Event: Blue Ribbon River named Champion, Gracie Ballroom Star, Runner-up
Result: Pennsylvania Grouse Championship
Location: Marienville, Pennsylvania
Post Date: Dec 2, 2025
Submitted By: David A. Fletcher
Pennsylvania Grouse Championship (l-r): Rich Warters, Robert Ecker (handler) with Blue Ribbon River, Norm Meeder (club president), Steve McKalko (judge), John Ferdinand with Gracie Ballroom Star, reporter Dave Fletcher (reporter), and Dr. Tim Perschke (judge).
The 2025 Pennsylvania Grouse Championship, the club's 78th renewal, was held over the historic Loleta and Lamonaville regions of the Allegheny National Forest near Marienville, Pennsylvania, beginning October 21. Thirty-one dogs were entered, consisting of 15 pointers, 15 setters, and a lone Red setter. Entry numbers were up, with 2023 having 26 entries and 2024 having 23. In the Open Derby, there were 13 entries, and the Open Puppy eight.
The Pennsylvania Club is the oldest in the state, holding wild bird grouse trials. They staged their first event in 1913, at Portland Mills, Pennsylvania, with an entry of 11 setters and one pointer. Two New England field trial clubs were established earlier, beginning wild bird Grouse trials at Assonet, Massachusetts, in 1891, followed by the Connecticut Field Trial Club, at Hampton, Connecticut, in 1899. Both clubs, in later years, moved to horseback-released pheasant events. The Pennsylvania Club conducted the National Grouse Championship from 1913 to 1947. After a distinguished group of Grouse trialers got together in Cleveland in 1943, the Grand National Grouse Championship came into being. The Pennsylvania Grouse Championship began in 1947, a time when many grouse clubs slightly reorganized their events.
Grouse populations are known to be cyclic. This factor affects Grouse events from Minnesota and Wisconsin through Pennsylvania and New York to New Hampshire. The Allegheny National Forest near Marienville has certainly shown the effect of cycles in grouse populations over the last few decades. Stake Manager Dick Brenneman confirms that bird populations have certainly been low the last few years. What is the cause of this dilemma? Old, mature timber is the main talking point. Old timber is not considered a proper habitat for grouse and woodcock. How to combat this problem? The Michigan DNR has shown the possibility of a solution. Many years ago, on the Gladwin Field Trial Area near Meredith, Michigan, they began a clear-cutting program, totally cutting to bare ground several 40-acre sites each year. The regrowth has proven to be good habitat for cover, nesting, broods, and winter feeding. The Quaking Aspen, or "Popple," seems to be the key, especially the Aspen buds, for winter feeding.
Grouse moved in total for the two and a half days of the running were five grouse, two pointed and three wild flushed. No woodcock were seen. There have been renewals over these Marienville grounds, with bird scarcity evident. These situations nearly always required callbacks and additional series, and in over a dozen of these, no champions were named, almost always because of a lack of grouse found and pointed. Several clear cuts have already been made on the Lamonaville side, and more are planned for the Loleta area in the years ahead. Let's hope this will help to have more birds on the grounds despite the cyclic problems.
Dick Brenneman was the stake manager. He got the braces away, met the gallery at course end, and got the next brace started. It was a heavy-duty job, and it took a great knowledge of the courses to manage the running. Dick has been active in grouse trials for 53 years, serving as past President and Secretary/Treasurer of the Grand National Grouse for many years, as well as past President of the Pennsylvania Grouse Championship. His Cover Dog Setters kennel, with partner Bob Watts, has won 35 cover dog championships and runner-up championships, and their Straight Forward competitor won an amazing 12 championships. Russ Fazio helped with the marshaling duties, Joe Cammisa with the tailgate lunches, and many other duties, and Club President Norm Meeder and Club Secretary/Treasurer Dave Duell were in attendance, and their work with the road gallery and all other matters was very evident.
Passing the Bucktail Hotel in downtown Marienville was very nostalgic to your scribe. The Bucktail has now been closed for about five years, but we remember when it was the focal point of trials at the Allegheny National Forest venue. Breakfasts, evening dinners, and banquets were held there, and the rooms were full of trialers.
