Result: Setter Club of New England

Location: Falmouth, Massachusetts

Post Date: Jun 13, 2024

Submitted By: Nick Hamel

The Setter Club of New England proudly celebrated its 100th birthday this year. Not many things in our lives can make that claim in this hurry-up, throw-away society. For any organization to last 25, 35, or 50 years is unusual, but 100 years is unheard of.
It is largely because of the many dedicated club members that the club has managed to prosper all these years. On hand this year were many club members and officers of the club. Everyone rolls up their sleeves and pitches in to make this trial a success.
Club Treasurer Tom Jay keeps the money straight and supplies all the food and drinks for the weekend. Secretary Jim Hathaway is always on hand to help ensure all the details of trial management are attended to, as well as tending to the birds. He orders the birds, keeps them at his house, and loads them into bird bags for our bird planter extraordinaire, club member B. J. Cassio, to distribute throughout the grounds. As with any endeavor, there have to be many people helping out with various tasks. B. J.'s number one assistant is Alessandra Marquis, the teenage granddaughter of Ed Marquis, who placed a dog in the Junior Handler's event this year. Club President Mitch Nee helped as needed, and Vice President Tony Leone helped and judged several stakes.

The Running
Due to unforeseen circumstances, our stakes manager, Nick Hamel, and his wife, Emily, could not attend this year's renewal; however, club member Jay Marquis stepped up and did an excellent job in their absence.
A healthy entry of 92 dogs was drawn for this two-day event. We were delighted to see Pennsylvanian pro Robert Ecker back for another year. He entered multiple dogs in the open stakes and was accompanied by amateur handler and friend Marty Festa. Robert has a very impressive string of dogs, is always ready to compete, and is a pleasure to have around.
Club Vice-President Tony Leone and Ms. Bailey Arkley oversaw the Open Puppy, named in honor of two long-time Setter Club members, William Kearns and Frank Foss. First place was awarded to a very stylish Setter female owned and handled by Kelly Hays of Columbia, New Hampshire. Still Meadows Little Sunray was fast, forward, and handled very well for Kelly and would not be denied on this day.
The red ribbon went to another Setter, Wizard's Paigh Am Piobaire ("Tune"). Tune was handled by his owner, Club Secretary Jim Hathaway. His performance was much like Ray's but not as far-reaching and forward.
Third was Clark's Flash Gordon, an English setter male owned by long-time Setter Club member Phil Clark and handled by Robert Ecker.

Jimmy Leveque of Salem, Massachusetts, and John DiPerrio of Barre, Massachusetts, judged the Florence Harwarth Open Derby. The Derby is named in memory of long-time secretary of the Setter Club, Florence Harwarth. The first-place dog was Blue Ribbon River, a Pointer female owned and handled by Marty Festa. River had two very mature finds, well-spaced in the half hour and was broke on both. Fast and in the front for the half hour and very stylist on her game was the judges' report.
Second was Fire Marshall Bill, a Setter male owned by long-time New England field trialer Elias Richardson and handled by Robert Ecker. Shenanigan had three finds but was not as finished on his birds as the first-place dog.
Third was Mia Star, owned by Dr. George Najor and Steve McKalko and handled by Robert Ecker. Her birdwork was acceptable, and her race was forward but not as mature as the first and second-place dogs.

Vermonter Bob Arkley and Kris Nordby of Connecticut judged the Open Restricted Shooting Dog. Reviewing last year's report, I learned I had misspelled Kris's last name many times. I want to apologize to him for my error.
First place was Long Island Ice, a Setter male owned by Tim and Shelia Runyon of Iowa and handled by Robert Ecker. Ice carded two birds and was described as "breathtaking" on point by the judges. Ice had a very impressive ground race, forward and deep but well in control of his handler.
Second was Cape Point Hidden Jewel, a Pointer female owned and handled by Bill Bonnetti of Cape Cod. Jewel had three finds and a BIG race. The judges commented she was forward, however, a little large for the tight Cape Cod cover, nonetheless finished strong and to the front.
The yellow ribbon went to Rock Solid Motion Picture ("Duke"), an English Setter male owned and handled by Brian Dix of Vermont. He had two finds and a nice race. He was not as powerful as the first and second-place dogs, but he exceeded the style of the shooting dog standard.

The premier open stake is the Phil Fogg Open Shooting Dog Classic. We are fortunate to have Bill Bonnetti and Kris Nordby judging this stake this year. The blue ribbon was secured by Pete La Bella's Kissimmee Grousewoods Tea, which Robert Ecker handled in the third brace. Tea had three very stylish finds and a race to go with them. Her performance was very strong and proved she was not to be denied this day.
Second was Henry's Susieq Dot, owned and handled by amateur Dave Theroux of Manchester, New Hampshire. I have been lucky to have watched this Setter female develop over the years. She is extremely light on her feet, her tail high and cracking all the time, and beautiful on point. "Dot" was credited with two finds, one at 6 and the other on a relocation at 10. She finished the brace forward and strong.
Third was Grouse Hill Rambo, a Pointer male owned by John Capocci and handled by Robert Ecker. Rambo had three finds and was exciting to watch, but did not have the ground race of the first and second-place dogs.

