Result: 44th Missouri Shooting Dog Championship and 36th Midwestern States Futurity

Location: Grovespring, Missouri

Post Date: May 29, 2024

Submitted By: Tony King

44th Missouri Open Shooting Dog Championship (front, l-r): Kirk Loftin with Smoke'N'Mirrors and Tony King with Silver W Jill Z. (Back row): Matt Basilone, Mike Poehler, Mike Vicari (judge), Jarrett Bell, Frank Vicari (judge), Mike Northwood, Shawn Kinkelaar, Jerry Hailey, and Mark Johnson.

Open and amateur handlers and their teams of canine competitors descended upon the Sportsmen's Association grounds near Grovespring, Missouri, the week of March 4 to compete in one of the season's largest field trials. Seventy shooting dogs and 28 derbies were drawn to run in this year's 44th Missouri Open Shooting Dog Championship and the 36th Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity. Although it was a long and demanding event for the host club members, ample bird work over the three one-hour courses, friendly camaraderie, and competitive spirit yielded an excellent field trial.

The Missouri Shooting Dog Association and the Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity pride themselves in acquiring impartial, fair, and honest judges. This year's judges met that criterion and much more. Spending six long days in the saddle, in varying weather conditions, and maintaining a cheerful and impartial focus requires a certain amount of dedication to the sport of field trialing. Quality judges face the physical constraints of judging and the mental challenges of the long days in the saddle. Judging decisions must be firm, understanding, and swift but sometimes delicate. When judging, it's not easy sometimes to manage the cast of characters this sport provides. When livelihood and pride are showcased, and each dog is turned loose, a keen eye and a levelheaded approach must prevail. In both stakes, this year's judges provided that approach.

The judges for the 44th renewal were Frank and Mike Vicari from Hampshire, Illinois. This father and son duo are well-known amateur competitors in the continental breed world with a highly talented string of German shorthair pointers. Their challenge was not easy as they accepted the responsibility of sorting through 70 of the country's top shooting dogs. Their cheerful attitudes and willingness to look at every dog in the same manner, provided a consistent running environment for all the competitors. They paid close attention to every brace and worked equally hard throughout the stake. They maintained a consistent format and rode hard when necessary. You could not ask for a better, more competent pair to run a dog under. Their firmness and understanding of the nature of field trialing yielded a competitive but understood environment in which their decisions were well received.

Although Frank and Mike had originally agreed to judge the Futurity too, club members of the Missouri Shooting Dog Association and Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity decided to acquire a new judicial panel for the running of this year's Futurity and save Mike and Frank from an additional two-and-a-half days in the saddle. Mark Johnson from Winnebago, Illinois, and Mike Poehler from Buffalo, Missouri, graciously accepted the role of judging the 36th renewal of the Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity. As in the Championship, Mark and Mike fell in step and worked well together. This being Mike's first Futurity judging assignment and Mark having judged the stake in the spring of 2020, the pair offered a seasoned but fresh outlook to the ever-challenging task of judging derbies. Their decisions were well received and respected throughout the stake. The Board of Directors and club members from the Missouri Open Shooting Dog Association and Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity would like to thank these four gentlemen for their time spent in the saddle and their efforts and dedication to the sport of field trialing.

Field trials would not survive without the help of their sponsors. The Missouri Shooting Dog Association and Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity are fortunate to have two of the industry's best. For several years now, Purina and SportDOG have graciously provided product and support for these field trial venues. As always, Purina provides Pro Plan Performance to the handlers and/or owners of the champion, runner-up, and winners in the Futurity. SportDOG provides e-collars to the champion and runner-up in the Championship and e-collars and bark limiters in the Futurity. The Missouri Shooting Dog Association and Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity would like to thank its sponsors and their professional representatives, Greg Blair and Jim Morehouse. The Board of Directors and club members look forward to their renewed support and the continued relationship with these sponsors for these time-honored events.

Furthermore, it should be noted that this was the first year the Missouri Shooting Dog Association and the Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity paid for AFTCA membership and utilized the ordering of dog food and acquisition of trophies, apparel, and awards through the Purina Event Sponsorship Program. The Purina Event Sponsorship Program provides a seamless transition when ordering dog food for field trials, and the apparel, awards, and trophies provided to the winners and participants are first class. The Board of Directors for the Missouri Shooting Dog Association and MWSD Futurity Club would like to thank both Purina and the AFTCA for providing such an important service to the field trial community.

