Event: Puppy Derby Classic
Result: Associated Field Trial Clubs of Florida

Location: Punta Gorda, Florida

Post Date: Apr 30, 2024

Submitted By: Petie Brown

Open Derby winners (seated l-r): Paul Daniel with CKC Gun Runner, Doc Hall with Dan the Farm and Tommy Rice with Real Thing Foreal. (Second Row l-r): Scott Ford, Judge, Jeff Arnold, Leroy Griffis, Carl Womack and Beth Brown. (Back Row l-r): Justin Muzynski, Daniel Linehan, Carol Muzynski, Jennifer and Judith Hamilton.

The Puppy Derby Classic is all about trophies, both big and old, in memory of competitors' past. To name just a few, Dick Pritchett, Dr. Bob Knowles, Dr. Bill Wheat, and Don Price have all deservedly laid claim to the beautiful Paul Revere Puppy Bowl. This year, we were fortunate to have plenty of puppies and derbies entered, which bodes well for a healthy club.

John Milton and Robert Franks have spoiled us in the past with their culinary hosting skills, and now the trial chairs, the Muzynski family, have joined in the "gastronomical" effort of feeding field trialers. Prior to the Friday night drawing, the Muzynski family set the mood for the weekend with a fantastic fish boil complete with shrimp, crab legs, crawfish, andouille sausage, and grits, with a never-ending array of sides and desserts. If the drawing ran a little long, it was because we had a huge number of entries to sort through, and we all needed a nap!
We have three continuous hours of running on the morning course and another three on the afternoon course. The morning course splits depending on the stake, All-Age or Shooting Dog, with the Derbies running on the All-Age course. With only 30-minute stakes, the number of entries was such that we would have been running into Tuesday, so participants were asked to place dogs in one event, and some members even pulled their dogs completely to accommodate the timeframe.

Many thanks to Purina for again sponsoring our field trials with Purina Pro Plan for the winners. The club members and participants greatly appreciate a beneficial prize for the winners.

We are also grateful to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FFWC) for their diligent efforts in setting the table for the sustainability of the wild bird habitat and population. When the winds are right, the FFWC burns larger areas than in past years, which did not hinder the birds or running on the grounds.

The Puppy Derby Classic concludes the AFTCF's field trial season, except for our spring meeting. We ended on a great note with plenty of judges, well-received decisions, and enough leftovers that everyone was in a grand mood, right up until they had to load and go home or back to work.

The Winners
Due to the number of entries, we started the Derby at 7:30 Saturday morning with excellent conditions. New to our neck of the woods after making the long haul south, hopefully finding the trek worthwhile, was Tommy Rice, who placed third with "Slasher," showing a nice run and listening to his handler in the final, warmest, brace of the Derby. Second place went to "Dan," a big running pointer with a nice find, owned and handled by Leroy Griffis. Not to be outdone, making the gallery sit up tall and breathless, taking first place with a powerful, rolling, all-age run was Kent Cantrell's "Nick," who locked up like a statue way out and waited a long time for his handler, Paul Daniel. While celebrating Nick's win, we missed Kent's enthusiasm and the pleasure his wife, Becky, took in beating him at Jenga.

We were back out for the Shooting Dog at 2 p.m., which was nearly dominated by Jeff Arnold, who placed first as the owner and handler of Arnold's Heat Wave ("LuLu") with two finds scouted by Justin Muzynski. The last brace of the day with long shadows, Jeff earned third place with Arnold's True Confidence ("Buzz"); he handled beautifully with Katie McEwen, one of the hardest working scouts around. As a club, we have enjoyed watching Jeff and his dogs learn the grounds and perform beautifully, enjoying the amenities and camaraderie that make the AFTCF what it is. Come back next season so we can try to win the Club's silver back!

The All-Age started after 9 a.m. Sunday and the stake was shortened with scratches by Paul Daniel and Mike Moses. Third place with a nice run in the last brace of the All-Age was earned by Holopaw's Cracker ("Buddy"), owned and handled by Justin Muzynski. Second place was awarded to Myakka Lucy Diamond, pleasing her out-of-breath owner/handler with a nice covey after multiple relocations during which time was called. First place went to Buddy's littermate, Holopaw's Rear Axel ("Alex"), who showed confidence, trust, and desire to please his owner and handler, Justin Muzynski. Watching Justin with his dogs, it's apparent how tuned in he is to their personalities and quirks.

