Result: National Red Setter Field Trial Club

Location: Pinckneyville, Illinois

Post Date: May 17, 2024

Submitted By: Bonnie Hidalgo

National Red Setter Open Shooting Dog Championship (front, l-r): Amy Gauthier, Bonnie Hidalgo, Tom Waite with Full Red Afterburn, and Tim Hammons with Silver Creek Wild Again. (Behind): Ed Liermann, Terry Trzcinski, Mike Fox, Andrea Ward, Kristine Hammons, Jon Lam (judge), Lee Long (judge), and Don Beauchamp.

Full Red Afterburn won the 2024 National Red Setter Shooting Dog Championship at Illinois' Pyramid State Park with an attractive race and one beautiful find. Full Red Afterburn, or "Fireball" as he is called, is owned by Mike Fox of Patriot, Indiana. Tom Waite, Burlington, Wisconsin, handled the 4-year-old Irish Setter male, which Andrea Ward scouted. Silver Creek Wild Again was named runner-up for owners Tim and Kristine Hammons of Berea, Kentucky. Tim handled this 4-year-old male while Kristine scouted. Wild Again ran a big, predominantly forward race and scored two stylish finds.

In the National Amateur Red Setter Championship, Red Bird's The Fifth Element turned in a fine performance to capture the Championship for his handler, Kelli Aitken-Thompson of Box Elder, South Dakota. Kelli co-owns 5-year-old male "Griffin" with Kristi Gallino of Sublimity, Oregon. Hotrod Ricky Joe took runner-up with a big, edge-running race and two perfect finds. "Joe" is owned by Tim and Kristine Hammons; he was handled by Tim and scouted by Kris.
Ruff Country Simply Ginger, owned and handled by Andy Wiek of Freeville, New York, won the National Red Setter Futurity. Ginger was bred by Cathy Lewis and Dean Reinke. Second place went to Shotput, owned, handled, and was bred by Roger Boser of Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania. In third was Dale Creek Simply Rouge, owned by Andrea Ward of Burlington, Wisconsin. Rouge was handled by Tom Waite and was bred by Cathy Lewis and Dean Reinke. Quantonas Repeat Offender, owned and handled by Kelli Aitken-Thompson and bred by Catrena Cardwell, was fourth.

The drawing was held on Wednesday, April 10, at the home of Milt and Wendy Schafer in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Entries closed on the evening of April 9. Milt and Wendy conducted the drawing and prepared the running orders for all participants. The Open Shooting Dog Championship drew 21 entries. The National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship drew a field of 17 dogs. In the Red Setter National Futurity, there were 10 entries. The supporting stakes were an Open Walking Shooting Dog with 10 entries, an Open Walking Derby with nine drawn, and an Open Walking Puppy with four dogs. This trial's entries came from Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

The 2024 National Shooting Dog Championship trial kicked off on Sunday morning, April 14, near Cutler, Illinois. The Pyramid State Park's Captain area was the venue. The grounds were exceptionally well-groomed, and the parking lot, clubhouse, barn, and corrals were tidy. The NRSFTC greatly appreciates the work of the State personnel who manage and groom this area. Local field trialers, spearheaded by Jim Lawless and Jon Lam, also play a huge part in the maintenance and improvement of the facilities. They also have an advisory role in the improvements to the courses. Three one-hour courses are utilized for the National Red Setter Championships. Members of the local trial clubs lay out these courses. Alan Benson marshaled three of the four days of the horseback stakes, beginning with the first morning to make sure we all knew the route. Alan's knowledge was needed and appreciated, especially by the handlers here for the first time.

The Red Setter Open Walking Derby kicked off the event on Sunday morning, followed by the Open Walking Shooting Dog and the Open Walking Puppy. Since the NRSFTC was sharing the grounds with a local walking trial, our walking stakes were held on the top of a ridge known as "The Mountain." It was an "out-and-back course," with "the back" having some hill to climb.

