Onpoint Vizslas - Vizsla Field Activities Page 2

NSTRA trials tend to be a fiercely competitive demonstration of a dog's ability to quickly locate and point stylishly and rapidly retrieve game. In NSTRA you are judged by someone who has been taught, tested, apprenticed and evaluated by a Senior Judge and a set of rules and regulations to earn the title of a Certified Judge. This introduces a more uniform standard than in some other trails, though all have their merit. Although NSTRA trials are dominated by the pointers and the setters, I have had some great success with the Vizsla. I have owned and trained 2 NSTRA Champion Vizslas (one 2X NSTRA CH) as well as have NSTRA points on most of my dogs. In order to be competitive in NSTRA, a Vizsla must point with Style and Intensity. The NE region has probably the most pointed Vizslas in North America with most either directly from our breeding or out of Onpoint bloodlines.

NSTRA trials are open to all pointing breeds. Dogs are run in 30 minute braces and are scored on each find, each retrieve along with the dog & it's first back (honoring another dog's point) as well as obedience and ground cover. A trial that has between 26-32 dogs competing award three points for a first place placement, two pts for second, one pt for third. In trials where there is less than 26 dogs competing but more than 24, only two pts are awarded for first, one for second. When a dog has accumulated 18 points (9 of which must come from first place placements), a Champion certificate is awarded. NSTRA is the only field trial organization where entries are increasing not decreasing!

Onpoint hosts a 2 day NSTRA field trial annually, usually in late spring.

In recent years much of our competitive focus has been on AKC trials, and particularly AKC Vizsla trials. AKC trials are an excellent medium for evaluating our program. By competing in Vizsla trials we get an opportunity to compete against the best in North America and the world.

We have had a good deal of success, though we continue to have goals that we would like to accomplish in this venue. Among this is training and handling dogs to National Championships and National Amatuer Championships in addition to consistently placing dogs on the AKC Top Ten in both Open and Derby.

Like NSTRA, AKC Field Trails are open to all pointing breeds. Some trials are limited to a specific breed, while in others the trial will be an all pointer breed trial. The specifics will vary from trial to trial and the region you are in.

Hunt tests are organized in Canada by the CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) and in the United States by the AKC (American Kennel Club). In both Canada and the United States there are three levels of hunt tests that evaluate your dog's performance in the field. In Canada there is the Field Dog Junior (Fdjr), the Field Dog (FD), and lastly the Field Dog Excellence (FDX). In the United States there is the Junior Hunter (JH), Senior hunter (SH), and Master Hunter (MH). Rules and Regulations are available through the CKC and AKC which further explain the criteria by which a dog is evaluated. Each summer it is common to find about eight or more Onpoint bred Vizslas at CKC/AKC hunt tests. In most years we personally title about five or so of our own Vizslas. Because we have experience in the field and have carefully chosen our bloodlines to preserve the Vizsla hunting ability, we are able to enter young dogs immediately into the second highest level (FD). In fact, most of our dogs have earned their FD title before their second birthday and do so with the top test scores of the days! Many of our novice dog owner handlers have also experienced similar success with their Onpoint bred dogs.Another organization that runs hunt tests is the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA). NAVHDA is in no way linked to the CKC/AKC but has their own registration and system of hunt tests. NAVHDA tests put a great emphasis on water retrieves and tracking than either the CKC/AKC does. NAVHDA testing comprises primarily of GWPs and GSPs but, there are some Vizslas that have done well too. Like the CKC/AKC these tests are non competitive in nature. Onpoint Vizslas have also had successes in this area as well.