Helenans will have two opportunities to watch retrieving hunting dogs strut their stuff in competition this spring.

First, the Helena Gun Dog Club will be holding a Picnic Trial this weekend.

That trial will serve as a warm-up for local dogs that will be competing in a larger event the club is hosting Memorial Day weekend, sanctioned by the North American Hunting Retriever Association.

According to Terry Scott, the local club's president, the larger event is expected to bring in about 40 dogs from around the Northwest and Canada. Most of the dogs will be Labrador retrievers, he said, although other breeds of retrieving dogs are eligible.

Scott said the trials will be similar to trials often shown on ESPN and other networks. The only difference is that these trials will not include the "big air" test, which is kind of a long jump for dogs in which they jump from a platform into a pool of water.

Scott encourages spectators to attend both events, and says they should be prepared to be impressed.

"To watch the finished dog compete can be an amazing sight," he said.

The various events will test the dogs at three levels, started, intermediate and senior. Young dogs are judged on their qualities as hunting companions by demonstrating good manners and the ability to retrieve game birds. The abilities of the intermediate and senior divisions test the same qualities, but also test the dog's ability to remember the location of up to four downed birds and to deliver those birds to the handler. They are also tested on blind retrieves, taking whistle and hand signals from the handler to a bird hidden from the dog.

"The purpose of these tests is to prove that your dog is worthy to go hunting," Scott said, adding that the senior trials also serve to prove that the dogs have the qualities that make it suitable to be bred.

Events include:

n marked retrieve -- dogs retrieve two birds from 50 yards away, showing good line manners.

n blind retrieve -- dogs retrieve a bird they haven't seen fall, taking signal commands from their handlers.

n trailing -- dogs track the scent of a bird that has been dragged, simulating the tracking of a crippled bird.

The events will begin at 8 a.m. this Saturday, and the NAHRA trials will be Saturday and Sunday, May 26-27.

Both the picnic trial and the NAHRA trial headquarters will be at 3630 Harmony Road. Take York Road to Lake Helena Drive, turn left, drive 1 mile north to Harmony Road, and follow Harmony west for about a mile.