The Open Championship commenced on Monday morning and concluded on Tuesday afternoon.
The National Futurity started promptly at 8 on Wednesday morning and finished early that afternoon with a callback. The Amateur Championship ran two braces late Wednesday and completed the remaining six on Thursday. Birds were planted every morning on all courses and were replanted for the afternoon running. There were a few native quail found on courses.
Kay Morrison of Coulterville, Illinois, and Jon Lam of Makanda, Illinois, judged the walking stakes. They are both very knowledgeable, not only about birddogs but also about the grounds. Kay and Jon were very helpful to the foot handlers and often pointed their dogs out. Their decisions were well received.
Jon Lam and Lee Long of Berkey, Ohio, officiated the horseback stakes. These gentlemen were a pleasure to be around, courteous, and knowledgeable in their judicial roles. The club greatly appreciates their time, attention, and patience.

The National Red Setter Field Trial Club is extremely grateful for its generous and faithful sponsors, Purina, Garmin, and SportDOG! Purina is a terrific company with an incredible product in Purina Pro Plan 30/20, which keeps our dogs in excellent performance condition. We appreciate the quality of their product and the company's dedication to the sport of field trials. Greg Blair and Terry Trzcinski represent Purina well; they are always very helpful to clubs and individuals. Purina provided dog food for the winners of this trial, which was happily received by all. The Club held its Purina-sponsored banquet on a rainy Tuesday evening at The Grecian Steak & Seafood House in nearby Pinckneyville. The banquet was well attended. We were happy to have Terry Trzcinski present. Thank you, Purina, Greg, and Terry, for all you do for us!

Garmin provided their highly sought-after training products for the winners of the National and National Amateur Championships and Futurity. The NRSFTC is pleased to receive Garmin's continuing support, which adds greatly to the success of the event and is very much appreciated.

SportDOG donates products for fundraising, which helps to keep the event in the black. We appreciate our relationship with Jim Morehouse, SportDOG's well-loved representative. Jim is always willing to teach someone how to best use the SportDOG products and to help with product support. Thank you to SportDOG and their best asset, Jim Morehouse!
Ken Dinn attended his first-ever National Red Setter field trial, where he traveled from his home in Newfoundland, Canada. He previously arranged for horses to ride with Tim Hammons and Dennis Hidalgo and rode every horseback brace during the first three days of the horseback stakes. He also walked many of the walking braces on Sunday. Ken was a delight! He was thrilled to be at the trial and thoroughly enjoyed watching the dogs perform. He is quite knowledgeable about birddogs and is at home on the back of a horse. Ken is hoping to be back next fall with dogs to enter. We look forward to it!

Ed Liermann served as trial chairman, as he has for every trial the club has held in Illinois since the spring of 2013. Milt and Wendy Schafer were invaluable to the running of the trial. They drove two vehicles to the trial to bring their ATV, which was indispensable at the trial. Additionally, they brought their camper so they could be on the grounds for early morning duties. Each morning, Milt, accompanied by Dennis Hidalgo to keep him on course, started planting birds at 5:30 a.m. They would finish bird planting around 7 and have just enough time for Brenda Edwards' delicious home-cooked breakfast in the clubhouse before moving on to other duties. Milt would load the side-by-side up for dog wagon duties. He would ferry dogs to and from the large dog wagon when a breakaway was in the field. Most braces were released where the last brace ended. Milt manned the ATV dog wagon and every brace with various assistants. Since the 4x4 could only haul two dogs at a time, the truck pulling the dog wagon would wait on a nearby road to exchange dogs. Ed Liermann's truck was used on Sunday for the walking stakes, with Ed manning it. Dean Reinke helped with the ATV dog wagon during the running of the walking stakes. Roger Boser generously allowed the use of his truck during the horseback stakes, except when the temperatures were dangerously high, and the dogs were hauled two at a time in the Beauchamp's air-conditioned van. Various dog truck drivers were Don Beauchamp, Roger Boser, Sam Nutting, Kelli Aitken-Thompson, Amy Gauthier, Andy Wiek, and Mike Harryman. It took the whole village, and if I've omitted anyone, I am truly sorry. Milt was accompanied in the ATV at various times by several people, including Joe Edwards, Andy Wiek, Sam Nutting, Mike Fox, Ken Dinn, and Dennis Hidalgo. This made it possible to share horses with those who had none. The dog wagon personnel were kind enough to release dogs for the horseback stakes, making things easier for the handlers and scouts. Alan Benson was the course marshal for much of the horseback trial; Dennis Hidalgo and Ed Liermann also aided in this. Wendy Schafer served scrumptious lunches in the clubhouse every day. Linda Beauchamp helped with the meals, supplied delicious desserts, and covered her duties as club treasurer. Brenda Edwards was in the kitchen early, cheerfully fixing and serving breakfast to everyone.

