Dates for 2011: February 17-19, 2011

Dates for the 2011 Utah Sky Trials are set. February 17-19, 2011

It will be held in Rush Valley as it was last year.

We look forward to seeing you and your birds.

Pass the word along!

Check Out Nathan Gross' Photo Gallery

Nathan Gross, an excellent photographer was out in the field during the Sky Trials and has shared a link to his photos.

http://www.nathantgross.com/zenphoto/UT-Sky-Trials/

I would encourage others who have photos they would like to share to give us a link, or send me a note (Falcons@Freshink.com) and I will give you an upload site. I will make a Web album.

Thanks Nathan!

Steve Chindgren Takes First and Second Place

The Final Results from 2010 Utah Sky Trials.

Steve Chindgren takes first and second this year, but was joined by some amazing flights by fellow falconers. We had a great turnout, the weather was great for the most part. We had several hot food options, falconry equipment and fun all day with Howard Brinkerhoff on the mic and plenty of good tunes to listen to.

We had some of the best flights we’ve had in years. Thanks to all the falconers who flew their birds, and for all who put time and effort in to making this year’s Utah Sky Trials such a success!

The Results:

Place/Falconer/ Bird's Name/ Prelim's/ Finals/ TOTALS

1 Steve Chindgren So Mach 79.13/ 80.75 159.87

2 Steve Chindgren Zander 56.34/ 88.95 145.29

3 Dave Ewell Georgie 78.18/ 60.98 139.16

4 Stephen Buffett Virdigo 46.34/ 71.16 117.51

5 Jeff Bradbent Jethro 80.18/ 34.41 114.59

6 Kirk Winward Reno 48.44/ 62.68 111.12

7 Scott Larsen Dakota 50.42/ 58.03 108.44

8 Steve Chindgren Astar 66.31/ 40.46 106.77

9 Daryl Peterson Frightful 70.74 0.00 70.74

10 Kirk Winward Jindi 43.24 0.00 43.24

Check out the great photos from Robert Bagley on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/album.php?aid=150663&id=95847325664

Report from Day 1 -- Preliminary Flights

Swirling snow flakes, birds lost in the clouds, an occasional visit by the sun, Kenley Christensen’s barbeques beef sandwiches and shrimp on the grill, spectacular flights from 16 contestant birds and a wild female prairie falcon all added up to a great day at the first day of the Utah Sky Trials.

Dave Ewell is in 1^st place going into the finals tomorrow, followed closely by Jeff Broadbent and Steve Chindgren. The weather held out for us and we had a great time swapping stories and making some up.

Ed Pitcher shared insights from his new book and fielded questions from both novices and veterans. It was a nice wrap up to an excellent day of falconry.

And we get to do it all again tomorrow! Flights start at 10:00 (Saturday) and we end with the banquet and raffle that night at 7 p.m. at the Lehi Legacy Center, 150 North Center Street, Lehi.The dinners are now pre-ordered, so come and claim yours. Cost for the dinner is $13.00. (Cover charge of $3 if you are not having dinner.)

Come buy some raffle tickets for some excellent falconry and other items. See you tomorrow!

Dave Ewell Places First after Preliminary Flights

(*Picture from last year. It was not this sunny out there this year!)

Scores in order

1 Dave Ewell - Georgie 82.0
2 Jeff Broadbent - Jethro 80.1
3 Steve Chindgren - So Mach 79.33
4 Daryl Peterson - Frigjtfvi 70.74
5 Steve Chindgren - Astar 66.31
6 Steve Chindgren - Zander 56.34
7 Scott Larsen - Dakota 50.42
8 Kirk Winward - Reno 48.44
9 Stephen Buffet - Virdigo 48.30
10 Kirk Winward - Jindi 43.24
11 Ed Pitcher - no name 35.40
12 Ed Pitcher - Black 33.43
13 Daryl Peterson - Crystal 28.42
14 Stephen Buffet - Chloe 11.07
15 Scott Larsen - Rush 7.17
16 Dave Ewell - Shae 0.09

Ed Pitcher Speaks, Signs Books Friday Night

Ed Pitcher, one of the true masters of falconry will be speaking and signing copies of his new book: The Flying of Falcons, Friday 7:30 pm, February 19^th at the Legacy Center in Lehi. Ed and Ricardo Velarde have been working on this book for 25 years and it is now available. This is a "must read" book and will be an instant classic among falconry literature. Ed is an entertaining speaker and story teller, and is one of the true pioneers of modern falconry. This would be a great opportunity to get your copy of The Flying of Falcons and have Ed sign it.

