Which State Is The Hardest to Get an FC

bb560m · Post by **bb560m** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 6:09 pm

If you trialed exclusively in 1 state - where would it be the hardest to finish a dog?

My vote is for the KS/MO - a lot of those dogs get to see a ton of wild birds which teaches a dog everything.

Post by **ezzy333** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 6:14 pm

I don't know which state it is but it would be the one with the fewest trials. The dogs would adapt to the conditions they are worked in so I don't think it would matter which state they are in.

Ezzy

ACooper · Post by **ACooper** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 6:16 pm

For GSP I was going to say ks or ne. Seems some of the most competitive dogs run there regularly. Though I am not that experienced hopefully some of the more experienced folks will chime in.

Ricky Ticky Shorthairs · Post by **Ricky Ticky Shorthairs** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 6:24 pm

Nebraska

kensfishing · Post by **kensfishing** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 6:27 pm

Ricky Ticky Shorthairs wrote:Nebraska

I agree.

RayGubernat · Post by **RayGubernat** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 7:19 pm

I should think the most difficult states would be those where the competition is the strongest and the stakes are full of topnotch dogs.

Typically, the larger the entry, the tougher it is to get that first place ribbon, no matter where you trial. A first place in a 25 dog stake is really tough to come by and I don't care where.

Also, it can be tougher to get a blue on a dog that is not the same breed as the sponsoring club... especially in stakes with larger entries.

RayG

dan v · Post by **dan v** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 7:49 pm

kensfishing wrote:
Ricky Ticky Shorthairs wrote:Nebraska
I agree.

Based on Branched Oak?

Ricky Ticky Shorthairs · Post by **Ricky Ticky Shorthairs** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 8:07 pm

Wyndancer wrote:
kensfishing wrote:
Ricky Ticky Shorthairs wrote:Nebraska
I agree.
Based on Branched Oak?

Yes

dan v · Post by **dan v** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 7:05 am

Ricky Ticky Shorthairs wrote:
Wyndancer wrote:
Based on Branched Oak?
Yes

So it's the grounds or the amount of differing pros that run at Branched Oak?

Ricky Ticky Shorthairs · Post by **Ricky Ticky Shorthairs** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 7:24 am

Wyndancer wrote:
Ricky Ticky Shorthairs wrote:
Wyndancer wrote:
Based on Branched Oak?
Yes
So it's the grounds or the amount of differing pros that run at Branched Oak?

I think the main thing is that at most of the trials at BO there are a half dozen pros that have multiple bullets in each stake.

Most stakes are majors, and the dogs are all really good for the most part.

A win at BO is a pretty big deal.

Doug

Ken Lynch · Post by **Ken Lynch** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 9:41 am

I think trialing in Vermont would lead to nothing but frustration because they never have any field trials.

Vision · Post by **Vision** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:46 am

Ken Lynch wrote:I think trialing in Vermont would lead to nothing but frustration because they never have any field trials.

I was thinking Alaska, but Vermont would be equally challenging.

orbirdhunter · Post by **orbirdhunter** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 11:17 am

That is a good question and basically impossible to answer..........The true answer might be something like New Mexico or Utah, i think that Utah only had one open major in the state last year....Hard to earn a FC when your never running in a major.

The flip side of that is somewhere like my home state of oregon.....We have a reasonably high amount of field trials in the state, and most of them are going to be majors....however, that also means that around here your gonna be running against 20 ish other dogs every weekend, it doesn't take many wins to finish a dog but the competition is huge.....

actually the AKC website allows you to easily look at field trials by state, i was actually suprised by what i saw....

Unless you owned a brittany you are going to have a hard time finishing a dog in oklahoma as there is nothing to run in....

Which btw....the more i look, the more i have respect for FC or AFC on a britt....winning a major in a britt trail, which is usually a huge class is saying something....

kensfishing · Post by **kensfishing** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 3:36 pm

Twenty dogs is nothing compared to what's in Neb. I've judged many forty plus dogs in one event. It's not uncommon for fifty plus dogs. That's hard to win.

Brooks Carmichael · Post by **Brooks Carmichael** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 4:25 pm

kensfishing wrote:Twenty dogs is nothing compared to what's in Neb. I've judged many forty plus dogs in one event. It's not uncommon for fifty plus dogs. That's hard to win.

Ken, you and I have both have seen it, The best dog usually wins there. Those dogs that win there are winning at other trials. You have won there against the pros and so have I. I know some pros hate going to BO because of all the politics but for some reason they keep going there. Such is life in the world of FT. I sure it is the same all over the country. It is just the way things are. Just my thoughts on the subject.

kensfishing · Post by **kensfishing** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 6:25 pm

I've done really well there alot. So have you. The pros didn't like it much when Mike ran. The politics are at most trials, but BO seems to have alot more. That's trialing.

dan v · Post by **dan v** » Wed Jan 02, 2013 8:15 am

More of my ever important opinion :roll:

What Branched Oak had going for it, is that it's relatively central to a number of pros, and access is pretty easy. They have to ability to run multiple course there, so then again, people can run nearly all of their string should they choose.

But gads, that place is hardly a test for a dog. And then when they try an hour stake there, it's like a figure 8 demo-derby course...But it's far better than anything we have in MN.

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