Result: 80th Running of the Grand National Grouse Futurity

Location: Augusta, Wisconsin

Post Date: Jan 28, 2025

Submitted By: Ben Brettingen

80th Grand National Grouse Futurity: Tim's Setter Meg with Tim Callahan, Mud Lake's Money Maven with Hannah Peterson, Clover Valley's Evans with Jerry Furnish, and Big Big Energy with Jordan Pharris.

The 80th running of the Grand National Grouse Futurity commenced on Sunday, November 3, 2024, at the Eau Claire County Forest near Augusta, Wisconsin. Participants, judges, and gallery members faced a steady drizzle and cloudy skies throughout the day, with temperatures starting at a foggy 44 F. The judges, Bill Frahm of Minong, Wisconsin, and Bert Benshoof of Roseville, Minnesota, both respected veterans of the Cover Dog world, evaluated the 21 dogs, each from a nominated litter.

The grounds presented a mix of river bottoms, logging cuts, conifer stands, and mature timber, testing the dogs across a variety of covers within the same courses. With only 0.2 inches of rain in the prior 39 days, the dry conditions made scenting difficult, further complicating bird work. The Futurity's 11 braces ran on 10 courses, including Wilson Park, Gasline, Highline, Culvert, Crash, and H-Course, with the bye-dog running the first half of Wilson Park.

The first brace broke away at 7:27 a.m. under light and variable winds from the north at less than 5 mph.

2nd Brace - Mud Lake's Money Maven
The second brace, run on the latter half of the Wilson Park course, featured Mud Lake's Money Maven, a black-and-white Setter female owned and handled by Hannah Peterson. Maven, bred by Robert Jones, is out of Jones' Big Sky Lanius and sired by Jackson's Let Er Rip. Hannah's husband, Kyle Peterson, scouted while their 3-month-old twins, August and Norah, waited in the van, unable to walk the brace on their own yet.
Maven established herself early, consistently working likely covers and punching into prime bird habitat. Despite the day's tough scenting conditions, she ran a forward race, showing herself in all the right places. Maven handled without conflict, and Peterson was easily able to get her around the course with ease. At 20, the course met a lowland area that ran perpendicular to the course, and Maven took the edge, taking advantage of prime cover. Though no birds were contacted during the brace, her composed and stylish effort earned her second place.

3rd Brace - Clover Valley's Evans
The first half of the Gasline course featured a strong showing by Clover Valley's Evans, known as "Evy," a flashy tri-color Setter female bred, owned, and handled by Jerry Furnish. Evy is out of Clover Valley's Millie and sired by Northwoods Atlas, "Jet." Jet tragically passed away in his prime earlier this summer after winning both the amateur and open 2024 MN/WI Shooting Dog of the Year titles.
Evy broke away at 8:55 a.m. under a light drizzle and a steady 10 mph north wind. From the outset, she moved with a smooth, elegant gait, covering ground effortlessly and maintaining contact with her handler. Evy worked just at the edge of bell range, staying forward and showing remarkable composure in the face of the day's difficult scenting conditions.
At 20, Evy made a bold move, crossing a small creek, quartering through a section of pole timber, and powering uphill with determination into cover. At 27, Evy entered an aspen cut lined with tag alders, positioning herself perfectly in prime bird habitat. Though no birdwork was recorded during the brace, her seamless navigation of the course and forward, polished race earned her third place.

8th Brace - Big Big Energy
The eighth brace, run on the Crash Course, featured Big Big Energy, or "Lotto," a powerful black-and-white Setter male owned and handled by Jordan Pharris of Brainerd, Minnesota. Bred by Jerry Furnish, Lotto is no stranger to accolades, joining his sire, Northwoods Atlas, as the 2024 Purina Pro Plan MN/WI Cover Dog of the Year. In Derby stakes, Lotto was often the favorite, impressing judges with his strong race and effortless handling.
The Crash Course earns its name with frequent cover changes, dense young aspen cuts, and numerous turns that can make it difficult for a dog to get around. The brace broke away at 1:22 p.m. in pouring rain, with sustained winds of 12 mph and gusts reaching 20 mph. Despite the adverse conditions, Lotto performed with admirable ease, staying consistently attuned to Pharris. Running forward and confidently working into likely covers, Lotto positioned himself exactly where he needed to be throughout the course.
At 14:30, Lotto's bracemate, Mojo's Winston Joy, handled by Mark Hughes, emerged from a tight aspen cut and stopped at the top of a ridge. Lotto backed cleanly as Hughes moved to relocate Winston. Winston worked back into the cover, and the judges marked a bird flying out in front. Lotto held steady until Pharris moved him forward. Lotto finished the half-hour, pushing to the front in a young aspen cut.

