MSDA’s annual Fall Hunt Test Weekend will be Friday September 13, Saturday September 14 and Sunday September 15 at Rebel Ridge Farms, 295 Woods Rd in Elkton MD.
Entry deadlines are approaching:
– Monday, September 2 deadline for Friday’s Seminar and the afternoon Spaniel Hunt Test (Entries are closed!)
– Tuesday, September 3 deadline for Saturday’s and Sunday’s Spaniel Hunt Tests (Entries are closed!)
– Sunday, September 8 deadline for Saturday’s Pointing Mock Junior Hunt Test
Especially for the hunt tests on Saturday and Sunday, volunteers are very much needed for the three-day hunt test weekend. Whether you’re an experienced bird planter or a total newbie, we need your help and it’s a great way to learn more about the tests and the people involved as well as develop some much-appreciated skills. (MSDA members will earn volunteer credit that counts toward their 2025 voting membership.) Some of the tasks include: signing people in, planting or throwing birds, shagging, brief stints as a line or field marshal, and helping with lunch. We also need a couple of people to bring desserts to round out the menu for our homecooked lunches to be served on Saturday and Sunday. If you’re able to contribute some of your time when you’re not running your dog, or even if you’re not entering the tests at all and are willing to come out to help, please contact Roseanna Bennett via Roseanna@mdsportingdog.org to volunteer.
More detailed information on all events is provided below, and also, don’t forget the Fun Stuff!
Premiums for the AKC events are now available on HuntSecretary, and the individual URLs are provided below. Please note that, if you have not used HuntSecretary before, you will need to create a login before you are able to view event information and submit entries. Entries for the Pointing Mock Junior Hunt Test will be taken via this website; see the information below. Except for the Friday afternoon hunt test, all events are sponsored and run by MSDA.
If you’re not ready to enter, guests and observers are always welcome at our hunt test weekends – we’re a very friendly (and talkative) bunch and we enjoy sharing our enthusiasm for sporting dogs and field events. The best variety of activities is happening on Saturday. Arriving any time between 8:30 am and late morning will provide an opportunity to see a range of hunt activities and styles and meet a great bunch of people. Contact Pamela DeSmidt via Pamela@mdsportingdog.org if you would like more information, and to sign up for lunch ($10 per person).
There’s a lot going on during our Fall Hunt Test Weekend, so below is an outline of what we’re planning, as well as links to the detailed event information and all entry forms.
- Friday, September 13:
- Judges and Handlers seminar for AKC Spaniel Hunt Tests. This will be a full-day and in-person seminar (8 am – 4:30 pm) with a classroom portion in the morning, panel discussion during lunch, and guided observation of a small hunt test in the afternoon. This seminar is targeted at current and prospective hunt test judges as well as new and experienced handlers who want to understand AKC spaniel hunt test procedures and performance requirements. This seminar will be presented by Tom Meyer (AKC Senior Field Rep for Spaniel Hunt Tests/Field Trials). We are pleased to announce that our lunchtime judges panel for the Friday seminar is confirmed as: Mary Lou Dunn, Brian Schmidt and Jeff Thomas. With AKC Rep Tom Meyer, of course. The fee is $60 per attendee, including lunch. See https://www.huntsecretary.com/eventinfo_s.asp?mhuntid=1006673. Entries for this seminar are closed; we have 27 people signed up!
- AKC Spaniel Hunt Test. There will be a hunt test in the afternoon, starting at 1 pm. Observation of this hunt test is an integral part of the all-day Judges and Handlers Seminar. Seminar attendees may enter the hunt test itself (via a separate entry form), but you do not need to attend the seminar to enter this hunt test. The test is being sponsored by the Flat-Coated Retriever Society of America (FCRSA) with mentoring support from MSDA. The test is open to all eligible AKC flushing breeds, but Flat-Coated Retrievers have priority. Entries are limited to four dogs each in Junior, Senior and Master for a total of 12. The entry fee is $80, with no lunch provided. See https://www.huntsecretary.com/eventinfo_A.asp?mhuntid=1006627. Entries for this hunt test are closed – it is full with a waiting list!
- Saturday, September 14:
- AKC Spaniel Hunt Test. This will be a full-day hunt test with an entry limit of 37 dogs. The test is open to all eligible AKC flushing breeds. The entry fee is $85, including lunch. See https://www.huntsecretary.com/eventinfo_A.asp?mhuntid=1006676 . (This link covers both the Saturday and Sunday spaniel hunt tests.) Entries for this hunt test are closed. It filled up with 37 dogs!
- Pointing Mock Junior Hunt Test. This will be MSDA’s third annual mock pointing hunt test. If you have done some training, including at MSDA’s Field Day, and are curious about hunt tests for pointing breeds, are getting ready for your first hunt test, or just want a bit of extra practice (and some feedback), this is a great opportunity. Entries will be limited to 16 dogs: 8 in the morning and 8 in the afternoon. The fee for the mock hunt test is $35 per dog per test. Lunch, which is optional, is $10. See https://mdsportingdog.org/pointing-mock-ht/ Entries close on Sunday, September 8th.
- Afternoon “tailgate” celebration with the spaniel hunt test ribbon ceremony. Pointing hunt test people are welcome, too!
- Sunday, September 15:
- AKC Spaniel Hunt Test. This will be a full-day hunt test with an entry limit of 37 dogs. The test is open to all eligible AKC flushing breeds. The entry fee is $85, including lunch. See https://www.huntsecretary.com/eventinfo_A.asp?mhuntid=1006676. (This link covers both the Saturday and Sunday spaniel hunt tests.) Entries for this hunt test are closed. 36 dogs are signed up!
Fun Stuff:
In addition to the hunt events, there will be a judges dinner on Friday evening. Contact Betsy Harringer (Harringers@mdsportingdog.org) if you are interested in participating in that. Reservations are required.
MSDA will be providing lunch for its entrants and volunteers all three days. The seminar lunch will be brought in from outside, but Saturday and Sunday will have “home-cooked” meals mostly prepared by MSDA member volunteers. We’re still looking for some desserts for these days, by the way, and on-site lunch helpers also would be very much appreciated. Contact Roseanna Bennett via Roseanna@mdsportingdog.org for these and other volunteer opportunities.
In addition to the Friday judges dinner, other groups usually form up for dinners on that evening as well as on Thursday and Saturday. Including if you venture just a few miles east across the Delaware line, there’s a surprising good assortment of restaurant options in the Elkton area.
MSDA is also hosting a “tailgate” on Saturday afternoon after hunt testing is completed. This is a fun and informal way to celebrate all participants and volunteers and includes the ribbon ceremony for the day.
Questions? Please contact Pamela DeSmidt via Pamela@mdsportingdog.org.