Event: Over a large field of 59 dogs Warrior Zeke captures title of the
Result: Northern Michigan Cover Dog Championship

Location: Meredith, Michigan

Post Date: Nov 20, 2024

Submitted By: Tom Fruchey

Northern Michigan Cover Dog Championship (l-r): Mark Hughes with Warrior Zeke, Ben Mergens (judge), Tom Fruchey (club secretary), Rob Ellis with Ponderosa's Copper Penny, and Shane Haskin (judge).

The Beaverton Grouse Dog Club conducted the 15th running of the prestigious Northern Michigan Cover Dog Championship on the premier field trial grounds near Meredith, Michigan. The Club was most fortunate to have Ben Mergens of Inver Grove, Minnesota, and Shane Haskin of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, perform the judicial duties for this year's championship. They were both extremely attentive to all the contestants, and their decisions were well received.
The trial started on Wednesday, October 16, and concluded Sunday morning with just two braces that day. Seven braces were run each of the other four days, and the weather for the entire trial was unseasonably dry and warm. While this type of weather made for difficult scenting conditions, more than enough birds were seen and pointed over the five days to make for a very worthy champion and runner-up.

Purina was once again our major trial sponsor and handed out Pro Plan dog food certificates to the winner and runner-up and also provided coupons for feed to the Derby winners. We are very much appreciative of their generosity to our cover dog clubs and look forward to a long-lasting relationship.

The Beaverton Club provided free of charge, lunches each day, coffee and donuts each morning, and snacks all week long. The highlight of the trial was Saturday night's chicken dinner. Nearly 40 people attended and had their fill of hot and juicy chicken with green bean casserole and scalloped potatoes, finishing it off with dessert. No one left hungry.
Horses for the judges, as always, were provided by Dun Roven Kennels. Jenny and Rich Hollister make sure the mounts are ready to go each morning and go beyond the call of duty to move them when needed and the surefooted easy, riding mounts make for a very enjoyable day in the woods. Thank you very much, Rich and Jenny, for all you do for Gladwin's clubs!

The Winners
This year's winner ran in the last brace of the trial as a bye-dog on Sunday morning. Warrior Zeke, owned by Mike Husenits of West Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and handled by Mark Hughes, was loosed as the second morning brace on Course 11/12. Zeke was all business right from the start as he slammed into point at the two-minute mark just after breakaway and carded a beautiful grouse find on a mature bird; his style on point was magnificent. He watched the bird fly away, remaining tall at the flush and shot! Once released, he continued hunting all the likely cover reaching to the edges but remaining forward and in check with the handler. His style on the ground was smooth and fluid, making his ground efforts very easy on the eyes. His forward hunting efforts were rewarded again at the 12-minute mark with another flawless grouse find, all very much in order. He continued his strong forward and classy ground applications through Course 11 and merged onto Course 12, the halfway point, with a minimal amount of handling and checking out all the aspen stands as well as the scrub oak cover where the birds should be. When nearing the end of his hour, Zeke caught scent of a woodcock and eased into point; with the bird being well located off his nose, handler Hughes had no problem putting the bird into flight, and once again, Zeke remained high and tight throughout the entire flushing, flight, and shot. He finished his hour strong and forward with gas still left in the tank even though the course was warm and dry!

This was Mark's first big championship win in Michigan, and he told me it was most gratifying to win a prestigious event such as the Beaverton Club's Cover Dog Championship. This was truly a very good performance, and he bested a huge field of some very nice grouse dogs from all over the Cover Dog Circuit!

Close on the heels and being carried as the champion until the last brace was a classy four-year-old Setter female owned, handled, and trained by a fairly newcomer to the cover dog world, Rob Ellis. Rob has only been in the game for about four years; he told me that veteran Bob Wheelock introduced him to field trials by inviting him to run his Shorthair brag dog in the club's hunting dog stake. Rob fell in love with the game right away and started his search for a field trial dog, which just happened to be this Penny dog. Call it beginner's luck or just hard work, but Rob was able to put a title on his very first field trial dog; either way, we are very fortunate to have Rob in our game.

