262 TRAINING THE HUNTING DOG 



As nearly all field trial managements engage three 

 judges, the third man may be a novice, although 

 he should be an expert as to experience. This serves 

 to graduate new material. With two competent ex- 

 perts, the third man, whether he be competent or in- 

 competent, will have no material effect on the re- 

 sults, for if he be competent he agrees with them, 

 and if he be incompetent they outvote him and de- 

 cide accordingly. 



Contrary to the estimates of the inexperienced, 

 the mere matter of deciding which is the better of 

 two dogs, or the best of a lot of dogs, is but a small 

 part of a judge's duties. He should have a good sense 

 of location, so that after working out the grounds 

 once or twice he will have a knowledge of their topo- 

 graphical features and the habitats of the birds. 

 For each heat, when he knows their field trial re- 

 sources, he can lay out a course which will equitably 

 divide the grounds which contain birds and those 

 which do not, with a due consideration of open and 

 cover, so that there will be a free opportunity to dis- 

 play range and work in cover, the heat proceeding 

 consecutively the while without any disorder. 



The unskilled judge, in the matter of locality, is 



