Result: National Red Setter Shooting Dog Championships

Location: Pinckneyville, Illinois

Post Date: May 14, 2025

Submitted By: Bonnie Hidalgo

National Red Setter Open Shooting Dog Championship (front): Clayton Thompson with Quantonas Reloaded and Kelli Aitken-Thompson with Red Bird's The Fifth Element. (Back): Roger Boser, Terry Trzcinski, Don Beauchamp, Bruce Bryant (judge), Bruce Ludwig, Dennis Hidalgo, Tim Hammons, Todd Manns (judge), Dean Reinke, Ed Liermann, Tom Norton, and Kristine Hammons.

Quantonas Reloaded came to this trial loaded for bear, besting a field of 18 to take the title of National Red Setter Open Shooting Dog Champion with a pleasing performance. She came back in the Amateur Shooting Dog Championship for another victory, out of 13 entries. In this stake, she delivered a jaw-dropping presentation, one that will remain in the minds of the beholders for years to come. It would be difficult for any dog to cover that course more perfectly than she did.
Quantonas Reloaded was handled by Clayton Thompson to both of these wins. "Neo" is owned by Clayton Thompson and Kelli Aitken-Thompson; she was scouted by Kelli, who is also her breeder. The 4-year-old female was sired by Heiligsepp's Blick and is out of the winning producer, Quantonas Reciprocal.

Red Bird's The Fifth Element captured the runner-up titles in both the Open Shooting Dog and Amateur Shooting Dog Championships, handing a sweep of all championship placements to Kelli and Clayton Thompson. Red Bird's The Fifth Element is owned by Kristi Gallino and Kelli Aitken-Thompson. He was handled to both placements by Kelli. This two-time champion displayed amazing consistency in his performances. Griffin covered the courses thoroughly and wisely; he handled his game with the excellence of a veteran.

The National Red Setter Futurity winner was Firefly's Quantonas, owned by Bonnie and Dennis Hidalgo of Brighton, Colorado. "Quint" was handled by Kelli Aitken-Thompson, who is also his breeder. In second place was Slingblade, owned, bred, and handled by Roger Boser of Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania. Third place went to Big Red Machine, handled by Tom Waite. He is owned and bred by Mike Fox of Patriot, Indiana. Fourth place in the Futurity went to Quantonas Reckless Abandon, owned by Kelli Aiken-Thompson and Clayton Thompson. Kelli is both the breeder and handler of this young female.

Aside from these three major stakes, the National Red Setter Club offers an Open Puppy (horseback handled), and Walking stakes for shooting dogs, derbies, and puppies. The puppy entry was light, but the Walking Shooting Dog had eight starters, and the Walking Derby attracted 11 starters. The winners of those stakes are announced in the order in which they were conducted.

This was the second year that the NRSFTC held its spring trial at Illinois' Pyramid State Park Captain Unit Field Trial grounds. Each time the club has held a trial here, it's been apparent that the grounds have improved. There has been a great deal of clearing, making the courses more open and allowing the courses to have a better flow. Some of the ditch crossings have been improved with grading and the addition of rock, making them safer. Meal prep and clean up were made so much easier with the addition of hot and cold running water in the clubhouse.

The local Illinois Department of Natural Resources personnel are extremely helpful and welcoming to field trial groups. They work with the local trial community to make changes that will positively impact our events. Local trialers, Jim Lawless and Jon Lam, work on this relationship, help keep the grounds clean, and meet with the DNR to discuss improvements that would be advantageous to field trials. These grounds have become quite popular. The closest towns with services and amenities are Pinckneyville and Du Quoin.

Judges for all seven stakes at this trial were Bruce Bryant of Silver City, Iowa, and Todd Manns of River Falls, Wisconsin. They worked hard, watched closely, and made popular decisions. They were friendly and helpful to all. Bruce runs German Shorthaired pointers with great success; his Keg Creek Kennel is well-known. Todd runs pointers on the amateur circuit. Both gentlemen have been in the sport for over 30 years and have judged many trials. The NRSFTC was grateful to have their services. The judges were gifted with shirts and vests, courtesy of Purina, through the AFTCA store.

