October/November 2004 Now in our thirteenth year. www.Bdarn.com

For all of you out there interested in getting into AKC Hunt Tests, here is an inspirational story for you. A story that lives up to what your parents always meant when they told you, "hard work pays off".
It all started when I was a young boy always wanting a puppy. I wanted a Springer Spaniel pup to hunt with and make into a Field Champion. I went off to college after high school, graduated, got a job then a Springer Spaniel puppy, then a place to live. This dog was going to be it, a "Field Champion". The problem was, this was a tyrant of a pup. She tore the heck out of toilet paper rolls, hunting boots, hunting jackets (all new stuff of course since I needed everything new to go with the new pup). I had decided that this tyrant of a pup needed a crate. It was time to be crated at night and during the day while I was at work as to avoid destroying anymore "stuff".
The little pup was a heck of a retriever. That was her only saving grace at that point. I began working the dog to be a "proper Spaniel". At least that was what all the "old Spaniel guys" (Erlandson, Roebuck, and Radcliffe) said to do in their books.
I thought things were going well with the training and I needed to go visit an AKC Hunt Test. I needed to see what it was all about. It was an inspiration, so I joined the local spaniel club. The first field-training day we went to was the following week. I was completely oblivious to this "group" activity. They had birds. Something we had used a bit, but not a ton of. The sessions came and went, the pup was doing ok quartering and retrieving. The pup swam well and there was a Hunt Test coming up in September of that year so, why not sign up we thought. at least I did.
The Hunt Test was a long way from home for me in those days a whopping 45 minutes. It was like a day trip in my mind at that time in life. We needed a hotel room! We showed up on the Friday night before the Hunt Test to practice for the event and get my "mind right". After not sleeping the night before due to excitement, anxiety and nervousness, Saturday morning came. We needed to be there at 7:00amthe event started at 8:00am. That gave us time to mingle and check out the competition. We met a guy from Kansas named Jeff and his dog, "Doc". "Doc" was a great dog. I was a bit frightened of him especially when this southern boy proceeded to tell me he conditioned "Doc" by having him chase the sprinkler for three hours a night. Every week he had to move the sprinkler due to the trails "Doc" would make in his yard. This big talking southern boy would become a big fan of mine due to the soon to