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INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL INFORMATION
The Hunting Retriever Club, Inc. (HRC), in affiliation with the United Kennel Club, Inc. (UKC), provides hunters an arena in which they may train and test their retrievers in true-to-life hunting situations. In addition, those retrievers which have demonstrated both their natural and trained abilities afield are awarded UKC Championship points toward the titles of Started Hunting Retriever (SHR), Hunting Retriever (HR), Hunting Retriever Champion (HRCH), Grand Hunting Retriever Champion (GRHRCH) and Upland Hunter (UH). Through this testing and training program, UKC and HRC will provide a platform on which to base a sound breeding program, and UKC will maintain a registry of working hunting retrievers. The UKC Championship Degrees will enable you to look at a UKC registered dog’s pedigree and immediately determine by the prefix to the dog’s names whether that dog and any of its ancestors have earned UKC titles in the HRC Program. It will help hunters to select pups or dogs from bloodlines that have demonstrated true hunting/retrieving abilities.
True-to-life hunting situations are the key ingredient to setting up and judging any HRC/UKC Licensed event. It is of paramount importance that Judges continually ask themselves, “Would I hunt like this?” Tricky or unrealistic hunt tests are not only counterproductive, but are against the principles by which the Hunting Retriever Club, Inc. was formed. The following guidelines are intended to familiarize the Judge with the purpose, philosophy, and procedures, which are utilized in judging a licensed hunt.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the licensed hunt is to test hunting retrievers afield under actual hunting conditions. Those hunting retrievers that demonstrate desirable hunting abilities will be rewarded with titles and incorporated into a sound-breeding program. The other reward of the program is better hunting retrievers afield during hunting seasons across the country, less lost game, and more enjoyable hunting.
PHILOSOPHY
Judges should strive to set up tests and judge hunting retrievers in natural situations, evaluating the retriever on qualities desirable in a hunting retriever. Although the complexity of the tests will vary from Started to Grand, the underlying philosophy should remain the same: to test the retrievers in hunting tests and to evaluate them as useful hunting companions.
PROCEDURES
Judging is not an exact science as no two dogs are alike and no two tests are identical. A Judge must be experienced in both hunting and retrievers. See “Licensing Requirements” section on page 20. It is difficult to evaluate a retriever during the short periods the dog is in front of the Judge and it is the average or mediocre retriever that will be the hardest to judge. With this in mind, the Judge must fully understand the purpose of the HRC program and evaluate the situation with that consideration.
TESTS
Preplanning is important on the Judges part. The test must be designed, laid out, and executed in such a manner as to enable the Judge to evaluate certain hunting qualities; e.g., marking, nose, desire. Merely throwing a few birds in the field and sending a dog out after them will not serve the purpose of the tests and most likely will not allow the Judge the opportunity to judge a true hunting retriever. Specific goals and purposes must, therefore, be incorporated into each test, and the test must be carefully planned to demonstrate those qualities. The Judge will work with the Hunt Marshal, Test Marshals, Gunners, and Bird Throwers to set up a realistic test. The purpose and procedures of each test must be explained to the Handlers prior to the testing of their dogs.
Judges must also maintain the realism of the hunt by making sure:
1. All blinds are truly blinds, not just pieces of wood stuck in the field.
2. All Bird Throwers and support persons are well hidden while in the field.
3. The gallery and non-working personnel are kept out of the field while a test is being conducted. Logistics should also play a part in setting up a hunting test. Even though HRC limits the number of retrievers per category, tests spread out all over the hunt grounds can delay the hunt considerably. The efficient use of grounds and personnel will make the hunt run smoothly and give the Judge a better opportunity to evaluate each retriever.
JUDGING RETRIEVERS
Specific guidelines are given for each category (Started, Seasoned, Finished, Grand and Upland Hunter), but it is the Judges responsibility to observe each retriever’s performance with an impartial and educated eye. It is important that Judges keep in mind at all times that they are not judging one dog against another, but instead judging an individual retriever against a set Test standard which is clearly defined prior to the beginning of a test.
The following are desirable traits of a true Hunting Retriever. They will be judged according to the Test standard, which will vary between each category.
1. Marking ability and memory
2. Nose
3. Hunting desire
4. Control
5. Hunting style
A retriever can be failed for failure to deliver to hand (to the area of the Handler in Started), excessive dropping and mouthing of the bird. The retriever should be marked down for repeated dropping or mouthing of the bird, or failure to return promptly to the line with the bird.
1. MARKING ABILITY AND MEMORY
The Judge must score on whether the retriever truly marked and remembered the bird, or if it merely stumbled upon it while wildly running around the field. Also, a retriever that must be handled to a marked fall does not demonstrate marking ability. Serious faults, which would be grounds for failure, would include:
1. Failure to find a bird;
2. Throwing an object to aid the dog; and
3. Excessive handling to marks that the retriever should have seen.
The Judge should score a retriever lower for poor marking, repeated handling on marks, leaving the hunt area, and disturbing too much cover.
2. NOSE
A sharply tuned nose is obviously a desirable characteristic of a hunting retriever; however, it is a difficult attribute to specifically test. Judges should be on constant alert for this trait during all tests. Judges should be careful, however, and not be quick to mark down a lack of nose on a particular test as scenting conditions can vary considerably from test to test.
