08/21/2026
2026 Blue Ridge Boykin Spaniel Club Upland Seminar featuring Kirk McConnor
October 10th, Advance, NC
Have you ever wondered what goes through a judge’s mind at a hunt test or field trial? Have you ever wondered how dogs place or why your dog was dropped? Have you ever wondered what the non-written rules and nuances are?
This seminar will focus on how judges view your dog and will give you practical experience viewing dogs from a judge’s perspective.
Format:
12 working dog/handlers will have the opportunity to run their dogs over live birds for 2 series with the participants following. After each series, Kirk will lead a discussion on what he saw with the run and will challenge the gallery on what they see and what the handler could have done differently.
There will be unlimited non-handler/participation slots available
Working/dog handler slots are $200 and non-handler participation slots are $100.
Agenda
8:00 - Coffee at OTM
8:30 - Classroom lecture from Kirk discussing the judging process, nuances, and unwritten rules.
9:30 - Head to the field for the first series
12:00 - Lunch – Provided by the club
1:00 - Head to the field or words for the final series
4:00 - Recap by Kirk