This year's renewals brought back a tradition that had in years past been relinquished. This year, club members and trial participants celebrated past shooting dog champions and Futurity winners by hosting two evening cookouts on Friday and Sunday of the week's running. The team of Eddy Taylor, Virgil Moore, and Scott Hadley manned the grill while club members and various others, such as Sharleen Daughtery, provided side dishes. The Shooting Dog supper was provided by Doug Ray, honoring the 42nd Missouri Open Shooting Dog Champion, Dominator's Ghost Rider, and Eddy Taylor provided the Futurity supper for last year's Futurity winner, Hale's Country Strong. Other than the great dog performances, these two events might have been the highlights of the trial. It was great to see the handlers, some owners, judges, locals, Vizsla folks, and Sportsmen Association members gather to enjoy each other's contributions to the sport.

A huge heartfelt thank you to Mark Johnson, Adam DeLude, and Jerry Hailey for their help. Mark and Adam traveled considerable distances to help facilitate both events. Mark, Adam, and Jerry were there helping with food, the dog wagon, bird planting, marshaling, judging, and social media management. Without everyone's help, this event would not have run as smoothly as it did. Their help was invaluable and much appreciated. Also, I would like to thank Bruce Ludwig for providing a fabulous homemade enchilada on Thursday for lunch and Mike Northwood for providing use of his Polaris Ranger on the last three days of the event. Thanks again, Mark, Adam, and Jerry!

44th Missouri Open Shooting Dog Championship
Two brilliant performances with lots of birdwork, favorable weather conditions early in the week, and great camaraderie set the stage for a pleasurable week of running at this year's Missouri Open Shooting Dog Championship. Professional handlers Doug Ray, Matt Basilone, Shawn Kinkelaar, Chuck Stretz, Harold Gearhart, Virgil Moore, Scott Hadley, Eddy Taylor, and Brian Gingrich, along with amateur competitors Adam DeLude, Mark Johnson, and Kirk Loftin, enjoyed the gentlemanly competitiveness and fellowship this year's event provided.

The Champion
When Matt Basilone turned Smoke'N'Mirrors loose for owners Richard Gillis and Stacey Goodie in the 21st brace of the trial there had been some good performances but nothing close to the hour that was about to take place. Over the ever-changing topography of Course #2 and through the beginning portion of Course #3, Smoke'N'Mirrors displayed what could be called the quintessential championship shooting dog performance. Throughout her hour, this liver and white veteran female tallied five impressively located, clean finds while taking every advantage of consuming the county. She went to work early as her approach was forward, smooth, not too big but reaching, and never wavered. Smoke'N'Mirrors seemed to heed Basilone's bending while hunting every birdy objective. On each of Smoke'N'Mirrors's five finds, birds were properly located, and her style immaculate. At 39, she solidified her position by pinning one of the seldom seen September pre-release coveys on the back side of the Bull Pasture. At the call of pick up, Mirrors was seen forward, still pushing the envelope of available country to hunt. After the brace had ended, all those who witnessed it knew that Basilone and Smoke'N'Mirrors's performance was extraordinary and probably was sitting on top.
The Runner-up
In the first brace, on Course #1 and the second day's running, Shawn Kinkelaar brought Silver W Jill Z for owner Dr. Debbie Ozner to the line with Ed and Megan McCay's Mohawk Mill Gangster for handler Matt Basilone. This pair went to work early as they traded punches, putting on quite a show, with each having independent pieces of work during a fun brace to watch. I would be remiss if I did not commend both dogs as their performances were impressive throughout and could have earned champion and runner-up at other field trials. Throughout the brace, Silver W Jill Z was strong and powerful for the hour. Her race, although reaching, was thorough and sensible. As the brace unfolded, both were biddable but hunting independently, each having two independent finds and one divided find. Always to the front and yielding to Kinkelaar's commands, Jill Z's style was faultless, and her birds accurately located. In my mind, the total strength of the race separated these two, with Jill Z having the advantage. At the call of pick up, the pair finished forward and were seen on the front end on top of Lil Vine Hill.

Others That Impressed
At every field trial, there's always a group of dogs that provide quality performances that, under different circumstances, could be named winners. The following is a list of dogs that had performances worthy of noting: Cape Point Lucky Strike (four finds), Stoney Hill's Pinnacle Dee (three finds, one back), I'm Spartacus (three finds, one back), Mohawk Mill Gangster (two finds, one DF, and one back), Hatteras Rip Tide (four finds), Upfront's Southern Star (three finds), Ramblin Rivers Natural (two finds and one back), and A Buccaneer (two finds).

