At this year's sprng test we managed to dodge the weather bullet on Saturday where six NA dogs and 2 UT dogs were handled to the following scores:Al Burkhart and Maggie, 79, no prize; Dan Griffiths and Candy, 112 NA prize 1; Al Burkhart and Nellie, 96, NA prize 3; Jo Wolak and Bach, 112 NA Prize 1; Bill Mathers and Inges, 81, no prize; Al Burkhart and Mickey, 104 NA prize 2; Drum Hadley and Candy, 141, no prize; John Swider and Dutchess, 188 UT prize 3.

On Sunday we started at Long Pond with 8 NA entries that faced wind and the threat of rain all day long. In fact, the afternoon water work was held in a wind tunnel with added mist to make things interesting. The pheasant tracks were the most challenging for this group as the teams achieved the following scores: Mike Darr and Ayla, 112 NA prize 1; Dave Molyneaux and Tzarr, 96 NA prize 3; Judy Zeigler and Sun, 94 NA prize 2; Diane Krause and Jandal 49, no prize; Dave Molyneaux and Chism, 66, no prize; Chris Malvica and Gunther, 105 NA prize 2; Zack Driscoll and Bayle, 101 NA prize 2; Bill Washer and Ruger, 105 NA prize 2.

A few comments on some of the handlers: Zack Driscoll, age 16, purchased his dog and trained it with help especially from Larry Lawton. Zack successfully handled the dog through all aspects of the test under the same pressure all of us feel when we are in the test field. Zack did a fine job, and everyone clearly recognized that the future of NAVHDA is secure in the success of rising stars like Zack. Nice going, Zack! Drum Hadley overcame a lot of physical challenges to even be in the field handling his utility dog. Although the team did not prize officially, in my book they achieved something more: it took a lot of perseverance to even be out there, and Drum gave it all he could. Success is not always measured in the final score but rather how the game was played. The judge team headed by senior Larry Lawton made this possible by taking the time to have Drum show that he was as tough as the test was demanding. Nice going, Drum!

A huge THANK YOU goes out to the membership for the remarkable volunteer turnout that enabled this test to run smoothly. Many of the competitors commented on this. When it is your turn to run, look around and be sure to thank your fellow members for giving up their weekend so you have a chance to show your stuff.

An even larger THANK YOU goes to Marie Lawton for a wonderful dinner at the Lawton residence Saturday night. Roomer has it that Larry played a role in this, but I know the brains of the operation were purely girl powered! Larry and Marie are the glue that hold us together so thank them when you see them.