Although the days were long with the late completion of the running, the group gathered every evening during the trial for dinner and camaraderie. The board of directors held their meeting on Sunday night following the walking stakes and dinner at the clubhouse. Dennis Hidalgo cooked a hamburger dinner for all in honor of Firefly's Beeline winning the 2023 Open Shooting Dog Classic. Milt and Wendy Schafer cooked a delicious steak dinner on Monday night, which was pretty well devoured! The annual membership meeting scheduled during Tuesday's Purina Banquet was postponed until Wednesday night due to the restaurant's poor suitability of meeting facilities. The Purina banquet went on as scheduled, and it was an enjoyable affair. On Wednesday evening, Kelli Aitken-Thompson baked her fabulous chicken pot pie at the clubhouse for everyone to enjoy in honor of her win of the 2023 National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship with Red Bird's The Fifth Element. A brief annual membership business meeting was held, year-end awards were given out, and the election of officers and directors was conducted. The trial concluded late Thursday afternoon with the announcement of the Amateur Championship winners.

Before leaving the grounds, some members pitched in on Friday morning to help Jim Lawless take down and store the corral panels. Milt Schafer and Ed Liermann rolled up and stored all the hoses and water tubs. Ed helped dismantle the heaviest corral before heading home to Wisconsin with Milt and Wendy. Kelli removed the wire which supported some of the corrals. Jim Lawless brought his tractor with forks to move the panels; his brother-in-law, Dale Morrison, brought Jim's stock trailer to haul grills and other valuable assets from the clubhouse to safe storage. Jim, Dale, and Dennis Hidalgo worked on the corral job until all ten corrals were properly put away for the summer, then packed up the miscellaneous items. Your scribe gave the clubhouse a thorough cleaning. It was afternoon by the time the job was complete. Efforts by our club members to help close the area for the season were noticed by the local trialers, the Conservation officers, and park personnel. Jon Lam came with his tractor a few days later and dragged all the horse and dog areas so they are smooth for summer mowing. It is impressive how much pride the local field trial people take in keeping this area clean and presentable.

National Red Setter Open Shooting Dog Championship
The Winners
Full Red Afterburn, the new champion, appeared in the sixth brace of the stake on a very warm afternoon. His performance caught and held the judges' attention. Judges Jon Lam and Lee Long chose him from the 21 starters in this stake. Fireball was whelped in April 2020 in a litter sired by Zansett Simply Red and out of Foxy's Lil Red Missy. Fireball is owned and bred by Mike Fox of Patriot, Indiana. He was professionally handled by Tom Waite.
Fireball made some good moves from his release west of Haul road. He got out of pocket briefly, approaching Scale House road, but came up with the scout just as Tom dusted himself off after his horse fell. Tom took a few minutes to catch his breath before continuing. Across Scale House, Fireball pointed stylishly at a cedar tree. Relocation ensued, and a big turkey lifted, scoring neither a plus nor a minus for the dog. Fireball pointed at 36, just beyond the course marker approaching Scale House road from the west. This was a beautiful find with excellent manners. At the base of the "Mountain," at 43, Fireball pointed again, but this time his quarry was a turtle. He finished the hour, coming from the left near the end of the mountain. Fireball was apparently heat-resistant on this relatively warm afternoon.
Silver Creek Wild Again, handled by Tim Hammons, won runner-up honors in this Championship. He is now a two-time runner-up champion, having taken that honor in the 2023 Red Setter National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship. Silver Creek Wild Again was sired by Zansett Ricky O'Ryan and is out of S C Miss Behaving. He turned 4 last month. He is owned and bred by Tim and Kristine Hammons.