Purina and, in particular, the Purina Pro Plan Sporting Dog group with Greg Blair as our area manager, supported us in a huge way! Purina Rep, Terry Trzcinski, was on hand to offer information on product and to help us disperse bags of Purina Pro Plan to the winners. We enjoyed his company. After the conclusion of each stake, we made sure that those who placed took their dog food immediately, so as to avoid confusion. The members of the NRSFTC cannot say enough good about the Purina products, the generosity, and the helpfulness of their staff. Thank you, Purina, for all you do for the sport of pointing breed field trials!
Garmin is also very supportive of the National Red Setter Club and provides our winners with excellent training products. Garmin representative Dean Reinke attended the trial and offered good information on their product line. We are very grateful for Garmin's support! Thank you, Garmin, for your support, and Dean for your help!

The NRSFTC is also fortunate to have support from SportDOG! They provide some of their products for our fundraisers. Thank you, SportDOG, and thank you to Jim Morehouse for your many years of support.

This spring, we welcomed some new members to their first National Red Setter trial; we thank Deb and John Dlobik and Chris Fields for coming and running your nice red dogs! We hope to see you back next fall, in Missouri!

Our weather was a big improvement over last year's high temperatures. We had sunny skies and moderate temperatures; jackets were needed in the mornings. The only negative in the weather department was the presence of moderate to strong winds on a couple of afternoons.
Trial Chairman Ed Liermann took entries and conducted the drawing on Wednesday evening, April 9; the entries had closed the evening before. Wendy Schafer created the running orders, and Kelli Aitken-Thompson posted them to Facebook.
Kelli, being among the first to arrive, made a few trips to buy hay for judges and competitors. She also set out hoses and water tubs, which made it nice for those arriving after a long drive. Wendy Schafer and Linda Beauchamp did a lot of kitchen prep work at home, which made meals at the clubhouse less labor-intensive. Wendy prepared soups, pulled pork sandwiches, and roasts. Linda brought many delicious desserts. There was a meal served on the grounds every night. Club members who supplied a meal were Dennis Hidalgo, Mike Fox, Andy Weik, and Wendy with a Thanksgiving turkey dinner for Sunday night. Monday night was the Purina banquet; a local restaurant catered a great meal with the choice of fried chicken or ham, plus all the sides. We were joined by our favorite Purina Rep, Terry Trzcinski. Tuesday night's Taco Tuesday meal by Kelli was canceled because we had too many leftovers to eat. No one lost weight at this trial. We all owe a huge thank you to Wendy and Linda for all the work they put in in order to keep us all fed and the clubhouse clean.

The club's annual meeting followed the Purina-sponsored banquet. The two main items of business were recognizing our recent Hall of Fame inductees and the election of officers and directors. A brief tribute was made in honor of our inductees before Linda Beauchamp presented a beautiful cake for dessert that had photos of Bob Gove and Ch. Kindle on it. Ed Liermann, as head of the nomination committee, submitted the following panel of officers for re-election: Dennis Hidalgo as President, Ed Liermann as 1st VP, Milt Schafer as 2nd VP, Amy Gauthier as Secretary, and Linda Beauchamp as Treasurer. Two board members with expiring terms and eligibility for a second term were Don Beauchamp and Roger Boser. Both were on the slate for another three-year term to expire in 2028. The members present voted unanimously to elect the slate as presented.

Trial Chairman Ed Liermann had a hard-working crew that kept the event rolling on schedule. Clayton Thompson salted the walking courses with birds and then planted more behind each brace of the walking stakes, which ran all day on Saturday. Since it was an out-and-back course, Milt Schafer attended the dog wagon and helped transfer the even braces to the UTV to make them available for the return brace. Dennis Hidalgo drove the UTV, ferrying dogs and handlers from one end of the course to the other. Ed Liermann served as marshal for these stakes.