Grovespring, Mo., March 4
Judges: Frank Vicari and Mike Vicari
44TH MISSOURI OPEN SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 55 Pointers, 6 Setters, 5 German Shorthairs, and 4 Vizslas
Winner-SMOKE'N'MIRRORS, 1679185, pointer female, by Just Irresistible-A Whiskey Lullaby. Richard Gillis & Stacey Goodie, owners; Matt Basilone, handler.
Runner-Up-SILVER W JILL Z, 1682062, pointer female, by Ransom-Double Wild. Debbie Ozner, owner; Shawn Kinkelaar, handler.

36th Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity
As it has been tradition over the last several years, the Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity is held following the conclusion of the Missouri Open Shooting Dog Championship. A banner entry in the Championship proved fruitful as this year's Futurity drew its largest entry of 28 derbies since the revitalization of the program in 2013. For the 36th running, 15 Pointer litters, three Setter litters, and two Vizsla litters were nominated into the program. Chelsea's Thunder Bolt, Lester's Storm Surge, and Miller's Speed Dial were the leading sires, each with two nominated litters.

As previously stated, Mark Johnson and Mike Poehler were in the saddle to evaluate this strong field of contenders. Mark and Mike proved to be the perfect pair to evaluate this year's crop, as each understood the concept of combining the total performance of each contender through two series while keeping in mind the overall potential of each dog developing into a future field trial champion. After judging the 30-minute qualifying series and sorting through the derbies in varying stages of development, these gentlemen did a commendable job selecting the final one-hour contestants. The Futurity board can't thank them enough for their time in the saddle and attention to detail while judging the Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity.

Wild Covey Derecho, for owner and handler Tony King, was this year's winner of the 36th MWSD Futurity. Wild Covey Derecho ("Wendy") is an athletically built, primarily all-white, pointer female sired by Miller's Speed Dial out of the dam, Wild Covey Jackie (Miller's Happy Jack x Andon's Adams County). Bill Coddington of Paola, Kansas, is the co-breeder of this litter and was an integral part in orchestrating the breeding. Prior to Derecho's derby campaign, Wendy and her littermate brother, Wild Covey Sundial, went north with Andy Daughtery, leading to Sundial being placed in Andy's string. Under Andy's tutelage, this decision proved beneficial as the littermate pair had successful derby seasons. Derecho placed at the North Missouri Field Trial and Missouri State Field Trial, qualifying for the U. S. Derby Invitational and eventually winning the MWSD Futurity.

In the 30-minute qualifying series, Wild Covey Derecho was away with Hale's Cutting Edge near the road at the end of Davis Bottom. Utilizing the open edge country and yielding to her handler's requests, Derecho made full use of the back side of Course #1 and the beginning of Course #2. Although she was unable to get any birds pointed in this series, she was fast, animated, and smooth but powerful throughout. Her quest was with purpose, never leaving the front end and having a strong finish on top of Lil Vine Hill, thus earning her a spot in the callback series.

In Brace #1 of the one-hour callbacks, Wild Covey Derecho was away on Course #1 with Laura Pergolizzi for handler Shawn Kinkelaar and owners Lombardi/Swingley. This hour provided entertainment for the judges as this pair of young contenders went to work. Pergolizzi was busy throughout, having five finds and a back.

Derecho's hour yielded three crisp and clean pieces of birdwork with a back as she traversed the edges and rolling hills on Course #1. From the breakaway, you could tell Derecho was on a mission, as her first find was a true "field trial" find. She had previously checked in at the first creek crossing at :02 and then was found standing, dead to the front, on the far edge of the creek at 14. From there, she continued her smooth, reaching but biddable effort, having an unproductive at 18, a find at 21, a back at 26, and her final find at 44. The judges noted that Wendy was always forward in the pocket but strong throughout. She showed experience and poise around game, and all finds were accurately located. Although a young contender, Derecho's application was mature, and finish still searching forward. If early indications are representative, this young, talented contender sure has a bright future ahead of her.

This year's second-place winner was Backcountry Snake Eyes, a primarily all-white Pointer female with black ticked ears, for owner and handler Chris Catanzarite of Scenery Hill, Pennsylvania. As Chris attended several trials in the Midwest, Chris and his string of dogs made the long trip from Pennsylvania to compete in this year's Futurity. Snake Eyes is sired by Jim Hughes's champion, Dragonfly, by the female, Apple Annie's Sweet Delight. Micheal Martino is the breeder of record on this litter, as both of Chris's derbies are out of this litter.

