s/s
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Feb 2006
Location: BRIGHTON, TENNESSEE 30 miles north of Memphis
Posts: 2169 |
Now for what I know only they are UKC and or AKC licensed/sanctioned.
The one in Pauline, SC was an AKC race that we went to, also licensed.
Kinder, MO has in the making to have AKC races as well as UKC this coming up year, I think. And I do believe that they have had one or two "fun" day type races, but I did not attend, so I don't know how open they were.
Now, there is a very nice swim pond in Cole Camp, MO. that has had "open" races. I think that the link I put on above has the pics of Cole Camp. I just did not have pictures of the start box. Theirs is set up where the dogs have to dive from a platform, kinda like the one in Fort Payne, AL. The nice differences from the one at Cole Camp, than from any of the others pictured above is that they have a "shute" at the start and the finish line. The dogs just have to jump in or flat out refuse. There is not a whole lot of room for "BANK RUNNERS". By the time they find a bank, most, not all, but most, will decide they have to swim or just flat out not jump off. I really like their finish line and treeing area as well. It is completely fenced from the"shute" type, finish line to the tree. It has a gate where the handlers only go into to fetch their hounds. All the spectating is done on the outside of the fence line. That pretty much takes all the mess ups from the hounds running around. The spectators can get an upclose and personal look at the race without getting in the way. I would say bar none to all the ones "we" have been able to attend, that Cole Camp has the best set up. What I don't like about Cole Camp, is the gate "drops", or I should say "slams" down. The metal gate hitting the hard surface of the platform makes a really load bang right at the start. Just by the ones we have attended and seen, it seems the hounds are less likely to get spooked or thrown off by a few seconds, with the gates that lift. That slamming, or even them taking that split second to check if they should jump that gate or run over the top of it, can loose a few seconds. And in a race of any kind, just the loss of one or two seconds can loose the whole race. Although it does not bother "most" of the hounds at all, just a few.
Another that the gate drops is at Stigler, OK...Although it's an intirely different entry. The gate drops and slaps into the water. No jumping, just flat out running out of the box. That does not seems to bother as many of the dogs as the loud slamming sound. Although, there has been occasions of the dogs toe nails getting hung up in the grate that is used for the door, as the hounds run across it as they exit the start box. Rair, but it has happened. Otherwise, it's a real nice set up as well. Keep in mind that Stiglers is all portable and changes can be made in their set up as they go. One more small issue with the box at Stigler, is that he smaller hounds can go under the stall dividers to the hound next to them. The divider walls could have stood to be a couple inches lower. I am pretty sure that the idea on that was the portability of the box. Being it has no floor, it can be moved around and works real good if the ground is not perfectly flat. It all works out in the end, just can be aggrivating keeping the smaller hounds in the right box when they are all excited and looking for an exit out.
At Hartford, KY we hold our hounds at the start. All the times that we have been, there has been "no" problems with bad starts or anything like that. Now that's not saying that they "never" have issues. We have just never had any. Although there is a good possibility for a bank runner or two there. Otherwise, it's a nice race pond.
We went to 8 states racing in 2008 and again in 2009. I have lost count on how many different swim ponds we have been to. I don't have pics of all of them. I wish I did. It's very interesting to pull up to a different place and see how they have come up with the start and finish lines...They are all quite crafty. On a whole, there have not been any issues. Sure, if you frequent places enough, something may arrise, but other wise, its all been alot of fun.
More of the field trials have been a hold start. No boxes. There are a few bad starts, but not many.
I hope all that may give you some more ideas on your box.
I would love to be able to go to some of the more northern and northeastern swim races. I have heard of some really super nice set ups up that way. Maybe some one else will post some pictures of different places.
Sabrina
Last edited by s/s on 01-10-2010 at 03:18 PM
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01-10-2010 03:51 AM
