[FB]

If so what format do you usually run in?

I started trialing about two years ago and really enjoy it. I dont go to a whole lot of trials but I try to go to as many as I can.

I started out in ARHA Progressive Pack and will still attend a few of em even though my dogs dont really have the foot speed that most of those dogs seem to have.

Ive also ran in AKC SPO and ARHA Gundog Pack. Those formats seem to fit my dogs "style" a little better.

 

[Crossroads]

I have never trial beagles . I will give it a shot one day to see how I like it

 

[Crofford]

I just started going a couple of years ago.I'm a hunter first but I do enjoy going to a few trials.I enjoy meeting new people and talking about dogs.We are having a trial at Ed Gordon in March you should come check it out we would love to have you there.

 

[Jeff Gammon]

I went to a few trials with dad 20 or 25 years ago. He won his share back then. There's nothing wrong with trials there just not for me. I don't have the tme to dedicate to them or the money to travel to them. Any time I spent trialing would just be taking away from my pleasure running. It just wasn't relaxing to me. I use my time in the field to wind down and get away from life's pressures.

 

[Rob`s Blackcreek]

I trial mine & rabbit hunt. Started in late 07 , but am geten burn out on it . I missed a lot of gun hunting with my buddys the last few years. Slacked off some & been doing little gunnen & it feels great for a change. And as Jeff said it takes lots of moneys & you can wear out a good truck quick travelen alover state to state

 

[stavemillbeagles]

we gun hunt and trial in arha lp mostly and have just started going to akc midwest hunts.

 

[beagleman01]

arha progressive pack here

 

[FB]

Your being modest Tim. :wink:

 

[john c]

I dont trial and really dont have an opinion on it as i have never done it myself. I like Jeff Gammons reply because thats exactly why i run and hunt my hounds.

 

[MackC]

I have always just hunted and ran my dogs year round for pleasure. I started attending some AKC SPO trials this fall just to see what was out there. I've enjoyed the trials, fellowship, and saw some good dog work. I haven't made it past 2nd series yet but I plan on continuing to attend when possible. One problem is that when I attend a trial I lose a day of hunting. I don't plan on quitting rabbit hunting and becoming a field trialer. Most of the guys that are winning attend a trial every weekend, I work all week and Saturday is my hunting day. Contrary to what I have heard there are dogs in AKC SPO that can smoke a rabbit. One other note that I might ad is that there is an ARHA LP club close to my house. I tried it but my dogs didn't fit in. However under much pressure from neighbors and friends I purchased a dog solely for these trials. I never run him with my gundogs, the styles are too different. I run him 2 days before each trial and then run him in the trial on Saturday. I attend One ARHA trial a month. I also enjoy these trials and the fellowship. Oh, by the way my dog won NKC/ARHA Southern hound of the year for 2009 in my region which includes 5 different clubs.

 

[FB]

Congratulations on HOY. Thats no small feat. You have to have a really good dog and attend alot of trials to "earn" that title.

I went to two trials this weekend in two different states and Im not ever doing that again. I could see how you could burnt out real quick doing that not to mention spending alot of money and using up alot of valuable hunting time. I was so tired from that trip that not only did I miss those two days of hunting, but I didnt feel like getting up this morning and going either.

I went to an AKC Small Pack trial Saturday at TAM which is north of Forrest City, Arkansas and I went to an AKC SPO derby trial (dogs less than two years old) at Peach Country which is near Campbell, Mo. on Sunday.

Anybody that thinks these dogs are easy or slow is mistaken. I saw some really hard hitting dogs both days that can flat smoke a rabbit. I took two females to TAM and one got picked up in the first series for low score and the other one got picked up in second series for low score. Theyre pretty solid rabbit dogs (imo) but the other dogs were so much faster and quicker at it that they didnt look like much compared to them and they didnt get nearly as much done as the other dogs in the cast did. I still like em though and thats whats important.

I had a male that took NBQ (5th place to those that dont know) at the derby trial. I liked him better than a couple of dogs that placed higher than him but your always gonna have that. He's a fairly strong and quick dog himself but the dog that won was something to watch. He flat put on a show.

