Result: Region 14 Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship

Location: Great Falls, Montana

Post Date: Oct 28, 2024

Submitted By: Shawn Abbott

Region 14 Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship (l-r): Michelle Turley, Austin Turley with Champion Carbonado's Country Spectre, Ryan Mulcahy (judge), Anthony Grimaldi with Runner-up Champion Drifter's Calypso, and Emily Grimaldi.

The Region 14 Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship was held on September 28, 2024. As with most trials this time of year, it was dark out when participants started their day of feeding their horses and airing their dogs. About an hour before the trial began, you could hear the waterfowl hunters shooting several miles away.

The grounds used for this trial have hosted dog trials for almost three decades, with some minor shifts due to CRP leases. In its heyday, we hosted 80 entries for a weekend trial and were able to run six one-hour champion courses. The fields hold pheasants, Sharptail grouse, and Hungarian partridge, and for this trial, the Sharpies were in abundance. The land is CPR grasses and rolling hills with coulees. All the land used to run the trial is privately owned, and we greatly appreciate their graciousness in letting us run the dogs there.

Judges for the Championship were Ryan Mulcahy of Boise, Idaho, and Shawn Abbott of Vaughn, Montana. They both have years of experience in bird dogs and judging.

Named champion of the Region 14 Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship was Carbonado's Country Spectre, owned and handled by Austin Turley of Molt, Montana. The runner-up champion was Drifter's Calypso (ESF), owned by Anthony Grimaldi of Joliet, Montana.

The Running
The running started in cooler temps of around 40 degrees with blue skies and minimal wind. First bracemates West Mountain Speed Wave (PF/McCardle) and Drifter's Calypso (ESF/Grimaldi) set off in style with handlers walking behind. Calypso had a clean find on Sharptail at 5 while Speed Wave was making a big cast over some rolling hills. Both dogs continued to show to the front, working hard to find birds. At the 50-minute mark, Calypso had another STF, which she handled well. Shortly afterward, McCardle's dog had an STF but broke when additional birds lifted.

The second brace was with Carbonado's Silver Sage (PF/Turley) and B K Spot On (PF/Curtis). Spot had an STF at 3, and all was in order. Sage was hitting a big lick and had an STF at 7. She had a second STF a short time afterward. Spot made a big move, looking for birds, but handler Curtis picked her up at 15. Turley picked up at 14.

Bells Yellowstone Pride ("Maggie"/PF/Anderson) and Carbonado's Country Spectre (PM/Turley) were released for the third brace. Maggie ran large and was out of sight for a time. Spec was running a big race and came up with a find at 15. He had a high head and tail, standing still for the flush and shot. At 16, Maggie came on point. Spec came running and slammed into a back. Anderson flushed, and both dogs were steady throughout. Anderson picked up his dog at 28. Spec continued with a great ground covering style and had an STF at 40, a find at 49, and another at 50. He looked stylish and held strong for each flush and shot, finishing the hour well.

The final brace was the bye dog, The Alberta Clipper (PM/Jones). Clipper took off in a southwesterly direction from camp, headed to the low hills and coulees in the distance. Temperatures had risen to the mid-70s. Clipper was serious about hunting the coulees and hit them hard. The course circled back toward camp, and Clipper pointed a bird but gave chase and was picked up.

Great Falls, Mont., September 28
Judges: Shawn Abbott and Ryan Mulcahy
REGION 14 AMATEUR WALKING SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 6 Pointers and 1 Setter
Winner-CARBONADO'S COUNTRY SPECTRE, F1705811, pointer male, by Brush Country Spectre-Empire On Line. Austin Turley, owner and handler.
Runner-Up-DRIFTER'S CALYPSO, F1695261, setter female, by T's Gunslinger-Erin's Red Rose. Anthony Grimaldi, owner and handler.

BIG SKY FIELD TRIAL CLUB
Judges: Ryan Jones and Brad McCardle
OPEN DERBY - 8 Pointers
1st-CONFIDENT SUN, F1709512, pointer male, by Northern Confidence-Red Sunshine. Andrew Baisley, owner; Ryan Mulcahy, handler.
2d-CARBONADO'S CALDERA, F1713506, pointer male, by Nevada's Copper Jim-Boudica. Austin Turley, owner and handler.
3d-F40 IVY LEAGUE, F1714416, pointer female, by LBF Up In Smoke-West Mountain Speed Wave. Darrell Curtis, owner and handler.

Judges: Keith Anderson and Anthony Grimaldi
OPEN DERBY - 12 Pointers
1st-CONFIDENT SUN, F1709512, pointer male, by Northern Confidence-Red Sunshine. Andrew Baisley, owner; Ryan Mulcahy, handler.
2d-F40 IVY LEAGUE, F1714416, pointer female, by LBF Up In Smoke-West Mountain Speed Wave. Darrell Curtis, owner and handler.
3d-CARBONADO'S CALDERA, F1713506, pointer male, by Nevada's Copper Jim-Boudica. Austin Turley, owner and handler.

Judges: Darrell Curtis and Ryan Mulcahy
AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG - 6 Pointers and 1 Setter
1st-DRIFTER'S CALYPSO, F1695261, setter female, by T's Gunslinger-Erin's Red Rose. Anthony Grimaldi, owner and handler.
2d-BELLS YELLOWSTONE PRIDE, F1687338, pointer female, by Touch's Diamante-Bellita. Keith Anderson, owner and handler.
3d-CARBONADO'S COUNTRY SPECTRE, F1705811, pointer male, by Brush Country Spectre-Empire On Line. Austin Turley, owner and handler.

Judges: Keith Anderson and Austin Turley
OPEN SHOOTING DOG - 7 Pointers
1st-LUCKY MAN, F1695973, pointer male, by Wild Billy's Circus Story-My Lucky Day. Ryan Mulcahy & Jessica Vandenbush, owners; Ryan Mulcahy, handler.
2d-LIGHT OF DAY, F1683754, pointer male, by True Confidence-Red Sunshine. Ryan Mulcahy, owner and handler.

Big Sky Amateur Shooting Dog (front, l-r): Anthony Grimaldi with Drifter's Calypso, Keith Anderson with Bells Yellowstone Pride, and Austin Turley with Carbonado's Country Spectre. (Back row): Judges Ryan Mulcahy and Darrell Curtis.