INTRODUCTION

It is very special to witness a powerful all-age dog ranging over the historic Mortlach grounds where there are vast flat expanses and sufficient birds in the bluffs to witness independent limb finds. I think of Native Tango and Flaming Star. This was the second year that this amateur championship and the National Amateur Chicken Championship have been held on and following the September Labour Day weekend. The attendance was pretty good. Denise and Jed Dempsey, Ruthann and Lester Littell, Tim Jones, Charlie Frank Bryan, Jim Michaletz, and Linda and Bill Hunt came from the deep South. Eleanor and Ferrel Miller, John Ivester, Starr and Don Wiggins, Julie and Larry Smith, and Mike Peretto came from the Mason/Dixon area and the Northeast. Mike Stephans, Charlie Hjerpe, and Bob Willmon came from the Southwest. And, Shannon and Tom Nygard, Butch Nelson, Sandi and John Mandell, Scott Jordan, Frank LaNasa, and Joe Brinster came from the border states. They were joined by Canadian trialers Colin Kennedy, Neil Mason, Ken Girling, Jeannette Heise and Lou Qualtiere, Kay and Doug Vaughn, Linda, Amy, Darrel and Ron Bender, and Maureen and Bill Preston. With the landowners, it was an international family of 80 friends who sat down at the Clubhouse on Tuesday evening for a splendid beef barbeque catered by the Wagon's West restaurant in Mortlach, which has developed a reputation among the dog trial people for excellent culinary skills. And, the topic which attracted a lot of discussion over the picnic tables was concerning how/when to reopen the international boundary to continuing the export of Canadian beef to the homes of long time customers in the U.S.A. It was interesting. The local Canadian cattle producers are in financial distress, while their friends in the deep South and the Southwest were unaware because their media has not considered it important. The rest of us, but for one, were sympathetic, but felt that we lacked the political power to effect our various simple solutions. The one of us who has really done something is Stephanie Adams, a high-school aged daughter of the landowners. She has personified the financial distress and want of fairness felt by the Canadian cattle industry by her many television appearances and by her meetings with the political leadership of Canada. This holiday renewal of the long-standing friendships was all graciously supported by Royal Canin and the AFTCA.

WINNERS

Champion Just Denver's 2003 performance was reminiscent of that by winners from yesteryears: High Fidelity in 1978 and 1980; Additions Go Boy in 1981, 1985 and 1986; El Sauz Doll in 1983 and 1986; and, Idaho Power in 1998. Each came to the start line with a reputation of power to the point of wild recklessness; each laid down a race which required plenty of horseflesh and daring horsemanship to keep in touch and forward; but, each was blessed with very stylish bird work that came at the moment when otherwise the dog's opportunity for the blue ribbon was lost. Just Denver fit this measure. He hasn't been run East of the Mississippi River because he would have to be ground down to finish in judgment. Here, in the earlier Dominion Championship, he was eventually returned out of judgment from 15 miles away! On this performance, his stop to flush captialized his fire to the level of recklessness. While the light breeze was out of the Southwest, and thus not permitting a dog much early warning of birds in the North/South hedgerow, Just Denver put the "peddle to the metal" and raced tight to the East side of the hedgerow, thus leaving no room for the chickens to hold. He did bump a bird, but he stopped so quick the bird only flipped 15 to 20 feet. The combination of his power and lightening response, together with a little tolerance by the bird, permitted Ruthann to flush and shoot before his majestic style. Finally, there is a bit of romance to Just Denver's win. His success as a puppy and a derby brought Ruthann and Lester to the realization that they wished to commit themselves for life to one another. They have also committed themselves to the very challenging Just Denver. It gives you a warm feeling when commitment is rewarded.

While his style is unequalled, Runner Up Miller's True Spirit's reputation and performance are cut from a totally different cloth than Just Denver. He is smartly reaching hunting power to the front. I remember when he won the 2001 National Amateur Chicken Championship on the second course at Mortlach; he was lost to the front at 60 minutes; but, at 70 minutes Ferrel found him 1800 yards forward, respectfully pointing a flock of chickens. His 2003 performance in this championship was of like quality, but his finish was not as monstrous. It was typified by his find; he could have just raced forward down the road, but given the direction of the wind that would have resulted in only a stop to flush. He went into the heavy weed cover and stretched forward to produce a winning fancy find. His course was tough but he was constantly reaching forward at prairie all-age range and pace.

