They need us
We need them
Dogs and humans
Mutually depend
We bond for sure
And no types more
Than bird dogs
And bird dog folk
We bond because we share
When we go forth
To search for feathered game
Share pure joy
Share the beauty of God’s earth
Of a bird dog’s energy and grace
A human’s dedication
To another living being
Why, we wonder
Do bird dogs want to please us?
To show us appreciation
For our attention to them
But beyond that
Might it be
Because they and we
Share a need to hunt
As primal as the need for breath
II
We start the share
With seek and shoot
But some seek more
Seek to prove my dog is best
For that man invented
Field Trials
A hundred fifty years ago
Soon dog and human shared a love of them too
My bird dog is better than yours
Oh yeah, prove it
From that thought Field Trials sprung
The rules for combat fast devised and simple
Devised well
For long unchanged
At all levels
From all-age open horseback to on-foot amateur breed specific
III
Trials have often been threatened
By depression, war, recession
By loss of land and game and interest
But the bond of dogs and man has always saved them
That bond grows stronger
As proved by the pandemic
So, I implore you, fellow Trialers
Don’t give up on the Field Trial culture
Whether you be a one-dog-on-foot beginner
Or a wealthy quail plantation owner
Stay behind Field Trials and Trial-bred puppies
So the drag of the breeds won’t reduce them
Improve yours by breeding only
Best to best each generation
It’s the proven way
To repay our canine friends for their devotion
And to preserve interest
The essential ingredient
For Trials survival:
Support Youth Field Trials
Participate and make a donation!