During the horseback stakes, Ed was the head marshal and was assisted by other members when the need arose. Pitching in on this duty were Tim Hammons, Kelli Thompson, and your scribe. Milt Schafer and Dennis Hidalgo were catching birds before 6 a.m. in order to plant all three one-hour courses and return before starting time. During the morning, running, the two followed behind the gallery to plant birds for the afternoon braces. When possible, they would haul early pick-up dogs back to the dog wagon. In the afternoon, Milt was accompanied by various people who took turns watching the action or assisting with the dog wagon. Don Beauchamp, Andy Weik, Tom Norton, Dennis Hidalgo, and Sam Nutting drove or assisted with the dog wagon duties at various times. Kelli and Clayton, the first to arrive, were the last to leave; the club thanks Kelli for sweeping the clubhouse before they departed.

Open Walking Derby
The walking stakes were run on the ridge known as "The Mountain"; it was the driest place on the grounds to run a foot-handled stake. The torrential rains that hit the area the week before determined the course. This was the first stake to run; 10 of its 11 entries came to the line. The scratch was unavoidable, due to the illness of the dog. Judges Bruce Bryant and Todd Manns presided.
Foxy Abragaelic impressed the judges to win this stake; she is owned, bred, and handled by Mike Fox, Patriot, Indiana. Abragaelic put down a great race with three good finds, standing steady on the third one. She hunted the entire time.
Dale Creek Simply Next, a male Irish setter owned and handled by Deb Dlobik, took second place. "Torin" ran a consistently forward race at ideal range. He scored a good "derby broke" find, pointing with high head and tail until his bracemate flushed the bird. He responded well to his handler's direction.
I'm Just Rosie, owned by Tim and Kristine Hammons and handled by Kristine, placed third in this competitive stake. Rosie ran a strong, forward race while hunting the cover. She scored two high-style finds.

Open Walking Shooting Dog
Brook's White Hot Blaze, owned by Luke Tewes and handled by Tom Waite, was named the winner of his stake. Blaze scored one nice find in a big, forward race. He covered a lot of real estate and finished nicely.
Cedar Creek MacArthur Ruby, owned by Milt and Wendy Schafer, put it all together to take second place. She ran a big, independent race with one very stylish find. Her manners were perfect. She also had an unproductive.
The judges stated that they saw some other nice dogs, but none of those came through with clean birdwork.

Open Walking Puppy
This was the final walking stake and the last stake to run on Saturday. There were only three entries, so only one placement would be recognized by the registry. The judges felt that all three dogs showed good merit and placed them all in order, so as to reward and encourage their owners.
Red Rambling Ranger, in the words of the judges, "was a joy to watch." The young male was handled to the win by Kris Hammons; Ranger is owned by Tim and Kristine Hammons of Berea, Kentucky. Ranger ran a forward race with a happy, eye-appealing gait. He hit all the likely objectives.
Dale Creek Busy Bee ran a snappy race at good range but exhibited less independence than that of the winner. She placed second for owner and handler Andrea Ward of Burlington, Wisconsin.
The judges named Dale Creek Firecracker Josie to third place. They commented that she is a nice dog and that she ran a good race. Josie is owned and handled by Chris Fields of Deforest, Wisconsin.

Red Setter Open Derby: Ed Liermann, Terry Trzcinski, Don Beauchamp, Kristine Hammons, Tim Hammons with I'm Just Rosie, Tom Norton, Bruce Ludwig, Deb Dlobik with Dale Creek Simply Next, Todd Manns (judge), Mike Fox with Foxy Abragaelic, and Bruce Bryant (judge).