What about the also rans? In my opinion, Miller's Dateline's race was superior and, with witnessed bird-work, would have earned a place in the winner's circle. Had Front n' Center's race not been overshadowed by his brace mate's, he would have been knocking. While, if Scar Hill Bullet had had bird work, he would have made a change. But, if "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, what a party we would have had! This was not an easy championship to judge and there certainly was a disparity of opinions among the gallery.

RUNNING

Brace 1 - Lone Mountain Buckshot (Mandell) and Miller's Catera (Miller)
At 2:45 p.m., Tuesday afternoon, the first course of Mortlach presents the challenge for these two handsome, high-tailed young fellas. In temperatures of 75 degrees F and 31 mile an hour winds out of the Northwest, they were asked to search going over the flat open hayfields where both sharp-tailed grouse and grey partridges (huns) are hidden along the caragana, elm, choke cherry, aspen and willow bluffs and hedgerows, 2 ½ miles West into the wind and then 2 miles South, before finishing going Northeast. At 4, both were near a white-tailed dear, but each worked on aggressively and independently produced a mannerly find within 15 yards of one another on sharp-tail along the South side of the Ol' Pacquin yard site. Across the next mile to Choke Cherry Lane, both were shortened by the powerful headwind; but once there, both stretched quickly along the North border. Catera searched all the way to the Ward pasture, while Buckshot diligently worked the choke cherry bluffs on the North boundary. At 38, as we entered the North gate of the Campbell pasture, Catera stretched Southeast with the strong winds in his butt, reaching beyond the North/South road allowance and not returning until late in the day. While, Buckshot modified his race through the Campbell hayfield, and at 45 produced a find on a couple of young sharp-tail who were reluctant to leave the wind shelter of a small (not larger than three kitchen tables) choke cherry bluff near the Southwest exit gate. Buckshot finished modestly with two finds, while Catera was lost at 40 and did not return until late in the day.

Brace 2 - Front n' Center (LaNasa) and Millers' Dateline (Miller)
A couple of very enthusiastic and stylish first year pointer males, who have their father's reputation to uphold (Center's Instante Black Top in 1997 and 2000, and Dateline's Miller's White Powder in 2001 and 2002), each having earlier won a placement in this Championship. They were let loose in the start of course #2, one mile west of Les and Donna Eastmonds'. Both, with high heads and twelve o'clock running style, raced North toward Choke Cherry Lane. By eight, Frank and scout Scott Jordon had Center back to the big hill, while Ferrel (without scout Don Wiggins, who was still looking for Catera) caught Dateline after a mile and half. Going Southeast to Eastmond's, Center was keeping in touch while smartly searching hedgerows. Dateline still had his jets on; he took the first hedgerow South and then continued on into the Gunningham building site. Going South from the water tank, these two youngsters kept on truckin' while searching the choke cherry bluffs on the mile line and then going South along the hedgerows. Frank caught Center at about 400 yards along the centre hedgerow, while Dateline went a mile South where Don Wiggins brought him around. Going North, both continued to hunt and reach, with Center being charged with an unproductive at the big bluff along the North/South market road between Mortlach and camp. At 55, as we crossed the intersection, Center was off to the right but heading toward the half mile line, while Dateline was beyond 800 yards forward and about to search the big bluff on the top of the hill, East of camp. As we made the half-mile line at 58, Dateline could be seen pointing at the South end of the big bluff. Ferrel began to flush, but Dateline wiggled his twelve o'clock tail, so Ferrel returned and sent him to relocate. Then, Judge Kennedy spoke to Ferrel and rode off. Dateline eventually pinned a flock of chicken at the Northeast point of the bluff, but the judges were gone! As this was transpiring, Center had a majestic mannerly find on a covey of huns out in the hayfield, Southeast of the bluff which Dateline was working. A very exciting race by two young forward running and hunting fellas which ended in a bit of confusion. Both completely fulfilled the standard expected of their daddies.

