Event: Goldstone Griz wins On-the-Wing Grouse Camp Amateur Shooting Dog Classic
Result: American Red Setter Bird Dog Club

Location: Ellenburg, New York

Post Date: Mar 18, 2025

Submitted By: Andy Weik

Bruce Bennett Amateur Shooting Dog Classic. On-the-Wing Grouse Camp Amateur Shooting Dog Classic winners (l-r): Andy Weik (marshall), Jeremey Estep with Goldstone Griz, Mark Hughes (judge), David Miotto with Hifive's Northern Gold, Marc Forman (judge), and Jeff Keller with Mountain Top Ryn.

The American Red Setter Bird Dog Club held its first-ever cover dog trial on the grounds of Bruce Bennett's On-the-Wing Grouse Camp in Ellenburg, New York. Situated in the northern foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, On-the-Wing Grouse Camp encompasses 1,200 acres of excellent grouse and woodcock habitat that straddles the transition zone of northern forest to farmland. The trial ground is made up of all stages of forest growth, from new clearcuts to mature forest, composed of typical northern forest trees including aspen, paper and yellow birch, black cherry, maples, beech, spruce, and fir. Numerous streams and beaver ponds occur throughout. Understory and wetland edge shrubs include alder, willow, hazel, cranberry, and other viburnums, and dogwoods. Apple trees and stone walls are evidence of the farming history, while tree stumps and young forest growth - and crab apple trees planted for the birds - prove the property's more recent forest management for the purpose of bolstering grouse and woodcock populations.
On-the-Wing Grouse camp is a testament to what can be accomplished for the improvement of grouse and woodcock numbers through well-planned and executed forest management.
Bennett takes great satisfaction in the property and its use. "It was a dream I had since I started to hunt grouse with my family in the 1960s." It began with the purchase of the first piece of grouse cover in Ellenburg in 1988. With the help of friends, he built a grouse camp in 1991, and over the years, the grouse camp grew to a hunting property of 1,200 acres managed for grouse and woodcock. During this span, he's hosted many sportsmen and women, introduced new hunters to the challenge and joy of grouse and woodcock hunting, and spent quality time with friends and family. Additionally, in 2024, he generously hosted two cover dog field trials, including this one. On December 19, 2024, Bennett passed ownership of the camp and 860 acres on to new owner, Bill McFadden, who will continue to manage the property for grouse and woodcock.

Our judging staff was exceptionally well experienced, bringing with them many years of training, trialing, and judging cover dogs at the highest level. Marc Forman (NY), Mark Hughes (PA), Adam Dubriske (NH), Jeff Keller (PA), Al Fazenbaker (OH), and Jeremey Estep (PA) all generously gave their time and attention for judicial duties during this trial.

The Club would like to thank our sponsors and volunteers for their time and contributions that made the trial a success. First and foremost is Bruce Bennett for the use of the grounds and facilities, assistance with course layout, use of his UTV, and off-road shuttling of dogs and people during the weekend. Mike Flewelling generously donated several of his highly coveted Sunkhaze/Flewelling bells as judges' gifts. Jeff Keller kept the judges and volunteers well fed at camp, other than the evening that Bill McFadden treated the judges to dinner out on the town. Joe Cammisa supplied the donuts and helped to keep the wheels rolling in numerous ways.

Andy Weik marshaled all stakes and donated dog food drybags and a couple of pies as prizes. Deb Fazenbaker was unable to attend, but she kindly sent two days' worth of lunches with Al Fazenbaker, who was the trial chair. Really, everyone who judged or ran a dog helped in numerous ways, from shuttling vehicles to lugging coffee break essentials to snapping photos. Special thanks to the judges of the Amateur Shooting Dog Classic, pros Marc Forman and Mark Hughes, for also supporting the open stakes with numerous entries. Purina donated Pro Plan coupons through the U. S. Complete Shooting Dog Association, which sanctioned this trial.

Weather in the days preceding and during the trial was clear, with daily high temperatures in the low 30s, dipping into the mid-20s at night. Remnants of the season's first snowfall from a week earlier could be found in the shaded areas. Food for grouse was abundant in the form of apples, crab apples, berries, greens, and buds of preferred hardwood species. Grouse were moved on all six of the one-hour courses. No woodcock were found, as they apparently had migrated out during the week following the first snowfall, prior to the start of the trial.