Pinckneyville, Ill., April 12
Judges: Bruce Bryant and Todd Manns
RED SETTER OPEN DERBY- 11 Irish Setters
1st-FOXY ABRAGAELIC, F1709164, Irish setter female, by Silver Creek Wild Again-Foxy Lady Sadie. Mike Fox, owner and handler.
2d-DALE CREEK SIMPLY NEXT, F1708709, Irish setter male, by Raintree Blue Moon-Jamison. Debra Dlobik, owner and handler.
3d-I'M JUST ROSIE, F1716546, Irish setter female, by S C Hotrod Mack-Roses Are Red. Tim & Kristine Hammons, owners; Kristine Hammons, handler.

Red Setter Open Shooting Dog: Terry Trzcinski, Ed Liermann, Don Beauchamp, Wendy Schafer, Milt Schafer with Cedar Creek MacArthur Ruby, Tom Norton, Bruce Bryant (judge), Andrea Ward, Todd Manns (judge), Tom Waite with Brook's White Hot Blaze, and Dean Reinke.

RED SETTER OPEN SHOOTING DOG - 8 Irish Setters
1st-BROOKS WHITE HOT BLAZE, F1686462, Irish setter male, by Zansett Simply Red-Lincoln's Steady Brook. Luke Tewes, owner; Tom Waite, handler.
2d-CEDAR CREEK MACARTHUR RUBY, F1687470, Irish setter female, by Cedar Creek Sixgun-Cedar Creek Ciara. Milton Schafer & Ed Liermann, owners; Milt Schafer, handler.

Red Setter Open Puppy: Ed Liermann, Don Beauchamp, Tom Norton, Chris Fields with Dale Creek Firecracker Josie, Dean Reinke, Andrea Ward with Dale Creek Busy Bee, Bruce Bryant (judge), Tim Hammons with Red Rambling Ranger, and Todd Manns (judge).

RED SETTER OPEN PUPPY - 3 Irish Setters
1st-RED RAMBLING RANGER, F1716556, Irish setter male, by S C Simply Irresistable-S C Miss Behaving. Tim & Kristine Hammons, owners; Tim Hammons, handler.

National Red Setter Open Shooting Dog Championship
This stake commenced at 8 a.m. on Sunday, April 13, under the watchful eyes of judges Todd Manns and Bruce Bryant. It was jacket weather with the temperature near 50 degrees, warming to the mid-70s by afternoon. Monday morning brought the conclusion of the 18-dog stake and was comfortably cool at the start.

The Winners
Quantonas Reloaded annexed the title of 2025 National Red Setter Open Shooting Dog Champion. She is co-owned by Clayton Thompson and Kelli Aitken-Thompson. This 5-year-old female was capably handled by Clayton and scouted by Kelli, who is also her breeder.
Reloaded or "Neo" as she is called, appeared in the eighth brace of the stake, the second on Monday morning. When the seventh brace ended early, her brace was released into the last quarter of course one. She ran a beautiful race, running the edges and staying predominantly forward. Neo scored her first find at 22, deep in the corner; she showed class and manners as her handler dug through briars and brush to flush her quarry. Her second find was perfectly conducted at 55. Neo went on to finish forward.

The runner-up champion, Red Bird's The Fifth Element, put down a worthy performance for handler Kelli Aitken-Thompson. The 6-year-old male is co-owned by Kelli and his breeder, Kristi Gallino. He appeared in the first brace.
Red Bird's The Fifth Element ("Griffin") was mostly forward with some great moves. At 12, he pointed, but only feathers were found. He caught the front quickly. Later, he was absent for a few minutes when he was discovered on point in the trees at 26; the work was first rate. Regaining the front, he backed his bracemate politely at 30. Griffin appeared to get stronger as the hour progressed, making some beautiful casts and running the lines nicely. He handled like a dream; the rapport between handler and canine was obvious. At 54, he pointed on the right edge of the cornfield, his birds were flushed with everything well in order. Red Bird's The Fifth Element finished to the front, going away.

The Running
Firefly's Beeline (B. Hidalgo) and Red Bird's The Fifth Element (K. Aitken-Thompson) drew the opening hour on Sunday. Griffin was named to runner-up honors, and his performance is given above. Beeline suffered nonproductive stands at 18 and 30 to end her run.