Shadows were lengthening when we rode along the Bob Whiddon road towards camp to finish the Puppy stake. Judith Hamilton handled her setter "Holly" to a third-place win, and we all cheered when she popped a single. Holly was very pleased with herself. Prior to that, taking second was Katie McEwen, handling Checkmates Catch Me If You Can ("Jackie") for owner Vince Feltner. First place in the afternoon heat was Jackie's littermate, McEwen's Southern Pride ("Miller"), who ran big and produced birds for owner and handler Katie McEwen.

Punta Gorda, Fla., February 10
Judges: Scott Ford and Greg Poole
OPEN DERBY -- 13 Pointers and 1 German Shorthair
1st-CKC GUN RUNNER, 1705398, pointer male, by Dogwood Cash-Hunt's Flat Bottom Girl. Kent Cantrell, owner; Paul Daniel, handler.
2d-DAN THE FARM, unreg., pointer male, by Southern Bear Necessity-C's Penny Chick. Leroy Griffis, owner and handler.
3d-REAL THING FOREAL, 1704823, pointer female, by Miller Unfinished Business-Real Thing Reba. Tommy Rice Jr., owner and handler.

Open Shooting Dog Winner Arnold's Heatwave with Jeff Arnold and judges Leroy Griffis and Doc Hall.

Judges: Leroy Griffis and Doc Hall
OPEN SHOOTING DOG -- 15 Pointers and 1 Setter
1st-ARNOLD'S HEAT WAVE, 1704466, pointer female, by Confident Nation-Notorious Rebel Woman. Jeffrey Arnold, owner and handler.
2d-REAL THING ANN DORST, 1700677, pointer female, by Erin's Tough Grit-Dekle's Chasehill Maria. Tommy Rice, owner and handler.
3d-ARNOLD'S TRUE CONFIDENCE, 1700805, pointer male, by Boumeester's Duramax-Oday Nation. Jeffrey Arnold, owner and handler.

Open All-Age (first row l-r): Holopaw's Rear Axel with Kayleigh Muzynski, Myakka Lucy Diamond with Petie Brown and Holopaw's Cracker with John Castelli. (Second row l-r): Carol and Justin Muzynski, Judge Leroy Griffis, Daniel Linehan, Judge Doc Hall and Beth Brown. Back row: Jeff Arnold.

OPEN ALL-AGE -- 9 Pointers and 1 Setter
1st-HOLOPAW'S REAR AXEL, 1690238, pointer male, by Holopaw's Axel-Hot Digity Dot. Kenneth & Justin Muzynski, owners; Justin Muzynski, handler.
2d-MYAKKA LUCY DIAMOND, 1665013, pointer female, by Elhew G Force-Myakka Hey Jude. Petie Brown, owner and handler.
3d-HOLOPAW'S CRACKER, 1690236, pointer male, by Holopaw's Axel-Hot Digity Dot. Kenneth & Justin Muzynski owners; Justin Muzynski, handler.

Open Puppy winner Katie McEwen with McEwen's Southern Pride.

OPEN PUPPY - 6 Pointers and 2 Setters
1st-MCEWEN'S SOUTHERN PRIDE, 1708288, pointer male, by Myakka Time Shifter-Nacho's Drama Ma Ma. Debbie & Katie McEwen, owners; Katie McEwen, handler.
2d-CHECKMATES CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, 1706156, pointer female, by Myakka Time Shifter-Nacho's Drama Mama. Vince Feltner, owner; Katie McEwen, handler.
3d-LITTLE HOLLYWOOD, 1706379, setter female, by Cedar Ridge Insider-Cedar Ridge Timex. Judith Hamilton, owner and handler.

Open Puppy (front, l-r): Katie McEwen with McEwen's Southern Pride, Vince Feltner with Checkmates Catch Me if You Can, and Judith Hamilton with Little Hollywood. (Behind): Justin Muzynski and Paul Daniel.

Tommy Rice flushing.