FIRST NSTRA AMATEUR CHAMPION IN THE UNITED STATES

Sonny Hawkins · Post by **Sonny Hawkins** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 4:06 pm

Son/Starr's Slick achieved this Championship at an early age, and in a short period of time. This Championship consists of 5 First PLaces and 3 Second Places. Slick is an outstanding Black and White English Pointer with an excellent nose and terrific style. Call (423) 413-6034 for more information or visit our Website.
http://www.sonstarrskennel.piczo.com/?cr=7&rfm=y

Post by **ezzy333** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:43 pm

Welcome Sonny.

You will find you will get the most out of this board if you take part in the conversation and add your experience s to the group that is already here. We are not just a place to post your website and ask everyone to call you. Come back and take part, you may learn something and you may make some new friends.

Ezzy

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:12 pm

Congrats on being the first to get the amatuer Ch....
But from someone who runs NSTRA which I do I am sorry to pop the winds out of the sails but...

Give us a brag when you get a NSTRA CH..means ALOT more ..specially if your trying to sell something

Lawdog · Post by **Lawdog** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:33 pm

Im confused on the Amateur status. The NSTRA region Im in dosn't have any AM stakes. And I thought that once you placed in a AM stake you had to move up to the Open/Regular Division.

I dont know help me out Ive only been in it for a year.

Sonny Hawkins · Post by **Sonny Hawkins** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:58 pm

kninebirddog wrote:Congrats on being the first to get the amatuer Ch....
But from someone who runs NSTRA which I do I am sorry to pop the winds out of the sails but...

Give us a brag when you get a NSTRA CH..means ALOT more ..specially if y
our t rying to sell something

Sonny Hawkins · Post by **Sonny Hawkins** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:14 pm

tHERE HAS BEEN LOTS OF DOGS WHO HAVE BECOME CHAMPS IN OPEN DIVISON AT NSTRA, YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT. SLICK IS THE first ever amateur champ ever. sonny

Sonny Hawkins · Post by **Sonny Hawkins** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:23 pm

you should ask your reigon pres. about the open amt trials a full trial is 24 open and 8 amt dogs rules have been posted in nstra mag since fall 06. sonny ds. @e

Post by **ezzy333** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:25 pm

Ok, you have me confused. Are you saying they have a new catagory that you competed in?

Ezzy

Sonny Hawkins · Post by **Sonny Hawkins** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:29 pm

yes if you are a active menber of nstra the new rules have been posted in the last couple mag. get with it sonny you are behind times. ask your regional pres. surley he can help you

Post by **ezzy333** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:32 pm

Thank you daddy. I will try to catch up.

Ezzy

Sonny Hawkins · Post by **Sonny Hawkins** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:38 pm

I dont have a lot of time to talk right now. give me a break, slick holds a world record in nstra. breeding avalible your friend sonny I think you will see more about him in mar april nstra mag.

Post by **ezzy333** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:40 pm

Glad you came back and explained it to us.

Have a good one

Ezzy

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:42 pm

Ezzy the Nstra Amatuer Champ is for those dogs who run an open amatuer trial and attian against the few dogs the points needed for a Amamtuer title..non of the amatuer points now count towards a NSTRA championship nor do they qualify a dog to run in the regional
the amatuer trials prior to the new change had to be full slot of amatuer dogs run like a regular trial not just a few braces combined with an open stake and the amatuer dogs getting full points when there is only a few braces

Also it used to be an amatuer was only allowed to attain a few points which non of them counted as first place points...but they are trying to make it where more people will try NSTRA ...
I LOVE NSTRA but find the amatuer not even close to the standards they should or could be and many others I have spoken with also feel the same way

When I first started NSTRA i got in there and played the game win lose or draw.. in NSTRA it is a dog that qualifies as an amatuer not the handler

Sorry...I will run my dogs for the real points

Sonny Hawkins · Post by **Sonny Hawkins** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:55 pm

you still dont understand. the open amt trials were created to help get more members so that a new guy dont have to run his young dog against a 10 time champ and it also stops a seasoned dog getting a easy draw against a youngstrer. it also keeps members comming back if they run against a more equal dog. nstra needs and needs to keep new members. do you understand. w

Sonny Hawkins · Post by **Sonny Hawkins** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:12 pm

you know, I really dont care what you think about the open amt trials, but it has increased membership here in the south already by 10% and the title i won with slick was in accordance with nstra rules and i didnot write them myself and you didn!t either. and thats all i have to say about that. sonny

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:17 pm

Oh I do understand...

I am happy for you..Glad your happy but I have been around the block in NSTRA and they ahve had many changes in the amtuer status in the last couple of year...
I personally do not feel it is a justice the way they are handling it now..

I liked the way they used to have the amatuer trials...

and soon you will understand excatly what I am trying to say

Post by **grant** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 1:02 pm

Hey Sonny! Nice to talk to ya... Its been a long time. Are you running in AL or GA now?