Brook's White Hot Blaze (T. Waite) and Hotrod Ricky Joe (T. Hammons) turned loose at the normal course two breakaway, at the third road crossing. Blaze stopped to the flush of a covey at 1, all in order. He pointed at 20 with fine style, but no game could be located. At 47, Blaze hit paydirt with a pretty find on which he displayed good manners. Joe liked the heavy cover and disappeared in it more than his handler liked. In between his trips into the cover, Joe ran the edges with high style and speed. His tracker was out at 42.

Firefly's Lucky Penny (B. Hidalgo) and Shotput (R. Boser) were the morning's final brace. Lucky made some big moves and wasn't always quick to respond to her handler. She looked good on the edges and was predominantly forward for the hour, but found no birds. Shotput was always forward with a kind handle. She also went without game contact.

Raintree Simply Singular (T. Waite) and Cedar Creek Sixgun (E. Liermann) broke away at 1:30 p.m. Bachelor ran a good race despite being misdirected by the other handler on two occasions. These instances caused him to get behind with lengthy rides to catch the front. Bachelor scored a very nice find after the third road crossing, at 59. He showed excellent style and manners. Sixgun ran a big race but without bird contact.

Little More Shine (T. Hammons) and Gratitude (R. Boser) were released at the road crossing. Both dogs got hung up in the far corner briefly before coming on to take the edge. Shine ("Kate") ran a beautiful race with plenty of drive. She ran the edges at good speed with a lofty style. Kate did not contact game, or she may have given the judges cause for deliberation.
Gratitude was forward when he encountered deer and was not recovered under judgment.

Cedar Creek Titan (E. Liermann) and Ruff Country Simply Ginger (A. Weik) turned loose from the normal course three starting point. They were fast and forward from the word "go." At 10, they pointed side by side on the south edge. When the birds were spotted under the bushes by the handlers, the dogs went in for the flush. The afternoon ended prematurely.

Cedar Creek Anthem (E. Liermann) and Full Red Afterburn (T. Waite) turned loose on course one at 8 a.m. on Monday. Anthem was a handful and bore into the heavy cover on several occasions. He was lost with the tracker out at 45. Red was under a bird at 7.

Quantonas Reloaded (C. Thompson) and Silver Creek Wild Again (T. Hammons). Reloaded ("Neo") won the title, and her hour is related under "The Winners." Wild Again ran a big, attractive race but failed to back at 55.

Firefly's Power Play (B. Hidalgo) and Raintree Blue Moon (T. Waite) were the final brace of the Open Championship. They were positioned near the orange gate to start west on the south edge. Upon release, Power Play made a hard right for the perpendicular line; Blue Moon decided to join him, and the race was on. Neither was recovered under judgment.

NATIONAL RED SETTER OPEN SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 18 Irish Setters
Winner-QUANTONAS RELOADED, F1709803, Irish setter female, by Heligsepp's Blick-Quantonas Reciprocal. Kelli Aitken & Clayton Thompson, owners; Clayton Thompson, handler.
Runner-Up-RED BIRD'S THE FIFTH ELEMENT, F1687076, Irish setter male, by Eshod's Barn Burner-Redbird's River Wild. Kelli Aitken, owner and handler.

The 53rd National Red Setter Futurity
Ten dogs came to vie for the honor of being the 53rd National Futurity winner. This stake ran in its entirety on Monday afternoon. Four of the 10 dogs successfully pointed quail on course. The running was followed by a one-dog callback; judges Bryant and Manns had liked the dog's race enough to want to see it point game, in hopes of placing it. According to NRSFTC's Futurity rules, no dog may be placed without having pointed. They need not be steady to wing and shot. A callback on horseback is required, with any called back dogs running individually along an edge that has been seeded with quail in more than one location.

