Unsteady Singles


UNSTEADY SINGLES STAKE (USS)

 

Purpose:

The purpose of this stake is to introduce novice dogs and their handlers to field work.  FCRSA hopes that once owners who are new to this activity see how much their dogs enjoy the sport, they will become interested in pursuing fieldwork and utilize the natural and intended purpose of this breed.

 

The Unsteady Singles tests will have a 1st Place Winner as well as 2nd-4th Placements and JAMs in each section.  JAMs are awarded to those dogs that have successfully and honestly completed all of series.

 

Eligibility:

  • Dog must be at least 6 months old on the day of the test, and
  • Have an individual AKC registration number, foreign registration number, or ILP number, and
  • Dog has not previously passed or qualified in any test or event requiring steadiness, i.e. Steady Singles, WCX, Senior test, Master test, or any other field test where steadiness in required, and
  • A dog may not be entered in the USS stake at this Specialty if it is also entered in any stake or test that requires steadiness.
  • Owners must enter their dog in the appropriate USS section as outlined in the “Sections in the Unsteady Singles Stake.”

 

Sections in the Unsteady Singles Stake:

  1. Section A (Novice Handlers and Novice Dogs)
    1. Handlers who have not previously placed any field title on a dog, and
    2. Dogs who have never run a field event requiring steadiness, and
    3. Dogs that have never received “considerable professional training.”  (Those dogs that have spent nights away from their home and owner for the purpose of being trained by a person other than the dog’s owner shall be considered to have received considerable professional training.)

2.   Section B (Experienced Handlers and Novice Dogs)

  • Dogs who have never run in a field event requiring steadiness, and
  • Handlers who have previously placed any field title on a dog , or
  • Dogs that have received “considerable professional training.”  (Those dogs that have spent nights away from their home and owner for the purpose of being trained by a person other than the dog’s owner shall be considered to have received considerable professional training.)

 

Description of the Test:

  • Land Series
    • 2-3 single marked retrieves
    • Moderate cover (ideally)
    • Falls generally not more than 150 yards depending on terrain
    • Birds shall be dead ducks
  • Water Series
    • 2-3 Single marked retrieves
    • Light cover to open water
    • Falls are generally under 150 yards depending on the water and terrain
    • Birds shall be dead duck
  • Optional Land and/or Water Series will be at the discretion of the judges
    • Upon completion of the land and water tests, ties shall be broken by a third series runoff.
    • May be land and/or water
    • 1-2 Single marked retrieves

 

USS Test Rules:

  1. The same judging standards and guidelines should apply for both sections of the USS.  (See Judges USS Guidelines.)
  2. Bird throwers should be in white.  Retiring guns should not be used.
  3. Handlers and/or judges may wear light or dark clothing.
  4. Birds should be clearly visible throws.
  5. Shotguns must be used; popper loads shall be used for all dead birds.
  6. Wingers, Strong-Arms, or other mechanical bird throwing devices are permitted.
  7. A shot must be fired for prior to each throw. 
  8. Decoys may not be used on the water and/or land series.
  9. A test dog should be used for each test/series.
  10. Dogs may be brought to the line on lead and run with a flat buckle collar without tags or other attachments.
  11. Dogs may be held on line and shall not be sent for a bird until released by the judges.
  12. Dogs need not deliver to hand, but must return to a designated area with the bird.  Dogs delivering to hand shall not outscore dogs delivering to the designated area.
  13. All dogs are guaranteed two retrieves unless the dog is out of control in the field or with respect to its handling of the birds.
  14. There will be 1st – 4th Placements for each section. All other finalists who have successfully and honestly completed the last series shall be awarded JAMs without ranking.
  15. The judge’s decision is final.

 

Judging Guidelines

The Specialty Field Events Committee should select judges who are experienced Field Trial and/or Hunt Test judges and handlers.  They should be capable of setting up a test with creative use of the terrain, cover change, wind, distance, and previous marks. Additionally, the judges should be able and willing to set up fair tests for these inexperienced dogs.

 

Judges for the USS tests must be able to create tests that challenge the dogs’ natural abilities without penalizing them for inexperience and trained abilities.

 

Judges are encouraged to be generous with their callbacks and not to eliminate dogs solely because of poor lines, hunts in the area of the bird, brief hunts behind a gun, etc.

 

Judges should plan and time their tests so dogs are tested as equally as possible on land and water.

 

All judges should feel free to offer assistance to handlers.  This may be the first field experience for the handler and should be a pleasant and educational experience. Help must be brief, however, since there is usually a large entry.

 

Because this is a fun field event to challenge the dogs’ natural marking abilities, judges should avoid:

  • Trick marks
  • Marks set up to intentional confuse the dog
  • Marks where avoiding cheating is the main criteria
  • Use of retired guns

 

It is suggested that judges set up at least (2-3) land series marks and (2) water series marks of graduated difficulty that would ultimately determine the most successful marking Flat-Coats in this test.

 

The guidelines for distance are suggested.  Creative use of terrain, cover, cover change, wind, and weather conditions should be taken into account when setting up the test.

 

If the total entries in Section A and B are fewer than 40 dogs at the closing date, these sections may be combined and judged by one set of judges, using the same marks for all.  However, the judges will separate the awarded placements and JAMs for each section.

 

The USS judges in one section should feel free to share land and water series set-ups with the other USS judges.  This is especially valuable when land, water, and/or time are limited.  If the land and water series is shared, all of the USS section judges must agree to the test set-up for in each series.  Then judges of one USS section will start with the land series, while the judges in the other USS section will start with the water series.  “Call backs” from the land test will proceed to the water test and vice versa.  Judges stay with  his or her own sections.   If necessary, the final series to determine the placements will be completely set-up with all of the USS judges.

 

The judges will select one First Place winner, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Placements, and JAMs in each section.  Jams are highly encouraged.  FCRSA recommends awarding JAMs to those finalists that have successfully and honestly completed all of the series.  The Specialty Field Events Committee will not limit the number of JAMs awarded.

 

 

Mandatory Elimination or Failure of the USS Tests:

  1. Releasing the dog to retrieve before the dog’s number is called or dog is released by the judge.
  2. Letting a competing dog watch the location of a fall for another dog before its turn to run.  This will be a mandatory elimination of the dog, and possibly an elimination of the handler from the test if the judges or event committee believe the violation to have been deliberate.         
  3. Loud or prolonged barking or whining.
  4. Noisily or frequently restraining a dog from breaking, except in extraordinary circumstances, from the time the handler signals the judge until the dog’s number/”dog” is called.
  5. “Breaking,” i.e. dog leaves the line to retrieve before the dog’s number is called by the judge [Note: a dog will not be eliminated for a “controlled break” or where dog leaves to retrieves before being sent and is quickly brought under control by a verbal command or whistle without manhandling and promptly returns to the line.]
  6. Using a signal, a vocal command, or throwing anything to direct the dog to a fall or to persuade it to enter the water.
  7. Dog returning to the handler, either without the bird or without having been called in, except when the dog is obviously confused as to whether it was ordered to retrieve.
  8. The dog stopping the hunt
  9. Giving up after a search for one bird and going to the area of another fallen bird, i.e. “switching birds.”
  10. Ignoring a bird when found and leaving it, “blinking the bird”
  11. Failing to find a bird that should have been found
  12. “Hard mouth” or badly damaging game which, in the opinion of the judges, was caused entirely and solely by the dog without justification
  13. Extreme “freeze,” i.e. unwillingness to release a bird on delivery until compelled to do so by severe means