The American Beagler Forum

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As fun as it is to go to field trials win or lose this is the crap you have to put up with after everyone it seems like. If you can't handle losing this probably isn't the sport for you. I am not trying to be critical of anyone and see both sides but you should know that going in. Trials to me are a great time to converse with houndsmen/women, see some of the other beagles out there, compete your hound you think is worthy and here is a novel idea HAVE FUN!!!! The garbage takes all the fun out of the trialing to me. I would much rather go to the woods with a gun or just to pleasure run with a buddy so I didn't have to here the latest bitch once the trial was over....... IMHO only.....

http://americanbeagler.huntingboards.co ... hp?t=18180

Are you saying that judges should never have winning hounds? Actually, the people you see judging trials are often the best at winning trials, BECAUSE they are some of the most dedicated trialers you will find. Everyone wants to say there is corruption in the system, but my experience has been that there is very little. People who judge just simply know what type of hound it takes to win, and that is the type they keep.

Smitty,
I get the meaning of your post. Listening to everyone belly ache about how the cast was placed takes away from the true meaning of trialing. I get enough of that competetive bull s@#$ racing horses. There is no way I am going to let it ruin beagling for me.

Well I see people get cheated ,BUT every one has to agree. That it is the human reaction that you are going to look at a dog you might have owned once or came out of your kennel some time or a nother or even if you ran with the person and you are good friends with the owner you are going to keep a eye on that dog and probly want it to win more than the others in the cast and more than any time you are going to want it to win if you sold them the dog when it was a pup to make your blood line look better. And you can get more out of the next litter. Thats why you need all the honest people you can get in trailing as possible.THIS IS MY OPINION
Jr.

Beagle Huntsman wrote:Are you saying that judges should never have winning hounds? Actually, the people you see judging trials are often the best at winning trials, BECAUSE they are some of the most dedicated trialers you will find. Everyone wants to say there is corruption in the system, but my experience has been that there is very little. People who judge just simply know what type of hound it takes to win, and that is the type they keep.

absolutely are not saying judges shouldn't have winning hounds. One could expect that a good judge might keep a good hound hey.... I just get sick of the pissing and moaning.... Trialing is a two gusy opinion of your hound over a span of a couple hours. If you are going to let their opinion sway you that much then you obviously don't run your dogs enough to know what their about anyhow.... My dogs are judged one place and one place only which is by me under the gun..... If they produce there I could careless what they do in a field trial. But most good gun dogs will place and have a chance to be competitive in the trials....

you said a mouthful there smitty .

As I read through the Joe Hanlon post on the BB board I asked myself why does it seem like the hounds of the past were better than hounds of today. It seems to me back then all dogs were gun dogs first and trial hounds second. I will probably get killed for this comment on here but I can see field trialing seriously injuring our hunting hounds. My point is if you look at field trials most, but by no means all are ran during fall or spring when scenting is usually optimal. Very few are ran under the condtions of any states In the North, NE or Canada's gunning conditions. Do I field trial yes I do.... Do I enjoy the comraderie and looking at other hounds of course because I love beagles and running rabbits. To come on here and see some of the pee poor attitudes and belly aching that you see is really unbelievable. Don't let someone else tell you what you have, Get your ars out from behind the TV, PC and keyboard and figure it out for yourself...... The best thing about this sport is you don't have to feed what you dont' like, The problem is very few get out and find out what they like and dislike....

You know last year it was lets destroy the NKC,, this year its the AKC and I'll bet the UKC is next as this year goes on!!!! You guys are KILLING ME!!!!!!!!

Crew Chief

So basically you are bitchin and moaning about people bitchin and moaning?

Good one Jimmie! Great response and observation!

If you don't like Field Trialing, don't do it. If you don't like Field Trial dogs, don't own them. I Love Field Trialing and the type of dogs I see there. If each one will do and run what they like, don't worry about others, have fun and don't complain....everyone could be HAPPY and enjoy running Beagles. Pretty simple!

Jimmie,, I ain't bitchin!!! These threads are the funniest on the board!!!
Wilson Creek,, You're right on the money,,everybody just get along!!!

Crew Chief

As stongly as I have disagreed with smitty on other issues he has really made a good statement here. I have been very involved with ARHA little pack in the past and I thought going in that they were trying to promote gundogs after a handful of trials I realized this wasnt exactly the case it was more of a foot race than anything else, I have since quit attending these all together but still from time to time purchse pups from field trialers usuallyafter being told that this particular individual breeds '' A good solid hunting dog first'' well as a rule they have turned out to be super fast with a complete lack of nose and a little short on brains, so I have generalized that trials at this point are not promoting a hound that I can hunt over.

I am not trying to say that you can't hunt trial dogs. I have one that has competed very well in AKC midwest in limited trials and you can definately hunt over him. I am saying the way we critique our hounds have changed from the days of old it seems. I have no problem trialing and actually really like it. What I am saying is I would like to see us judge these so called "trial/gun dogs" in conditions that promote hunting. I do understand that NY and the NMHA do have some winter trials and I commend them for that. I do think you can have good trial and gun dogs be the same. I just think the best spot to judge a dog is under the gun in your own hunting fashion.... That is why when I see over competive people come on here and gripe and whine it bothers me. I am sure there is buddy judging don't know of any particulars but when you are competiting to win things there are always shady things that happen. Having said that going into the trials you should understand and go there to compete your dog, have fun, look at other good hounds and don't belly ache because this or that happened. The only person that has to judge a dog is the guy that dumps their feed in their bowl at night..... If they suit you don't worry about what Joe Shmoe says about them. If people simply would take this view of trialing the beagling world would be a whole lot nicer to be apart of.


thanks

Smitty have you tried ukc hound and hunter theres a club near you in laingsburg that has trials in jan feb march april sept and dec that pretty much covers hunting season in michigan which is sept 15 to march 31

Everyone,

I bumped into a guy in the woods a few years back. It was fall and i was running my dogs on state land in Osceola County, Michigan. A grouse hunter saw my dogs and stopped over to talk.
He said believe it or not i used to be really big in the beagle world.
He ran large pack for years until the dogs got too rough.
He helped the UBGF movement until they slowed down too much.
He helped get the Mid-West going but they too got too rough.
Finally, he sold all of his beagles and runs Brittney's now.


I guess when something just isn't fun anymore, find something you really enjoy.

Lone Pine Beagles