Result: National Prairie Chicken Shooting Dog Championship

Location: Bancroft, Wisconsin

Post Date: Dec 23, 2021

Submitted By: Ed Liermann

Championship Winners. From left: Ed Liermann, Frank Lanasa, John Mathys with Southern Confidence, Judes Alex Jacocks and Jim Wallace; Richie Boumeester with Boumeester's Evangelist and Jim Tande.

Run on the Buena Vista Grasslands, some of the most challenging terrain in America, the 2021 running of the National Prairie Chicken Shooting Dog Championship successfully concluded on September 28. Eighteen dogs were drawn in the Championship and six in the Derby.

The 2021 winner and new champion is Southern Confidence, not yet two-year-old white and orange pointer male, owned and handled by Frank LaNasa of Isanti, Minn.

Running in the first brace of the Championship, he separated himself from the field with a strong, forward race that produced some big casts that showcased his desire to reach out and find game. He had find at 5 with high style and stellar manners, with Cedar Creek Sixgun backing. He was far forward at 40 when handler called point, but no bird was produced. He finished the hour strong, going away through the cover at the end of course one first course.

Capturing the runner-up title was Boumeester's Evangelist, three-year-old white and black pointer male. Running in the first brace on the second day, Evangelist started out big, going deep into cover to the south after crossing Griffith. He had a nice find at 41 with all in order and finished the hour forward working into the cover at the end of No. 1 course.

We are fortunate to have a great team of helpers at this trial. The list starts with Gary Wolfe, Wisconsin DNR Biologist and our dog wagon driver. With great precision Gary takes care of the loading and unloading all our dogs and is a vital member of our team. Dog safety is always a priority at this trial as we cross or come near several roads each brace.

Many thanks to our road crossing crew that includes Gary Wolfe, Ann and George Ihrke, Judy and Doug Reisner and others that lend a hand when asked to help. Thanks to Milt and Wendy Schafer for helping with the drawing. Thanks to John Mathys, Frank Lanasa and Richie Boumeester for helping to haul horses for handlers and judges.

Judges for this years running came quite a distance. Jim Wallace from Akron, Ohio and Alex Jacocks from Edmund, Oklahoma. Both men are well traveled and have a wealth of experience with wild birds. We appreciate their efforts and thank them for their time. We appreciate their efforts and thank them for their time. They have competed and judged numerous trials over the past 25 years.

Thanks to Purina for sponsoring our Wednesday night banquet under the tent. We were treated a Thanksgiving dinner with all the "fixns' ". Catered by the Chatterbox Caf the food was excellent. It was a wonderful evening enjoyed by all. Thanks again to Purina.

We are fortunate to have a great team of helpers at this trial. The list starts with Gary Wolfe, Wisconsin DNR biologist and our dog wagon driver. With great precision Gary takes care of the loading and unloading all our dogs and is a vital member of our team. Dog safety is always a priority at this trial as we cross or come near several roads each brace.

Many thanks to our road crossing crew that includes Gary Wolfe, Ann and George Ihrke, Judy and Doug Reisner and others who lend a hand when asked to help. Thanks to Milt and Wendy Schafer for helping with the drawing. John Mathys, Frank LaNasa and Richie Boumeester helped haul horses for handlers and judges.

Thanks to Purina for sponsoring our Wednesday night banquet under the tent. We were treated a Thanksgiving dinner with all the "fixins' ". Catered by the Chatterbox Caf , the food was excellent. It was a wonderful evening enjoyed by all. Thanks again to Purina.

This trial has a history of receiving strong support from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. That starts with site manager Lesa Kardash. Lesa has been the site manager here since 2006. Many thanks to Lesa for the efforts she and her staff put into the mowing and additional prep work needed to run this event.

We are fortunate to have the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation represented at our trial. Along with Andy Lewandowski, Dog Committee Chairman for the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation we were delighted to host several Wisconsin DNR officials that spent time with us. Eric Lobner, Wisconsin DNR Director of Wildlife, Phil Rynish, Chief Regional Planner and Savannah Ernzen, Assistant Regional Planner all were able to ride several braces see the running first hand.

They very much enjoyed riding a few braces and visiting with our group. They left the trial with an appreciation of how special this event is, its amazing history and how committed the field trial community is to the Buena Vista grounds.

Trial participants were comprised of many familiar faces that in included Ann and George Ihrke, Judy and Doug Reisner, Dave Moore, Allen Dunbar, Jean and Frank LaNasa, John Mathys, Richie Boumeester, Mark Johnson, Jim Tande and Justin Martin.

THE RUNNING

Southern Confidence (LaNasa) and Cedar Creek Sixgun (Liermann). Southern Confidence was noted earlier. Sixgun backed Southern Confidence at 5, took several steps to mark the birds flight and handler elected to pick up.

Chief's Rising Sun (Mathys) and Jumpstart (LaNasa). Rising Sun was out fast and moving forward with a back at 20 with all in order. He had a find at 25 with nice style and all in order. He had a Stop to flush at 28 with all in order and finished the hour far forward. Jumpstart broke away big and handling well with a nice find at 20. He had a stop to flush at 25 and at 33 with all in order. He continued to cover a lot of ground far forward and was lost at 53.

