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Region Championships All Age Championship 2006 Report
Region Championships All Age Championship 2006 Report | 2006 Report |
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REGION 14 ALL-AGE CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT FOR 2006 by Bill Preston INTRODUCTION Each fall, since 1983, the historic Mortlach grounds have proffered a hospitable holiday atmosphere to witness the powerful amateur all-age dogs range over the vast flat hay fields and pasture lands striped with chokecherry and caragana hedgerows which can often reach a mile, and speckled by poplar, silver willow and willow bluffs, which all provide hiding places for sharptail grouse ("chickens") and gray partridge ("huns"). This year, there was a good crop of birds on all courses and the weather was ideal all sunshine, modest winds, and a few mid-days as warm as 90o. In 2½ days, we ran 35 prairie all-age dogs. Also, given the superb hospitality of the Canadian land owners and the Region 14 field trialers, Mortlach is a happy holiday experience. This year, there was a no-charge fajita happy-evening hosted by Region 14 president, Tom Nygard, and secretary, Jeanette Hiese, on Monday, and a no-charge Purina banquet hosted by Linda Hunt and the AFTCA on Tuesday evening. As has often been the case at these two championships, it takes a workout in the first stake to permit the dogs to superbly master Mortlach for the National Amateur Chicken. This year was no different. To find worthy winners, Region 14 was fortunate to have two very good judges: Sheldon Rogers from Saskatoon, Canada, and Billy Henley from Thomasville, Georgia. Sheldon is not an old-timer in this game, but he's no rooky. He's been vigorously competing their dogs in Canada and the northern United States for the last nine years, and has never missed an opportunity to learn from the handlers and judges at the four championships held at Mortlach each August and September. He's a good young horseman with a conscientious mind and a knowledgeable eye. A couple of grizzly handlers during this stake actually made a point to give to this scribe their compliments for his job well done. Sheldon had just come from Stoughton where he and his Dixy's Northbound won the Region 14 Shooting Dog Championship. On the other hand, Billy has been in the bird dog game since 1972, and is still very active, having recently judged the Southeastern at Albany and the North Carolina at Hoffman. In 2003, his Noon Time was the Continental Derby Champion. This was Billy's first trip to Mortlach, so your scribe took an opportunity to seek his sage views: these are the prettiest grounds he's ever seen; there are more amateurs now participating in the bird dog game than when he entered the game in 1972; and, with the great people at Mortlach, it seems to him to be assured that it will continue to be available to our game for a long time to come. WINNERS Miller's Southern Pride's winning performance was a typical Miller's White Powder race: stylish, smart, fast, and far forward. Six of the previous twelve placements in these championships (Region 14 All-Age and National Amateur Chicken Championship) over the previous three years have been won by either Powder or his get. Pride had two casts beyond a mile, and two casts beyond a half mile. At the end of his first one-mile cast, he was found standing with 11:30 style where five sharptail were produced without a bobble. It was the only true Mortlach "limb" find among all of the 35 entrants still standing in judgment at the end of the stake. While he didn't finish the last 3 or 4 minutes with the same gusto which he had maintained throughout the first 55, there was no question that he'd won this Championship. This was Pride's second amateur all age championship win, having won the Region 16 at the Dixie Plantation in 2002 as a derby. Clower's Silver Rain rendered a very fancy, biddable race, with a find and a stop to flush. Neither was of the "limb" variety. This was the second amateur all-age championship placement for Rain, he having won the Region 11 last fall at Jamestown, California. Wiggins River Knot turned out to be the hard-luck challenger. His race was superb, but he was unable to produce a find though he did have an opportunity on a covey of huns in the last 15 minutes of his race. CHAMPIONSHIP RUNNING Clower's Silver Rain (Hansen) Shadow's Perfect Pitch (Vaughn) A great typical Mortlach day is promised: bright sunny skies throughout, with morning temperatures of 50o and breezes of 10 mph reaching 85o and 30 mph out of the south by mid-afternoon. The first course starts ½ mile north of the Ol' Vic Eastmond farm site, stretches 2½ miles west over alfalfa fields and some uncut oat crops to beyond Chokecherry Lane, then 2 miles