Penny ran in the first brace of Saturday morning on Course 11/12, the same course as the winner. When loosed, she sped off, moving free and fancy hunting the scrub oak thoroughly. At the 8-minute mark, she was found standing on a grouse. Rob put the bird to flight, and Penny showed good manners throughout the entire episode. When released, she sped to the front and made a nice cast down a slight slope to the left into a birdy-looking bottom. Her bell went silent down in the valley, and she was soon found on point. This time, during the flushing effort, a pair of grouse were put to flight, and Penny withstood all the temptations with perfect manners throughout the shot, a very nice piece of work. After being released, she made some very large cast towards the front at times out of bell range but returned each time in the right places. She stayed strong and fancy through the rest of the hour. Nearing the end of her brace, she was found standing, but as hard as Rob tried flushing, he could not put a bird into the air, thus carding a nonproductive. She finished her hour strong and going away to the front!

The judges stated that well over half the field of dogs had some type of birdwork. Grouse and woodcock were seen on every course, but the warm, dry weather conditions made it tough to get birds pointed and also made it difficult for dogs to finish their hour with the drive needed to capture the championship title.

Meredith, Mich., October 16
Judges: Shane Haskin and Ben Mergens
NORTHERN MICHIGAN COVER DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 23 Pointers and 36 Setters
Winner-WARRIOR ZEKE, F1668664, pointer male, by Erin's War Creek-Brave Heart Cassie. Mike Husenits, owner; Mark Hughes, handler.
Runner-Up-PONDEROSA'S COPPER PENNY, F1690593, setter female, by Ponderosa Mac-Eldridge's Beauty and Beast. Robert Ellis, owner and handler.

Wolverine Derby Classic
The juvenile event was held on Sunday and was judged by Sean McKellop of Grayling, Michigan, and your scribe. The temps reached into the mid-70s this day and made it very hard for the young canines to finish their heats and even harder to point a bird.
Hypointe Sharpshooter is a nice, stylish running Setter handled by veteran pro Scott Chaffee and owned by Nicholas Mellon of Murrysville, Pennsylvania. He started strong, moving gracefully to the front and hunting all the likely cover on Course 16. At the 5-minute mark, he had a nice stylish stand, but no bird could be put to flight. He continued hunting hard, and at 20, his bell went silent off to our left. Chaffee went in and quickly put a woodcock to flight, all in order. Releasing and moving forward and out of the slashing cover and into some standing oak, Shooter started making game and started working a bird off to our right. He continued working this running bird for about 50 yards when suddenly he stopped right in front of us, saying here it is, boys and sure enough, a large, ruffed grouse blew out in front of him all in order a very impressive piece of work and earned him the blue!

Second place was awarded to Hitail Roxy Afield, with a very strong and classy race always showing in the right places and hitting all the likely coverts with no letdowns even though the temps were in the mid-70s. It was noted that this dog is a littermate to the winner, and I am sure we will see more of these two back in the winners' circle.

The third-place derby ran in the same brace as the second-place derby on Course 3. Hatton Hills Luci also ran a fast, classy race to the front and a shy shorter in range than her bracemate. She is owned and very capably handled by Club President Shane Haskin.
The Beaverton Grouse Dog Club would like to recognize all who made this trial a huge success. First and foremost, Purina for their donations of feed to the winners and the gifts for the judges. Field Trial Chairmen Bryan Wood, Marshals Ken Moss, Dale Ash, Tom Fruchey, Bob Wheelock, John McKellop, Jeff Keller, Mike Singleton, Joe Colglazier, Brian Ralph, Brent, and Denise Peters. Dennis Keysor helped immensely by bringing lunches and dinner to the grounds at the appropriate times each day. Also, thanks to all the cover dog pros who support our club, Scott and Tammy Chaffee, Scott and Marc Forman, Mark Hughes, and Rich Hollister. So many help to make these trials a success, and we want to thank you all for your participation.

Judges: Tom Fruchey and Sean McKellop
WOLVERINE DERBY CLASSIC - 5 Pointers, 17 Setters, and 2 Brittanys
1st-HYPOINTE SHARPSHOOTER, F1706315, setter male, by Dun Rovens Zip-Castle Rocks Autumn Breeze. Nicholas Mellon Jr., owner; Scott Chaffee, handler.
2d-HITAIL ROXY AFIELD, F1705101, setter female, by Dun Rovens Zip-Castle Rocks Autumn Breeze. Russell Fazio, owner and handler.
3d-HATTON HILLS LUCI, F1706362, setter female, by Swift Rock Lawbreaker-Swift Rock Julie. Shane Haskin, owner and handler.

Wolverine Derby Classic (l-r): Scott Chaffee with Hypointe Sharpshooter, Tom Fruchey (judge), Russell Fazio with Hitail Roxy Afield, Sean McKellop (judge), and Shane Haskin with Hatton Hills Luci.