Char,

You hit on a major point here and part of this is; How many "Show" Breeders are so busy encouraging their owners to Show, that they ARE NOT asking them to go try out a few Junior Test? Get your owners going after a minimum of a JH and 1) Entries go up automatically. 2) They find out how fun it can be and if they take the time to go watch the Masters and Seniors to see just how precise these dogs can be at the elevated levels of Training, begin to seek out more training skills and/or assistance to go after higher Titles thus better proving the "Show" stock and further increasing entries.
You have to get owners involved at the ground level and not just in Shows.

As for Judges, if Clubs were to hold Judges Seminars advertising to other area Clubs to help cover the expense and then get a few of their own Members who have Qualified dogs at higher levels Licensed at Club expense from the "profit", with a Guarantee they would Judge X number of Test, the question of having up and coming Judges is answered.

As for getting away from horses and doing walking? For those that have Tested at Freeland KC, you've seen how they run a "Course A" and a "Course B" with 2 Judges for A and 2 Judges for B alternating every other brace, so it is not quite as much walking. No horse expense and those Clubs run FANTASTIC Test. Ya'll know who you are ;-)

Just a few thoughts from the peanut gallery.....

Thanx Kindly and Have A Great Day,
Bruce

----- Original Message -----
From: "Charlene"
To: gsp-l@shorthairs.net
Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2011 8:05:03 PM
Subject: Re: [gsp-l] Hunt Test question

I think Diane hit on a key point in her original post.  She mentioned that most Club members were "show only".  IMHO there is a big part of the problem.  In our breed nobody should be 'show only'.  If they are, then they really don't understand or appreciate the finer points of our conformation standard.  All "show" folk should be familiar enough with the function of the GSP in the field to successfully take their exhibit/breeding stock at least through a Junior title.  Until you've done that I submit you don't understand the Breed.
Also, you're missing out on a boatload of fun!  From the Club's standpoint, Junior entries are the gravy.  You can run 4 Junior braces to 2 Senior/Master braces.  The Junior braces bring the new owners out to learn about the Club & activities (and hopefully get more involved!)

Char Rutar

Ann Harris wrote:

>Diane we are suffering the same in Canada. Right now our test this coming week has six master hunters eight seniors and two juniors if this holds after closing we are going to put on a field training session after the test and invite all we can. I think it's just the year or perhaps we have too many hunt tests now. In this area we have eight Spring and fall.
>Ann
>
>Sent from my iPad
>
>On 2011-09-17, at 3:48 PM, dise454@aol.com wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> Sleepy Hollow had our annual hunt test today and the entries were low.  I'm wondering if the other clubs are finding this as well.  
>>
>> What does your club do to get the word out?
>>
>> Also, we would love to get more field focus in the club, however as it stands the majority of the members are focused on show.   Any suggestions from our hunting friends?
>>
>> What do you do to increase membership in general?
>>
>> Appreciate your thoughts and perhaps others would as well  
>>
>> Have a great day. 
>>
>> Diane
>>


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My Bad . . . .   Did not mean to imply HT was the only way to get the perspective on the GSP I advocate.  I suspect John has hunted behind a GSP or Vizsla once or twice.  Laura runs her dogs in the field regularly.  Both have seen the power, drive, agility, and stamina the well-built GSP possesses.

As to time and $$, (I was going to name a dog that once) I. Strongly relate to Tracy's regret over not remembering her 30's, and can tell her the 40's get even blurrier.  Nobody ever said these sports are inexpensive.  I stick to my guns that the serious breeder/fancier must find a way to gain appreciation for the qualities that make our breed so effective in the field.

Char Rutar

JJTAMT@aol.com wrote:

>Char - There are reasons  some of us that some of us that own  GSP's AND do
>understand the breed don't do hunt tests. To say that those that do  not do
>hunt tests don't understand the breed is NOT correct.
>John Tierney
>
>Char,
>
>You hit on a major point here and part of this is; How  many "Show"
>Breeders are so busy encouraging their owners to Show, that they  ARE NOT asking
>them to go try out a few Junior Test? Get your owners going  after a minimum
>of a JH and 1) Entries go up automatically. 2) They find out  how fun it can
>be and if they take the time to go watch the Masters and  Seniors to see
>just how precise these dogs can be at the elevated levels of  Training, begin
>to seek out more training skills and/or assistance to go after  higher Titles
>thus better proving the "Show" stock and further increasing  entries.
>You have to get owners involved at the ground level and not just  in Shows.
>
>As for Judges, if Clubs were to hold Judges Seminars  advertising to other
>area Clubs to help cover the expense and then get a few  of their own
>Members who have Qualified dogs at higher levels Licensed at Club  expense from
>the "profit", with a Guarantee they would Judge X number of Test,  the
>question of having up and coming Judges is answered.
>
>As for getting  away from horses and doing walking? For those that have
>Tested at Freeland KC,  you've seen how they run a "Course A" and a "Course B"
>with 2 Judges for A and  2 Judges for B alternating every other brace, so it
>is not quite as much  walking. No horse expense and those Clubs run
>FANTASTIC Test. Ya'll know who  you are ;-)
>
>Just a few thoughts from the peanut  gallery.....
>
>Thanx Kindly and Have A Great Day,
>Bruce
>
>-----  Original Message -----
>From: "Charlene" 
>To: gsp-l@shorthairs.net
>Sent:  Saturday, September 17, 2011 8:05:03 PM
>Subject: Re: [gsp-l] Hunt Test  question
>
>I think Diane hit on a key point in her original post.   She mentioned that
>most Club members were "show only".  IMHO there is a  big part of the
>problem.  In our breed nobody should be 'show  only'.  If they are, then they
>really don't understand or appreciate the  finer points of our conformation
>standard.  All "show" folk should be  familiar enough with the function of the
>GSP in the field to successfully take  their exhibit/breeding stock at least
>through a Junior title.  Until  you've done that I submit you don't
>understand the Breed.
>Also, you're  missing out on a boatload of fun!  From the Club's
>standpoint, Junior  entries are the gravy.  You can run 4 Junior braces to 2
>Senior/Master  braces.  The Junior braces bring the new owners out to learn about the
> Club & activities (and hopefully get more involved!)
>
>Char  Rutar
>
>Ann Harris wrote:
>
>>Diane we  are suffering the same in Canada. Right now our test this coming
>week has six  master hunters eight seniors and two juniors if this holds
>after closing we  are going to put on a field training session after the test
>and invite all we  can. I think it's just the year or perhaps we have too
>many hunt tests now. In  this area we have eight Spring and fall.
>>Ann
>>
>>Sent from  my iPad
>>
>>On 2011-09-17, at 3:48 PM, dise454@aol.com  wrote:
>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> Sleepy Hollow had  our annual hunt test today and the entries were low. 
>I'm wondering if  the other clubs are finding this as well.  
>>> 
>>> What does your club do to get the word out?
>>> 
>>> Also, we would love to get more field focus in the club, however  as it
>stands the majority of the members are focused on show.   Any  suggestions
>from our hunting friends?
>>>
>>> What do you do  to increase membership in general?
>>>
>>> Appreciate your  thoughts and perhaps others would as well  
>>>
>>>  Have a great day. 
>>>
>>> Diane
>>> 
>
>
>Unsubscribing: To unsubscribe from the list, send an email message  in
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>quotes and note it is a lower case L after the dash in  gsp-l).
>