The Running
The trial opened cold and crisp Saturday morning with the On-the-Wing Grouse Camp one-hour Amateur Classic. Brace No. 1 commenced at 7:30 on the Bigelow course, followed by brace No. 2 on the Tourville course and brace No. 3 on the Beaver Ponds course. None of the braces had birdwork, and the judges elected to call back four dogs that displayed superior application and race: Mountain Top Ryn ("Ryn"), a female English Setter handled by Jeff Keller; Braeval Skye ("Skye"), a female Irish Setter handled by Connor McCluskey; Hifive's Northern Gold ("Cooper"), a male Pointer handled by David Miotto, and Goldstone Griz ("Cub"), a male English Setter handled by Jeremey Estep. As time was winding down on the second callback brace, Cub had a stop to flush that turned into a broke find when his handler was able to flush a second grouse. Cub's manners were impeccable, earning the win, with Cooper capturing second place and Ryn third place.

The Gun Dog stake had four entries, with one brace running on Panther A and the second brace on Panther B. Jeremey Estep's young female English Setter "Gertie" took first with a snappy forward race. Serge Bonin's female English Setter "Minnie" was next with a more moderate and nice handling run, and Bruce Bennett's female Deutsch Drahthaar ("Abby") earned third with a closer and thorough hunting pattern.

Taking blue in the Open Derby was Still Meadows Little Sunray, Kelly Hays' winning female English Setter. Ray showed a consistently wide and forward race. Her bracemate Neff's Catch Me Get Me, a male English Setter handled by Marc Forman, was a close second. Jamie Welsh handled his powerful going young female Pointer Points North Pour Another to the final placement.

Running in the third brace of the Open Shooting Dog, female Pointer A Distant Spec set the bar high with an early find and perfect manners. Mark Hughes handled Spec to a very nice forward race to win the stake. Not far behind for the red was French's Grouseringer Woody, a male English Setter deftly handled by Marc Forman. Miller's Dusty Version, a female Pointer handled by Mark Hughes, ran as the bye dog in the final brace and captured third place.

Ellenburg, Ny., November 16
Judges: Marc Forman and Mark Hughes
BRUCE BENNET AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG CLASSIC [One-Hour Heats] - 1 Pointer, 4 Setters and 1 Irish Setter
1st-GOLDSTONE GRIZ, F1699282, setter male, by Blast Zone-Gold Rush. Jeremey Estep, owner and handler.
2d-HIFIVE'S NORTHERN GOLD, F1702444, pointer male, by Titanium's Hammer-Hifive's Alisin. David Miotto, owner and handler.
3d-MOUNTAIN TOP RYN, F1690895, setter female, by Ponderosa Mac-Grouse River Woodcock Annie. Jeff Keller, owner and handler.

Open Shooting Dog (l-r): Mark Hughes with A Distant Spec, Jeff Keller (judge), Marc Forman with French's Grouse Ringer Woody, Adam Dubriske (judge), and Andy Weik with Miller's Dusty Version.

Judges: Adam Dubriske and Jeff Keller
OPEN SHOOTING DOG - 12 Pointers, 2 Setters and 3 Irish Setters
1st-A DISTANT SPEC, F1668665, pointer female, by Erin's War Creek-Brave Heart Cassie. Mike Husenits, owner; Mark Hughes, handler.
2d-FRENCH'S GROUSERINGER WOODY, F1679375, setter male, by Ponderosa Mac-Grouse River Woodcock Annie. Brian French, owner; Marc Forman, handler.
3d-MILLER'S DUSTY VERSION, F1706290, pointer female, by Miller's Upgraded Version-Miller's Special Edition. Mike Husenits, owner; Mark Hughes, handler.

Open Derby (l-r): Kelly Hays with Still Meadows Little Sunray, Marc Forman with Neff's Catch Me Get Me, and Jamie Welsh with Point North Pour Another.

Judges: Jeff Keller and Jeremey Estep
OPEN DERBY - 1 Pointer, 9 Setters and 1 Irish Setter
1st-STILL MEADOWS LITTLE SUNRAY, F1704573, setter female, by Long Gone Wallace-Chase's I'm Miss Smith. Brian & Kelly Hays, owners; Kelly Hays, handler.
2d-NEFF'S CATCH ME GET ME, F1705378, setter male, by Wayward Flyin Tomato-Twilights Echoed Promise. Will Neff, owner; Marc Forman, handler.
3d-POINTS NORTH POUR ANOTHER, F1705570, pointer female, by Wild Apple Boa Constrictor-Prairie Creek Dolly. Jamie Welsh, owner and handler.

Judges: Jeff Keller and Al Fazenbaker
AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG - 1 Pointer, 2 Setters and 1 Deutsch Drahthaar
1st-GERTIE, unreg., setter female, breeding not given. Jeremey Estep, owner and handler.
2d-MINNIE, unreg., setter female, unreg., breeding not given. Serge Bonin, owner and handler.
3d-ABBY, unreg., Deutsch Drahthaar female, breeding not given. Bruce Bennett, owner and handler.

Amateur Shooting Dog (l-r): Jeremey Estep with Gertie, Serge Bonin with Minnie, (missing Bruce Bennett with Abby), and Deb Nihart with Zeeva.