south over pasture and alfalfa land to the Hebert 160 acres of alfalfa, before doing a 140o counter-clockwise turn to end at the crossroads 1 mile west of Les & Donna Eastmond's home yard site. Silver Rain hunted the course smartly forward all the way. His pace wasn't barn-burning, but his running style was impressive. Debbie was always in the right places to keep him forward, but Silver Rain needed little help, while sometimes stretching and hunting forward at up to 600 yards. At 10 in the Paquin farm site, Trevor found him standing after four birds had apparently been flushed into the yard. A relocation 100 yards south along the road allowance eventually produced the four birds with sharp manners and 11:00 style. From there, he stretched up to 600 yards across the hay field to Chokecherry Lane, and then south all the way to the sand hill in the south west corner of the Campbell hay field where, at 43, a chicken was seen pitching out of the area. Before the judge could arrive, Trevor had shot and sent his dog on with the explanation that it had merely been a stop to flush. He finished reasonably strong. Perfect Pitch was a search and tug handful. He spent the first 16 minutes being searched for a mile and a half northwest, and returned to the front when the gallery was at the Paquin farm site. He then reached to the north and then to the west beyond Chokecherry Lane with good style and super power. From there, he did not return in judgment. Sand Creek Rita (Hjerpe) Worsham's Silver Ghost (Worsham) The second course starts northeast with an open area of more than 2 miles, but the gallery only going a half mile northeast before swinging southeast for 2½ miles. From there, it then swings north northeast paralleling the Mortlach-camp farm market road for 2½ miles to the sand ridge which runs east out of camp for a mile and a half. Rita thoroughly hunted the forward vista at a modest pace and range without results, while for the first 18 Ghost had his gears in overdrive, keeping both Joe and Don Wiggins on their toes. But, from the water tank south neither stretched beyond 300 yards with Ghost choosing the open country and Rita searching the nearby cover. Near Miller's Hole, at 57, both were picked up without birds being produced. Davis Shout (Leisfeld) Canadian Pete (Brinster) At 10:30 the weather was perfect: bright sunny skies, temperatures approximating 70o, and the breeze out of the southwest. This pair of big-chested liver spotted pointer males were asked to hunt 1½ miles north from Miller's Hole along the camp-Mortlach grid, and then east for a mile along the ridge before skirting the Ellingsen pasture on the southwest, and then stretching 2½ miles southeast over the hay fields and through the caragana hedgerows to the extreme southeast corner of the field trial grounds. Pete started north and then east for 700 yards before returning to the front at the road crossing. From there, he remained modestly forward until picked up at 50. Shout started fast and far. He extended his first cast 2,000 yards to the Eastmonds' farm site; and then, without help, he crossed the front at the road crossing and went east for 700 yards. At this point, he was behind for a time while Tom & Ellen tried to round him up. At 23, he was back to the front, but leashed at 49 when he was still birdless and had lost some of his fire. Light Rail (Nygard) Preston's Miss Ellie (Preston) The wind had rotated to the south at about 8 mph. These two pointer females were being asked to search southeast for 2 miles and then stretch straight north for 2 miles past the horse trough and through Chicken Alley. Ellie stretched 900 yards beyond the southeast corner of Ellingsen's pasture and then disappeared until 13 when she was found pointing at a small bluff just beyond the corner. She'd been over-ridden. A large flock of sharptail was produced with good manners and style. She was then hustled back to the front and at 19 was found standing 600 yards forward on the hedgerow, but before the judges came into view Liza took her birds out and Ellie lost her style. Ellie was picked up at 24 when the judges felt she might have blinked a back and they concluded that they could not use her anyway because of her second encounter with birds. Liza started forward modestly and had an encounter with birds at 19 which she went on to point at 23 along the high ridge in the southeast corner of the field trial grounds. From there, she took the hedgerows north and west, being counted out at 45. Whippoorwill Shug (Vaughn) Wiggins River Powder (Wiggins) At lunch, the Leisfelds scratched RJ's Trademark from this brace and Human Touch from the 7th brace, so Shug was brought forward to race with Powder. The 5th course stretches east from camp for 3½ miles to the southeast corner of the field trial