# Barn Hunt- RATCH Champion



## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

I'm really excited to say that High Jinks earned his barn hunt championship title (RATCH) this weekend in Tennessee under a very difficult judge! Around my neck of the woods, we don't see double hides in trials in which there are two rat tubes side by side. This is difficult because the dog may think that the scent is residual from the previous find and therefore not alert on the second tube. This judge, who is from the west coast would do double hides regularly and sometimes triple hides. She was extremely challenging, but Jinks was the only Master level dog to Q four in a row. Unfortunately we had some tunnel issues on the last day of the event moving us out of contention for High in Trial, but still- I'm super proud of him. Now both my dogs are official champions!

I think what I'm most proud of is that the run that Jinks earned his RATCH on was a one-rat run! In Master level of Barn Hunt, the handler doesn't know how many rats are on the course. There could be 1-5 rats. Getting five rats is the easiest because once you find them all you know you're done. But getting one rat is certainly the hardest because you have to know that there aren't anymore out there. The dog can get frustrated from not finding anything else and falsely alert on a decoy tube. Anyway- Jinks rocked it.


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## Lobo dog (Sep 19, 2014)

What a fun sport  HUGE congratulations!


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Congratulations!Sounds like great fun!


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Wow!!! Congratulations!!!


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## Mesonoxian (Apr 5, 2012)

Sounds like a great weekend! Congrats on the RATCH, Barn Hunt looks like so much fun!


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Mesonoxian said:


> Barn Hunt looks like so much fun!


It is fun! Though the tunnels can be super frustrating if you don't have a regular place to practice (or a terrier).

Thanks everyone! It took Jinks just 6 short months to accomplish this title! We're hoping to earn the next one (RATCHX) by the end of the year.


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## T-Bone'sMamma (Mar 3, 2012)

Wow, that does sound fun! Congrats!


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## Saxtonhill (Jan 9, 2007)

Awesome on the RATCH! Congratulations!


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## RZZNSTR (Jan 24, 2015)

Bravo! Well done and Congrats!


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Thanks all! We're trying for RATCHX in a couple days. We need three more Qs.


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