Steady Singles


THE STEADY SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP (SS)

 

The Steady Singles Championship was first started in 1984 as a friendly field competition for any Flat-Coated Retriever at the annual National Specialty.  The Steady Singles Championship stakes will include dogs with a wide range of field experience, from those barely steadied to seasoned competitors.

 

Being a championship stake there shall be one winner, the Steady Singles Champion.  That year’s Steady Single Champion will have the dogs name and year engraved on the FCRSA Steady Singles award and hold it for one year.  All other finalists shall be awarded without ranking, “Judges Award of Merit” (JAM) ribbons.

 

Eligibility

This event is open to any Flat-Coated Retriever:

  • At least 6 months of age on the day of the test, and
  • With an individual AKC registration number, foreign registration number, or an ILP number.

 

Description of the SS test:

  1. Land Series
    1. 2-3 single marked retrieves
    2. Moderate cover (ideally)
    3. Falls generally not more than 200 yards depending on terrain
    4. Birds shall be dead ducks
  2. Water Series
    1. 2-3 Single marked retrieves
    2. Cover to open water
    3. Falls are generally under 200 yards depending on the water and terrain
    4. Birds shall be dead ducks
  3. Optional third series may be held at the discretion of judges
    1. Upon completion of the land and water tests, ties shall be broken by a third series runoff.
    2. May be land and/or water
    3. 1-2 single marked retrieves

 

SS Test Rules:

  1. Depending on the number of entries, this test maybe split into 2 flights/sections.  (See “Judges Guidelines.”)
  2. Bird throwers should be in white
  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 prior to each throw. 
  8. Decoys may be used on the water and/or land series.
  9. A test dog shall be used for each test/series.
  10. Dogs must come to the line off lead and without a collar.
  11. Dogs must be steady on the line throughout the marks.
  12. Dogs must deliver each bird to the hand of the handler.
  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 one winner, the Steady Singles Championship. All other finalists who have successfully and honestly completed all of the series shall be awarded JAMs without ranking.
  15. The judge’s decision is final.

 

Judging Guidelines

The Specialty Field Events Committee should select seasoned judges who are familiar with AKC Field Trial requirements and are capable of creative use of the terrain, cover change, wind, distance, and previous marks.

 

Judges for this Steady Singles Championship will see a wide range of training and experience of the dogs and handlers. Some dogs may have limited experience while other dogs may be experienced competitors in field trials and/or hunt tests. However, if judges set up good test series, they should perceive that Flat-Coats are enthusiastic workers and have fine natural marking 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.

 

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

  • Trick marks
  • Marks set up to intentionally confuse the dog
  • Marks where avoiding cheating is the main criteria
  • Continual use of retired guns

 

It is suggested that judges set up at least (3) land series marks and (2) water series marks of graduated difficulty that will 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.

 

Depending on the number of entries, this stake may be split into two flights with a set of two judges for each flight.  If the SS is split, both sets of judges must agree to the test set-ups in all of the series without changes.  In one flight, the judges will start with the land series, while the judges in the other flight will start with the water series.  “Call backs” from the land test will proceed to the water test and vice versa.  Judges will move with their original flight.

 

The Singles Champion shall then be determined by a runoff between the winner of each flight and will be judged by all judges eligible to judge the runoff, i.e. owners or co-owners may not judge their own dogs.  The winner of the runoff should be by unanimous decision of the judges.

 

All other finalists who have successfully and honestly completed each series shall be awarded JAMs without ranking. The Specialty Field Events Committee will not limit the number of JAMs awarded in the Steady Singles Championship test.

 

Mandatory Elimination or Failure of the SS Test:

  1. 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 test committee believes the violation to have been deliberate.
  2. Dog that does not deliver to hand.
  3. Dog returns to handler either without the bird or without having been called in, except when the dog is obviously confused as to whether it was really ordered to retrieve
  4. Dogs must be steady.  “Breaking,” i.e. dog leaves the line to retrieve before the judge calls the dog’s number. Breaks or controlled breaks shall result in mandatory elimination.  If a dog creeps or jumps forward slightly as birds are shot/thrown, and the handler makes no effort to stop or restrain him, it shall not be considered a controlled break unless the dog goes beyond a point acceptable to the judges.  If the handler makes any effort to stop or restrain the dog, the judges shall consider the dog to have broken and eliminate him.  The judges may require a dog that has crept or jumped forward within the acceptable distance to be brought back to heel position before being sent to retrieve.
  5. Dog stops the hunt.
  6. Dog gives up after a search for one bird and going to the area of another fallen bird.
  7. Dog ignores a bird when found and leaving it, i.e. “blinking the bird.”
  8. Dog fails to find a bird that should have been found.
  9. Dog has “hard mouth,” or badly damages the game which, in the opinion of the judges, was caused entirely and solely by the dog without justification.
  10. Dog has extreme “freeze,” i.e. unwillingness to release a bird on delivery until compelled to do so by severe means.