The Legacy Center is located at 150 North Center Street in Lehi, Utah.

Judging and Rules

How high is that bird? Ask 10 different falconers what height a bird might be, and you will get 10 different guesses. Please note that judging the Sky Trials has always been challenging due to human subjectivity. We do our best to be fair, and consistent. Consistency is paramount. For example, a judge may call a bird’s pitch at 1000 feet. In reality it might actually be only 800 feet. The further the falcon gets from the point of release the more difficult it is to determine the height or pitch of the falcon. We do not have instant replay cameras to review the flight so the determination of whether a falcon struck the pigeon is also a judgment call by the head judge and his assistants.

Gerald's Own Criteria

The judged sequence of each flight is determined from the time the falcon is cast off to the time it catches or gives up on the competition pigeon, and the falconer has reported to the head judge with his or her falcon. Any other flying beyond this is not judged. During this flight, the falcon will be judged in the five categories below:

Mounting (20 points) The pitch the bird reaches will be divided by the time segment from cast off to serve. Mounting skill is determined in feet per minute.

Position (20 points) Measured at 1 minute intervals, position is determined by the angle the bird is above the horizon by means of an inclinometer. A bird that has a wide ranging flying style will likely score less on position. However this flying style may be an advantage when considering pitch. (This often happens when a bird seeks a thermal to gain height.)

Pitch (20 points) This is the height the falcon reaches when served. The higher the pitch the better for scoring points. The falcon with the highest pitch when served receives the most points. Jim Carrol has written a computer program that uses mathematics and instrumentation to determine pitch.

Stoop (20 points) The twenty points for the stoop will be measured in two segments: pitch and the technical aspects of the stoop. 10 points can be earned for each segment. A falcon that stoops from 1000 feet will receive more of the 10 points than one that stoops from 200 feet. When considering the technical aspects of the stoop, Gerald felt it was unimportant what style the falcon used to get down, as long as it cuts through the quarry at the bottom of the stoop with some oomph! Gerald's scoring criteria for the technical segment are as follows: "Did not stoop=0pts, With considerable force=7pts, With some force=4pts, Barely closed=1pt, Did not close=0pts. Got a foot on the pigeon=3pts."

Pursuit (20 points) Pursuit points are earned as the falcon makes additional threatening passes at the quarry. Five points for each turn of the pigeon. Three points if the pigeon puts in. Twenty points if the pigeon is caught.

Additional Rules

The tradition established by Gerald Richards since 1975 lives on.

Here are a couple of additional items:
1. The Sky Trials is a one shot deal. No second flights for any reason.

2. The falcon must reach a minimum pitch of 300 feet directly vertical, or its equal. The head judge will determine this distance before a pigeon will be served, thus ensuring a fair opportunity for the pigeon to escape.

3. All dogs must be kept on a leash. The only exception will be the dog of the falconer that is competing during his allotted time slot.

4. Please have your birds trained and in proper weight so that they will come down to a lure. Any contestant using a live lure within one mile of the meet will be disqualified.

5. The contestant should pick the pigeon he wants to fly but should not touch the pigeon at any time.

6. Each contestant will be allotted 15 minutes for Friday's qualifying flight. Those who qualify for the Finals on Saturday will be given 20 minutes. Contestants will have one point deducted for each minute beyond this time limit. Timing begins as soon as the falcon has been cast off, and ends when the falconer has reported back to the head judge with his or her falcon.