Report on the Region 14 Shooting Dog Championship 2003

The 41st renewal of the Region 14 Shooting Dog Championship (34 entries) was held at the Ron Sjostrom farm, approximately 20 miles north west of Malta, Montana on August 18-20, 2003. This trial followed the Stockman Sharptail, Open Shooting Dog Classic (one hour heats) and the Big Sky Club trial from the 14th to 18th of August. The Open Shooting Dog Classic and the Region #14 Championship drew a large contingent of field trialers from all parts of North America including many from their training grounds in North Dakota, Montana and Alberta. Mike Stevens, Bob Willmon, Charles Hjerpe from California, Steve Grundmeyer from Reno, Nevada, Bill Martin and Bob Pombrio Georgia, Dr.Marion Brown from Ohio, Dale Bush from Texas, Ted Arnold from Missouri, Bill and Arlene Sowle Indiana, Joe Brinster from Washington as well as John Mandell, Glenn Conover David Noell, Isaac Todd, Butch Nelson and Ted Winsell from Montana. From Canada there was Lou Qualtiere and Jeanette Heise, Bill and Maureen Preston from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Kelly McLean and Louise Robbins, from Pierson, Manitoba.

The venue was rolling CRP land (10,000 acres with many hills and gullies interlaced with the occasional dried slough beds), on the Sjostrom farm, which has native Sharptail Grouse, Sage grouse, Hungarian partridge and pheasants. There were birds abundant with many of the dogs in the one-hour heats having two or three finds, with the gallery continuously riding coveys of birds on all the courses. Clearly, all the dogs had a chance to find and work birds and many of the handlers there present, commented that this was one of the most plentiful native bird trials they have ever attended.

The weather dictated the pace and limited the potential of the later braces to show their bird finding ability. Following a wet spring, Mother Nature turned off the rain in early June and turned up the thermostat in July and August. It was one of the hottest summers in decades with temperatures well over 100°F for many of the days only cooling during the Championship to 90-95°F. Consequently the first braces were off at 6:30 AM and only 5 braces a day were run. Even still the earlier braces had the majority of the bird work with the later braces struggling in the very hot dry conditions.

Lyle Hansen, as in the past, organized the trial for the Big Sky Club (host of the Championship) and did the majority of the on ground work and marshaled throughout the trial. His hard work and organization was critical in the success of the trials. He set up four one hour courses which were always in close proximity to a road such that the dogs did not have to spend more than an hour or two at the most on the dog wagon prior to running.

Glenn Conover, David Noell and Butch Nelson of the Big Sky Field Club, handled the majority of the dog wagon chores, making sure all the dogs were there on time and rested for their heats. Austin Turley made numerous trips hauling water on the back of his truck making sure the seven water troughs located at strategic points on the courses were kept filled. The water troughs were greatly appreciated and allowed the horses and dogs to handle the heat. Everyone present went out of their way to complement Ron Sjostrom on his gracious volunteering of his farm, and the lunch, which he brought out every noon for us to partake. His grounds were wonderful, his generosity large and truly appreciated.

The judges for this event were Kelly McLean from Pierson Manitoba and John Mandell from Bozeman Montana. Kelly has judged many trials on the prairies including earlier Region 14 Championships. He comes from a background of field trailers with both his brother Keith and Dad Ken respected dog trainers and handlers. John a usual participate had won this Championship three times early with his extraordinary setter Lone Mountain Magic (Pete).

