10th Series Test Description

10th Series – Water Double with an Out of Order Flyer

The 10th Series of the 2025 National Derby is located at Swede's Mountain. We had a rain delay earlier this morning for the parade, but we are now ready for the final 17 Teams competing today to show us some of their best work of the event! They have completed 9 challenging tests, and today will be the ultimate challenge to decide who will be our champion!

The mat for this test sits on a hillside facing North. 

Bird # 1 is a Drake Flyer. The gunners will throw and then shoot the drake from left to right, landing approximately 300 yards from the mat. The dogs must go down a long field and enter the right corner of the 1st pond - go over a land bridge and then enter the 2nd pond from the near right corner and swim to the far shore. This area is a series of ponds, land bridges, islands and terraces. There are many places for these young dogs to lose their way. (We will refer to this mark as LF for Left Flyer)

Bird # 2 is a Hen Duck. The gunners for this bird will shoot and then throw the hen from right to left. The hen will land on land approximately 250 yards from the mat. The line to this bird will take the dog down the field to a pond in front of the mat. The dog will swim straight to the bird, which is just past a large dead tree. Once again, there are ways to get there by land and also ways to get lost! (We will refer to this mark as R for Right)

This test is estimated to take approximately 11 minutes per dog to complete.

9th Series Test Description

9th Series – Water Double

The 9th Series is located at the Middle Lakes Field again. The mat moved from test 8 to test 9 to now be placed up on the top of the hill where the flyer previously landed in test 8. It is facing Northeast. This is a terraced hillside rising up from the 2nd pond. 

Bird # 1 has gunners stationed just beside a cedar tree close to the edge of the pond. The gunners will shoot and then throw the bird from left to right landing angled back, close to the water in some light cover. This bird will land approximately 150 yards from the mat. (We will refer to this mark as R for Right)

Bird # 2 is a Dead Drake. These gunners are located at the top of the hill across the pond, and will throw the drake left to right angled atop a terrace on a wide open hillside. The bird will land approximately 200 yards from the mat. (We will refer to this mark as L for Left)

This test is taking approximately 5-7 minutes per dog to complete.

**NOTE** After running the test dogs it was decided that the Bird #1 gun that goes off first will be moved to be semi-retired. The gunners will sit down in the shade after they throw. They will be located behind a small group of trees, but can be seen through the trees from the mat.

8th Series Test Description

8th Series – Water Double

The 8th Series is located at Middle Lakes Field. The mat is facing Northwest. The handler and dog will be set high on a hill overlooking 2 lakes. Both marks are almost as high as the mat, but on a 2 different hills.

Bird # 1 is a Dead Hen Duck located almost straight in front of the mat. These gunners shoot and then throw the hen from right to left. The bird lands approximately 320 yards from the line. The gunners are on a steep hill by a cedar bush with the bird landing in front of  a large pile of brush. The line will take the dog down a hill into a piece of water - back over the side of a hill and into a 2nd piece of water and then up to the bird. There is a land bridge between the hillside and the far hill with the bird that separates lake 1 and 2. The trick is that if the dog takes the land bridge, it will deposit them heading away from the bird, behind the guns. (We will refer to this mark as R for Right)

Bird # 2 is a Rooster Flyer. These gunners are on a hill to the handlers left. The gunners throw and then shoot the Rooster angled back up the hill landing approximately 170 yards from the line. The dogs will go down the hill and then up a steep hill - and may or may not catch a finger of the water at the base on the way to retrieve this bird. (We will refer to this mark as LF for Left Flyer)

This test is taking approximately 9.5 minutes per dog to complete.

View from the mat

Left side of the field

Another view from the mat

7th Series Test Description

7th Series – Land Double with a Dead Rooster and a Hen Pheasant Flyer

The 7th Series was located at Dam Field. The mat sits high up on the South end of a field that is shaped like a bowl. The right side of this field is bordered by a steep dam. The dog will start high on the south end of the bowl and travel down the hill to then go left or right as it climbs up on the other side to retrieve their two birds.

Bird # 1 is a Dead Rooster that is thrown from left to right. The gunners are positioned just North of 2 small bushes. The bird lands about 270 yards on the high side of the North end of the bowl. The line to this bird takes the dog down a terraced hill, but the true line asks the dog to hold a line across a steep dam bank. Falling off or failing to stay high will put the dog behind the guns. (We will refer to this mark as R for Right)

Bird # 2 is a Hen Pheasant Flyer. The gunners for this bird are positioned directly in front of the mat throwing left and then shooting the bird. The bird will land on the left side of the bowl as it is rising back up at approximately 220 yards from the mat. This bird is shot right to left. The dog will go down the hill and start back up on the other side to reach the fall area where the bird will land near 2 cedar bushes. (We will refer to this mark as LF for Left Flyer)

This test is taking approximately 3-5 minutes per dog to complete.

