Why We Field Trial 

I have been very active in field trials since about 2000, the main reason is that I love many things about the sport.  Mostly I love watching the dogs perform in a venue that highlights their natural instincts.  I am always amazed when I watch a dog go out into the field and perform at a level that seems to exceed all expectations.  So you might say that I am addicted to the search for that kind of performance, that one great memorable experience that will live in my mind’s eye forever.

            The other reason that we field trial our dogs is that it gives us a chance to compare the results of our breeding program against other dogs in competition.  It is important for any breeder to compare their dogs next to others, it gives real relevant feed back that we can take back to our program and make adjustments as needed.  After all breeders should be willing to look at what they are producing and be realistic as to the actual results that are being produced.  So it is this aspect of field trialing that I find most valuable in determining the direction of our breeding program.

            Now many hunters that are looking for dogs will shy away from field trial dogs as they have the misconception that they are all run off dogs that are too hot for a foot hunter.  In our program, we hunt every one of our dogs off of foot on wild valley quail, wild chuckar, and wild pheasant-period!  We use field trial dogs as our breeding stock, because they are the best bird dogs that we can get our hands on and they are proven in the field.  The way that a dog hunts is mainly due to the methods and expectations of the trainer/handler of the dog.  We believe that the best indicator to success in the field is to start with smart, athletic, driven bird dogs that have been proven in the field.  The only way that we can guarantee our dogs for life is by using the absolute best in proven field dogs.