Sunday morning brought similar weather to Saturday morning: cloudy, misty, and cool. It was great for the dogs but a little chilly for us old-timers.
Up first was the Amateur Puppy, overseen by Tony Leone and club official Brian Foley. First place went to Wizards' Paigh Am Piobaire, a Setter male owned and handled by Jim Hathaway. Tune was second in the Open Puppy, and the Ray Setter female who won the Open Puppy was second in the Amateur Puppy. Both puppies have been successful this spring, and I would say they have a bright future.
The yellow ribbon went to a German shorthair puppy, Maple, who was not even a year old. Club member Jmy Losi handled Maple.

Jimmy Levesque and John DiPerrio judged the Amateur Derby. The first-place ribbon went to Marty Festa and Blue Ribbon River, a Pointer female who pointed three birds and had a strong derby race.
Second was awarded to Pointer male Tattle Tailer ("Barron") with two finds and a good race. Barron is owned and handled by Tim Cavanaugh.
Third was a Pointer male, "Monti," owned and handled by Pete La Bella. Monti had three finds but not the race of the first and second-place dogs.

The Amateur Gun Dog was looked after by the father and daughter team of Bailey and Bob Arkley. They were also tasked with judging the Youth Handler stake. The Gun Dog was won by Snuffmill Life of Riley, handled by owner Lanny Dellinger. Riley had multiple finds and a typical gun dog race, very stylish on the ground and on her game. The only difference between the Gun Dog stake and the Shooting Dog stake is range and some discretion at wing and shot.
Youth handler Liam Dix won the red ribbon with his charge, Rock Solid Casey. It is so nice to see young parents and their children at these events. Brian and Paige Dix are raising two outstanding young men, Liam and Lukas. They have enthusiasm and good manners to go with it, and they are both very polite, soft-spoken, and a joy to be around. I hope as they grow older, they will have the love of dogs and our sport that they have today.
Owner Mike Levesque of Salem, Massachusetts, handled the third-place dog. Mike has many of the same traits as Lukas and Liam Dix, but he is not nearly as mature as the Dix brothers. I want to thank Mike for all his assistance in writing this report; he was a great help. Thanks, Mike.

In the Junior Handler event, Alessandra Marquis won the blue ribbon with her fine English setter, Denali. The Dix men took second and third. Second went to Lukas with English setter Rock Solid Tucker, and third was awarded to Liam, who handled "Tucker."

The Amateur Shooting is named in honor of long-time club member Frankie Mclaughlin. Two veteran field trialers, John Olfson and Eric Rizza, judged this year's stake. The first-place dog was Blue Ribbon Harper, a Pointer female handled by her owner, Marty Festa. Harper had four very stylish finds and a strong shooting dog ground race.
The second-place dog was "Margaret," a Pointer female handled by her owner, Tim Cavanaugh. Margaret had three finds and a very good race; the only thing that kept her from the blue ribbon was one unproductive stand.
The third-place dog was Snuff Mill High Caliber, a Setter female owned and handled by Lanny Dellinger. She had three finds and a mostly forward race; the difference was that her range was not as deep as that of the first and second-place dogs.
Close to the winners was Lightning Flash Frank, handled by her owner, Kelly Hays. Flash had three finds and a strong race and was carried until the seventh brace, where the first two placements came from. Also close to the winners were Bella, a Pointer female, with Tim Cavanaugh, and Jewel, a Pointer female, with Bill Bonnetti.

I was fortunate to be introduced to the Setter Club in the 1980s by a longtime friend, Lloyd Murray. The Club was well represented in those days by the likes of Bill Kearns, Jack and Betty Tattersall, Frank Foss, Fred Wills, Robert Paucek, Truman Cowles, Ray and Pat Flynn, Bernie Murray, George Doyle, and John Bilodeau, to name a few. It was because of these folks the Setter Club was able to prosper and succeed for a century. I believe the Club is in good hands and will continue for many years. I want to thank the Club for inviting me to report on the 100th-year renewal of their trial. We thank the many people who help to advance the sport we love. It is with great gratitude that we thank all the trialers who took the time to attend this special event and enter their dogs; without them, we cannot succeed.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the outstanding job that fill-in Stakes Manager Jay Marquis did. Not only did he pinch hit for Nick, but he stepped up big and, at his own expense, purchased beautiful 100th birthday medals for all the placed dogs and a new rotating trophy for the Frankie Mclaughlin Amateur Shooting Dog. It is this type of action that has helped the Setter Club succeed. Thanks again.

Falmouth, Mass., April 6 - One Course
Judges: Bailey Arkley and Tony Leone
OPEN PUPPY - 5 Pointers and 1 German Shorthair
1st-STILL MEADOWS LITTLE SUNRAY, 1704573, setter female, by Long Gone Wallace-Chase's I'm Miss Smith. Brian & Kelly Hays, owners; Dave Theroux, handler.
2d-WIZARD'S PAIGH AM PIOBAIRE, 1704385, setter male, by Long Gone Wallace-Shepherd's Clair. James D. Hathaway, owner and handler.
3d-CLARK'S FLASH GORDON, 1704537, setter male, by Sterlingworth Jack-Sarah Star. Phil Clark, owner; Robert Ecker, handler.

