Result: Highland Field Trial Club

Location: Highland, Michigan

Post Date: Apr 25, 2024

Submitted By: David A. Fletcher

Open Puppy (l-r): Greg Tereck, Steve Mikalko (judge), Tom Vanecek, Rich Hollister with Dunrovens Rolling Stone, Mark Beniak (judge), Arthur Bruno with Clark's Flash Gordon, and Ron Sposita (Club President).

The 2024 renewal of the Highland Field Trial Club's annual spring trial was held over fine courses at the Highland Recreation Area near Milford, Michigan, on March 16 and 17. This event opened the trial season for the State of Michigan and, being the first trial of the season was well attended by 65 entries. Five walking and one horseback stakes were offered, but the Amateur Derby and Open Horseback Shooting Dog had to be canceled for lack of daylight time to run them. It is always an enthusiastic group that gets their dogs ready for the trial opener, and attendees fill that role wonderfully well.

Weather in Michigan in March is not always cooperative, with snow canceling several previous renewals, but besides a stiff wind Saturday, a bit of late snow Sunday, and the thermometer in the 30s, there was little overheating among the contenders. The Highland grounds were in excellent shape. Thanks must go to all the clubs using the groups, as they are required to stage workdays where mowing, brush clearing, and a bit of tree removal take place. The DNR's prairie grass restoration program provides great ground cover, and it is mowed and burned to keep areas reasonably short, but even after being flattened by winter snows, it is still great cover to hide a quail.

Club members, including founders, were there faithfully tending to trial tasks. President Ron Sposita planted birds, marshaled the courses along with Tom Vanecek, secretary, drew the entries, and both do a lot of work with the pretrial tasks, arranging the stakes and the courses. Vice President Mark Beniak looked after financial matters, and Club Director Dave Fletcher wrote the judges' books and reported the event.

Judges in the Open Shooting Dog were Mike Brown and Charlie Fenech, and Mike also judged the Amateur Shooting Dog with Mike Mikalko. Mark Beniak and Steve McKalko judged the Open Puppy, and Ken DeLong and Rick Ellis judged the Open Derby. Professionals Robert Ecker and Rich Hollister supported the trial with many fine and winning entries. Thanks to Purina and U. S. Complete for their support. A photo of the Open Walking Derby winners was missed, many hurrying to the breakaway to get the Amateur Shooting Dog stake underway.

Open Puppy
"Stone" was the winner of the seven-entry stake for handler Rich Hollister. Stone had the courage and the will to hunt hard and widely to top the stake. Flash Gordon was not far behind in his effort and was a promising, eye-appealing prospect handled by Robert Ecker. Taking the third spot was amateur Chris Wasserman's Sunny with a tail-cracking hunt, visiting good-looking edges every minute down.

Highland, Mich., March 16
Judges: Mark Beniak and Steve Mikalko
OPEN PUPPY - 5 Setters and 2 Pointers
1st-DUNROVENS ROLLING STONE, 1705028, pointer male, by Crosswind Jim-Highbank's Down'n'dirty. Richard Hollister, owner and handler.
2d-CLARKS FLASH GORDON, 1704537, setter male, by Sterlingworth Jack-Sarah Star. Philip Clark, owner; Robert Ecker, handler.
3d-CREEKSIDE'S SUNSHINE, 1704976, pointer female, by Creekside's Riptide-Creekside's April Fools. Chris Wasserman, owner and handler.

Open Shooting Dog
The entry of 24 used the remainder of the daylight on Saturday. We witnessed many very good dogs and lots of birdwork. "Larry," handled by
Rich Hollister was the winner with the most outstanding ground effort in the stake. His lone find was on a great cast along a hillside edge, and this find was stylish and very mannerly. Larry added a back and a strong finish. Handler Hollister took second place with "Soozee," a setter female with two very well-executed finds and a hunting effort to cover edges all the way. "Penny" was third for amateur Robert Ellis. Penny had a very nice gait and a stylish way of going, and the cover she chose to edge was always a birdy-looking place. She had a flawless quail find to add to her laurels. Dogs that challenged for placement were Lucy, handled by Rich Hollister, and a pair of good-performing dogs handled by Bobby Ecker, Tea and Rock Star.