grounds, and then north through Chicken Alley to Pelican Lake. Shug lasted 5 minutes when it was obvious that she wasn't going to be able to overcome her lingering shoulder injury. Powder never did seem to take to the big, expansive Mortlach country, and was picked up at 20 at the southwest corner of the Ellingsen pasture. Bling Bling (Shears) High Powered Gasoline (Bender) At 2:30 in the afternoon, the temperature has risen to 85o and wind is out of the south at about 8 mph under bright, sunny skies. For the first mile, Bling held the front at 300 yards, but at the hedgerows began to head south. Her running style is very attractive. As we headed north along Chicken Alley, she seemed to get the hang of it and reached beyond 400 yards all the way to the poplar bluffs near the horse trough. At 54, going west from the north end of Chicken Alley, Bling spent some time in the heavy cover toward Pelican Lake, and finished on the road allowance at the silver bin without bird contact. Suzy started slowly, but by 10 had reached 1,300 yards east all the way to the north end of Chicken Alley and the horse trough. She was back to the front at 23. Suzy did a nice job of hunting the south end of Chicken Alley, reaching up to 400 yards. From there, she reached beyond 800 yards north of the horse trough and into the heavy cover along Pelican Lake. But, no birds! The gallery had ridden up a flock of chicken and a covey of huns near the dugout. Sand Creek Ringo (Hjerpe) Wiggins River Knot (Wiggins) Knot won the National Amateur Chicken Championship here in 2004. So, he knows how to fly through this country with an exciting, forward hunting race. This year, his race was even stronger, further and smarter than his championship race. At one point, Joe Worsham did a super job of scouting along the shores of Pelican Lake at the east end of the rough pasture; otherwise Knot may not have finished. All he needed was a piece of good bird work to be the best so far, but it was not to be. He had an opportunity at 40, in the far north end of the field trial grounds, on a covey of huns along the Mortlach grid road, but it didn't work out. Ringo never turned on his jets. He remained within 300 yards forward throughout and, at 39, in the north end, was found standing inside a bluff which was popping chickens in all directions. Both finished their 60 minutes ½ mile north of camp. Drama Queen (Hansen) Flatland's Big Show (Pearson) It is a beautiful morning: high sunny skies and a gentle south breeze with the temperatures forecasted to reach the mid-90's by mid-afternoon. Queen won the runner-up in both these stakes last year, so she is expected to be very competitive. And, she was during the first 12 minutes; but she was then lost in the Paquin yard site. Eventually, with the assistance of a tracker, the Hansens found her deep in the trees of the Paquin farm site pointing a porcupine! Big Show was doing a nice job at 10, 700 yards forward. We got slowed a while at the Paquin farm site as he and Dave went hunting. But, then Big Show stretched west for 900 yards with John Raymond having to scout to the south end of the standing oat crop to keep in touch with him. At Chokecherry Lane, Big Show had a find with only fair style on a large flock of chicken. From that point, he hunted more cautiously and was eventually leashed at 59 after a non-productive at the south end of the Campbell hay field. Lester's Thunderbird (Leisfeld) Miller's Southern Pride (Furney) At the usual start of the 2nd course, both pointer males streaked straight north and quickly crossed over the ½ mile ridge with Don Wiggins and Ellen in pursuit. Thunderbird never returned. Eventually, rancher Gord Ward called him in, gave him a big drink of water, and tied him in the shade of their big elm tree which dominates their home buildings. At 6, Don found Pride standing with good style on a big flock of chicken in a small chokecherry bluff along the mile line. A great limb find with perfect manners. From there, with big strides, Pride searched the hedgerows forward 600 yards to the water trough at the Eastmond building site, and then struck out south. He was gone forward from 34 until 46, with Mike searching south all the way to Lawrence Ward's building site, and Don searching southeast to Miller's Hole. Don returned with Pride who, while Mike was still out of pocket, smartly worked the hedgerows south to the south end of the field trial grounds. At 55, as we were swinging northeast toward Miller's Hole, Mike returned. Pride finished the last 5 minutes very close. Rosie Bee (Nygard) SF Sendout (Smith) Last night, Miller's Online had gone lost at the Border International at Stoughton, thus the by-dog, Sendout, came forward to take his place. Two females: Rosie a petite, tri-colored setter, and Sendout an almost solid