Result: Region 1 Amateur All-Age Championship

Location: East Windsor, Connecticut

Post Date: Jul 28, 2021

Submitted By: Bill Bonnetti

EAST WINDSOR, CONN. -- This year's renewal of one of New England's premier amateur events was the final leg of "New England's Spring Fling Triple Header," a new format for 2021.

A high caliber thirty-dog entry was received, including multiple dogs already having championship titles. Seventeen different handlers competed with their entries.

Judges for the event were Doug Ray of Waynesboro, Ga., and this scribe, Bill Bonnetti of Marstons Mills, Mass.

This trial started on Saturday, May 1, around noon, following the New England Futurity, on the Flaherty Field Trial Association grounds in East Windsor, Conn.

THE WINNERS

This year's champion emerged in Miller's Unbridled Forever, pointer male, owned by Brian Sanchez and Neil Walker, with Sanchez handling. Unbridled had a big forward race with six immaculate finds.

Runner-up was Miller's Locked and Loaded, pointer male, owned by Bill and Muriel Primm. Locked and Loaded was also handled by Brian Sanchez. The runner-up also had an extreme forward race with six perfect finds.

The only difference between the two winners, the way it worked out, was that we were able to actually see more of these big impressive moves during the race of the champion as he swallowed up real estate, leaving no doubt of what this dog was made of.

As a side note, closest to the winners was Calico's Guns and Roses, pointer female handled by Alex Smith. All three of these dogs utilized the entire grounds, with just subtle differences between them.

THE RUNNING

Kicking off the trial were Mohawk Mill Nighthawk (G. Winall), and Calico's Country Strong (A. Smith). Point was called for Warrior at 5. He was originally standing where the old tobacco barn was but self-relocated before handler arrived and pointed again on the edge on the other side of the cornfield lease. Gary flushed a covey that was holding up in the thick edge, with all in order. Warrior pointed again at 15 by the pond, moved up a little before handler arrived but all was in order at flush and shot. He was found standing as we entered the Dearborn tract at 25 with Country Strong backing. All was in order here as well. Warrior backed Country Strong at 30 at the hill by the pines and went on to finish the hour, giving the judges something to consider right away. Country Strong had finds at 10, by the culvert, at 15 by the pond, the back at Dearborn at 25, the find at the top of the hill at 30, but handler elected to pick up at 35.

Brace No. 2 paired Fluid Drive (J. Lordi) and Mindcraft (T. Tracy). This brace would end up giving us something more to consider. Fluid Drive looked good going but would get hung up and come from behind a couple of times. He scored on quail five times and backed once. All in all, a solid performance. Mindcraft would also score five times in all the likely places and back twice. He had a nice way of navigating the grounds with a consistent, forward race, giving us something that we were very comfortable carrying at this point in the trial.

In No. 3, Hightailing Penny (K. Joyce) had a very stylish, forward race and four solid finds at the likely spots, to include the tobacco barn, the hill by the pines, and in the Dearborn tract. At 40 Penny caught a bird down by the culvert on our way back up towards the tobacco barn, ending her bid; a disappointing end to what was amounting to be an exciting performance. Gun Runner Carli (Boyer) tallied finds at the tobacco barn, the cedars, the hill by the pines, and in Dearborn. Handler elected to pick up at 40.

In brace No. 4, Mohawk Mill Gangster (Winall) had four finds in some of the likely bird spots, self-relocating on a couple of them before handler arrived, with all in order. He was also found standing on the edge of a woodcock looking stretch of cover around 25 minutes, with breathtaking style but no bird was produced. Gangster is a really nice moving dog. He was braced with the winner, Miller's Unbridled Forever which was previously mentioned.

In No. 5 had Smokey (Verderosa) had four finds, three backs, and a stop to flush. A couple of his finds were in spots where we weren't typically finding birds. Smokey seemed like the kind of dog that just won't make mistakes, he was tempted time and time again with birds coming at him from all angles. He finished his hour behind the clubhouse, well short of where we were normally picking up at the hour; just because of a lot of bird contact and some long flushing attempts. Hightailing Maggie (Joyce) also had a lot of birdwork, tallying seven finds, coupled with a good race that did shorten a bit at the end.

Brace No. 6 brought It Ain't My Fault (A. Malone) and Great River Yellowstone (Sanchez) to the line. Unfortunately, both were picked up at 5 due to an infraction with a bird near the tobacco barn.

In brace No. 7, Hillhavyn's Wild Child, handled by Dave McKay, had two finds and a nice race but was gone from judgement and retrieval device was called for at 45. Bracemate was Mohawk Mill Trail Warrior (Winall). Warrior's race was extreme and forward. He scored on quail twice in his hour, and suffered an unproductive at time in a likely turkey haunt. At this point in the trial, Trail Warrior was being carried by the judges.

