Subscribe to the American Field Sportsman's Journal! See the NEWS section for details.

I Accept

United Kennel Club (UKC) is an international dog registry celebrating bonds, rewarding ability, and preserving the value of a pedigree. We use cookies to capture information such as IP addresses and tailor the website to our clients' needs. We also use this information to target and measure promotional material. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.

Skip to main content
Facebook Instagram YouTube

Result: Arizona Open Shooting Dog Championship

Location: California City, California

Post Date: Feb 14, 2025

Submitted By: John Beauchamp

Arizona OSD CHS25

Arizona Open Shooting Dog Championship (l-r): John Beauchamp, Ed Mayhew (judge), Terry Erickson with Horizon's Bea, and Bruce Hale (judge).

The Arizona Open Shooting Dog Championship cast off the morning of Wednesday, January 15, following the conclusion of the Wally Wallace Derby Classic. We were only able to get two braces run that day due to high winds. We suspended running to ensure all the dogs had an even playing field. The next morning brought favorable conditions, and we were able to complete the championship and get the accompanying derby run. Morning temps were in the low 20s, and the afternoons never made it into the 60s. We still had some wind gusts and a reasonable breeze--a good day for field trialing.

The trial was significantly impacted by the Los Angeles fires raging out of control throughout the week. We lost judges, had to reshuffle judges based on availability, and our entries dipped. With the increasing cost of putting on championships and clubs, our club at least cannot take too many years in the red as badly as this year.

The grounds were in rough shape this year. Rain did not support germination of the annual grasses, and there hadn't been any rain in months. Leaving the grounds bone dry and the cover thin. But that didn't seem to affect the dogs as they worked the courses in search of game.

Horizon's Bea (Terry Erickson) was up in the first brace and looked good from cast-off to completion of the hour. She worked both sides of the main drainage at good range going out. She made the corner heading east and searched the rocks until she scored her one find late in the brace. But better late than never. Very solid Shooting Dog performance.

California City, Cal., January 15
Judges: Ed Mayhew and Cliff Mesnard
ARIZONA OPEN SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 6 Pointers and 2 Setters
Winner-HORIZON'S BEA, F1685955, setter female, by Northwoods Charles-Gertrude. Terry Erickson, owner and handler.
No runner-up was named.

Bill West Open Derby
This was the first year in several years that we were able to run the Bill West Derby. Bill West was a prominent trainer and field trialer in the 80s-90s. His methods and teaching have influenced a number of today's trainers--a good man who helped the game and always had time for individuals.
We used the front half of the championship courses for the stake, allowing us to run one brace out, change side of the road, and run the other brace back in. Derbies are always fun to watch, and we had some very nice typical derby performances. And yes, some time spent on chippy birds.

Judges: Terry Erickson and Bruce Hale
BILL WEST DERBY - 6 Pointers
1st-SMITH'S SHINING TRUTH, F1706310, pointer female, by Man O War-Hale's Honey Badger. Brian Smith, owner and handler.
2d-ALMOSTA'S BART SIMPSON, F1706309, pointer male, by Man O War-Hale's Honey Badger. John Beauchamp, owner and handler.
3d-ALMOSTA'S DORA THE EXPLORER, F1706308, pointer female, by Man O War-Hale's Honey Badger. John Beauchamp, owner and handler.

Arizona Bill WestS25

Bill West Derby (l-r): Ed Mayhew, Terry Erickson (judge), John Beauchamp with Smith's Shining Truth, and Bruce Hale (judge).

Thank You All
Our Championship judges, Mr. Ed Mayhew and Mr. Cliff Mesnard, were on time and attentive to every brace. Our Derby judges, Mr. Terry Erickson and Mr. Bruce Hale, thank you so much, gentlemen!

And, of course, thank you to Purina! Greg Blair supported us again this year. Having worked with Greg for several years. He is always responsive, timely, and accurate.
We were pleased to have the support of SportDOG, which allowed us to have collars for the champion.

Planting birds when it is 18-21 degrees out is tough! We want to thank Terry Erickson and Bruce Hale for getting up and getting us going each day, sticking around, and helping plant birds in the dark each day. I can't sign off without thanking my wife, Patti, for pulling the hot lunches together.

Hope to see you all down the road. Safe travels, John.