BASIC INFORMATION:
In Sweden there is only one type of huntingtests that would best be described as "Field Tests", all arranged by the Swedish Spaniel & Retriever Club. The tests take place in spring and fall-season only. We call the tests "cold game"-tests, since all the birds are shot before the test and no shot flyers are used at all. The birds used in the test are, among others; pheasants, pigeons, crows and mallards... and we also use rabbits in our tests:-)
All Swedish retrievers are handled by amateurs, in fact there is hardly any proffessional handlers here.

The tests are in different levels or "classes", starting with "youngster" for dogs from 9 to 24 months. After 24 months the test are called "novice", it's the same test but the judgement is stricter. When the dog has earned a 1:st prize in youngster or in novice, it's allowed to enter "open class". The dog can enter and win several 1:st prizes in youngster, but entering novice and winning 1:st prize, the dog has to enter open next time. After winning two 1:st prizes in open the dog is allowed to enter "elite class", which is the highest level. In elite the dog has to win three 1:st prizes and pass a real hunting to win the Swedish Field Trial Champion title.

JUDGEMENT:
The judgement is always by quality, the dog is never competing against other dogs. The judge has an open critic after each dogs work, and also provides a written judgement which is given to the handler.
For an excellent work the dog wins a 1:st prize, sometimes with "the judges prize of honour", called HP... maybe like the US Jugdges Award of Merit, JAM? For a work very well done with minor mistakes the dog can earn a 2:nd prize, and for a passed test with a few more mistakes the award will be a 3:rd prize. If the dog doesn't pass the test, the handler goes home without any prize with better luck next time. Several dogs can win 1:st prize at the same test and the judge usually selects the best dog in each class to be the "Classwinner" and also the outstanding dog to be the "Winner of the day".

CONSTRUCTION:
Youngster/Novice class: The test usually starts with doublemarks on water, thrown from a boat. The distance is about 40-60 meters and the dog is supposed to retrieve the birds without direction from handler.
The next task is usually a land blind, with a distance of about 30-50 meters. Then comes the most important part of our tests; the "search", where the dog has to be independent enough to find and retrieve, in these classes about 6-7 birds, without any directions or help from handler.
A dog that cannot perform an excellent search will never win a 1:st prize in any of our tests.
The Youngster/Novice-test usually ends with doublemarks on land, and then the dog has to be in honor during the next dogs watermarks.
The total number of retrieves in these classes is about 10-12.

Open class: The dog is is almost always working in pair with another dog. The distances of doublemarks and blinds increases, usually about 60-80 meters. The cover is more difficult and the number of retrieves in the "search" are more; usually about 7-10. The total number of retrieves is open is usually 12-16 and the will take aprox. 1 hour. The judgement is much stricter compared to Youngster/Novice, especially during working on water- and landblinds... the dog must obey orders and follow directions really quickly!

Eliteclass: The dog is working together with at least one other dog during the whole test that will take about 1,5-2 hours. It usually starts with triplemarks on water and the distances varies between aprox. 80-150 m. Then there is often a waterblind with a distance from 100 up to 200 meters. The dogs are almost always working the "search" together at the same time, and/or one dog is working the land blind while the other one is working the triplemarks on land. The land blind can be up to 150-200 m and the triplemarks on land about the same distance. The total number of retrieves in elite can be from 16-25, the cover is usually heavy and the judgement is very strict.

Some of the Swedish Titles:
LP = Swedish Obedience Diploma
SLCh = Swedish Obedience Trial Champion
SJCh = Swedish Field Trial Champion
NJCh = Norweigan Field Trial Champion
DKJCh= Danish Field Trial Champion
SFJCh= Finnish Field Trial Champion
SUCh= Swedish Show Champion (includes 2:nd prize open class Field trial)
NUCh= Norweigan Show Champion (no Field Trial awards)
SFUCh= Finnish Show Champion
TjhR= Certified Resque Dog

Note: There are no Field Trial or Huntingtitles until the dog have won the full Field Trial Championtitle!

For questions and feedback, please e-mail! piafernqvist@hotmail.com