I got to meet some new people and watch alot of dogs run and bring home a trophy so it was a pretty good weekend, but its not something Im going to do every weekend.

 

[Rob`s Blackcreek]

Congrats. MackC & FB it takes a lot of time & effert to hit all those trials Plus a lot of money LOL

 

[Echo Hill's]

I have ran in just about every format that AKC licenses and judged them all also. I was very blessed in the beginning to have a couple of 13" hounds( a male and a female) that were actually what was winning back in their day. We went to our first SPO at Houma Airport in South La and got 2nd in a class of 70 something little females and won the 13" males with 50 something entries. After that I was hooked on trialing to the point that it became like a second job. Finished the little male and later on, 2- 13" females. I was able to win in SPO, Gundog Brace and dissimilar Large pack with the same little females that I was hunting and 2 coupling at that time. But I burned out after finishing the ones that did and had several with enough points that needed a win when i quit going to any trials. Still would go occasionally if I had something that could compete but it ain't such a big deal to me. Fun running and hunting with friends is just as much fun . I would never let a field trial dictate what I keep and run .

James

 

[Rob Maynard]

Mostly just run for fun but I do trial to in UKC. ARHA and AKC. I have made allot of UKC Champions and have a dog that has a 1st and 2nd in ARHA lp in 2 trials but I love hunting and running with my wife and cousin. That mean allot more to me.

 

[FB]

I would never let a field trial dictate what I keep and run .

Me either and the last few SPO trials Ive been to make me wonder if I want any more of it or not.

I hear AKC guys knocking ARHA dogs saying theyre rough, out of control, etc. but from what Ive seen the last few SPO trials Ive been to, theyre heading down that road themselves.

 

[beagleman01]

love arha progressive pack headed to hope ar this weekend we get to run my son new rabbit champion he's pumped lol

 

[MackC]

I agree with FB. I don't plan on changing my dogs and standards to please judges. I too have seen some rough dogs staying down in AKC SPO trials. Not a majority but enough to let you know that some of todays judges prefer this type of dog. From what I've seen there's something out there for everyone you just have to find the judges that like your type of dog and follow them. Kind of hard on a newcomer having to pay all those $20 entry fees just to see what each judge likes. I don't think there are many crooks out there just different translations on what the rule book says.

 

[Crofford]

I'm a rabbit hunter first I could really care less about how many trials a dog wins I have seen some filed champions that I wouldn't give a nickel for as a hunting dog,but I have seen some that were great hunting dogs.I started going to a few trials a couple of years ago. I went to a few progressive pack and now doing gundog pack. I really enjoyed them.I have meet some really nice guys and seen several dogs run that I had heard a lot about.Like I said I'm a hunter first but when gun season ends a lot of the guys that hunt with me aren't interested in just going out and running dogs,I enjoy getting out by myself and pleasure running but it is also fun to go set around with a bunch of other guys and talk about dogs all day and that's what I enjoy about the trials.As long as you don't take it to serious you can have a lot of fun at a field trial.

 

[Echo Hill's]

Mack and Crofford

This is what took me out of trialing. I guess when I said I burned out, I was more disappointed that you had to pick trials to attend based on who was judging. I gave up judging because I refuse to argue with my judging partner over some idiot hound that he loves and says is his type of hound when nothing in the AKC rulebook substantiates that sucker staying down. Too many winners packs require multiple rabbits just to sort out 5 placing hounds in my opinion. All trials are not that way and I still would trial but I would rather go to any place that was holding a trial without worrying about judges. And yes, there are many interpretations of the rule book, I have a future thread in mind where I will elaborate.

There is no perfect hound out there aleastI have never seen or judged a perfect hound according to any rule book. I judged on experience of following many many packs and tried to apply the rule book standards as best as possible on that given day and that isn't always the case with some of our younger judges today.

James

 

[dblevens]

Never been to a field trial. Have been wanting to go and see how my dogs would compare, but after reading the other post about what you fellers will tolerate, I think I'll leave em at home before somebody shoots em! lol Too many rules and technical terms for me. I just want a pack that will run a rabbit, and make him come my way after the brother in law misses! Guess theres different strokes for different folks.