3. HUNTING DESIRE
Included in this category would be courage, desire, determination, and perseverance. A test may be failed if a retriever:
1. Stops and gives up hunting;
2. Refuses to enter rough cover, water, ice, mud or any situation involving difficult or unpleasant going after being commanded to do so, or;
3. Shows no interest in hunting a bird or picking it up.
A retriever should be marked lower for reluctance to enter unfavorable terrain or water, and hunting in a disinterested, lackadaisical manner.
4. CONTROL
Control covers most of the trainable attributes of a good hunting retriever, including manners, obedience, steadiness, response to directions, and delivery. A retriever must be under some degree of control if it is to be a useful tool in retrieving downed game. At the Started level, a good deal of leeway is granted the retriever, but at the Seasoned, Finished, Grand and Upland Hunter levels, control must be considered with increasing importance. Judges must ask themselves if they would spend time ina blind or boat with this retriever.
Manners and Obedience - Seasoned, Finished, Grand and Upland Hunting Retrievers should walk quietly at heel off lead, sit quietly in any position designated by the Handler, and honor (when required), in a quiet manner. These retrievers should not require frequent and noisy restraints by the Handler. Failure may result from:
1. A Handler touching the retriever after they signal ready (except at the Started level);
2. A retriever out of control;
3. Breaking; or
4. Excessive noise at the line by the retriever or the Handler.
The retriever can be marked down for poor line manners, creeping, and requiring numerous commands at the line to steady.
Steadiness - Seasoned, Finished and Grand Retrievers are required to be steady at the line without physical or excessive verbal restraint. A controlled break (Judges must decide distance prior to running the test) will result in a mark down at the Seasoned and Finished levels and a failure at the Grand level. In the event of a controlled break, the retriever must stop and return quickly to the line when directed to do so.
Response to Direction - When a Handler chooses to direct their retriever with voice, whistle, and/or hand signals, the retriever should respond. Dogs entered in the Grand Hunt test will be judged much harder than Upland Hunter, Finished or Seasoned, but in all cases, excessive refusals by the retriever can result in failure. The Judges must decide in each test what excessive is and judge accordingly.
Delivery - A retriever that finds the game but either eats it or runs off with it is sometimes worse than no retriever. A retriever should promptly return to the Handler (Handler area in Started) with the bird and deliver it in such a manner as not to risk losing it if it were a cripple or damaging the meat. Hard-mouth at any level is grounds for immediate failure; however, a Judge must carefully consider the situation, examine the bird, and discuss the matter with the Co-Judge. In any event, the bird in question must be removed from the pool of usable birds. If the retriever is failed for hard-mouth, it should be done at the time and the Handler notified. The bird must then be tagged with the retriever’s number and saved until the hunt is over.
5. HUNTING STYLE
This is an open-ended category that includes style, sportsmanship, attitude, and intelligence. These qualities will be more evident in the older retrievers that have hunted a season or two, but nevertheless, important if we are to breed the best hunting retrievers.
Style - Each breed has its own manner afield and retrievers from different parts of the country or world also are characteristically different. The Judge must view the retriever’s entire performance before scoring on style.
Attitude and Intelligence - This is another attribute that is hard to judge, but will surface in good hunting retrievers, especially the retrievers with some hunting experience. A Judge should grade higher a retriever that has learned how to use the wind, hunt the heavy cover, as well as keep its mind on its business.
The above-mentioned attributes should, in most cases, be common to retrievers entered in all categories; however, they will obviously be judged differently depending on the category being judged. There are more specific guidelines pertaining to each category (Started, Seasoned, Finished, Grand and Upland Hunter).
SPORTSMANSHIP
The Judge is to assess the retriever not the Handler, but there are numerous things that fall under the heading of unsportsmanlike conduct and should result in either failure or a major mark down. They include but are not limited to:
1. Carrying exposed training equipment to the line (except whistle), or threatening the retriever;
2. Permitting the retriever to preview the test;
3. Deliberate blocking by the Handler, so a retriever will not see all birds and falls; and
4. Pointing out the bird throwers and/or gunners to the retriever by the Handler prior to birds being thrown.
5. Interfering, intimidating, threatening or fighting with the Judges are grounds for disqualification.
TEST DOGS
Use of test dogs is required at all UKC/HRC LICENSED events. This will enable Judges to see how smoothly the mechanics of the tests will be executed, to give the Handlers a view of the test, so that bird and drag back scent will be on the ground for all dogs and to verify the usefulness of the test. Test dogs must be of the same level as the test; i.e. a retriever with Finished points can not be used as test dog for Started or Seasoned. A Judge may run his or her appropriately qualified dog as a test dog only in the class and flight they are judging.
GUNNERS
If a designated Gunner is used, the individual should: 1) be at least 16 years of age; 2) have completed a certified Hunter Safety Course; and 3) be approved by the Judges of the Test where the Gunner is being used.
HANDLER INSTRUCTIONS
Judges should, while Handlers are assembled for the test dog, give instructions in accordance with the information listed under "Judges" in each test category; the Guidelines For Judges & Conducting Hunts, and the Hunt Test Briefings which are available on the Club CD and online at www.HuntingRetrieverClub.org.
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