Result: Maine Bird Dog Club

Location: Brownfield, Maine

Post Date: Jun 19, 2025

Submitted By: Deb Kennedy

Still Meadows Little Sunray, First in the Bob Sanderson Maine Hunting Dog Classic Amateur Derby.

The Maine Bird Dog Club held its annual Mother's Day trial May 10-11, at the Brownfield Game Management Area just outside Fryeburg, Maine. The good news is that the ticks were light, and the black flies and mosquitoes were still "Maine-ly" hibernating. The bad news is that it rained. And rained. And rained. It wasn't a cold rain, but it was heavy and constant. The quail didn't like it much at all. (One group of unfortunates drowned in the bird bag.) Despite the weather, the eager dogs went to the line with their soggy handlers and gave it all they had.
The predicted weather probably contributed to the rather light entry, causing three stakes to be cancelled, both the Gun Dog stakes and the Amateur Puppy. Many thanks to all who helped make the trial a success, and a special nod to Purina, of course, and as always, Bruce Burnell and club founder Bob Paucek.

Saturday started with the premier stake of the day, the Clifton Hale-Garfield Wall Open Derby Classic. Judged by Adam Dubriske and Roy Hargreaves, the blue ribbon went to Kellie Short's male tri-color setter, Paucek's Fowler, who ate up the course with mature birdwork. Taking home the red was another setter, a classy tri-color female named Misfire ("Daisy"), owned by Paige Davis and handled by Deb Kennedy. Misfire had spring derby manners on her two finds and handled kindly.

Kelly Hays and Eric Rizza judged the Open Puppy. The blue ribbon went to Highfive's Balvenie, an orange and white pointer female owned by Deb Sloan and handled by Adam Dubriske. Bella can really cover the ground and stays forward, just at the edge of her bell. She's a pup that we'll see more of in the winners' circle for certain! Adam also handled the second-place dog, a pretty tri-color setter named Niantic River Sage, owned by David Phillips. Sage ran a snappy race and stayed to the front.

The inaugural running of the Peter Mooney Open Shooting Dog stake had a nice entry of 18 dogs. Peter was a stalwart member of the Maine Bird Dog Club for many years until his untimely passing last year. His son, Parker, was on hand to witness the awarding of the handsome rotating trophy to Peter's dear friend, Kellie Short, for her first-place female setter, Paucek's Dormin. Handled by Adam Dubriske, the second place went to Mike Rosano's strapping orange and white setter, Super Storm Cliff. Cliff is always in the mix in any stake he enters; he is beautiful on point, fast, and forward at all times. Taking home the third was Frank Joyal's pointer female, Carolina's Great Pee Dee, who is a threat when she enters a stake. A special thanks to judges Jon Cullen and Roy Hargreaves, who had the biggest stake and the most rain.

Kellie Short's dogs took both the first and second places in the Amateur Shooting Dog stake. Dormin took home another blue, while her packmate, Ch. Paucek's Little Tommy Tucker, a setter male, garnered the red. Roy Hargreaves's Owsley, a French Brittany, took home a well-deserved third place.

The Amateur Derby blue ribbon went to Still Meadow's Little Sunray, a setter female owned and handled by Kelly Hays. Ray continued her winning ways with a mannerly find and handled nicely for her owner. Second went to Jim Hathaway's big male setter, "Tune," who found and pointed numerous quail with great enthusiasm, although his braking mechanism was not fully engaged. Taking home the yellow ribbon and her second derby placement of the trial was Paige Davis's Misfire. Handled by Deb Kennedy, Daisy didn't have bird contact but impressed the judges with her stylish and snappy race.

Brownfield, Me., May 10
Judges: Adam Dubriske and Roy Hargreaves
CLIFTON HALE GARFIELD WALL OPEN DERBY CLASSIC - 1 Pointer and 4 Setters
1st-PAUCEK'S FOWLER, F1704853, setter male, by Long Gone Dequan-Paucek's Jordi. Kellie Short, owner and handler.
2d-MISFIRE, F1705638, setter female, by Sterlingworth Jack-Long Gone Hatfield. Paige Davis, owner; Deborah Kennedy, handler.

Judges: Jon Cullen and Roy Hargreaves
PETER MOONEY OPEN SHOOTING DOG - 8 Pointers and 10 Setters
1st-PAUCEK'S DORMIN, F1689478, setter female, by Deadwater Jake-Deadwater Wissah. Kellie Short, owner and handler.
2d-SUPER STORM CLIFF, F1691606, setter male, by Blast Zone-Gold Rush. Michael Rosano, owner; Adam Dubriske, handler.
3d-CAROLINA'S GREAT PEE DEE, F1695476, pointer female, by Miller's Heat Seeker-Moonlite Yellow Jacket. Frank Joyal, owner and handler.

Judges: Kellie Hays and Eric Rizza
MICHAEL S. ROBINSON OPEN PUPPY - 1 Pointer and 4 Setters
1st-HIFIVE'S BALVENIE, F1709068, pointer female, by Little Traverse Django-Hifive's Top Shelf. Deborah Sloan, owner; Adam Dubriske, handler.
2d-NIANTIC RIVER SAGE, F1710606, setter female, by Barn Owl Mike-J C L's Shadow. David Phillips, owner; Adam Dubriske, handler.

Judges: Sam Jackson and Deborah Kennedy
BERNIE MURRAY AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG - 11 Pointers and 1 Brittany
1st-PAUCEK'S DORMIN, F1689478, setter female, by Deadwater Jake-Deadwater Wissah. Kellie Short, owner and handler.
2d-PAUCEK'S LITTLE TOMMY TUCKER, F1679370, setter male, by Long Gone Wallace-Paucek's Hickory Roxy. Kellie Short, owner and handler.
3d-OWSLEY, unreg., Brittany male, particulars not given.

Judges: Roy Hargreaves and Deborah Sloan
BOB SANDERSON MAINE HUNTING DOG CLASSIC AMATEUR DERBY - 1 Pointer and 5 Setters
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-WIZARD'S PAIGH AM PIOBAIRE, F1704385, setter male, by Long Gone Wallace-Shepherd's Clair. James Hathaway, owner and handler.
3d-MISFIRE, F1705638, setter female, by Sterlingworth Jack-Long Gone Hatfield. Paige Davis, owner; Deborah Kennedy, handler.