Grant

Sonny Hawkins · Post by **Sonny Hawkins** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 1:55 pm

Hey Grant, Good to hear from you again. Could you do me a favor and delete all posts above your last post.? I would rather not have these posts on the forum. I now belong to the Dixie Region, but I still run some in Alabama.
Thanks for inventing Gun Dog Forum.
Your Friend, Sonny Hawkins

DGFavor · Post by **DGFavor** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 2:45 pm

I don't run NSTRA, never even seen one but...what in the heck are you guys talking about??? Can someone explain the system a little? Open Amateur trials? World records??

IMO, in any trialing venue, a "champion" should be able to beat all comers whether those comers include 10x champions, FC of record or whatever. To create a "championship" division that circumvents competing against all willing participants, "lessens" the title IMO. That said, any win is a good win - take the trophy and run is my motto!

Also any activity or event that increases an owners enjoyment of his dog is a good thing also for both dog and man. It's just important for the "consumer" to understand what the titles/championships/etc. mean, how they were achieved and place what value they may on them.

Congrats on your dogs achievements.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 4:47 pm

Sonny Hawkins wrote:Son/Starr's Slick achieved this Championship at an early age, and in a short period of time. This Championship consists of 5 First PLaces and 3 Second Places. Slick is an outstanding Black and White English Pointer with an excellent nose and terrific style. Call (423) 413-6034 for more information or visit our Website.
http://www.sonstarrskennel.piczo.com/?cr=7&rfm=y

This is how the Amatuer trials USED to be held

AMATEUR FIELD TRIAL:

1. All Amateur Trials shall be run under National Shoot-To-Retrieve Field Trial Association rules. Each Region may hold no more than four (4) Amateur Trials per year (two during the spring trial season and two during the fall trial season). All Trials must be scheduled through Region Presidents. There is no sanctioning fee required to be paid to NSTRA for Amateur Trials.

2. All Scheduled Amateur Field Trials will be officially sanctioned trials by NSTRA.

3. Championship points shall be awarded as follows:

12-17 entries: One point for first place

18-23 entries: Two points for first place
One point for second place

24-32 entries: Three points for first place
Two points for second place
One point for third place

4. No Amateur points shall count as first place points in qualifying as a champion.

5. All Amateur points acquired in the time frame for qualifying for Region Elimination Trials shall count as qualification points for Region Elimination trials.

6. No Amateur points shall apply toward the Top Performance Award

7. Entrants shall be responsible for assuring their dog does not have any placements before entering an Amateur Trial.

8. Entry fees shall be limited to 25.00 per entry. Total number of entries per owner and/or handler shall comply with rule book, page 32, #5, under Rules For Recognized Field Trials.

9. Trial participants must be NSTRA members. An individual wishing to enter an Amateur Field Trial that has not previously been a NSTRA member may pay a special 15.00 membership fee for a 6 month membership.

10. Awards: plaques, trophies, etc. shall be awarded to the top six placements of each Amateur Trial.

11. Trial articles and photos of the placements of Amateur Trials will be published in the NSTRA magazine if forwarded to the NSTRA office.

It was an entire format with beginning dogs

Now it is mixed open/amatuer and where the dog points attained are only good for an Amatuer title WHich Sonny has attained..But making it out to be something to hang a Kennel name on and place a personal phone number is making it out to be way more then it is.
..I hope you continue on and attain the next level of a NSTRA championship I hope you go on to being the handler which can lead dogs in to NSTRA Championships..as again it is the dog that makes it an amatuer not the handler...

Sonny Hawkins · Post by **Sonny Hawkins** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 6:00 pm

Dear Kninebirddog, I'm tired of your insults and degrading my dog. I have achieved the Amateur Championship with Slick. I really did not want to involve personal opinions about bird dogs. But if you want to do that I'll give you mine. I really have never recognized a Brittany as a pointing breed of dog.

Sonny Hawkins · Post by **Sonny Hawkins** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 6:20 pm

THANKS TO DGFAVOR FOR YOUR CONGRATS. NATIONAL SHOOT TO RETRIEVE IS THE CLOSEST THING TO REAL BIRD HUNTING AS YOU CAN GET. CHECK IT OUT WWW.NSTRA.ORG. FRIEND SONNY SON STARR KENNELS.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 6:37 pm

Sorry you think I am insulting your dog ... what My point about NSTRA newly changed amatuer format has nothing to do with You or your dog or breed of dog or anyone elses dogs for that fact...

So again Congratulations ... and believe it or not I am on your side about my feelings and what they have done with the amatuer trials...Some day you will understand where i am coming from.

FIRST NSTRA AMATEUR CHAMPION IN THE UNITED STATES

FIRST NSTRA AMATEUR CHAMPION IN THE UNITED STATES

Re: FIRST NSTRA AMATEUR CHAMPION IN THE UNITED STATES