Minnesota Tests

[cjhills]

After three weekends of hunting tests in Minnesota four dogs have run in Master, very few seniors and a fair number of juniors. The NAVHDA NA test at Four Brooks this weekend barely had enough entries to hold the event and the GSPCMN hunt test was cancelled due to lack of entries.
Are other areas having this issue?
It seems as the number of participants gets smaller the quality of the the tests gets lower,judges are harder to find and club members willing to work at the tests are harder to find. Birds are getting very expensive. Clubs which used to serve lunch, do not even have coffee on the grounds. The biggest comment you hear is I have to do all the work. The over all experience is not what it used to be. the whole thing feeds on itself. New comers basically are not impressed and find some other game.
As clubs go more toward Trial type judges, they go more toward continuous courses, rather than a back course and bird field. This makes it tougher on people who walk slower and hunting type dogs which hunt closer.
I expect by next year the hunt test will be gone from Minnesota. I think it is sad because it was a fun test that anyone could do and gave beginners a chance. It is just not that way anymore.
Any suggestions.................................Cj

[Ms. Cage]

Might be because of the late spring. I do know the St Croix NAVMDA chapter has a large number of entries, The NAVHDA test in Virginia in Aug is full. Our group just bought 500 quail same price as last year.

[cjhills]

Might be because of the late spring. I do know the St Croix NAVMDA chapter has a large number of entries, The NAVHDA test in Virginia in Aug is full. Our group just bought 500 quail same price as last year.

I may have got the wrong info, but in a conversation at Four Brooks on Friday I was told the NAVHDA NA test only had eight entries and they are supposed to have ten to hold a test. That was from a party who had came from North Dakota to run their dog.
It seems strange to me in a time when puppies are selling better than ever......................Cj

[dan v]

Odd then Jerry as one of the Saturday judges stopped by the FT....a judge at the GSP HT held at Kelly.

[cjhills]

Odd then Jerry as one of the Saturday judges stopped by the FT....a judge at the GSP HT held at Kelly.

You are right. Gspcmn did in fact decide to have the test which was niether approved nor on the AKC website until the week before it took place. Some of us were notified by e-mail on 5/12 with entries due 5/13. Two dogs entered in master
A total of four different dogs have ran in the Master test in Minnesota in six events. a few more seniors but most are by one trainer.
The Gordon test committee didn't have a bye dog to run with the one dog entered in the master test..
My point is the clubs will not continue to have the events which lose money and with the lack of attention to detail the tests will continue to lose money and participation will suffer. There are very few new people coming in....................Cj

[shags]

IME entries in events tend to ebb and flow. For trials and tests, sometimes there are a lot of juvenile or junior entries, then entries drop off until those dogs are ready for the next level. Sometimes it's an issue of people attaining the title they want then discontinuing.

If club members aren't providing the amenities to attract entries, maybe they're burned out. Sometimes people volunteer who want to help the club but who have no real interest in the type of event itself ( this seems true of kitchen help especially). Many people will help if asked but won't volunteer. If you see a need, perhaps volunteer to chair a test and set courses as you would like them, or take over some of the gazillion tasks involved, including recruiting helpers and expanding the mailing list.

Hopefully entries will turn around and more people will get involved in your area.