The Winners and Others
Firefly's Quantonas, owned by Bonnie and Dennis Hidalgo, won the 53rd National Red Setter Futurity in a quality field of derby dogs. "Quint," as he is called, was handled by his breeder, Kelli Aitken-Thompson, and was scouted by Bonnie Hidalgo. Appearing on course one, Quint ran a consistently forward race. He pointed quail at 6, on the right edge; he pushed them out before Kelli could flush. Quint hunted the cover while ranging nicely. At 20, he was seen to the front, pointing stylishly, then flushing them as his handler approached. Firefly's Quantonas fit all of the requirements for a Futurity winner. He is a product of the mating of Ch. Red Bird's The Fifth Element to Come Back Delta Dawn and was whelped May 20, 2023.

Slingblade placed second in this prestigious stake. He is owned, bred, and handled by Roger Boser. He was in the third brace, which released at the far west end of the grounds. He ran the long edges and was forward in application. On Dead Horse Hill, Slingblade pointed stylishly with his bracemate by his side. The birds were flushed, the bracemate sped by him, and after a second's hesitation, he joined her in pursuit. Slingblade continued forward until time was called. Slingblade was sired by Wayward and is out of Slingshot. He was whelped February 24, 2023
Big Red Machine placed third for handler Tom Waite and owner-breeder Mike Fox. "Pete" scored three high-tailed finds in a big race. His pattern and handling were ragged at times, particularly after his birdwork. By failing to come back quickly from chasing, he put himself behind each time. There is no denying that he has good potential. He was sired by Silver Creek Wild Again out of Foxy Lady Sadie.

Quantonas Reckless Abandon, owned, bred, and handled by Kelli Aitken-Thompson, placed fourth. She showed immaturity in her race during the first third of the brace. This separated her from the winners and the callback dog. Late in the brace, she pointed quail alongside her bracemate. "Melody," as she is called, displayed high style until the flush when she took off with reckless abandon. Melody finished to the front. Quantonas Reckless Abandon is a littermate to the winner of this stake.

Dale Creek Simply Next, handled by Tom Waite, is owned by Deb and John Dlobik, who were on hand to see him run. "Torin" put in a nice, big race and was predominantly forward; he went without game contact. The quality of his half-hour performance earned him a callback in order to show his pointing ability. Unfortunately, he was unable to locate a bird in the callback and could not be placed. Dale Creek Simply Next was sired by Raintree Blue Moon and is out of Jamison. She was bred by Joe Campion.

The Running
Firefly's Quantonas (K. Aitken-Thompson) and Raintree Moonlit Journey (T. Waite) were in the first brace, which ran immediately following Monday's lunch break. Quint's winning performance is listed above. Journey's owner, Cathy Lewis, was mounted to watch him. Journey started well with fast and forward moves, but was eventually lost.

Dale Creek Simply Next (T. Waite) and Cedar Creek Skyline Lady (E. Liermann) were next up on this breezy afternoon. Simply Next's performance is described above, under "The Winners and Others." Lady ran with a lot of snap and pop but found no birds.

Slingblade (R. Boser) and Quantonas Reckless Abandon (K. Aitken-Thompson) were placed second and fourth, respectively. Their performances are described above.

Cedar Creek Prospector (S. Nutting) and Big Red Machine (T. Waite) were released from the two-track road, headed southeast. Big Red Machine placed third, and his performance is related under "The Winners and Others." Prospector showed a nicely animated gait, but was distracted by new scents, and that affected his race. He had no bird contact.

Dale Creek Simply Sweet (T. Waite) and Switchblade (R. Boser) had no bird contact. They were forward from the start. "Pie" got into heavy cover late in the brace and was difficult to recover. Switchblade finished forward but was prone to hunt the heavy cover rather than the edges.

National Red Setter Futurity (front): Andrea Ward with Big Red Machine and Kelli Thompson with Quantonas Reckless Abandon. (Table): Dennis and Bonnie Hidalgo with Firefly's Quantonas and Roger Boser with Slingblade. (Back): Terry Trzcinski, Sam Nutting, Todd Manns (judge), Bruce Bryant (judge), Don Beauchamp, Deb Dlobik, and Ed Liermann.