Like the Wild Covey Derecho, Backcountry Snake Eyes ran a smooth, forward, well-applied race in the 30-minute qualifier. Although unable to produce birds, the judges felt strongly that her application, biddability, and finish did enough to earn callback honors. This decision proved correct, as Snake Eyes showed everyone she was very capable throughout her hour. Although not from the Midwest, this fleet of foot female applied herself appropriately throughout the ever-changing habitat on Course #3. She tallied five mannerly finds at 12, 25, 31, 40, and finally at 55. As she showed in the 30-minute series and when she wasn't pointing birds, Snake Eyes applied herself aptly. Although not extreme, her race was comprehensive but reaching with a suitable finish.

Doug Ray's talented young white and orange Pointer female, Miller's Upgraded Patent, was this year's third-place winner. Patent was whelped in a litter bred and raised by the talented amateur duo Fran and Jack Miller. The litter was sired by Miller's Upgraded Version out of the dam Miller's Special Edition. Upgraded Patent ran in the last brace of the qualifier series. She did not point birds in the qualifier series but put on a show on the ground. Patent was consistently forward, fast, and animated in her approach. She handled well for Ray and maturely applied herself while hunting every birdy objective. In the final series, she was braced with the fourth place winning dog, Erin's Doc Holliday. Patent demonstrated her bird-finding abilities while maintaining a similar application she had in the qualifier. She tallied three stylishly located finds at 19, 30, and 35, all while exhibiting perfect manners. Throughout the hour, Patent hunted well as she stayed fast and forward while still searching at the call of pick up.

The fourth-place winner, Erin's Doc Holliday, for owner and handler Jarrett Bell of Troy, Missouri, was the lone male derby in this year's winners' circle. Doc is out of a litter by Erin's Lone Star Law and by Erin's Kennel's producing dam, Erin's Little Lullaby. Sean Derrig is the breeder of record and can be linked back to Doc's early development. In the qualifier series, this athletically built, white and orange Pointer male demonstrated a consistently powerful, wide-ranging, but biddable 30-minute application while handling well for Bell. In the final series, Doc maintained a similar approach, tallying two finds at :30 and :35 while seeming to eat up the country. His race was strong and birdwork crisp. He finished forward just as he started with plenty of gas in the tank.

Many factors go into a successful field trial, and the Missouri Shooting Dog and Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity club members pride themselves on hosting field trials that afford all competitors an equal opportunity to showcase their talents. Such elements include hiring quality judges, lining up the logistics of hosting an event, and providing ample opportunity to find birds. Although each year presents new challenges, the Missouri Shooting Dog Association and Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity team work hard to continuously provide the field trial community with a venue that competitors and their dogs want to attend and represents the historical tradition they have earned. The Missouri Shooting Dog Association and Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity would like to take this opportunity to thank all its club members, dog owners, handlers, supporters, and sponsors and would like to extend best wishes in the upcoming field trial season.

Judges: Mark Johnson and Mike Poehler
36TH MIDWESTERN STATES SHOOTING DOG FUTURITY [Thirty-Minute Qualifying Heats; One-Hour Callback] - 18 Pointers
1st-WILD COVEY DERECHO, 1701530, pointer female, by Miller's Speed Dial-Wild Covey Jackie. Tony King, owner and handler.
2d-BACKCOUNTRY SNAKE EYES, 1701700, pointer female, by Dragonfly-Apple Annie's Sweet Delight. Chris Catanzarite, owner and handler.
3d-MILLER'S UPGRADED PATENT, 1704924, pointer female, by Miller's Upgraded Version-Miller's Special Edition. Bob Canada & Harold Ray, owners; Doug Ray, handler.
4th ERIN'S DOC HOLLIDAY, 1704304, pointer male, by Erin's Lone Star Law-Erin's Little Lullaby. Jarrett D. Bell, owner and handler.

36th Midwestern States Shooting Dog Futurity (front, l-r): Kirk Loftin with Wild Covey Derecho, Chris Catanzarite with Backcountry Snake Eyes, Kaley Anne with Miller's Upgraded Patent, and Allison Bell with Erin's Doc Holliday. (Back row): Hyatt Burchette, Tony King, Mike Poehler (judge), Doug Ray, Mark Johnson (judge), and Jarrett Bell.