Judges: Mike Brown and Charlie Fenech
OPEN SHOOTING DOG - 10 Pointers, 10 Setters, 2 Irish Setters, and 2 Brittanys
1st-GROUSE RIDGE LARRY, 1673191, setter male, by Long Gone Boston-Grouse Ridge Merri. Paula Giulitto, owner; Rich Hollister, handler.
2d-DUN ROVENS SOOZEE, 1682090, setter female, by Clary's Tekoa Sky Hawk-Dun Rovens Boofay. Rich Hollister, owner and handler.
3d-PONDEROSA'S COPPER PENNY, 1690593, setter female, by Ponderosa Mac-Eldridge's Beauty and Beast. Robert Ellis, owner and handler.

Open Derby
The Sunday morning start was coolish at 31 degrees. "River," handled by Robert Ecker, was clearly the top dog in the stake, exhibiting the best, widest, and purposeful search to very good edges. A pair of very stylish and mannerly finds added to her appeal. "Archie" was second, owned and handled by Mike Brown. Archie had three very good finds, style, manners, and location excellent, and he hunted hard every good-looking cover he approached. "Maggie," a Brittany female, owned and handled by Robert Ackermann, was third. She was spectacular on the breakaway, snappy, stylish, and persistent in her hunting, and added two superbly executed finds. "Rocky" and Iron Stone, Setter males handled by Robert Ecker, challenged the placed dogs with good performances.

Judges: Ken DeLong and Rick Ellis
OPEN DERBY - 9 Setters, 5 Pointers, 2 Brittanys, and 1 German Shorthair
1st-BLUE RIBBON RIVER, 1701966, pointer female, by Double Deuce Zeke-Huckleberry's Lucky Penny. Martin Festa, owner, Robert Ecker, handler.
2d-ROUGE RIVER PIG PEN, 1702926, setter male, by Chip's Charlie Brown-Rouge River Wing Nut. Michael J. Brown, owner and handler.
3d-ZIP'S LITTLE MAGGIE MAE, 1709904, Brittany female, by Chelsea's Whole Lot of Spice-Third Time's A Charm Maggie Mae. Robert Ackermann, owner and handler.

Open Shooting Dog
First was "Justice," an eye-catching Pointer male owned and handled by Ken DeLong. This dog has been winning consistently, and this performance put him in the winners' circle again. Justice hit all the good far cover edges, came around nicely, and had one perfectly executed quail find. Silvershots, a Pointer female owned and handled by Judy Balog, was second. Her two great finds and reaching casts to birdy edges earned her a placement. Third was Dr. George Najor's "Gracie," logging three good finds, a forward effort, yet not quite filling the course as much as the dogs placed above her.

Open Shooting Dog (l-r): Rich Hollister (handler) with Grouse Ridge Larry, Mark Beniak, Chris Jager (owner) with Dun Rovens Soozee, Mike Brown (judge), Charlie Fenech (judge), Tom Vanecek, and Robert Ellis (owner and handler) with Ponderosa's Copper Penny.

Judges: Mike Brown and Steve Mikalko
AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG - 7 Pointers, 6 Setters, and 4 Brittanys
1st-FAITH'S MAXIMUM JUSTICE, 1660276, pointer male, by Nelson's Van Max-Wild Apple Faith. Kenric J. DeLong, owner and handler.
2d-SILVERSHOT'S SPRING LOADED, 1700284, pointer female, by Crosswind Jim-Silvershot's Lil Fancy Pants. Judy Balog, owner and handler.
3d-GRACIE BALLROOM STAR, 1694839, setter female, by Sunrise Star-Lucy Two Star. Dr. George D. Najor, owner and handler.

Amateur Shooting Dog (l-r): Tammi Savage, Ken DeLong with Faith's Maximum Justice, Steve Mikalko (judge), Mike Brown (judge), Tom Vanecek, Mark Beniak, Jenny Herzog with Gracie Ballroom Star, and Dr. George Najor (owner).