Training Clinic
June 17-19
The Greatland Chapter is
planning to host a VHD field work training
clinic led by John and Cindy Hahn in Cantwell
from Friday evening, June 17th, through Sunday
afternoon, June 19th. The clinic will cover
basic training techniques and more advanced
field skills (no water work) for VHD handlers
and your dogs.
John and Cindy are
exceptionally skilled training instructors who
have conducted these clinics across the country
for many years. The techniques they teach would
be valuable for anyone from beginning handlers
with your first pup on through experienced
handlers who are trying to refine your skills
and those of your advanced, UT-ready dogs.
The cost of the clinic will
be $350. The size of the clinic will be limited
to 20 people, in order to ensure everyone a
share of individual attention along with the
group work. The Chapter is accepting
registration now, through
Judy Deaver, and we already have around ten
people.
Clinic attendees can be a
handler with a dog, a family member of a handler
without an additional dog, or a handler without
a dog that wants to learn by observing. The fees
may vary depending upon which of these
categories you fall into.
The clinic will be held in
Cantwell, just south of the Denali Park entrance
on the Parks Highway. This lets us split the
loigistics burden evenly between our
Anchorage-area members and folks from the
Fairbanks area.
Don Holum is arranging for
the grounds, identifying accommodations for
anyone who needs them, and arranging for
pay-as-you-go meals for the entire weekend.
People who want to bring a trailer or camper and
fend for themselves are welcome to do so.
2011 NAVHDA
Tests
The Greatland Chapter has
made the commitment to hold a 3-day series of
NAVHDA-sanctioned tests again this year. The
tests will be held on Friday, Saturday and
Sunday, 5-7 August, at Falcon Ridge. We have
submitted the test fees to NAVHDA International
and we have three judges already assigned to our
tests.
We have a few registrations,
but there are slots available on all three days
for all three test categories (Natural Ability,
Utility Preparatory and Utility). If you plan to
run a dog this year, please submit your test
registration fee as soon as possible. We will
need to have an adequate number of entries to
cover the cost of the tests by the end of March,
or we will face the possibility of canceling the
tests.
Our test registration fees
are higher than Chapters are able to charge in
other states, as they have been in past years,
but it is an unavoidable consequence of having
no local judges and a limited number of tests
each year. Over the past couple of years, thanks
to superb efforts by several of our members in
conducting fund-raising activities, we have
begun to build a cash reserve that allows us a
bit more flexibility in scheduling tests in
advance of receiving the year's test
registration fees.
Fees are as follows:
| Natural Ability |
Chapter Member: $275 |
Non-Chapter Member: $285 |
| Utility Preparatory |
Chapter Member: $315 |
Non-Chapter Member: $325 |
| Utility |
Chapter Member: $315 |
Non-Chapter Member: $325 |
(Greatland Charter Members
subtract $5)
Applications for tests must be made using the standard NAVHDA Test
Entry form found on the NAVHDA web site at
NAVHDA Forms.
Please print and complete the form, then mail with the necessary
supporting paperwork, along with your entry fee, to the Test
Secretary.
The Chapter does zero-based budgeting every
year. We only have enough cash reserves to keep
a bank account open ... about enough to buy
lunch. Each year the tests we run are entirely
funded by annual membership fees, test entry
fees and donations from individual members. The
cost of running a test is substantial. We pay
our annual insurance premium to NAVHDA
International, pay for the judges to travel to
Alaska, pay a fee to NAVHDA for holding the
test, pay for the birds, and pay for the grounds
we use, along with incidentals like shells and
bottled water. Many of those expenses are paid
well in advance of the test weekend, and can't
be refunded.
Please remember, to keep us from running into an unworkable
financial situation, the entry fees we receive
are non-refundable. If you do enter and,
for any reason, you aren't able to run the dog
in August, there are a few options.
-
Consider the entry fee to be a contribution to the Chapter and a
scholarship for the other dogs that do run
-
Run another dog that wasn't previously entered
-
Find another handler and dog to run in your place, that weren't
previously entered. We'll transfer the
registration and the two of you can settle up
between yourselves. We can probably change the
test type, if necessary.
When we make the commitment to run the tests and
pull
the trigger on our expenditures, the non-refund
rule applies even for a dog that dies, runs off
or doesn't shape up quite like you expected
during summer training. Trust me, it happens.
We'd like you to join the Chapter, but it isn't required. Your test
fee is cheaper if you do. The fees are
listed on the form. It would sure help the
Chapter if you did join.
We'd also like to see you join NAVHDA International, but that isn't
required either. That membership gets you a good
magazine, access to test scores and litter
registration info, the privilege of being a
Chapter officer and the opportunity to run your
dog in the Invitational if it's accompanied by a
UT Prize I score on your dog. I'd do it.
We appreciate the interest in participating in these tests, and the
willingness to commit early enough in the year
to let us get the logistics accomplished in
time.