Brace 3 - Express Rail Jake (Dempsey) and Wiggins River Knot (Wiggins)
After last evening's barbeque at the Clubhouse sponsored by Royal Canin/AFTCA and enjoyed by a very big crowd, we started at 7:30 a.m. under blue skies and a very slight Southeast breeze, with temperatures at 48 degree F. The circumstances were exhilarating watching the morning sunrise reflect off these two as they searched West. Jake began impressively, reaching and hunting in all the right spots. When we reached a mile and half west, and a half mile from Choke Cherry Lane, Jake was already there and searching. But, at 25 he was charged with an unproductive in an area where some in the gallery had already seen birds leaving. Thereafter, Jake kept going Northwest and out of judgment. Knot's race was stylish but modified throughout, with an unproductive on a porcupine at 45 and a mannerly find at 60 on a couple of chicken along the South boundary of the Herbert hayfield. He is a quick fancy moving dude who, with more exposure to the bluff/hedgerow haunts of the birds of Mortlach, will likely reach further.

Brace 4 - Scar Hill Bullett (Jordan) and Just Denver (Littell)
At 8:45 a.m. the temperatures are still around 55 degrees F and the wind has moved to the Southwest at 8 to 10 mile an hour. This is Bullet's first try at Mortlach; he looks like his daddy and he runs the front like his daddy. At the start of course #2, Scott had sent him Northeast toward the big hill; he went there and beyond for 400 yards before scout Frank LaNasa returned him to the front at 10. This is Denver's third year with Ruthann at these Championships. While at the start he looked to be impaired by a footpad problem, by 7 Ruthann is calling point more than 900 yards North of the start point and just East of the road allowance. Ruthann reported that chickens had left and no more were produced. As we headed South from the Eastmond watertank, Ruthann is controlling Denver along the road allowance where he is eventually charged with an unproductive; while, Scott sent Bullet Southeast. At the mile line, Denver was having some bluffy problems within 250 yards, while Bullet had become comfortable with the challenges of Mortlach and had smartly taken the West hedgerow South for 1400 yards. At 30, while tightly racing along the East side of the East hedgerow, Denver pushed a chicken and instantly stopped with high tight style, and the chicken only flipped 15 to 20 feet down the hedgerow. Ruthann flushed and shot. At 34, Frank called point for Bullet, three quarters of a mile South, but waved it off and brought the dog on. This nonetheless attracted some of the gallery; Denver hooked on and John Ivester chased him South to almost the end of the hedgerow where Denver stopped for a very stylish find on a chicken. Going North, Bullet was forward hunting between 400 and 1200 yards, while Denver reached 1200 yards Northeast toward the Eastmond yard site. At the road crossing, Bullet is 800 yards Northwest in the Eastmond pasture, while Ruthann has released Denver who strikes out East on the road allowance with John Ivester in pursuit. Again, at 57 on the road allowance, Denver stops for a very stylish find on a covey of huns. Bullet topped the forward half-mile ridge and beyond at 60, but went birdless.

Brace 5 - Waygoing Nick (Stephens) and Marque's Gold Rush (Ivester)
Gold Rush is well known to readers of the Field; he has won the National Championship. Nick, a youngster, is a fifty-pound liver ticked pointer male. On this occasion, they took the bit in their teeth and sped Northeast beyond one mile, never to return in time.