6th Series Test Description

6th Series – Water Double with a Flyer

For the 6th Series, we are staying at Stair-Step Ponds.The mat is moved forward from the 5th Series across the road. The mat now faces Southwest towards two ponds.

Bird # 1 is a Drake. The gunners shoot and then throw this duck to the right with a slight angle back landing approximately 230 yards from the mat. These guns are positioned in front of a cedar bush on a heavily terraced hillside. The line to this bird will take the dog down to the water - across a small pond - up and over a land bridge - into cattails and a skinny finger of water just right of a large willow bush. Next they will go up 4 levels of terrace to locate their bird. (We will refer to this mark as L for Left)

Bird # 2 is a Hen Duck Flyer. The gunners for this bird are positioned close to the shore, just to the left front side of a group of cedar bushes. The gunners will throw and then shoot the hen duck. She will land approximately 170 yards from the line. The throw is a flat throw parallel to the shore. The line to this bird will take the dog down to the pond and across the middle right side of the body of water. Next they will go over the land bridge to enter a long finger of water in pond #2. The dogs should swim past the land bridge, into the next pond - go up onto the shore and be right at the bird. (We will refer to this mark as RF for Right Flyer)

The wind is currently at the handlers back - meaning the dogs must be deep of the birds to wind them.

This test is taking approximately 7-10 minutes per dog to complete.

5th Series Test Description

5th Series – Land Double

For the 5th Series, we are at Stair-Step Ponds. The mat for this test sits on top of a hill facing South. The terrain is a terraced hill dropping to the right with ponds at the base.

Bird # 1 is a Drake thrown left to right landing approximately 280 yards from the mat. These throwers shoot and throw down hill or to the handlers right. There is a bush in the field that is short of the throwers, about midway under the arc. (We will refer to this mark as R for Right)

Bird # 2 is also a Drake that is located to the left of the mat. These gunners are left of the road that goes around the rim. They stand, then shoot and throw the Drake across the road left to right. This bird land approximately 170 yards from the mat . (We will refer to this mark as L for Left Flyer)

This test is taking approximately 3 minutes per dog to complete.

4th Series Test Description

4th Series – Land and Water Double with a Drake Flyer

For the 4th Series, we are at Derby Field. The mat faces East on this test.

Bird # 1 is a dead Drake thrown and shot landing about 290 yards from the line. The dog will go out and across a gravel road and then head up the far side hill. Next they will go through the 1st pond and up a steep levee, and then through a 2nd pond to retrieve the bird, which falls behind a large clump of bushes. (We will refer to this mark as L for Left)

Bird # 2 is a Drake Flyer. The gunners throw and then shoot the drake landing about 190 yards from the line. The gunners are in front of a large group of cedars on the edge of a pond that stretches both left and right. The dog will cross the field and then the road, climb a steep levee - swim a narrow pond and then climb a steep hill to locate this bird. (We will refer to this mark as RF for Right Flyer)

This test is taking approximately 9 minutes per dog to complete.

3rd Series Test Description

3rd Series – Land Single with a Rooster

For the 3rd Series, we are at Bob's Hill. The mat sits on the south side of a gravel road facing North. The mat is located at the high point of the field. As the dog leaves the line and crosses the road the field drops off at a sharp angle down and the entire field dips to the right. The dog must angle the hill holding a line. The gunners are sitting towards the end of the field. They will shoot and then throw the Rooster to the Right down the hill landing approximately 250 yards from the mat. There are 3 cedar bushes that are under the arc of the throw.

This test is taking approximately 3 minutes per dog to complete.

2nd Series Test Description

2nd Series – Land and Water Double

For this series we are at Terrace Field. The mat is on a mound facing NW.

Bird # 1 is a Drake thrown right to left landing approximately 240 yards from the line. From the mat, the dog goes over several terraces and mounds before entering a piece of water. Past the water there are 2 large cedar bushes on the right. The gunners sit just left of the bushes and throw left angle back. (We will refer to this mark as L for Left)

Bird # 2 is a Drake. These gunners are sitting on the top ridge of a bowl and are on the handlers right. They throw the Drake to the left with the bird landing over the top of the ridge at 170 yards. The line to this bird takes the dog off the mound across the field up and down over several terraces and over the ridge. (We will refer to this mark as R for Right)

This test is taking approximately 3-5 minutes per dog to complete.

1st Series Test Description

1st Series Test Description

Welcome to the first test of the 2025 National Derby Championship!

55 dog/handler teams will start this morning, after having traveled from all over the US to compete here in Sedalia, Missouri.

This is a replacement 1st Series test and will be a single.

Land Single

This 1st Series replacement test is a Land Single located at Grader Field. The mat sits on top of a hill facing North. The line to the bird takes the dog down a hill and then back up the far side. The gunners are almost at the top of the opposite hill. 

Bird # 1 is a Dead Rooster. The gunners shoot and then throw a Dead Rooster across a road landing behind a tree with some cover at the base. This bird lands at approximately 220 yards from the line.

This test is taking approximately 1-2 minutes per dog to complete.