1st Series Test Description
Welcome to the first test of the 2026 National Derby Championship!
53 dog/handler teams will start this morning, after having traveled from all over the US to compete here in Sedalia, Missouri.
The 1st Series test will be a Land Double at the "Stair Step Ponds Field."
Land Double
This 1st Series will begin this Derby National with the dogs standing on the mat facing SouthWest. The mat is located on a well manicured mound just to the left side of a gravel road that separates the two marks. The birds are a Rooster Flyer and a Dead Rooster. This is the area known as Stair Step Ponds.
Bird # 1 is a Dead Rooster. The gun station is located 210 yards in front of the mat. The gunners shoot and then throw the Rooster across the gravel road from Right to Left. The hill drops down to the left in the area, so if the dog hunts the area they might be out of sight. This bird lands at approximately 210 yards from the line.
Bird # 2 is a Rooster Flyer station. This gun station is off to the Right of the mat. The bird is thrown and then shot, landing approximately 180 yards from the line, to the left of a tall wooden pole. The dog will go down the mound on a right angle - crossing the road and then go down a hillside, and then back up the far terrace to locate the bird.
This test is taking approximately 4 minutes per dog to complete.