Released heading west from Haul road in the third hour of Tuesday morning, Silver Creek Wild Again ran a big, forward race. He scored two perfect finds, showing top style and unquestionable manners. The only mar in his performance was an absence late in the hour.

The Running
Firefly's Lucky Penny (Hidalgo) and Brook's White Hot Blaze (Waite) were first up. Lucky scored a high-styled find at 17, with perfect manners. She made some big moves and showed mainly forward but could have handled better. Blaze was predominantly forward but found no game.

Wayward (Boser) and Little More Shine (Hammons) turned loose from Scale House road. Wayward put down a nice race until he faded late due to the heat. He had an unproductive at 53 and was picked up. Little More Shine got out of pocket briefly in the beginning and then settled into a very nice race. She had a find along the road to Dead Horse hill at 26, in which a bird left early; a second bird got up at the shot. On Dead Horse hill, at the cedar thicket, Kate scored an excellent find at 31 with class. She finished the hour forward with ease.

Cedar Creek Anthem (Liermann) and Come Back Magic (Aitken) broke away at the orange fence west of camp. Anthem had a tendency to bore into the cover. She pointed at a cedar tree at 32; it was unproductive. Anthem finished the hour to the front. Magic was forward from the start and a bit of a handful as we crossed Beltline road. Once he crossed Haul road, he took the left edge nicely but ran over some quail and was up.

On Monday afternoon, Raintree Blue Moon (Waite) and Cedar Creek Shindig (Liermann) were on course 1; the temperature was 85. This pair ran big races but went the hour without game contact. Friday was nicely forward in pattern. Shindig had a lengthy absence late in the hour but returned to finish forward.

Come Back Bo (Edwards) and Firefly's Power Play (Hidalgo) turned loose at the ditch west of Scale House road. Power Play had his own idea of where he wanted to go and was picked up early. Bo was forward in a quartering pattern with an attractive gait. Bo notched two finds: one along the dike road and the second on Dead Horse hill. Bo finished forward, only somewhat slower than he had begun on this hot afternoon.

Full Red Afterburn (Waite) and Cedar Creek Jules (Liermann) ran course 3. Afterburn won the Championship; his performance is under "The Winners" section. Jules made some good moves but faded with time and was picked up before the hour. She had no bird contact.

Come Back Trump (Edwards) and Hotrod Ricky Joe (Hammons) were first up on Tuesday morning. Trump was predominantly forward in pattern. At 42, he pointed majestically at the woods. Relocation was required, and Trump put the birds up to end his bid. Ricky Joe ran a strong forward race but contacted no game.

Red Bird's The Fifth Element (Aitken) began his hour with good moves. He pointed once, but it was unproductive. Griffin slowed late with the heat and was up at 53. Cedar Creek Sixgun (Liermann) ran consistently for the hour but without bird contact.

Silver Creek Wild Again (Hammons) and Gratitude (Boser) were released, heading west from Haul road. Wild Again took runner-up, and his performance has been described. Gratitude ran a strong race with one beautiful find, in which he showed superb manners. Grady was absent for several minutes at the end of the hour.