Judges for this year's Championship were Dr. Tim Perschke of Marienville, Pa., a retired Podiatrist, whose property near the clubhouse is the functional center for judges and reporters, and he has a long history with grouse dogs. He has bred, trained, and competed some great ones, winners of championships and many other laurels. Partnered with Canadian pro, the late Tim Tufts, the products of their breeding programs produced many Championship and Futurity winners. Dr. Tim has great experience judging and evaluating great grouse dogs--an excellent choice for this renewal of the Pennsylvania Grouse Championship. His judging partner, Steve McKalko of Troy, Michigan, is an avid grouse trial setter and Brittany man. Steve came to the Championship to run a puppy, but became a Championship judge when an emergency situation struck the advertised judge, Ohioan Jim Johnson, making him unable to attend. Steve has many seasons of grouse trialing with his own dogs in Michigan and many other places. Steve was also this 91-year-old scribe's transportation to the Marienville grounds. We talked dogs all the way.
Thanks are extended to Greg Blair and Purina for the donation of product and faithful support over many years, as well to Lion Country Supply for their gift certificates, and lastly to Dr. Steve Perschke for the judge's lodging in "the cabin" and his "Puppy course."
The Winners and Others
Both the winner of this Championship, Blue Ribbon River, a pointer female owned by Marty Festa of Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania, and the runner-up, Gracie Ballroom Star, a setter female owned by Dr. George Najor of Southfield, Michigan, were handled by trainer Robert Ecker. Not only did they have the same trainer and handler, they both performed their winning hours on the same course, Lamonaville No. 1, in the first morning braces. Both rendered championship performances in all facets and were very worthy of the honor bestowed upon them. They hunted the course extremely well, found and handled their grouse with good location, great style standing on point, and perfect manners. The brace-by-brace section of this report details every facet of the hour's hunting. Three contenders stood out, but were birdless: Roy, handled by Mark Hughes, and Hoppy's War Bird Farmgirl, handled by Robert Ecker, both in the 13th brace, and West Wind Big Jake, handled by Mark Hughes, in the 14th.
The Running
The initial brace of this Championship broke away at 8:05 on Lamonaville Course 1. It was a white frost morning in the 30s. Rain came mid-morning, gone by early afternoon, with the temperature inching up to the 50s.
Clancy (Forman)-Blue Ribbon River (Ecker). Witnessed a great pair of grouse dogs in this very first brace. They were fleet of foot, stylish in motion, hit the far course edges, worked forwardly, and finished well. Clancy was deep and gone in the latter part of the hour, and taken up at 40. A grouse flushed wild at half time, no dog in the vicinity. Ahead 10 minutes, coming off high ground, we heard River's bell go silent. She stood tall and sure, facing a Beech thicket. It was a great grouse find, bird well located, style and manners perfect--a nice piece of work. She stood again in beautiful posture near time, but nothing could be flushed.
A Distant Spec (Hughes)-Sammy The Rock Star (Ecker). Both jumped away hard from the breakaway, hunting all the good places. Both were forward, but reaching casts were not always in evidence in Star's search. Star logged an unproductive with great pointing style. Spec, wide at times, was without birds.
Millers Dusty Version (Hughes)-Hitail Roxy Afield (Fazio). This pair had all the attributes good grouse dogs should have on display. Style afoot and range were top-notch. Purpose, pattern, and handling were well done. Both hunted a birdless hour.
Grouse Hill Princess (Forman)-Beaver Meadow Bit (Hughes). A great brace of dogs. They hunted the course superbly. What more could be asked of them? Princess was charged with a missed back and was taken up. Bit had a stylish point, nothing flushed, and was lost to judgment later in the hour.
Glassilaun Parabellum (Ecker)-Warrior Zeke (Hughes). Both hunted the course edges nicely from the breakaway. Parabellum was the leader in deep, purposeful casts. She logged an unproductive during the hour. Zeke was moderate in some of his searching and had a back of bracemate's unproductive.
