Training Day June 2009

Summer Training in the High Country

Our June 13 Training Day at Sholz Lake, on Garland Prairie, near Parks, was a big hit with everyone in attendance. It is an absolutely beautiful area for camping and dog work. The Casdorph’s, Bob Walker and myself all arrived on Friday afternoon and set up our camp. We saddled up and went on a 2 ½ hour ride to explore the vast area and to look for potential areas for not only training, but field trials and/or hunt tests as well.

Garland Prairie is a very large grassy area surrounded by ponderosa pine forest. We had every intention to continue on Friday with some horseback training, but we all simultaneously ran out of energy, and opted for some rest and early dinner. Saturday morning we got a very early start and planted a half hour course that was laid out to teach our dogs to seek out the rock outcroppings for the chukar we planted there. It was very successful, the porcupine notwithstanding, and we called it quits after 3 braces so we could meet and greet the arriving participants for the Club’s training activities. There was a big turnout with several surprise guests, including Scott McClung and his wife, who live on the prairie and noticed our horses and activity. We learned that Scott was a dog man and invited him to go get his GWP and join us. Others taking part included prospective members Jeff Hallet and Brad Christensen and members Bob Williams, Tony Marley, Mark and Nicole Ballew. Joining us from the Desert GSP club were Chet Soberay and Jack Faley, who couldn’t resist getting away from the valley heat to play in the cool mountains. In all there were 13 of us.

We split into groups according to our dog’s level and salted a working area with quail for steady dogs. Bob Williams keep things going there as paired up handlers worked their dogs on pointing, backing and steadiness. Bob Walker and myself set up another area for puppies and helped everyone as they worked their youngsters on the pigeons. After a couple of hours everyone had finished in the field. We then had lunch and a very short meeting. Afterward, those who wanted to do some water work, along with gunners, crew and spectators walked up to the nearby lake and had a very good time introducing young dogs to the water and doing water retrieves with some of the older ones. After an hour or so, everyone headed back to camp and before long the camp had emptied. Bob Walker and myself stayed over Saturday night, worked our dogs along the rock outcroppings again and then packed up and headed for home.

We thank everyone for coming, working together and making this day a very special one for our Club. We are looking forward to returning on July 11 for our 2nd “High Country” training day of the summer.