The Winners

The winner, Barn Owl High, (Jimmy) a male setter handled by Dale Bush of College Station Texas was in the second brace of the first morning. Temperatures were already warming up (74-75 degrees), with little bit of a breeze out of the northwest. Second brace cast off into the large dry depression, which is used as dancing grounds for the chicken in the spring with the setter pushing 300-400 yards to the front, moving easily through the tall grass. Dale's dog continues to hunt diligently 200 yards to the front through the bottoms towards the edge of the rim. Heading to the west end of the bowl both dogs went to the top and started hunting along the fence line south towards the grain bin and water trough about 200 yards ahead of the handlers. At the water trough both dogs took an opportunity to cool down, Refreshed the setter pushed on almost 400 yards ahead. At 22' Dale called point, as we rode over, and it was actually Marion Brown's dog standing on point. Chicken flush and Dale fired for the dog. At 31' Dale called point on his dog as he reached the second water trough, birds flushing behind the dog, Dale fired, dog steady. At 40' Dale called point, the dog could be seen standing at the side of a hill, as Dale approached the dog several chickens got up and he fired everything in order. At 48' as the course started turning to the south and as we crested a large hill the dog could be seen standing 200 yards to our right at the side of a hill. The birds got up as Dale approached with the dog standing staunch for wing and shot. Throughout the setter ran a strong shooting dog race finishing strong to the front. This clearly this was the dog to beat at this point and as it turned out while several dogs came close his performance, it was not surpassed. Commenting after the trial Dale remarked Butch Winner actually bred Jimmy and also raised and broke him. "I acquired Jimmy after his Derby year. He got Nocardia and we carried him to Roger Zipperman and cut out part of his lung and then we went out and ran him. He has won some open all age trials and he has won some shooting dog trials and I have basically somewhat retired him to my south Texas hunting string and I bird hunted him in south Texas for the last six years. The Nocardia has kind of come back and we have been battling that disease with Clindamycin but I decided to take a chance and have him come up here and run in this Championship. I roaded him in the south Texas heat for three weeks and then came up to North Dakota and ran him a week with Butch and then came over here. The dog in my opinion is a really a great setter and I am proud to have him win a championship. Some people are breeding to him and he has produced a champion and I just think he is a real good Setter".

Runner Up went to Waygoing Speck, 4 year old pointer male handled by Mike Stevens of Vacaville, California. Speck was in the first brace of the Championship. Temperature was 65 degrees. No breeze was apparent with the sun only an inch above the eastern horizon at the 6:30 breakaway. Speck ran strong to the front quickly clearing the first Marsh and later the reservoir and headed East. He continued to run strong and as we turned west pushed far to the front. As we passed through the pump house section Speck held far to the West paralleling the road showing at the pump house road at 44' pointing into the short grass on the edge of the pond. As we road up chicken could be seen running ahead of the dog in the short grass 10 yards upwind tempting the dog to break and flush. As Mike approached, the birds flushed ahead of the dog and he held steady through the flush and shot. After watering at the pump house, the dog continued and within a few minutes froze on point. Then Mike got off and after a short flushing attempt put a chicken in the air. The dog finished as he started, running strong, finishing far to front. Waygoing Speck is a frozen semen bred dog out of Additions Go Boy that was bred by Kelly Nelson out of an Elhew bitch. Insemination was done by caesarian section. Interestingly both Speck and Maggie (winner of the Stockman Classic earlier) are littermates and both started by Mike McGinnis up in Baker, Oregon.

The Running

Waygoing Speck (Mike Stevens) (see description above). Goodby Feddles Gage, pointer male (Bill Martin) Gage ran a good race but at 44' in the field quarter mile South of the pump house the dog was seen under birds. The dog had been gone from sight for 10' and likely got tired of waiting for us to arrive.

Chase "Buckeye Gem" English orange and white setter male (Marion Brown) was braced with Barn Owl High (see above) with both dogs putting on bird finding clinics. The gallery was riding back and forth continuously to keep up with the seven finds between the two dogs. Chase had a strong race with mannerly finds at 22', 27', 33' and 44' and an unproductive at 33". However at the last find, Marion, after a lengthy attempt to flush the birds began to walk back to the dog but Chase obvious tired of his handlers futile attempts took out a single chicken right in front of him.

Shadow Cruiser Experiment, setter male (Lou Qualtiere) and Chinquapin Valentine pointer female (Bill Sowle). The dogs were sent north from the County road toward the high hills distant. The setter initially decided to hunt toward the south but eventually was persuaded the course went north. At 15'he winded a flock of chicken and moved up to the top of the ridge and pointed. But as the handler approached, the chicken exploded all around the dog and he decided to continue on without waiting for the handler or the shot. Valentine heading north had a find at 7' with everything in order but had in quick order two unproductives at 9' and 17' and was picked up.

Kate EP female (Don Arnold) and Las Animas Mac EP male (Dale Bush): Starting in the middle of the third brace, as it really began to heat up, both dogs pushed West down into the lower hills. Kate had a nice find at 7' but quickly proved she wasn't going to handle this day and after a futile attempts to bring her to the front Don quit on her at 33'. Mac running a little erratic and birdless began to tire at 50'. Dale picked him up just South of camp where we returned for fresh mounts.

The fifth brace began on first course with Street Talk handled by Bo Houston working the course wide and far. The dog proved very difficult to keep under control and to the front and at 26' disappeared over the high hills as the course turned west and was lost. Haverstock Citation handled by Dale Bush went on point at 6' at the pond and as the handler approached left point for the pond and birds were seen in the air. After the dog had cooled off in the pond, Dale put him in harness.

