line to the land blind. The handler sends the dog on the water blind first. The line to the blind is under the arc of the flyer, past the point of the area of the fall for the flyer, over a point to the far end of the pond 140 yards from the line. The 53 yard land blind is to the left, through the scent of the diversion bird at the edge of a small group of pine trees.
Prior to coming to the line, handlers should decide which their dog should pick up first: the flyer or third bird down. If the dog is sent for the third bird down, the line is an angle entry into the first piece of water and then the dog should stay in the water 3/4 of the way down the causeway. The dog then has an angle entry out of the pond, another angle entry across the causeway to retrieve the bird. On the dog's return to the line, the diversion bird will be thrown as the dog exits out of the pond.
If the handler requires secondary selection and picks up the bridge bird flyer first, the line is a slight angle into the water, across a very small piece of water with a slight angle out to retrieve the bird. Upon return from the flyer, the diversion bird is thrown when the dog exits the water. The long middle bird is difficult, the line is angle entry into and out of the first piece of water, angle across the causeway on the back side of the flyer station and angle into the second piece of water. This is a fairly long swim to the far side of the pond, angle entry out and the dog is then required to hold the line across the slight slope to retrieve the bird. This was a difficult bird to see for dogs that run early before the sun was up high since the walk up faced east.
The line to the water blind is 32 yards of land prior to entering the pond square, past the point of the flyer fall over the next point to the far end of the pond. There was tremendous suction from the flyer. If the handlers did not get a good "right back" off the second point, the dog was out of sight. The line to the land blind was through the scent of the diversion bird, with little to no other factors.
If the handler requires secondary selection and picks up the bridge bird flyer first, the line is a slight angle into the water, across a very small piece of water with a slight angle out to retrieve the bird. Upon return from the flyer, the diversion bird is thrown when the dog exits the water. The long middle bird is difficult, the line is angle entry into and out of the first piece of water, angle across the causeway on the back side of the flyer station and angle into the second piece of water. This is a fairly long swim to the far side of the pond, angle entry out and the dog is then required to hold the line across the slight slope to retrieve the bird. This was a difficult bird to see for dogs that run early before the sun was up high since the walk up faced east.
The line to the water blind is 32 yards of land prior to entering the pond square, past the point of the flyer fall over the next point to the far end of the pond. There was tremendous suction from the flyer. If the handlers did not get a good "right back" off the second point, the dog was out of sight. The line to the land blind was through the scent of the diversion bird, with little to no other factors.
