Gambler and I with his first AKC Senior pass.

  This weekend Gamber and I ran another AKC Senior hunt test. This would be his 3rd one he has ran since his Junior Hunter title the end of June. He has been training for Seniors for 6 weeks before his first test the middle of August. This hunt test was held at the Madison Retriever Club in Oregon, WI. The Senior test started on Sunday September 2, 1-12. Land was the first series. The test was a walk up with memory bird and go bird as flyer with a blind. Gambler nailed the flyer and had a small hunt on the memory bird. His blind was so so. The mishap that happend during the test was went I went to release Gambler on his first mark I called him Norman and he went, then when he came back and healed up and I said out and took the bird he blasted off for the next bird. So he now thinks his name is Norman and Out! He had the judges laughing, or maybe it was I who had them laughing. The call backs were in and they dropped 1 dog out of 50 so 49 dogs got called back to water. Didn’t get started on water until 2pm so it was going to be hard pressed to get all the dogs run in before it got dark. The test was taking about 6-7 minutes a dog. This test was a water double, a blind and a honor. The sun was moving around to be in the dogs eyes at the end of the day so the judges called it quits for the day. I was one of the unlucky ones to have to come back on Monday and finish the test. There were 9 of us. We came back on Monday and with some work in the morning Gambler went on his name and didn’t move a muscle until I said his name. He lined the go bird and the memory bird he had a small hunt. We were suppost to “challange the blind” which means keep in a straight line but of course Gambler saw a decoy out next to the blind and had to check it out and I would blow the whistle to give him a cast over and he ignored me. He did then go over and got the bird, came back and honored off lead. The judges said “he sure doesn’t like to sit on the whistle” I said “yes that is his downfall, he is a chessie and has to do it his way”. His scores were high enough to pass as his name was called at the ribbon ceremony. I couldn’t be happier, finally the little man does it! What a way to end the hunt test season. Now off to hunting!