Result: Ontario Grouse Championship

Location: Philipsburg, Pennsylvania

Post Date: May 9, 2025

Submitted By: David A. Fletcher

Ontario Grouse Championship (l-r): Joe Cammisa, Bill McFadden with Mohawk Mill Good Advice, Bill Cullen (judge), John Stolgitis with Chasehill Poison Ivy, and Bruce Minard (judge).

Mohawk Mill Good Advice, a 7-year-old pointer male, was named Ontario Grouse Champion, and Chasehill Poison Ivy, a 5-year-old pointer female, was named runner-up. Remarkably, both are owned by William and Karen McFadden of Angola, New York, and were handled by John Stolgitis of Ashaway, Rhode Island.

The Ontario Grouse Championship held its 33rd renewal over the Black Moshannon State Forest Area near Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania, from March 31 to April 3, with an entry of 48 dogs--30 pointers and 18 setters. The weather was a bit chilly at times, mornings in the 30s and afternoons into the 40s. Light rain and a thunderstorm with high winds made an appearance, but were not enough to stop the running of the Championship event. Native grouse and woodcock were in good supply, giving adequate opportunity for the dogs.

Why is an Ontario Grouse Championship conducted over Pennsylvania courses? It's a three-decade story. The event was started in Canada's Ontario Province by veteran field trialers who wanted to compete on wild grouse and woodcock rather than the released quail and pheasant of Ontario's one-course trials. Canadians Dan Mansell, Jack Clark, Bill McClure, and Tim Tufts got the ball rolling with a couple of events at Norwood, Ontario, then the move was made to the Copeland Forest near Barrie, Ontario. Your scribe, born and raised in Ontario, joined the sponsoring group at this juncture, which by then I had helped achieve Championship status. Copeland was a very adequate site for several years, but the ranks of the trial sponsors thinned, public hunting on the grounds took the bird population down to some degree, and there was no cutting program to provide regrowth areas needed for feeding, nesting, and suitable cover for the welfare of brood chicks. New York and Pennsylvania offered their trial venues, and the Championship flourished. For many years, Tim Tufts managed the trial himself, with American help, and he worked diligently and kept it alive.

With the recent death of Tim Tufts, a reorganization was in order. The Venango Club program took over sponsorship of the Ontario Championship, and the Club officers' list emerged as: Dave Fletcher, President; Dr. Tim Perschke, Vice President; Joe Cammisa, Secretary; and Chip Chiappini as Treasurer. Eric Munden was asked to join the group as a director, and his addition has been a great move for this Club and the Championship.

More about the Black Moshannon State Forest grounds. They are spacious, a little hilly in places and there is a cutting program in place, necessitated several years ago by an infestation of Gypsy Moths which prompted cutting away of much of their tree habitat and this process was continued by blocks of acreage being cut, mainly on an annual basis. There are some openings in the forest, giving the dogs birdy edges to explore.

Who were the bodies that physically put the trial on? Joe Cammisa looked after the drawing, securing the judges, and was the Club secretary and trial chairman. The judges walk as the event does not use horses. Judges were Bruce Minard of Beulah, Michigan, who has been embraced as a professional trainer and handler, both in the walking grouse dog world and horseback trials. His partner was John Cullen, a Maine resident, and John is also very experienced in the world of pointing dog trials.

Marshaling the courses was done mainly by Jeff Keller with help from Brian Ralph, and Dick Brenneman on the road crossings, and others. Lunches were exceptional, perhaps one of the main functions of the day. Joe Cammisa prevailed in great form, abetted by Lion Country Supply stalwarts Eric Munden and Steve Stiner. The trial management crew was lodged in Phillipsburg at a Bed and Breakfast where more great meals were on the grill for the group. Helen Brenneman and Susie Cammisa, as they always do, provided lots of cookies and other delicious dessert items.

Our thanks go out to Purina and Greg Blair for their product donations, and they have been a faithful contributor for many years. Lion Country Supply, among other items, provided judges' gifts. Fletcher Printing provided the winners' plaques.