The next brace Mary "after Mona" a setter female handled by Marion Brown and Matador's Evolution point female handled by Bob Willmon locked up at the breakaway running to the South at a furious pace. Mona returned to the front after 10 minutes but Evolution never reappeared. Mona hunted hard towards the pump house but after two suspicious bird contacts at 25' and 30' Marion picked her up.

The 7th brace Our Rowdy Friend, English Setter, male, handler Dave Noell. Bottom dog was Goodbye Southern Sport, English Pointer, male, Bill Martin. At the break away at 6:30AM of the 2nd day there were clear skies, sun just above the horizon. Both dogs broke away towards the marsh pond went over the far hill hunting intelligently to the front. They then crossed the second a pond and reservoir hunting well but no bird contact with the gallery riding up a flock of Hungarians off to the side. As we turned west up into the top of the bowl, both dogs could be seen hunting about 200-300 yards ahead with Sport showing a little more range to the front. At 35' the dogs crossed the gate into the pump house field going north. As we crossed through the gate past the pump house Sport had a find on chicken, everything was in order. Brace finished with no further bird work and both dogs putting down admirable shooting dog races.

The eighth brace featured Waygoing Maggie (pointer female) winner of the Shooting Dog Classic run a few days before handled by Mike Stevens and Floral's Nancy setter female handled by Lou Qualtiere. Maggie and Nancy hunted hard to the front with Nancy having find/stop to flush at 18' on large flock of Sharptail. Maggie went on point in a dip just before the County Road with Nancy arriving and instead of backing deciding to help Maggie find the birds. Maggie stand was unproductive and after a further 20' on the ground, Mike elected to pick her up.

9th brace: Clay Carbonado (Austin Turley) and Goodbye Joe (Bill Martin) both English pointer males. At the break away Austins's dog went on point at the side of the first hill but it was unproductive. At 4' Martin called point to the right of the break away about 300 yards farther down the hill. The dog had a nice stylish point; chickens were flushed including one right in front of the dog, nice find. Both dogs continued crossing the County Road with Clay proving a handling challenge. At 30" Joe got through a fence into a closed pasture and proved reluctant to leave the area as the course turned east. After we passed the water tank on the county road and headed North into the high hills, Austin's dog seemed to be handling better but was lost at 40' in the hills Northwest of camp. Bill Martin was unable return his dog to the front.

As we began the tenth brace the temperature was pushing the high 80's with a light breeze from the Southwest. Marion Brown was handling his setter female Jackie Yellowknife and Charlie Hjerpe handling Lady in Red a large orange and white pointer. At the breakaway Jackie wanted to hunt to the back while Lady pushed to the front at 300 yards. After 7' Marion was able to get a handle on his dog and as he returned to the front, crossing through an opening in the fence, his dog stopped, Marion called point but it proved unproductive. Jackie continued to hunt about 150 - 200 yards ahead working the grass and alfalfa fields towards the top of the rim. At 18' Charlie seemed to have lost his dog. The setter continued to work in front of the handler at about 60 yards, now tiring in the heat. About 38', as we went through the gate and headed back towards camp, we rode up a flock of about 20 chickens. The setter went off to the south and Marion had to ride to him and bring him back. A few minutes the setter went on point where several of the chicken flushed earlier had been seen to land. The initial flushing was unsuccessful and then during the relocation, Charlie returned with his dog, which was found on point standing for 15 or 20 minutes. He brought the dog on without attempting to flush. At 46' we crossed the east west county road between the abandoned farmstead and the grain bins and headed roughly parallel to camp with the dogs working about 100-150 yards in the heat. Marion picked up his dog at about 53'. Charlie finished his dog going south parallel to camp at time.

The 11th brace began after a brief 20-minute break to change horses before the beginning at course 1. Top dog was Dee, English Setter, female handled by Pat Lockhart. Bottom dog was Preston's Johnnie handled by Bill Preston. Since the four hours from the break away on this course this morning the temperature has risen about 25 degrees. At break away both dogs handled short and methodically down the hill through the pond and slowly began to stretch out both staying to the front. At 11' Johnnie was found at the east end of the reservoir pond standing, as Bill approached, a large flock of chicken exploded out. Dog lost a little composure on the flush but otherwise was steady. At 14', as the dogs crossed the fence and past the reservoir going east the setter was seen on point with the pointer backing about 10 yards behind with both showing high style and intensity. The initial attempt to find birds was unsuccessful. Preston took his dog on while the setter attempted an eventually futile relocation. As we turned at the far eastern part of the course the dogs were watered and continued on pushing to the top of the next ridge. As we passed through the section gate heading west both dogs were starting to range a little farther out particularly Johnnie who is now out 250-300 yards. At 45' as we got to the pump house Bill's dog had been gone for 10 minutes to the front. At 56' Johnnie was found on point in some bush just past the pump house in a long ravine leading to the breaks, which circumscribe the northern boundary of the trial grounds. Bill after a long flushing attempt produced a young chicken (birds had been seen leaving the area earlier). Both dogs finished the brace with no further bird contacts.