Foxy Lady Sadie (Waite) scored a high-tailed, mannerly find at 43. Her race was forward with some reaching moves. Quantonas Reciprocal (Aitken) ran a beautiful forward race with an exceptional handle. Unfortunately, she carded unproductives at 43 and 54 to halt her performance.

Firefly's Beeline (Hidalgo) was drawn in season and ran as a bye-dog. Bee scored a good find at 6, showing good style and manners. Her bird flushed as the handler and judge arrived. At 14, she ducked into the cover and was picked up on recovery.

Pinckneyville, Ill., April 14
Judges: Jon Lam and Lee Long
NATIONAL RED SETTER OPEN SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 21 Irish Setters
Winner-FULL RED AFTERBURN, 1691624, male, by Zansett Simply Red-Foxy's Lil Red Missy. Mike Fox, owner; Tom Waite, handler.
Runner-Up-SILVER CREEK WILD AGAIN, 1692221, male, by Zansett Ricky O'Ryan-S C Miss Behaving. Tim Hammons, owner and handler.

The 52nd National Red Setter Futurity
The National Red Setter Futurity standard insists that all placed dogs must point game. While a finished performance is ideal, the Futurity dogs are not required to be steady on point; breaking at flush is acceptable. If less than four dogs find and display point on course, a callback must be held to place four dogs. The callback must be set up in suitable cover, preferably on an edge; this edge is to be well-planted with quail. The dogs are then run from horseback until they have been given a reasonable opportunity to find and point game. Once they have satisfied the pointing requirement, they are finished. Historically, the dogs have been run individually; this year, the judges wanted to observe them as a brace.
Judges Jon Lam and Lee Long called back three dogs and a standby, noting they were carrying a fourth dog that had successfully pointed birds on course. Originally, the callback was set up along a ditch line covered in grass and some trees. After the first pair unsuccessfully worked this line, the birds were put in a row of Russian olive with little undercover. Scenting was much improved, and the three callback dogs had no trouble pointing their game. The standby dog did not take the line and was out of contention.

The Winners
Ruff Country Simply Ginger was the obvious choice for the win. Her owner, Andy Wiek, handled her. She was bred by Cathy Lewis and Dean Reinke from a litter sired by HOF CH Zansett Simply Red and out of Come Back Stellar. Ginger was fast and snappy at medium range. She hunted intelligently and was rewarded with a nice find on course. She was steady until the flush. Ginger was not required to be called back since she had adequately displayed her ability to point birds on course.
Shotput was placed second for Roger Boser, her breeder, owner, and handler. Shotput ran an excellent race with no finds in the first series. Her performance earned her a high rank in the callback. Shotput is from the mating of CH Gratitude and Slingshot. In the callback, she was in the first brace with Dale Creek Simply Rouge. On the first line, Shotput pointed beautifully, but no bird could be found. When the callback location was changed, Shotput quickly pointed. Her style was high class; she was perfectly steady through flush and shot.
Dale Creek Simply Rouge earned third place in the Futurity. Tom Waite handled her for owner and scout Andrea Ward. A littermate to Ruff Country Ginger, Rouge is by CH Zansett Simply Red out of the good-producing dam Come Back Stellar and was bred by Cathy Lewis and Dean Reinke. Rouge ran a beautiful, forward race, gaining her a callback spot. She went without bird contact in the first series. Rou had no luck in what became the failed attempt of the callback. When the birds were put on a better line, Dale Creek Simply Rouge had no problem nailing her game. Rouge showed excellent style and was steady until the flush.
Quantonas Repeat Offender placed fourth for her owner and handler, Kelli Aitken-Thompson, and scout Clayton Thompson. Redo was bred by Catrena Cardwell from a litter by C H K Quantonas Rolling Rock out of C H K Quantonas I'm Seeing Red. Redo ran a nice forward race to claim a callback slot. She was in the second brace of the callback with Firefly's MacKinnon, the standby dog. Repeat Offender found and pointed game promptly. She pointed with fine style and was mannerly until the flush.