The Winners and Others
As I mentioned earlier, it is somewhat unusual for an owner and a handler to capture both championship and runner-up placements in a major field trial. It happened this time around. Billie McFadden, as I called him 40 or so years ago when I met him, won the Championship and runner-up. Forty years ago, Billie or Bill or William, as he is now probably called, came to the Lake States Club at Gladwin, Michigan, to run dogs, won placements, and literally was a vibrant figure in grouse events. I was president of the Lake States Club at the time and heavily involved. I remained heavily involved with reporting and attending a range of grouse events over the following decades, and it became evident that Billie was not campaigning grouse dogs to the extent he was earlier. The present seems to be a resurgence with his rather recent acquisition of new competitive field trial prospects and with a huge contribution to the field trial sport in purchasing a sizeable tract of land near Ellensburg, New York, for the sole purpose of providing the sport with a wonderful set of grounds on which to stage grouse and woodcock trials.

As mentioned in the running section of this report, the two McFadden contenders had great hunting efforts, handled and worked the cover beautifully, and had stylish and mannerly birdwork. Handler John Stolgitis has more than his astute handling of both winning dogs on the course to be credited for. His Chasehill Kennel is in the background bloodlines and training of the winning dogs. Good Advice is the grandson of 19x Champion Chase Hill Little Bud, with multiple placements in open and amateur horseback competition. He also helped Billy McFadden acquire both dogs and went on with their training routines. Poison Ivy previously won the runner-up title at the Grand National Grouse Invitational Championship and has also won additional wild bird championships. Both winning dogs have multiple placements in field trials on their win record. Judges spoke of pointer female Beaver Meadow Bit as the closest to the winners with her wide hunting and excellent pair of woodcock finds. Two unproductives could have been a factor. Mark Hughes is her handler/trainer, and club Secretary Joe Cammisa is her owner.

The Running
The Championship consumed four days, six braces per day. The field of 48 drawn was the largest in recent Club history. There were three scratches during the running. A count of the birds pointed stands at six grouse and 15 woodcock, but there were more birds seen during the running, mostly wild flushes on the course edges, as the gallery came through. A summary of what the judges witnessed is included herein. The initial four braces were birdless, but the dogs hunted well, handled, and finished the hour in goodly form.

Braces 5 and 6 featured single woodcock finds and a lone grouse, but despite good hunting activity, did not quite reach spectacular status, as a championship at times demands. Roy, a setter male in the seventh brace handled by Mark Hughes running as a bye, logged a pair of woodcock finds and was, as the term goes, carried for a possible placement. Beaver Meadow Bit, also handled by Mark Hughes and followed closely by owner, trial manager Joe Cammisa, in the eighth brace scored a grouse find and two woodcock finds but had two unproductives. She also joined the "carried" list.
Braces 9, 10, and 11 featured lots of good hunting, but only one woodcock was pointed.

Brace 12 brought forth the eventual champion, Mohawk Mill Good Advice, handled by John Stolgitis. This dog was a treat to the eye with his gait and style in motion and on point, along with his attention to hunting the best portions of his course. His grouse find came at the 59-minute mark, with bracemate standing on point there also, and "which dog was there first" was the question answered by the judges in Advice's favor. This was no doubt the best dog down so far in the stake, and he survived the challenge of the rest of the field and took the top honors.

In the 13th brace, Double Deuce Zeke, handled by Mark Hughes, had two nice woodcock finds and a hard hunting hour, but misbehaved on a woodcock near time.

In Braces 14 through 17, no challenging performances came forth. Brace 18 brought forth the Runner-up Champion Chasehill Poison Ivy, handled by John Stolgitis. This may have been the best hunting effort in the entire stake, always to good cover, charging the course with style, speed, and determination. Her woodcock find and back of bracemate were stylish and mannerly. The final six braces produced two Woodcock finds, several unproductives, and no challenges to the dogs the judges were carrying. Perhaps the closest dog to the winner's circle was Beaver Meadow Bit.

Philipsburg, Pa., March 31
Judges: Bruce Minard and John Cullen
ONTARIO GROUSE CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 30 Pointers and 18 Setters
Winner-MOHAWK MILL GOOD ADVICE, F1685480. pointer male, by Stoney Run's Buddy-Hirollins Fancy Lady. William & Karen McFadden, owners; John Stolgitis, handler.
Runner-Up-CHASEHILL POISON IVY, F1694453, pointer female, by Panola Bacon-Chasehill Little Izzy. William & Karen McFadden, owners; John Stolgitis, handler.