Judges: John DiPerrio and Jimmy Levesque
FLORENCE HARWARTH OPEN DERBY - 1 Pointer and 5 Setters
1st-BLUE RIBBON RIVER, 1701966, pointer female, by Double Deuce Zeke-Huckleberry's Lucky Penny. Martin Festa, owner and handler.
2d-FIRE MARSHALL BILL, 1702783, setter male, by Ponderosa Mac-Moonshine Sage. Eli Richardson, owner; Robert Ecker, handler.
3d-MIA STAR, 1702751, setter female, by Windstar-Hometown Queen. Steve McKalko, owner; Robert Ecker, handler.

Judge: Bob Arkley and Kris Nordby
OPEN RESTRICTED SHOOTING DOG - 4 Pointers, 5 Setters, and 3 Irish Setters
1st-LONG ISLAND ICE, 1690993, setter male, by Islander-Island Girl. Tim Runyan, owner; Robert Ecker, handler.
2d-CAPE POINT HIDDEN JEWEL, 1679987, pointer female, by Daddy's Little Boy Butch-Porter Meadow Bette. Bill Bonnetti, owner and handler.
3d-GROUSE HILL RAMBO, 1696375, pointer male, by Bo of Piney Woods-Grouse Hill Prima. John Capocci, owner; Robert Ecker, handler.

Judges: Bill Bonnetti and Kris Nordby
PHIL FOGG OPEN SHOOTING DOG CLASSIC - 4 Pointers, 10 Setters, and 1 Brittany
1st-KISSAMEE GROUSEWOODS TEA, 1672676, pointer female, by Daddy's Little Boy Butch-Porter Meadow Bette. Peter La Bella, owner; Robert Ecker, handler.
2d-HENRY'S SUSIEQ DOT, 1680901, setter female, by Henry of Ferguson-Blossom's Pale Face Susieq. David Theroux, owner and handler.
3d-GROUSE HILL RAMBO, 1696375, pointer male, by Bo of Piney Woods-Grouse Hill Prima. John Capocci, owner; Robert Ecker, handler.

Judges: Brian Foley and Tony Leone
AMATEUR PUPPY - 1 Pointer, 6 Setters, and 1 German Shorthair
1st-WIZARD'S PAIGH AM PIOBAIRE, 1704385, setter male, by Long Gone Wallace-Shepherds Clair. James D. Hathaway, owner and handler.
2d-STILL MEADOWS LITTLE SUNRAY, 1704573, setter female, by Long Gone Wallace-Chase's I'm Miss Smith. Kelly Hays, owner and handler.
3d-MAPLE COSI, 1710757, German Shorthair female, by East Ridge Ace of Spades-East Ridge Mabel-Mae. Joseph Losi, owner and handler.

Judges: John DiPerrio and Jimmy Levesque
AMATEUR DERBY - 3 Pointers, 1 Irish Setter, and 1 German Shorthair
1st-BLUE RIBBON RIVER, 1701966, pointer female, by Double Deuce Zeke-Huckleberry's Lucky Penny. Martin Festa, owner and handler.
2d-TATTLE TAILER, 1705140, pointer male by Trumped-Campbell's Hog Hill Remi. Elias Richardson, owner; Tim Cavanaugh, handler.
3d-YELLOWSTONE MONTI, 1710472, pointer male, by Great River Yellowstone-Kissamee Grousewoods Tea. Pete La Bella, owner; John Olfson, handler.

Judges: John Olfson and Eric Rizza
FRANKIE MCLAUGHLIN AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG CLASSIC - 10 Pointers, 13 Setters, and 2 Irish Setters
1st-BLUE RIBBON'S HARPER BELLA, 1682768, pointer female, by Bud of Piney Woods-Blue Ribbon Bella. Martin Festa, owner and handler.
2d-LITTLE MISS MARGARET, 1693526, pointer female, by Panola Bacon-Chasehill Little Izzy. Tim Cavanaugh, owner and handler.
3d-SNUFF MILL HIGH CALIBER, 1697973, setter female, by Mohawk Mill Lucky Charm-Richfield Oakley. Lanny Dellinger, owner and handler.

Judges: Bailey Arkley and Bob Arkley
TOM FOLEY & ED FLANAGAN MEMORIAL AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG CLASSIC - 2 Pointers, 9 Setters, 1 Brittany, 2 German Shorthairs, and 1 Llewellin Setter
1st-SNUFFMILL LIFE OF RILEY, 1672514, setter female, by Backstep Rudy-Fernwood Cove's Bella. Lanny Dellinger, owner and handler.
2d-ROCK SOLID CASEY, 1672254, setter female, by Grouse Ridge Whitestone-Grouse Ridge Merri. Doug Dix, owner and handler.