The First Series Running
Dale Creek Simply Rouge (Waite) and Slipstream (Boser) were released at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Rouge placed, and her work has been described. Slipstream started slow and warmed into a good race, but she found no game.
Cedar Creek Promise (Liermann) and Ruff Country Simply Ginger (Wiek) Promise were animated but lacked the desired range. Ginger won the stake; her performance has been related.
Waldo Garmhac de Simply Red (Waite) was guided along the edges, which he hunted nicely. Firefly's MacKinnon (Hidalgo) made some nice big moves but didn't always use the edges to his advantage. MacKinnon was called back as a standby.
Shotput (Boser) and Quantonas Repeat Offender (Aitken) both placed; their performances are described above.
Firefly's Speed of Life (Hidalgo) and Raintree Simply Singular (Waite) had a Mexican standoff in the field early on and were not as focused as they should have been. They eventually returned to running and hunting, with Batch being wider in range than Speedy. Neither found game.

National Red Setter Futurity (front, l-r): Andy Wiek with Ruff Country Simply Ginger, Roger Boser with Shotput, Andrea Ward with Dale Creek Simply Rouge, and Kelli Aitken Thompson with Quantonas Repeat Offender. (Behind): Bonnie Hidalgo, Cathy Lewis, Don Beauchamp, Jon Lam (judge), Dean Reinke, Tom Waite, Lee Long (judge).

NATIONAL RED SETTER FUTURITY - 10 Irish Setters
1st-RUFF COUNTRY SIMPLY GINGER, 1703466, female, by Zansett Simply Red-Come Back Stellar. Andy Weik, owner and handler.
2d-SHOTPUT, 1704405, female, by Gratitude-Slingshot. Roger W. Boser, owner and handler.
3d-DALE CREEK SIMPLY ROUGE, 1703499, female, by Zansett Simply Red-Come Back Stellar. Andrea Ward, owner; Tom Waite, handler.
4th-QUANTONAS REPEAT OFFENDER, 1709804, female, by C H K Quantonas Rolling Rock-C H K Quantonas I'm Seeing Red. Kelli Aitken-Thompson, owner and handler.

Red Setter National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship
The Winners
Red Bird's The Fifth Element made it two in a row by winning this Championship. He also won the 2023 title in Hoffman, North Carolina. The 5-year-old male is owned by Kristi Gallino and Kelli Aitken-Thompson and handled by Kelli. Red Bird's The Fifth Element was sired by Eshod's Barn Burner and out of Red Bird's River Wild. He was drawn in the fifth brace of the stake. "Griffin" made a strong move to the forward line from the start. He scored an excellent find on Dead Horse hill at 30. In the bottom before the road crossing, he pointed again at 35. Relocation was necessary but was unsuccessful. Red Bird's The Fifth Element was consistently forward and in good range for the hour. He showed an excellent rapport with his handler.
Hotrod Ricky Joe was named the runner-up champion in this stake. He is a littermate to Silver Creek Wild Again, the runner-up in the Open Championship. Ricky Joe is owned and handled by Tim Hammons and scouted by Kristine Hammons.
Joe appeared in the first brace on Thursday, fast and forward. Joe scored a good find with all in order just before Beltline road. On to the front again, he ran the edges beautifully. His second find came on the edge of the woods in the wheat field. He was lofty on both ends and held perfect composure throughout. Hotrod Ricky Joe continued to drive forward until the hour elapsed, rendering an exciting performance.

The Running
Little More Shine (Hammons) and Gratitude (Boser) were in the first brace of the Amateur Championship, which followed the Futurity callbacks late Wednesday afternoon. Kate was lost early. Gratitude ran a nice, edge-running race for the hour. At 55, he scored a classy find with excellent manners. He finished forward.

Cedar Creek Jules (Liermann) was scratched; Quantonas Reciprocal (Aitken) was dropped down to brace 9 to run with the bye-dog, a female in season.

