2009 VCOI Spring Field Trial
Des Plaines Fishing & Wildlife Area, Wilmington, IL
March 7-8, 2009

Give the VCOI members a challenge and they will rise to the cause. This weekend was like none we have ever seen. So many field trial/doggie related weekends have gone by and on Monday morning the weather would change for the worst. Many times our club narrowly missed bad weather where we would have had to cancel the field trial. This morning there are blue skies, sun shine, and cool weather. The weekend was not so good. This time the weather God caught up with us. Friday when the Midwest Vizsla Field Futurity ran, the weather was warmer than normal with highs in the 65 to 70 range. Not too many complained since we've just come off the coldest winter fall we've had in a million years (it seems). However, by Saturday the rain came. It wasn't too bad as the judges and handlers managed to forge through the day with scattered showers. Then Sunday arrived and bad weather struck in full force. Mother Nature turned on us. Not only did we have a time change moving the clocks ahead one hour thereby losing an hour of sleep, but the sky was darker than normal with black clouds. We got off to a late start due to darkness. Then it was a rollercoaster ride all day long. We would have breaks of no rain and judges and contenders would leap on horses, race to the line, and try to get a brace done before the next wave hit. Sometimes they made it back to the parking lot still dry and other times they were caught mid-course in a torrential downpour. Many times we had to stop due to lightning and thunder or heavy rain. Unbelievably we managed to get through the day without canceling. We had 133 dogs entered and 122 starters - all Vizslas! None of those that canceled had anything to do with the day or weather. We had to scramble and move things around a bit to get the job done, but by golly WE GOT 'ER DONE!!!!!!! Not only that, but we were done by 5:00 p.m. with daylight still in the sky.

If it had not been for our relentless line marshals like Cindy Lepoudre and Michelle Princer (a brand new Vizsla owner at her first field trial), this trial would never have finished on time. Thanks for Jon Peck for obtaining many judges. Thanks also to Jon Peck and Phil Rohs for salting the courses each day. If it had not been with the help of our bird planters who stayed the course and got birds planted every brace, we don't know what we would have done. Our chief bird wrangler was Phil Rohs. Riding in the toughest of times were his posse comprising of Phil, Brad Lepoudre, Jon Peck, Tim May (first field trial), Victor Barger, Chad Morsch, Mike Dalby, Joel Peterson, Greg Hedien, Brian Johnson, Randy Caldwell, George Haines, Mark Spurgeon, Carrie Syczylo, Rob Tomczak, Mark Johnson, and Cindy Pescod. Thank you to our bird-baggers Eric Kliefoth and Rick Forner and all others who helped amongst their other jobs. Many thanks to Jan Wallace for the beautiful trophies and photography skills, to Jeff Engelsman for catering our dinner Saturday night, and Mike Dalby who provided our first-rate gunners. Thanks to Jan Wallace who became Debby's legs after she pulled a muscle and couldn't walk very well. Thanks to Laurie May, Jan Wallace, and Michelle Princer who mopped the floor of the conservation building at the end of the day. Thanks to Greg Hedien who always works without complaining to do whatever it takes...including shoveling poop and cleaning the blacktop in the parking lot. And special thanks to our counselor Jim Busch who kept us on the straight and narrow and would not let us give up. Without the help of all these people we've mentioned, this trial would not have been the success it was. Several people came out who were not entered in the trial and only came to volunteer. It's a team effort and the VCOI has the best team in the country. Our thanks go out to everyone who helped and we hoped we haven't overlooked anyone. It is certainly not intentional but it's hard to know who all was helping, especially since we needed so much from everyone.

Mike Booker returned to judge for us after absent from thefield trial scene for many years. He will be getting back into trialing again soon. His comment was, "Hey, when this sport is for wuzzies, I'm changing to another sport." That was said while standing in the parking lot as black clouds are rolling by and threats of tornadoes are on the radio. Throughout the day personal IPhones would alert us to the next downpour on its way. We can't thank our judges enough for bearing with all the adversity and hanging in there with us to complete this trial. Their names are listed with each stake below. Thank you to Cindy and Tom Pescod who came all the way from Arizona and Jim Rowell who came from Ohio.

- Submitted by Linda Busch

Placements were as follows:

OPEN PUPPY (9 starters)
Judges: John Schoonover, Mike Booker
1. Hi-Spirit, O/H Victor Barger
2. Pepper Jack Wolf Creek Ruby, O/Dwain Sparks, H/Randy Caldwell
3. Shiloh's Red White & Blue, O/Ryan Rice, H/Rob Tomczak
4. Russet Lightning Magnum, O/H Tim May

AMATEUR WALKING PUPPY (9 starters)
Judges: Mark Johnson, Carrie Syczylo
1. Hi-Spirit, O/H Victor Barger
2. Crimson's Don't Bogart that Joint, O/H Daniel Maurer
3. Shiloh's Red White & Blue, O/Ryan Rice, H/Rob Tomczak
4. Pepper Jack Wolf Creek Ruby, O/Dwain Sparks, H/Randy Caldwell

OPEN DERBY (17 starters)
Judges: Barry Peterson, John Potter
1. Burr Oak's Kick Em Up Jake, O/H Jim Gingrich
2. Saginaw CYA Reba, O/H Mark Johnson
3. Dream Weaver Totem, O/H Jan Wallace
4. Smokin' JRD, O/H Rodney Albin

AMATEUR WALKING DERBY (14 starters)
Judges: Barry Peterson, Carrie Syczylo
1. Saginaw CYA Reba, O/H Mark Johnson
2. Burr Oak's Kick 'Em Up Jake, O/H Jim Gingrich
3. With All Guns Blazing, O/Doug & Sara Nishimura, H/Rodney Albin
4. Dream Weaver Totem, O/H Jan Wallace

OPEN GUN DOG (14 starters)
Judges: Bob Hodges, John Potter
1. Burr Oak's Old Number Seven, O/H Jim Gingrich
2. PR's Gustopher of Rock Point, O/H Tom Pescod
3. withheld
4. withheld

AMATEUR GUN DOG WALKING (25 starters)
Judges: Mike Booker, John Schoonover
1. Crimson's Twenty Gauge Ruger, O/H Mark Spurgeon
2. Grace's Angel Molly, O/H Randy Caldwell
3. Hillbillies Shiloh Holyman - O/Joshua McPherson, H/Rob Tomczak
4. Rolling Rock, O/H Mike Dalby

AMATEUR LIMITED GUN DOG (20 starters)
Judges: Charles Schaefer, Ed Manifold
1. Rolling Rock, O/H Mike Dalby
2. Saginaw Diamond Dan, O/H Mark Johnson
3. PR's Gustopher of Rock Point, O/H Tom Pescod
4. Rimfire Double Jeopardy, O/H Debby Lynn

OPEN LIMITED GUN DOG (14 starters)
Judges: Ed Manifold, Charles Schaefer
1. Saginaw Diamond Dan, O/H Mark Johnson
2. Burr Oak's Old Number Seven, O/H Jim Gingrich
3. Rolling Rock, O/H Mike Dalby
4. Crimson's Twenty Gauge Ruger, O/H Mark Spurgeon