We were fortunate last year to have strong
sponsorship support from several Alaska
businesses, like
Sportsman's Warehouse, and from NAVHDA's
sponsorship partners like Purina, Sierra Trading
Post, Tri-Tronics, Garmin, Cabela's and Ugly Dog
Hunting. We trust that you have seen fit to
patronize these folks throughout the year for
your dog care, training and hunting needs.
Photo Books
In 2010, we produced hard-cover, illustrated
books using photos taken of each dog and handler
during the tests. We made them available to all
the handlers at a cost a little over the cost of
production. We produced a book custom-tailored
to each handler and dog, and one that covered
the entire test with shots of every dog and
handler and descriptions of the tests. The books
sold reasonably well and provided a positive
return as an addition to the Chapter's treasury.
We'll plan to do the same thing at our 2011
tests, so you can expect to see a photographer
tagging along at a distance during each event.
Finished books will be available within a couple
of weeks after the tests.
2010 NAVHDA Tests
2010 August tests
... success!
The Greatland Chapter held the 2010 NAVHDA-sanctioned tests in
August as planned. We filled all three days of
tests with the maximum number of dogs allowed by
NAVHDA, based on the combination of test types
each day. The test entries were:
Friday, 6 August
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Owner/Handler |
Dog |
Breed |
Test |
Score |
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Owner/Handler |
Dog |
Breed |
Test |
Score |
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Skippy Johnston |
Wiley |
SM |
NA |
84/Prize II |
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Don Holum |
Greif |
LM |
NA |
93/Prize III |
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Yong Chun |
Beanie |
GR |
NA |
112/Prize I |
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Tom St. Clair |
Lark |
GW |
NA |
97/Prize III |
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Forrest Bolles |
Chance |
SM |
NA |
96/Prize II |
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Don Holum |
Kora |
LM |
NA |
112/Prize I |
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Steve Havens |
Bligh |
GR |
NA |
108/Prize I |
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Don Holum |
Candy |
LM |
NA |
87/Prize III |
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Saturday, 7 August
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Owner/Handler |
Dog |
Breed |
Test |
Score |
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Owner/Handler |
Dog |
Breed |
Test |
Score |
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Chuck Ashcraft |
Ginny |
GR |
NA |
78/Prize III |
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Don Holum |
Cruiser |
LM |
NA |
112/Prize I |
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Jay Parker |
Fossil |
GS |
UT |
186/Prize II |
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John Haddix |
Kobuk |
GW |
UT |
148/Prize III |
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Jeff Alling |
Sparky |
SM |
UT |
184/Prize III |
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Sunday, 8 August
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Owner/Handler |
Dog |
Breed |
Test |
Score |
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Owner/Handler |
Dog |
Breed |
Test |
Score |
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Kate Gappert |
Sako |
LM |
NA |
100/Prize III |
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Forrest Bolles |
Chance |
SM |
NA |
92/Prize III |
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Don Holum |
Geeta |
LM |
NA |
107/Prize II |
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Jeff Alling |
Jake |
SM |
UPT |
164/Prize II |
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The tests were held on Friday through Sunday, 6-8 August, 2010, at
Falcon Ridge.
We had several sponsors for the event, which
were a huge help in making the event happen.
Sportsman's Warehouse stepped up
big time with items for our raffle, dog training
items for the handlers at the test itself, and
in other ways. We really encourage you to return
the favor by thinking about
Sportsman's Warehouse first when
you need good quality dog training and hunting
supplies at good prices.
We had 17 paid entries: 13 NA, 1 UPT and
3 UT representing five VHD breeds. We did the test day slotting to stay under the
combined total for each test day that NAVHDA
allows us to run.
We found it necessary to increase the
fees for the tests to break even on the cost for
judges, accommodations, birds, test registration and
other unavoidable expenses. Thanks to all the
handlers who stepped up to pay what is still a
substantial savings over the cost of traveling
Outside to test your dogs.
We conducted a raffle on a couple of really
decent guns and artwork to help offset the cost,
and we successfully pursued several sources of
sponsorship from Alaska businesses.
We had a table for the Greatland
Chapter at the Palmer Gun Show in 2010 where we talked
to folks about versatile hunting dogs, and
stimulated interest in the Chapter and our test
program among the attendees. In the spring, we
held a Saturday demo at Sportsman's
Warehouse in Wasilla.
If you haven't entered the August Tests and would like to try for
the one NA slot or put yourself in a position to
take a slot if somebody has to back out, the
Test Entry Form is linked from the
upper left corner of this page and
here. Print
it, fill it out and mail it with your check to
Judy Deaver (address on the form).
Judy Deaver served again as Test Secretary, which is an
enormous amount of work. She and Jeff Daigneau
assisted with running the tests, and other
served as field marshal, bird
planters, gunners, snack and drink arrangers,
raisers of ducks and other essential tasks. Many
of you were asked to assist on a day when you
weren’t running a dog … and it sure was
helpful.
Gary Thompson at
Falcon Ridge
provided the chukkar and pheasants for the
tests, and we used his grounds. We encourage you
to join
Falcon Ridge
and use it for your individual training needs
throughout the year if you are working your dogs
in this area.
Thanks, and good hunting,
Roger
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