NATIONAL RED SETTER FUTURITY - 10 Irish Setters
1st-FIREFLY'S QUANTONAS, F1711524, Irish setter male, by Red Bird's The Fifth Element-Come Back Delta Dawn. Bonnie & Dennis Hidalgo, owners; Kelli Aitken, handler.
2d-SLINGBLADE, F1706612, Irish setter male, by Wayward-Slingshot. Roger Boser, owner and handler.
3d-BIG RED MACHINE, F1709165, Irish setter male, by Silver Creek Wild Again-Foxy Lady Sadie. Mike Fox, owner; Tom Waite, handler.
4th-QUANTONAS RECKLESS ABANDON, F1717095, Irish setter female, by Red Bird's The Fifth Element-Come Back Delta Dawn. Kellie Aitken, owner and handler.

Open Puppy Stake
This stake ran late on Monday afternoon; it was run on multiple courses. It followed the running of the Futurity, using the usual hour courses. Four puppies were drawn.
Red Rambling Ranger won this stake with a huge race; he ran the edges like a mature dog. He had great eye appeal in his gait and tail carriage. Ranger is owned by Tim and Kristine Hammons and was handled by Tim.
Pocket Rocket, owned and handled by Bruce Ludwig, was second. This is a happy young dog who runs a forward pattern with plenty of snap.

Red Setter Open Puppy: Dennis Hidalgo, Tom Norton, Linda Beauchamp, Tim and Kris Hammons with Red Rambling Ranger, Bruce Bryant (judge), Todd Mann (judge), Bruce Ludwig with Pocket Rocket, Don Beauchamp, Ed Liermann, and Kelli Aitken-Thompson.

RED SETTER OPEN PUPPY - 4 Irish Setters
1st-RED RAMBLING RANGER, F1716556, Irish setter male, by Simply Irresistable-S C Miss Behaving. Tim Hammons, owner and handler.
2d-POCKET ROCKET, unreg., Irish setter female, by Great Oaks Casey-Great Oaks Rolling Flame. Bruce Ludwig, owner and handler.

National Red Setter Amateur Shooting Dog Championship
The Winners
Quantonas Reloaded, owned and handled by Clayton Thompson, decisively captured the title of champion for the second time in two days! She turned in what Clayton declared was "The best performance of her life," besting her performance in the Open Championship by a country mile! Her brace was released on course one. She ran hard to the front but was ever mindful of her handler's location and direction. Quantonas Reloaded took the right edge, along the hill through the cornfield, and she had her first find there at 10. Her style and manners were excellent. She crossed the road and was soon rimming all of the forward edges. Neo stopped to look for her handler. Upon seeing he was headed her way, she turned and took another edge. In the far-left front corner of the big bean field, Neo pointed near the trees at 36. Her intensity, style, and manners were everything you could ask for, through flush and shot. She was eager to get going and voiced her opinion; once released, she resumed her forward, hunting quest. She hunted the left side all the way to the dam. Quantonas Reloaded raced up Dead Horse Hill and was found standing on top, at the bushes on the left at 50. She remained mannerly through the long flush that ensued, her birds eventually flushed from under the bushes, she was exactly the way she looked when first discovered, high and tight. Upon release, Neo headed down the hill on the right line, swinging forward on the edge of the heavy cover, crossing the road, and entering the field beyond the lake. She handled those maneuvers with ease and went on to a forward finish. Nicely done!