Brace 6 - Miller's KY Bell (Miller) Magma's Silver Nickel (Hjerpe)
We are a half-mile East of camp on the ridge at 10:30 a.m., with the wind out of the Southwest at 12 miles per hour and temperatures rising to 60 degrees F. Magma is a heavy liver ticked pointer male, while Bell is an almost white muscular female. Magma started monstrous toward the Northwest. He was sighted from time to time, but reached all the way to Pelican Lake before returning to the front on his own at 26. As for Bell, her early running style evinced soreness in her front shoulders which seemed to dissipate as her race progressed. At 7, she displayed her savvy during a superb relocation. Don Wiggins found her pointing into the Southwest wind with intense 10:30 style, and when Ferrel failed to produce downwind, she relocated ten feet North with the wind in her butt before stopping to permit Ferrel to flush eight sharp-tail, all in order. As we crossed the Ellingson pasture, Bell was modest, but when we exited the Southeast corner, Bell was found 250 yards South on the hedgerow; a second intense mannerly find at 22. Again, at 31 Bell produced her third find with an intense eleven o'clock style on six chicken, just as we approached the South mile line before heading toward the Southeast corner of the field trial grounds. At 39, as we turned North, both dogs were out of pocket to the East. At the watertank, Bell was out of sight forward along the East hedgerow, while Magma was starting down the center hedgerow. At 60, near the dugout, scout Bob Willmon brought Magma in from the lakeshore, while at 64 Ferrel returned Bell from 700 yards toward the Northwest.

Brace 7 - Grand Dancer (LaNasa) and Miller's True Spirit (Miller)
These two are proffered the most challenging course at Mortlach - course #4 has a very narrow forward span with problematic fences and energy draining high weed cover on the sides; but, there are also open flat stretches of up to one mile to birdy bluffs. If a dog will reach forward with power and hunt, it can be rewarded with a far forward limb find which, in the past, has earned many championships. Today, the conditions are pretty good - 70 degrees F and a slight breeze out of the Southwest. Dancer started boldly, but into the energy sapping weed cover. At 8, she displayed awesome style out in the weeds, where birds are often found. But, this proved infertile. At 18, Dancer was beginning to lose her enthusiasm after youthfully searching the bluffs in the East end of the Eastmond hayfield, and was picked up in the middle of the rough pasture at 23. True Spirit started with a smartly earned stylish find at 4. He was in the weedy cover on the North side of the road allowance reaching West when he was found on a flock of 8 chicken near the first mile line. All in order. By 10, True Spirit was beyond 500 yards, hunting among the bluffs along the ridge; and, by 28 Ferrel and Don Wiggins were looking for him beyond the North gate of the rough pasture. At 33, Ferrel found True Spirit on the Northeast corner of the bluffs a half-mile North along the North/South road allowance, but True Spirit moved on as the judges rode hard to cover. He then smartly and powerfully hunted the North bluffs (the usually reliable bird haunt at the Northeast corner had been spoiled by an earlier grass fire) before heading South toward camp at a range beyond 400 yards. At 56, he notched a very mannerly stop to flush on two covey of huns, which were along the West side of the big bluff, three quarters of a mile North of camp. True Spirit then finished beyond 500 yards in the pasture toward Colvin and Mazie's ol' campsite. A good forward reaching race on a very challenging course.

Brace 8 - Updated Keepsake (Littell) and Dancing Queen (LaNasa)
Queen never really got reaching before she crashed on a covey of huns at 10 along the East fence of the Pacquin hayfield. Keepsake required a horserace, mostly to the side and back. At 10, she had a very suspicious stop to flush on huns in the Southeast corner of the Pacquin hayfield. Then, immediately following, she produced a mannerly stop to flush on a second bunch of huns in the Pacquin hayfield. After that, not much was seen except riders beyond 500 yards.

Brace 9 - Sting (Willmon) and Wiggins River Rat (Wiggins)
It is 3:15 p.m. at the start of course #2; the temps have warmed to 80 degrees F, while the breeze is out of the South-southwest at five miles an hour. Rat is an athletic 48 lb. white pointer male with orange ticking, while Sting is a powerfully built 60 lb. pointer male with heavy orange patches and ticking. Sting headed straight down course to the big forward hill, while Rat ran the edge of the North/South road allowance for a half a mile. As we made the hill, Sting finished hunting the sand blow on the hill and headed East - Dr. Hjerpe brought him to the Eastmond tank at 15. Rat stayed within 300 yards until we reached the tank, where both headed South, hunting the choke cherry bluffs on the Eastside of the road allowance. At 19, both were found pointing along the road allowance. Rat, with a fancy twelve o'clock style, was crowding the bluff, while Sting was pointing outside of the bluff a couple of paces. Two chickens were produced and both handlers fired. Then, at 26, as we reached the East-west mile line, we found a fancy site. Under bright sunny skies, we found Sting pointing and Rat backing with majestic twelve o'clock style at the very North end of the North/South hedgerow. Bob produced two chicken and shot; all was perfect. Then, each independently searched the hedgerow and alfalfa mediums South for about 450 yards before heading toward Miller's hole (in 1990, Showcase won the National Amateur Chicken Championship with a find in this bluff at 59 minutes). On the trip North to the intersection, both were within 300 yards. Sting, simply cruising out in the middle of the grass, while Rat was diligently hunting the forward bluffs. At the intersection, both were watered and reached 500 yards to the ridge where Rat was charged with an unproductive at 56.