Notorious King's Ransom (Mathys) was big, going right out of the gate to the front moving nicely covering a lot of ground. He was lost at 25. Grouse Feather Texas (Dunbar) was off to a fast start made some very nice casts. Wasn't pleasing handler and was picked up at 40.

Confident Nation (LaNasa) had a big race throughout with an unproductive at 49. Cedar Creek Talon (Liermann) was injured and scratched.

Boumeester's Duramax (Boumeester) had a nice forward race with an unproductive at 10. Grouse Feather Witcher (Dunbar) had a nice race and made some good forward casts with an unproductive at 59.

Notorious Dominator's Heir (Mathys) had a big race with an unproductive at 6. Moving on he had a find at 25 and finished the hour. Northern Confidence (LaNasa) started out fast and backed at 6 with all in order. He had an unproductive at 11. At 27 handler elected to pick up because of injury.

Boumeester's Evangelist (Boumeester) and Erin's Wild Rum (Johnson). Evangelist was reported earlier. Wild Rum had a powerful forward race hitting all the right places throughout and finished the hour strong.

Erin's Tin Lizzie (Johnson) was picked up at 10 because illness. Cheyenne Nation (LaNasa) had a nice find at 14 with all in order. Not pleasing handler, he was picked up at 30.

Strut Nation (LaNasa) had an unproductive at 7. Moving on, he had a find at 10, left with the birds and was up. Nine To Five Nation (Moore) had a nice find at 7; when the birds left she took several steps to mark and handler elected to pick up to end the stake.

Bancroft, Wis., September 27

Judges: Dr. Alex Jacocks and Jim Wallace

NATIONAL PRAIRIE CHICKEN SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP

[One-Hour Heats] -- 13 Pointers, 3 Setters and 2 Irish Setters

Winner--SOUTHERN CONFIDENCE, 1690028, pointer male, by True Confidence--Southern Songbird. Frank LaNasa, owner and handler.

Runner-Up--BOUMEESTER'S EVANGELIST, 1686675, pointer male, by Dominator's Rebel Heir--Bar P Fizz. Rich Boumeester, owner and handler.

OPEN DERBY

Notorious Front Range (Mathys) garnered first place with a big race that got bigger as time went on and finished strong. JimTande took second and third. Houston's Sam placed second with a big start and a nice forward flow. Hawthorne Pepper took third with a classy, forward race and several nice casts.

OPEN DERBY -- 6 Pointers

1st--NOTORIOUS FRONT RANGE, 1696986, male, by Erin's Country Rebel--Notorious Lola. John Mathys, owner and handler.

2d--HOUSTON'S SAM, 1697300, male, by Showtime Sam Houston--Erin's Wild Callie. Jim Tande, owner a nd handler.

3d---HAWTHORN SPICE, 1694798, pointer female, by Boumeester's Duramax--Oday Nation. Jim Tande, owner and handler.

SATURDAY NIGHT SIDELIGHTS

Our Saturday night Purina dinner and Chicken Championships Auction are among the highlights of the week!

Purina and SportDog are strong supporters of this event. Greg Blair of Purina has been a strong supporter and donated additional dog food and several items. Jim Morehouse, of SportDog has been very supportive of this fundraiser from the beginning and continues, with several e-collars (1825 and 2525) that were very popular with our group, including the TEK 1.5 location and training system. Thanks Jim!

The auction supports grounds improvement, two-scholarships and support for the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point student run Adopt-A-Wildlife Program. The students in this program volunteer their time throughout the year and we donate funds to help purchase various things like gas for chain saws, gloves and other equipment that is needed to complete their work on projects like mowing, brush hogging and burning.

Special thanks to Pete Winistorfer and his charming wife Kim for helping out with the auction and making this evening fun and enjoyable for all.

We start the evening by awarding the scholarships and conducting the auction. In attendance was Buena Vista site manager Lesa Kardash and daughter Izzy, along with UW-Stevens Point students Jeffrey Edwards and Brylin Brecka. Dr. Jason Riddle, UW-Stevens Point professor of Wildlife Ecology was unable to attend. Dr. Riddle and Lesa Kardash work with the Adopt-A-Wildlife Program students and select the scholarship winners.

We award a $500 scholarship and also a $250 scholarship that is sponsored by the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation to two students who have contributed above and beyond in their volunteer efforts on the grounds for the previous year. This year's recipients were Jeffrey Edwards ($500) and Brilyn Brecka ($250). Both Jeffrey and Brylin addressed the audience and talked about the projects they worked on. Thanks to all the UW-Stevens Point students for volunteering their time.

We value our close working relationship with the Wisconsin DNR. Their help and support fuel this Championship. We were delighted to host a delegation of officials that included Eric Lobner, Director of Wildlife, Phil Rynish, Chief Regional Planner, and Savannah Ernzen, Assistant Regional Planner. All were able to ride and appreciated an opportunity to get out in the field and see things first hand.