Red Bird's The Fifth Element, co-owned by Kristi Gallino and Kelli Aitken-Thompson, was named runner-up, his second one this week. He was capably handled by Kelli. Griffin holds the 2023 and 2024 titles of this Amateur Shooting Dog Championship; now, that is the definition of consistent. Griffin ran in the fifth brace of the stake, the second one on Tuesday afternoon. Due to an early pick-up in Brace 4, he started into the last quarter of course one. He was forward into the cornfield where he hugged the right edge; he pointed there at 9, showing nice style and intensity. His manners were flawless at flush and shot. Released, he continued down the line where he pointed again at 16. He handled the birdwork like the pro he is. He crossed the road and continued forward to and through the bean field. Griffin hunted his way to the dam and worked his way up the hill on the left side. Judge Manns spied him on point on the back edge of the bushes at 54. Griffin had his quail located for an easy flush; he never moved a muscle. Sent on to head down the right edge, he stopped to flush on a hen pheasant at 57, all in perfect order. Red Bird's The Fifth Element was then directed down the course, to finish forward. He put in a fine hour, unmatched by all but his kennel mate and her scintillating performance.

The Running
Firefly's Beeline (B. Hidalgo) and Silver Creek Wild Again (T. Hammons) were the start of this stake on Tuesday morning. Beeline pointed at 6, it was not productive. She left while relocating and was not returned in judgment. Wild Again was fast and forward at the start but suffered a few absences. At 26, his scout, Kris, found him pointing along the ditch to the left. His bird was produced while he held steady. He got out of pocket a couple more times; Tim opted to pick him up.

Cedar Creek Titan (E. Liermann) and Quantonas Reloaded (C. Thompson) were released on course one, where the driveway comes in from course three. Cedar Creek Titan disappeared into the woods on the left and was not found under judgment. Quantonas Reloaded is the new champion, and as such, her performance was previously described.

Gratitude (R. Boser) and Firefly's Power Play (B. Hidalgo) turned loose near the orange gate. They were forward up the hill and on to the road crossing. They took the left line to the corner, where they started west. They both hunted the bushes before settling back on the edge. They were forward at the road crossing. Puck took a slight detour at the first pond but was brought on by the scout. Grady got into the timber just before course three met course one and disappeared. His tracker was taken. Puck was also picked up late in the hour; neither dog had birdwork.

Cedar Creek Anthem (E. Liermann) and Hotrod Ricky Joe (T. Hammons). Anthem had a brief absence early, and then was forward. He pointed nicely at 19, Ricky Joe ripped them out, and Anthem went with him to end the brace.

Firefly's Lucky Penny (B. Hidalgo) and Red Bird's The Fifth Element (K. Aitken-Thompson). The latter was named runner-up champion, and his hour is described above. Lucky made some edge running moves, but also spent time in the heavy cover, which put her behind. At 33, she pointed on the edge of the woods but self-released while her handler attempted to flush.

Little More Shine (T. Hammons) and Cedar Creek Sixgun (E. Liermann) were the sixth and final brace of the stake. Shotput was originally drawn in this brace, but she was scratched. Sixgun, the bye-dog in the seventh brace, was moved up. Both dogs started strong, making big, bold moves. Shine took a brief detour into the trees on the left. At 18, point was called for Sixgun; he was standing high and tight on the forward line. As his handler stepped into the trees in front of him, Shine caught the front, blowing past Sixgun, and both dogs went on. The trial was over.

National Red Setter Amateur Shooting Dog Championship (front): Clayton Thompson with Quantonas Reloaded and Kelli Aitken-Thompson with Red Bird's The Fifth Element. (Back): Ed Liermann, Todd Manns (judge), Dennis Hidalgo, Bruce Bryant (judge), Tim Hammons, Tom Norton, Kristine Hammons, and Bonnie Hidalgo.

NATIONAL RED SETTER AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 13 Irish Setters
Winner-QUANTONAS RELOADED, F1709803, Irish setter female, by Heligsepp's Blick-Quantonas Reciprocal. Kelli Aitken & Clayton Thompson, owners; Clayton Thompson, handler.
Runner-Up-RED BIRD'S THE FIFTH ELEMENT, F1687076, Irish setter male, by Eshod's Barn Burner-Red Bird's River Wild. Kelli Aitken, owner and handler.

Cake & Scroll: Bonnie & Dennis Hidalgo.