Brace 10 - Ride the Rail (Nygard) and Windsong Ginger (Brinster)
At 4:30 p.m., one half mile east of camp on the ridge, the winds have almost calmed while the temperatures have warmed to 85 degrees F. Ginger started very modestly and was picked up at 11 as we entered the Northwest gate of the Ellingson pasture. Hoppy, a white pointer male with orange ears, started ambitiously, first reaching 400 yards along the North side of the ridge and then stretching 900 yards South beyond the East-west road allowance. On his return at 20 in the Ellingson pasture, he appeared to have shot his bold. At 25, he suffered an unproductive and at 32 he was chasing chicken 200 yards forward. This ended the day.

Brace 11 - Squire's Disco Boogie (Willmon) Preston's Johnnie (Preston)
The weatherman is forecasting 95 degrees F today! But, at 7:30 a.m., Thursday, we are enjoying 60 degrees F and a 15 mile an hour wind, out of the South-southwest. Johnnie started modest, had a faulty stop to flush on a covey of huns out in the alfalfa of the Northwest corner of the Pacquin hay field at 10, and was picked up at 40. Boogie started great, with reaching casts which produced a well earned chicken find at the Pacquin yard site at 10. Thereafter, his range shortened, producing a stop to flush at 45 on a single chicken near the south gate of the Ward pasture, and an unproductive in the Gunningham pasture at 60.

Brace 12 - Four Winds (Peretto) and Marques Magic Crystal (Ivester)
At the start of course #2, the winds are now gusting out of the South-southwest at 25 mile an hour, while the temperatures are still around 60 degrees F. Charlie Frank Bryan and Ruthann Littell are bundled up like they are expecting it to snow! Last year Crystal tore up the Mortlach courses, while this is Winds' first go. By 5, scout Ruthann has found Crystal standing a half mile North near the road allowance but John couldn't produce feathers. Four Winds headed North and East with Doug Vaughn in pursuit. He was not returned to the front. South of the Eastmond tank into the strong headwinds, Crystal was lateral, sometimes beyond 500 yards. But, at 30 she was found forward standing on the East-west mile line where John produced a single chicken in front of her eleven o'clock intense style. But at 32, as she headed South down the hedgerow, a covey of huns exited 8 to 10 yards to her East in the middle of the alfalfa. Crystal was picked up. Chicken also departed as she was being harnessed. It was a forgiving situation; the wind was strong out of the South-southwest, while the birds were feeding off to the East in the middle of the alfalfa. Crystal didn't chase.

Brace 13 - Miller's White Powder (Miller) and Lone Mountain Sun (Mandell)
At 9:30 a.m., we are on the market road between camp and Mortlach just North of Miller's hole. Sun is a 55 lb. setter male with dark speckles; while Powder, last year's champion, is a 50 lb. pointer male with orange ears. Both struck out Southwest into the wind. By 9, Sun was back to the front going North within 300 yards, while Powder never returned. Judge Kennedy related that he was found majestically standing near the hedgerows 1200 yards Southwest, but when Ferrel asked him to relocate, he knocked a bird and was picked up. At 32, Sun was charged with an unproductive and at 36 he carded a very suspicious stop to flush, both on the ridge East of camp. Sun stayed within 400 yards forward of John until picked up at 50 minutes in the Southeast corner of the Ellingson pasture.