white, 47 pound pointer. At the very south end of the grounds (just 3 miles north of Mortlach) this course reaches over 5 miles of cut alfalfa hay field speckled with small chokecherry and silver willow bluffs as well as caragana hedgerows, all ideal shade and avian predator protection for the roosting huns and chicken during the late morning sun. Sendout lasted for the first mile, but couldn't get the hang of the big, flat country. Rosie demonstrated great hustle, but her race was in-and-out for 30 minutes and thus Shannon leashed her. Manley Farm John (Leisfeld) Shadow Cruiser Bud (Vaughn) Ellen is handling while Tom is riding the roads with a tracker searching for Thunderbird. This brace is a couple of muscular-built pointer males with liver spots. John's initial cast was 400 yards to the ridge east of camp; but beyond there, and not use to Ellen on the handle, he settled into a modest forward race and was thus leashed at 15. Bud did a smart forward hunting job at 400 yards all along the ridge, and at 23 Doug took him hunting near the northwest gate of the Ellingsen pasture. There, birds were produced without perfect manners. When he couldn't overcome the injury to both front pads, he was picked up at 30. So, it was time for an early lunch. Sounding Creek Annie (Hjerpe) Worsham's Silver Cloud (Worsham) At 1:30, going east from camp, it's getting hot near 85o with an 8 mph breeze out of the south east. Cloud had used most of this course in 2004 to win runner-up in this championship. There has been no unbeatable race yet. Could he repeat or maybe improve on 2004? He started with an unproductive at 7 and some uncertainty at 13, but by 18 he'd reached 800 yards east toward the heavy cover beyond the ridge. He returned at 29 along the hedgerow going south from the Ellingsen pasture and there was found standing. Joe reported that the birds had left, but none were seen. By 45, in the southeast corner of the field trial grounds, the heat had eaten up all his fire and he was picked up. Annie remained close and modestly paced throughout. At 29 she appeared to avoid a back and then was later leashed as she moved down the hedgerows where she had an unsatisfactory encounter with a chicken. Waygoing Hoot (Stephens) Mystic Fire (Brinster) A couple of liver-marked, big pointer males are asked, at 2:30 in the afternoon, at the extreme southeast corner of the field trial grounds, to hunt 2½ miles north through Chicken Alley and then west toward camp. Hoot never really got it going and was leashed at 45. Fire was mostly beyond sight, and counted out at 45. Boxwood Bandit (Shears) Roadshow (Raymond) Roadshow started smartly and aggressively through the bluffs in the east end of the Eastmond pasture, but he disappeared somewhere east of the rough pasture and never returned. Bandit started great, with attractive style and fair range. At 23, out of the north gate of the rough pasture, Bandit reached 900 yards forward to the bluffs along the half-mile line, which he hunted smartly. In the north end, Bandit had opportunities on both chicken and huns, but wasn't able to put it together. He had a minor encounter with a porcupine at 40, and was picked up at 45. We headed back to camp for the AFTCA Purina banquet. Rocky Knoll Orion (Lockhart) SF Bootstrap (Smith) It is a gorgeous morning: bright sunny skies, temperature around 55o, and a slight breeze out of the south. Bootstrap is a carbon copy of the many competitive get from the Miller's White Powder/Wiggins Sammie niche: Miller's Online, Miller's Southern Pride, Wiggins River Knot, and SF Accelerator. But, he's still young, and today never got to laying it out. Larry picked him up after 1½ miles and shortly thereafter had a chance to work him on a flock of chicken still feeding out in the hay field east of Chokecherry Lane. Orion also started close, but by 28 this big handsome male setter had reached 700 yards forward, smartly searching Chokecherry Lane. At 34, near the gallery, Orion had a nice, stylish find on five chicken at the northeast end of Chokecherry Lane. Then in the same area, he cautiously moved forward and had a find on a single. But, at 43 he got too close and a bird flushed. Orion's race was ended. Clower's Thunderstrike (Hansen) Wainwright's Willy (Williams) This last brace started at the northeast corner of the Campbell north pasture. Willy worked back and forth within 250 yards, had an unproductive at 19, and was picked up at 27. Strike, with great high style and super pace, hunted smartly forward. At 22, Torbin and Deb were searching south of the Gunningham pasture and brought him forward without birdwork at 29 for the reach northeast to the ridge. He was looking great; but he suffered an unproductive at 34 on the ridge and a second at 55 a mile south of Eastmonds'. That ended the stake. |