North Country Girl (McKay) and Lucky Recharge (Drew) ran in the eighth brace. Girl pointed a pile of feathers up by the tobacco barn at 5. The retrieval device would end up being called for her at 25. Handler elected to pick up Lucky Recharge at 7.

In brace No. 9 were Bad Bourbon (Boyer) and Calico's Guns and Roses (Smith). Bad Bourbon was up for failing to back at 5. Guns and Roses is a pointer female with a lot of foot speed. She had a way of always showing up way to the front at the right time, allowing her handler to sit back and point her out. She had four good finds and an unproductive. Alex did a great job handling Guns and Roses, which played a big part in this fast female being able to utilize as much of the available grounds as she did. After this brace, Calico's Guns and Roses was being carried for runner-up.

Miller's Plain Rowdy (J. Malone) and Navajo Cody (Lordi) followed. Rowdy had a find at 5 and retrieval device was called for at 33. Cody had a back at 5 and handler elected to pick up at 33.

Waybetter Faith (Pereira) was looking good on the ground with three good finds. On her third find, which was on the island on top of the hill by the pines, her bracemate, Hightailing Pearl (Joyce), showed up and failed to back. Both dogs moved into the island at this point and the birds were up along with the dogs.

Brace No. 12, although it didn't end up changing anything, was a rather nice brace. It featured Thomas Adirondack Turbo (Thomas) and Mohawk Mill Advice (Winall). Both dogs point edand back each other several times throughout the hour but in the end the ground races and overall performances would not push that of the top dogs on this day.

No. 13 broke away first thing Monday morning, with Harwich Indian Creek Buck (Olfson) and Miller's Locked and Loaded (Sanchez). Not long after the breakaway, point was called for Buck up on the other side of the farmer's lease where big coveys have been holding up. Unfortunately, Buck broke with the birds, ending his bid. Locked and Loaded was previously reported.

Brace No. 14 featured a frozen semen daughter of Hall of Fame Champion Guard Rail, Guard Rail's Little Annie (G. Casale), with setter male Island Blue Genes (Drew). Annie had her running shoes on this morning, and handler called for the retrieval unit at 15. Blue Genes, or Gene, as I believe they call him is a fancy moving setter. He suffered an unproductive at 12 behind the pond. At 25 he was found standing in Dearborn; all was in order here for wing and shot. When we got near the clubhouse at 30, handler elected to pick up.

The 15th and final brace brought Miller's Big Iron, owned by Allen Linder with John Malone handling, and Kissamee Grousewoods Daisey owned and handled by Pete Labella. Iron showed good running style, he had a find in the cedars and one on top of the hill by the pines. Daisey is a nice moving pointer female. She scored a find at the culvert and one in the cedars. When Pete broke her away from the cedars and hit the whistle, she scorched the edge going up towards the pines, unfortunately, after making this move, she swung up to the hill where Iron was pointed and failed to back ending her bid at the title. At 30, after consulting with the judges, Malone elected to pick up Big Iron, knowing that he wasn't going to move the winners on this day.

I would like to thank Tim Cavanaugh and his wife Heidi for conducting this Championship, as well as the rest of the "Spring Fling" crew for all of the work that they all put in to make the eight-day string of trials a great success.

Dick Bembeneck, former chair of the New England, drove all the way here from Arizona to help out by planting birds and driving the gallery wagon. John Olfson co- chaired the New England Open with me, as well as reported it.

Futurity Secretary Margaret Drew and her husband Earl made the trip here from North Carolina to help out and handle the secretary duties in person. John Stolgitis, Futurity stake manager, helped out on the course for the New England Open and the Region 1, as well as running the Futurity and putting on a great banquet, with help from his wife Jill, and daughter Erin to honor Futurity Judge Rich Giuliano with a Lifetime Patron Award.

My savior, Jayne Fogarty, stayed with me on the grounds, the whole eight days and prepared all the meals for the New England Open. Jayne and Heidi paired up to do the meals and run whatever errands needed running during the Region 1. Not sure, what happened on some of those errands, but there was some "Thelma and Louise" references going around.

A big thanks goes out to Greg Blair and Purina for their gracious support of these trials. Lastly, but not least, I would like to thank all of the owners, and handlers, both professional and amateur for supporting these trials. I was truly proud to be part of it all.

East Windsor, Conn., May 1 -- One Course

Judges: Bill Bonnetti and Doug Ray

REGION 1 AMATEUR ALL-AGE CHAMPIONSHIP

[One-Hour Heats] -- 29 Pointers and 1 Setter

Winner--MILLER'S UNBRIDLED FOREVER, 1661404, pointer male, by Just Irresistible--Miller's Bring The Heat. Great River Kennels & Neil Walker, owners; Brian Sanchez, handler.

Runner-Up--MILLER'S LOCK AND LOADED, 1674986, pointer male, by Just Irresistible--Miller's Bring The Heat. William & Muriel Primm, owners; Brian Sanchez, handler.