There will be a NSTRA Trial held at Anna trial grounds in Anna, Tx on March 10th and 11th! If you've never ran NSTRA before this is your chance to run against other "rookie" dogs and handlers in the novice division. Membership is $50 (once a year fee), and it's $40 per brace. This is a great chance to get you and your dog out of the house and into the field on some birds during the offseason! If anyone has any questions feel free to pm me or you can just post it on this thread incase anyone else has the same question. To enter your dog in the trial contact the trial chairman Dale Heaton at 214-543-0907 or email him at d-dheaton@dfwair.net or our Regional President Jim Selby at 469-525-0965 or email him at JimmyandKatie@verizon.net. If your dog places in the top 3, it qualifies you to run in the Regional Championship Trial March 22nd-23rd in Corsicana. If you've never competed in NSTRA and would like to see what we're all about before running your dog I encourage you to come out and watch, you're more than welcome to ride with a judge and ask all the questions you want!

Also, if any of you are out in the Lubbock area and want to attend or compete in the Quad Regional Trial on March 3rd and 4th, contact Nathan Tekell at 325-754-4217 or Dustin Nelson at 214-507-3010.

NSTRA is a great and cheap way to keep your dog sharp, in shape, and on birds outside of quail season. I've been involved since last May and I really enjoy it. The people are very friendly and helpful. Several of the more experienced members have taken me under their wing and helped me train my dogs on numerous occasions.

Sounds like fun Matthew, I plan on coming to this one. Not sure if I'm gonna run a dog or not, but I do plan on coming out.

Hmmm...might need to make this one.

CoolHandsGSP is now our region's bird supplier so he will be there and
I think he's planning on running his dogs as well. Should be quite a few of us THFers there!

Enter Bleu;

http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/u..._Up#Post2962852

Thinking about it. Might just watch the first time though. We'll see.

Do you have to register early or can you just sign up the day of the trial?

You have to register early. That way they can draw what brace you run in, and against who and all that good stuff. You can pay when you get there.

Is there just one class or all ages of dogs running against each other?

All age or AA is a term used by the American Field. Most venues call it open, which means for dogs of all ages. The novice trial will have open dogs braced against each other, and novice dogs braced against each other. All dogs will be scored by the same standards. They will be in the same trial, usually with the novice braces running after the open braces. You'll be able to see how your noice dog scored against it's bracemate, plus the other novice dogs. At the end of the day the dog that scores the highest will win. I've seen some of the novice dogs win.

I am seriously thinking about entering a dog in this one

Last fall a novice dog who ran in the 2nd to last brace of the day, and a dog that had never been to a NSTRA trial before, won the whole thing. The dog found 7 birds and had 7 retrieves. It was incredible! Anything can happen at these trials. I think the thing that surprised me the most and it's something that will surprise you guys as well, 90% of these people who compete all the time are just like us and would rather be out in the field hunting wild birds, they just found a cool out-of-season way to keep their dogs and themselves active.

I hope you cam make it out! It'd be great to meet you! There will be a some other THFers out there competing!

Don't forget to enter your dogs soon. Braces are filling up quick!

If you have any doubts about trying a NSTRA trial, you shouldn't. Good people that all enjoy bird dogs and talking about bird dogs. Lots of fun.

I think most people have doubts about their dogs. I always do, but I go anyway.

It's this weekend, who from the THF is going? What will they do if it's pouring down rain?

I was late to register, but I got one of my dogs entered for Sunday

I think Sunday's weather will be ok, not sure on Saturday

I think we are coming Sunday, not running any dogs, just coming to watch.

We'll compete til it lightnings or the rain is just absolutely ridiculous. Can't wait to see you guys out there! Feel free to pm me with any questions!

WOW!!!!! I just checked the radar.

Not sure if i'm gonna go tomorow now, it's gotta be a mess out there.

You'd go if your day has been as long as mine has been. We got rained out of getting some pen raised birds to give our dogs a little practice before our Katy trial next weekend. Looks as if Yeats, the red setter pup will go never having a pen raised bird shot over him. I've seen hunters with really good bird dogs do that and go home disappointed. They think the pen raised birds are cripples.

QUAIL!!

Had a great time out in Anna this weekend. We had quite a few first timers out there and a couple even placed. My buddy's little Brittany got first in the trial yesterday and actually bumped his mama (a 3x, almost 4x champion) out of placement. A couple new guys ran this afternoon, both had young pointers, and they were really going after it with one finding a bird and locking up while the other backed, and then vice versa the next time. They were getting quite a cheer from the gallery. We gave out awards for the novice placements and everybody got a nice Browning Pheasants Forever hat to take home. Its always good to see a good mix of breeds out there. We had griffons, wirehairs, Britts (French & American), pointers, shorthairs, setters, Llewellin, a small Munsterlander. Overall I'd say the Brittanys had a good weekend. We have the Regional Championship in 2 weeks, and then 2 more trials out at Anna after that. PM if you'd like to enter and I will point you in the right direction. Trials are filling up so hurry!