Firefly's Power Play (Hidalgo) and Come Back Bo (Edwards) were released from Scale House road. Power Play went left at the tree line and vanished. Calls that he was up front went unheard, and his tracker was taken at 13. Bo ran a forward race with a good handle. He pointed at 30, then repositioned himself, but it proved unproductive. Bo finished the hour despite the heat.

On Thursday, Cedar Creek Shindig (Liermann) and Hot Rod Ricky Joe (Hammons) were in the first brace. Shindig ran a big race but was eventually lost. Joe's performance earned him the title of runner-up champion; his hour has been described.

Firefly's Lucky Penny (Hidalgo) ran a big race with a rough handle. She pointed at 30, but only feathers were found. Lucky finished the hour forward. Red Bird's The Fifth Element's (Aitken) winning bid was described earlier.

Cedar Creek Sixgun (Liermann) started slow but warmed into a nice race that saw him use the edges well. He was predominantly forward for the hour. At 55, he pointed on the corner of a line; his birds were flushed while he stood tall. With a burst of speed, he finished well to the front. Silver Creek Wild Again (Hammons) ran a great race but found no game.

Come Back Trump (Edwards) and Wayward (Boser) were released on course 1. Point was called for Wayward at 8; he was stylish and displayed perfect decorum through flush and shot. Wayward connected again at 20 with a very nice find. Trump scored a good find at 25 before Beltline road. At 30, Trump pointed majestically but pushed the birds to end his chance. Wayward scored his third find at 45. He ran a forward, easy-handling race. Just past the swamp, he turned left at the open field and disappeared into the Russian olive grove. After what seemed to be a thorough search of the area, the tracker was turned on. Wayward was on point, buried under an olive bush, not 20 feet from where he was last seen.

Come Back Magic (Aitken) and Cedar Creek Anthem (Liermann) broke away into the corn stubble, heading west toward Scale House road. Mike led the way down the right edge, looking good. He had a close encounter with quail and was up before the hour. Anthem ran the edges nicely but found no game.

Firefly's Beeline (Hidalgo) and Quantonas Reciprocal (Aitken) were released from the field beyond Haul road on course 3. They headed down the east line, and Reason went into the grass to the outer line. Bee stayed on the field edge to the end, where she slammed on point. Reason came in for a mannerly back. Relocation was needed, and Bee performed it perfectly. She was high and tight for flush and shot. The pair took the south line to Scale House road. Bee got out of pocket before the pond and was not recovered under judgment. Quantonas Reciprocal ran the hour with a pleasing forward race. Unfortunately, she did not find game.

National Red Setter Amateur Shooting Dog Championship (front, l-r): Lee Long (judge), Jon Lam (judge), Clayton Thompson with Red Bird's The Fifth Element, Kelli Aitken Thompson, Dennis Hidalgo, and Ed Liermann. (Not pictured): Tim and Kristine Hammons and Silver Creek Wild Again.

NATIONAL RED SETTER AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 17 Irish Setters
Winner-RED BIRD'S THE FIFTH ELEMENT, 1687076, male, by Eshod's Barn Burner-Red Bird's River Wild. Kelli Aitken-Thompson & Kristy Gallino, owners; Kelli Aitken-Thompson, handler.
Runner-Up-HOT ROD RICKY JOE, 1692220, male, by Zansett Ricky O'Ryan-S C Miss Behaving. Tim Hammons, owner and handler.

