Barry Lyons and Skeet took the gold medal in the 2000 GOG retriever trials.

In its simplest terms, competition in the retriever trials is one dog following the direction of one man.

It's simple. But the gold medal isn't awarded for the simple things. This competition is based on actual hunting situations replicated to test the bond between handler and dog.

The bond supercedes the training of the retriever and the ability of the handler.

"It's teamwork in its purest form," said Justin Tackett, organizer of the retriever trials for the Great Outdoor Games.

Case in point — the Gold Medal Round of the 2000 Games.

In that round, newcomer Jacob Vidrine and Dish were pitted against seasoned veteran Barry Lyons and Skeet.

Each retriever was more than capable of passing the test required in the Great Outdoor Games. But the difference in their performances didn't necessarily come with which dog had the best nose, the straightest line or the most desire. The outcome of the match depended more on what the handler was doing than what the dog was doing.

"You could tell Vidrine was obviously very nervous," Tackett said. "On the other hand, Barry Lyons was relaxed, and cool. He was able to keep his dog's line perfect; he had no wasted mannerisms. While Vidrine, was moving around on the line."

The handler's state of mind may have meant the difference between gold and silver.

In a retriever trial there are small steps that keep your dog's mind on the task. Lyons did them all very well, Tackett said. He made sure Skeet was lined up after every retrieve. And Lyons paid particular attention to the surroundings in helping Skeet move from the line to the bird easily.

"Lyons used every advantage he could find," Tackett said. "It wasn't as simple as letting the dog loose on his way to a downed bird.

"He handled the dog according to the wind, watching carefully how the dog worked and the direction of the wind. Dogs have a tendency to drift with wind, and if you're not paying attention to that they can get off line real easy.

"Not only that, but Lyons used the camera towers as boundaries, just like a hunter may use a ditch or other landmark when handling a dog. Dogs want to run straight lines, but suction or a tendency to veer toward or around obstacles often occurs."

	“	Without teamwork, you're just another dog and a handler retrieving birds ”
		— Justin Tackett, GOG retriever trials organizer

It's similar to writing a sentence on paper without lines. Most people will fade up or down, having a difficult time keeping things straight.

A retriever is the same way. They gravitate with wind, and structure.

"Lyons was exceptionally good at seeing and working with those idiosyncrasies," Tackett said. "That's why his record is so impressive. His ability to keep the retriever steady, relaxed, and keep him in position to do his job is unmatched. Regardless of the ups and downs, he stays positive, and I think his dog feels it.

"That's what I mean by teamwork. The retriever has to be capable, but so much of it lays on what the handler does or doesn't do."

Under the format of the ESPN Great Outdoor Games, the competition takes the best parts of standard field trials and rolls them into one.

"We are there to find the finest hunting retriever in the world," Tackett said. "We're not interested in the retrievers style, bloodline, pretty coat or who his handler is. Nor are we interested in how many ducks he picked up this year, or the fact ducks don't fall more than 100 yards from the blind very often.

"We want to find the best hunting dog. We expect hunting dogs to mark off the gun. We also expect them to carry out ridiculous distances. We too must have a winner. Our test is without a doubt the most objective to find the best dog in the world. We don't care how the dog does it, within reason, we just want to see if he can do it."

In this test of overall hunting ability, actual hunting situations are replicated to test the bond between handler and dog.

A three-man panel judges the dogs, and two of the three judges must see the same fault. All scores are recorded electronically and no judge knows what the other is scoring, which is similar to scoring in Olympic boxing.

The competition begins with dummies or "birds" launched into the retriever course, which includes grass, meadows and water. There are also decoy "birds" and other elements intended to distract the dog. Time begins and the handler gives the command for his dog to retrieve a selected "bird." The dog is led by a variety of commands, including hand signals and audio commands. The dog that honors his handler's commands and retrieves the designated "birds" in the quickest time will be crowned champion.

One of the toughest parts of the competition is the blind retrieve. This retrieve requires the dog to retrieve a "bird" that it has not seen fall. The dog relies exclusively on the commands of its handler. If teamwork is not perfect this is where the gold can be lost.

"Without teamwork, you're just another dog and a handler retrieving birds," Tackett said.