From Nina Johnson, ISCA Trial Chair...
The ISCA Board is holding the 2010 National Hunting Test (HT) and walking Field Trial (FT) on April 3 and 4, 2010 at the spectacular Cloverdale Farm field trial grounds near Danville, VA, where AKC National Pointing Dog Championships have been held. These are truly superior grounds and we were very fortunate to get them – many thanks to member Kevin Culver for securing these wonderful grounds. In addition, I have more good news – the ISCA Board of Directors has also approved our first running of an ISCA-sponsored walking Gun Dog Championship. This event will be held on April 2, 2010, the Friday before the National HT/walking FT on the same grounds. This year, it will be held as a parent club (ISCA) Championship and no AKC title will be awarded. It will be an Open stake run according to AKC Gun Dog rules. The winner will be awarded the title of ISCA Walking Gun Dog Champion of 2010.
A proposal for an ISCA Gun Dog Championship was approved by the ISCA Board in April 2008 and the proposal was submitted to AKC for review in Dec 2008. AKC is supportive of ISCA pursuing this new Championship. New performance Championship events are typically run for a few years prior to AKC granting National Championship status so if this event goes well, we could eventually obtain approval for an AKC title of National Irish Setter Open Gun Dog Champion of 20xx. AKC also provided ISCA with some recommendations for the event that we plan to follow. Those recommendations are:
(1) Qualifications to enter – Quality of competition must be meaningful
(2) Number of starters – Amount of competition must be significant
(3) Structure of stake – Provide a meaningful opportunity to demonstrate abilities. Must be more than a normal weekend trial.
Qualification for the event shall be a placement in any gun dog stake, first place in a derby stake, or a pass in a Senior Hunter test. We are hoping you will consider participating in the event so that we meet the “significant number of starters” recommendation. The stake will be 45 minutes long which is more than the normal weekend trial. This event is our first one and of course, will evolve. We look forward to enhancing it to make it an event that everyone would like to attend, and an event that showcases our wonderful Irish Setters in the field.
We are also asking for volunteers J to be on the various 2010 National Hunting Test, walking FT, and ISCA walking Gun Dog Championship committees and to help out with marshalling, bird planting, etc. If you want to volunteer for any of these committees or help with any task, please email me at (nina_12345@sbcglobal.net) or call (281) 486-9735. We would really appreciate your support in making this a grand event, befitting such a wonderful venue.
The 2010 committees and tasks are:
- FT committee (for both the walking FT and the walking Gun Dog Championship)
- HT committee
- Marshalls
- Gun Captain for HT
- Bird Planters
- Hospitality (food) – making breakfast, lunches, snacks on the grounds. Will have a Friday night BBQ dinner on the grounds.
- Banquet (held Saturday night at the grounds, includes coordination and setting up tables, etc.)
- Judge’s Hospitality (making sure they have what they need, helping with their horses, etc.)
- Versatility Tests – Saturday and Sunday
- Raffle and Silent Auction – (collecting items, selling raffle tickets, setting up raffle items and silent auction items on tables at Banquet)
- Trophies and Donations (Karolynne McAteer has volunteered for this but might like some help)
- Advertising (Karolynne McAteer has volunteered for this but might like some help)
- Catalog (Jeanine Wilson and Karolynne McAteer have volunteered for this but might like some help)
We have located a host hotel and blocked a set of rooms. The hotel will allow dogs in the rooms but you must sign a pet agreement when you check in, and you must notify them when you make your reservation that you are bringing dogs. The host hotel is:
leep Inn and Suites
1-877-424-6423 (Reservations)
1-434-793-6090 (Hotel Direct)
$89 double, $79 single
www.sleepinn.com
II know I did not get everyone on the distribution list who might want to come, so please forward this email to anyone else you think might be interested. I also plan to advertise the event in the December Memo to let the ISCA membership know of the plans. I hope you all can come because the 2010 event will be quite a memorable one, I’m sure!!
Nina Johnson,
ISCA Region 3 Director
National Hunting Test, walking Field Trial Chairman