Supporting Stakes
Red Setter Open Derby
Dale Creek Simply Rouge bested this field of nine derbies to take the win. She is owned by Andrea Ward and was handled by Tom Waite. "Rou" ran a great race, showing off her easy gait and speed. She had one find on which she displayed style and intensity until the flush.
Ruff Country Simply Ginger took second place for owner and handler Andy Wiek. She was fast and snappy moving and always busy hunting.
Raintree Simply Singular, handled by Tom Waite for Cathy Lewis and Dean Reinke, earned third place. He ran a big forward race partially marred by an absence.
All of the Derby winners showed exceptional potential for great trial careers. They are all littermates, a big win for breeders Cathy Lewis and Dean Reinke. Judges for this stake were Kay Morrison and Jon Lam. Kay's horse spooked and bolted through the trees during this stake, causing her to eject herself before he could run her into one. She got back on and finished the day of judging, for which we applaud her. We sincerely hope that she has not suffered lingering effects.

National Red Setter Open Derby (front, l-r): Andrea Ward with Dale Creek Simply Rouge, Andy Wiek with Ruff Country Simply Ginger, and Tom Waite with Raintree Simply Singular. (Behind): Kay Morrison (judge), Amy Gauthier, Jerry Gauthier, Jon Lam (judge), and Ed Liermann.

Judges: Jon Lam and Kay Morrison
RED SETTER OPEN DERBY - 9 Irish Setters
1st-DALE CREEK SIMPLY ROUGE, 1703499, female, by Zansett Simply Red-Come Back Stellar. Andrea Ward, owner; Tom Waite, handler.
2d-RUFF COUNTRY SIMPLY GINGER, 1703466, female, by Zansett Simply Red-Come Back Stellar. Andy Weik, owner and handler.
3d-RAINTREE SIMPLY SINGULAR, 1700318, male, by Zansett Simply Red-Come Back Stellar. Cathy Lewis & Dean Reinke, owners; Tom Waite, handler.

Red Setter Open Shooting Dog
Cedar Creek Titan, handled by Sam Nutting for owner Ed Liermann, scored three very nice finds to take first place. Titan put down an edge running race that took him into heavier cover on the edge of the hillside, where he was able to find game.
Foxy Lady Sadie, owned by Mike Fox and handled by Tom Waite, was second in this 10-dog stake. She turned in a very attractive ground race but found no birds.
Cedar Creek Braden, owned by Amy and Jerry Gauthier and handled by Amy, placed third. Braden gave a very nice walking shooting dog performance. He did not have game contact.

National Red Setter Open Shooting Dog (front, l-r): Sam Nutting with Cedar Creek Titan, Andrea Ward with Foxy Lady Sadie, and Amy Gauthier with Cedar Creek Braden. (Behind): Kay Morrison (judge), Tom Waite, Ed Liermann, and Jon Lam (judge).

RED SETTER OPEN SHOOTING DOG - 10 Irish Setters
1st-CEDAR CREEK TITAN, 1700527, male, by Cedar Creek Sixgun-Cedar Creek Copper River. Ed Liermann, owner; Sam Nutting, handler.
2d-FOXY LADY SADIE, 1691626, female, by Zansett Simply Red-Foxy's Lil Red Missy. Mike Fox, owner; Tom Waite, handler.
3d-CEDAR CREEK BRADEN, 1664951, male, by Cedar Creek Skyliner-Cedar Creek Rocket Baby. Amy Gauthier, owner and handler.

Red Setter Open Puppy
Dale Creek Simply Sweet, owned and handled by Andrea Ward, won this four-dog Puppy stake. She is a nice running dog with snap, crack, and a good pattern. She showed high potential.
Raintree Moonlit Journey was second for owners Cathy Lewis and Dean Reinke. She proved to be a nice young puppy advanced for her five months of life. Cathy handled her to this placement.

RED SETTER OPEN PUPPY - 4 Irish Setters
1st-DALE CREEK SIMPLY SWEET, 1706119, female, by Heavy Chevy Jason-Dale Creek Jane's Peep. Andrea Ward, owner and handler.
2d-RAINTREE MOONLIT JOURNEY, 1711170, female, by Raintree Blue Moon-Jamison. Cathy Lewis & Dean Reinke, owners; Cathy Lewis & Dean Reinke, owners; Cathy Lewis, handler.