11th Brace - Tim's Setter Meg
The final brace of the day, featuring the bye-dog Tim's Setter Meg, provided an electrifying conclusion to the 80th Grand National Grouse Futurity. Meg, an orange-and-white Setter female bred by Tim Kaufman, is out of Lake Effect Ali and sired by Rebellious Fearless Fred. Handled by Tim Callahan and scouted by his wife, Deb, Meg delivered a stellar performance as light faded and a steady drizzle persisted.
From the breakaway, Meg moved with purpose, showcasing snappy, deliberate movements and undeniable speed. Her race was forward and intelligent, consistently pushing into likely cover and maintaining the edge of bell range. At 10, Meg crossed a small creek into a patch of prime grouse habitat, quickly but thoroughly working the edges before cutting through the center.
Halfway through the brace, the course turned left onto a snowmobile trail for approximately 100 yards before veering right into thicker cover. This section often challenges dogs, as many overshoot the turn and ultimately fall behind their handlers. Meg, however, pressed ahead with precision, navigating the transition seamlessly.
As the course bent back westward, Meg adjusted effortlessly, quartering in front of Callahan, the judges, and the small remaining gallery. Her movements were sharp and deliberate, with a rhythm that didn't tire as the brace progressed. The connection between Meg and Callahan was evident, with Meg displaying an innate understanding of her handler's intent even in the fading light and steady drizzle.
By the end of the brace, the conditions had grown increasingly difficult, but Meg finished with the same energy and drive she began with. Her performance was marked by poise, intelligence, and style, leaving no doubt among the judges that she was the standout dog of the day and worthy of first place.

Callbacks and Final Placements
With daylight gone, the judges called back seven dogs to determine the four placements in the 80th running of the Grand National Grouse Futurity. The callbacks were scheduled to run on Monday morning.
In order for a dog to be placed in the Futurity, they must demonstrate their ability to point a bird. With wild bird contacts nearly nonexistent during the trial, the callbacks were run over liberated quail. The dogs called back, in order, were:
-- Tim's Setter Meg, ESF, Breeder: Kaufman, O/H: Callahan
-- Mud Lake's Money Maven, ESF, Breeder: R. Jones, O/H: Peterson
-- Clover Valley's Evans, ESF, Breeder: Furnish, O/H: Furnish
-- Big Big Energy, ESM, Breeder: Furnish, O/H: Pharris
-- Mojo's Winston Joy, ESM, Breeder: Mueller, O/H: Molders/Hughes
-- Anna Lake Kali, ESF, Breeder: Matson, O/H: Matson/Hughes
-- High Point's Snowman Fred, ESM, Breeder: Kalupa, O/H: Brettingen
The first four dogs successfully pointed quail, locking in their placements in this prestigious event.

Augusta, Wis., November 3, 2024
Judges: Bill Frahm and Bert Benshoof
80TH GRAND NATIONAL GROUSE FUTURITY - 19 Setters and 2 Pointers
1st-TIM'S SETTER MEG, F1705309, setter female, by Rebellious Fearless Fred-Lake Effect Ali. Tim & Deb Callahan, owners; Tim Callahan, handler.
2d-MUD LAKE'S MONEY MAVEN, F1704637, setter female, by Jackson's Let Er Rip-Jones' Big Sky Lanius. Kyle Peterson, owner; Hannah Peterson, handler.
3d-CLOVER VALLEY'S EVANS, F1705659, setter female, by Northwoods Atlas-Clover Valley's Millie. Jerry Furnish, owner and handler.
4th-BIG BIG ENERGY, F1705733, setter male, by Northwoods Atlas-Clover Valley's Millie. Jordan Pharris, owner and handler.

Tim Callahan with Tim's Setter Meg

Hannah Peterson with Mud Lake's Money Maven

Jerry Furnish with Clover Valley's Evans

Jordan Pharris with Big Big Energy