Jaboars Domino Chip (John Junila) and Sand Creek Rita (Charlie Hjerpe) had bird contacts within a minute of breakaway with Rita awarded a find and Domino a stop to flush. Five minutes later Domino had some problems with birds and had an early exit. At 8' as we raced to a top of a hill Rita could be seen standing with a bird already in the air. Charlie got off and shot. Four minutes later an unproductive by Rita had Charlie calling an end to this brace.

The 3rd morning saw brace 13th Ben, male setter (Pat Lockhart) and Las Animas Jack, pointer male (Dale Bush). This morning was in contrast to most of the others, over cast sky, windy about 75 degrees. You could feel a few drops in the air as we rode to the starting line. At the break away a light rain had begun and with the sun behind heavy clouds, it was difficult to make out the dogs in the dim early morning light. The setter had a find at 5 by the first slough as the handler approached, the bird flushed in front of the dog, the dog temporarily loosened but he was steady for shot. Cattle had gotten out during the night and both dogs and gallery had to work carefully to avoid pushing them too far from their pasture. Jack proved a hard handle from the start and by 36' Dale Bush decided to use the tracker to find his dog. The dog apparently was on course but had gone over a ridge into a fence enclosed deep valley, where he couldn't be seen by anyone. At 48' as we approached the gate going into the pump house, Ben went on point and a flock of chickens were seen leaving as we approached. Pat got off and shot, everything was OK. Within minutes of release the setter went on point again on the side of the little hill where Preston's Johnny had his find the day before. The dog relocated by himself a couple of times and stood next to the bush deep in the ravine. The handler then asked the dog to relocate. No birds were produced. The setter finished with no further bird work.

The second brace of the day saw the two pointers Las Animas Mandy (Dale Bush) and Ground Wave (Bob Pombrio) push down into the large dry flats aided by a further increasing wind. Bob Pombrio's dog stopped to honor flight of a sage hen Bob had just ridden up. The next 20 minutes saw both dogs handing to the front 200-300 yards hunting well, as we crossed the County road heading West. Two minutes later, as we crested a hill, Bob's dog could be seen standing, with Dale's dog coming up and backing. Chickens were produced everything in order. We turned back east and just after re-crossing the County road Bob's dog was seen standing and as we approached a chicken got up with the dog taking a few steps. Dale's dog approached and was whoaed into a back. At 50' Dale's dog went on point and as Dale approached, the dog went with the birds.

The next brace Cindy (Don Arnold) pointer female and Squire's Bisco Boogie (Bob Willmon) male pointer (runner up in the Stockman Classic a few days earlier faced a stiff wind pushing right into their faces as they broke away. Cindy had a nice find at 4' and a back on Bob's dog stop to flush several minutes later. Cindy, five minutes later, located four chickens in light grass but moved too much for Don when they prematurely flushed as the handler approached. Bob's dog had a nice stop to flight 20' later and find at the East -West road as we approached camp at time.

We took a small break at camp and began the 16th brace at the traditional morning first course. Missy (Don Arnold) setter female and Ground Fire (Bob Pombrio) pointer male passed the early part of the course with no birds. At the reservoir, Missy went on point in some short grass with Ground Fire registering a nice back. Two pheasants had been seen running out ahead of the dog into a small ravine. Don elected to try and find them on relocation but the birds gave them the slip. At 37' Don called point about 1/4 way down the pump house field but the stand was unproductive. Five minutes later Bob's pointer had a stop to flush with the setter backing nicely.

The final brace of the championship featured two veteran performers Ted (Don Arnold) setter male and Ward (Bill Preston) pointer male. As both dogs cleared the bowl Ted had a stop to flush and unproductive five minutes later. Both were putting down a strong shooting dog race and as we crossed the County Road and headed East Ward had a nice find at 35' everything in order. Ted was found on point several minutes later but a second unproductive ended his run. Ward continued on putting on a strong race but as we headed south to cross the County road, Ward caught scent on a sidewise wind and turning, put up a single bird. Bill felt he should of handled it better and put him in harness.