NSTRA TRIALS (The Short Course)

NSTRA, or the National Shoot to Retrieve Association, offers trials as a way of extending the hunting season for you and your dog. NSTRA trials differ a little from AKC or American Field field trials because the emphasis is on finding birds rather than on range or style, although judges may elect to increase the number of points given for each find if the style is particularly impressive and ground coverage may also be considered. Many NSTRA participants feel the only major difference between a NSTRA trial and an actual hunting situation is that the trial uses pen-raised birds instead of wild ones, but the dogs don't seem to mind!

Dogs are run in "braces"” of two. Each dog is able to earn up to 100 points per find and is judged on steadiness and quality of the find. Each dog can earn from 0-100 points for each retrieve, plus up to 75 points for "honoring" or "“backing" its bracemate (stopping when it sees another dog on point and holding steady until the other dog has finished working the bird, including retrieving.) Another 0-75 points can be earned for obedience to the handler and 0-100 points for ground coverage. Under this system, the more birds the dog locates and points, the more points can be earned. Of course, accurate shooting can also affect the dog's total as up to 100 points can be earned for each downed bird retrieved so the more downed birds, the greater the possible score!

At the end of the trial, the dog with the most points wins. Once a dog has accumulated enough placements (first, second, or third) he can be designated a NSTRA Champion. This is a recognized title that can be added to the dog's name.

Dogs can compete in several NSTRA sponsored events beyond those sponsored by local and regional clubs. A complete list of all events can be found on the NSTRA website http://www.nstra.org along with a full description of the point schedule, factors considered in judging, and a list of local chapters. Upon visiting the site, you will note that the 2003 NSTRA dog of the year is a Brittany!


NSTRA TRIALS (The Long Course)
Much more information is available from NSTRA itself. If you think you would like to extend the hunting season with your Brittany, get together with people who have similar interests, and meet folks who enjoy working their hunting dogs, please visit the NSTRA website at http://www.nstra.org and get in touch with them.