Ironstone Darkhorse (Ecker)-Sadie (Yant). The final brace of the day went away on Loleta Course 2. Darkstone turned in a good, rather wide hour of hunting but was birdless. Sadie also hunted and reached well, but was without birds.
The score for the day was a lone grouse pointed, two dogs with unproductive stands, and a grouse wild flushed.
Wednesday morning's breakaway was overcast, in the 40s. The start came at 8:28.
Mulberry Fields Molly (Hughes)-Gracie Ballroom Star (Ecker). The early hunting showed powerful searching by Gracie and Molly that could only be described as "way out there." Both dogs soon settled into good hunting patterns, loved the course and the terrain, and hunted it well. Molly was birdless, and Gracie, right at the half, scored a perfect grouse find. The find was with great stature and perfect execution. In all likelihood, Gracie's grouse could have been the same bird pointed the previous morning by Blue Ribbon River. Later in the hour, Gracie pointed stylishly again along an edge of what appeared as prime woodcock cover, but no birds were flushed.
Grouse Hill Rambo (Ecker)-Miller's Special Upgrade (Hughes). In my reporter's book, I penned VG in every category of performance I have spaces for. The VG of course stands for "very good," and this pair fit that description to a T. Unfortunately, it was a birdless brace.
Seldom Rest Jack (Ralph)-Grouse Ridge Mags (Forman). What should one say about a pair of dogs that hunt the course in the precise manner it should be hunted? Both Jack and Upgrade accomplished that. This pair, again, was unfortunately birdless.
Mia Star (Ecker)-Backwoods Wild Fire Blaze (Hughes). A little heavier rain made an appearance as this brace went down. It was a bye brace, and the last brace bye could not be moved up--a Hughes charge. Mia, co-owned by Judge McKalko, was scratched when he was asked to judge. Advertised judge Jim Johnson declined because of troubles at home. Blaze hunted well, made casts to likely places, came around well, and had plenty of stamina for the hour. Another birdless contender.
Double Deuce Miles (Hughes)-Ironstone Shenanigans (Ecker). They went away hard, very forwardly. Handler sent Shenanigans hard right in the following minutes, a region of heavy cover that reputably always had birds. The search there was difficult and birdless, and Shenanigans was taken up not long afterward. Miles hunted the hour well, at times at moderate range, always to good places and handling well.
Double Deuce Jack (Hughes)-Grouse Hill Mac (Forman). The rain picked up a bit as we turned loose. Jack had great running gear, style in motion, but loved the far places. He spent much of the hour on the far edges, and hearing his bell was difficult. Mac was pleasant to watch, hunting and handling well. He logged an unproductive after the half in a very thick place where he was discovered by a tiny tinkle of his bell.
Thursday, the final day of this Championship, was overcast, in the 40s at the morning breakaway, but a steady rain soon settled in.
Roy (Hughes)-Hoppy's War Bird Farmgirl (Ecker). One could use the term excellent to describe the hunting, range, purpose, and hunting pattern of this duo. It would be difficult for a pair of dogs to hunt the terrain better than these two did. One could muse about them challenging for a placement, with a bird find.
West Wind Big Jake (Hughes)-Hypointe Monarch Express (Fazio). Another pair doing a great job looking for a grouse to point. Both dogs were certainly what a judge should be looking for in a championship stake performance. Jake might have challenged for a placement with birds. Express had an unproductive late in the hour.
Saddled Up Sadie (Hughes)-Buck of Piney Woods (Ecker). An eager start, plenty of good moves forwardly to good cover, and handling with ease were the keynotes of this pair. No birds were found during the hour, but both dogs deserve credit for a fine hour of bird hunting.
Miller's Hopped Up Version (Hughes). A bye in the final championship brace. This attractive pointer female sped away up front from the breakaway. She was getting deeper in the course as she went. In the far places and still surging, the tracker was soon called for. This contender was lost to judgment.
Thursday's four braces revealed only one wild flushing grouse.
Marienville, Pa., October 21
Judges: Dr. Tim Perschke and Steve McKalko
PENNSYLVANIA GROUSE CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 15 Pointers, 15 Setters, and 1 Red Setter
Winner-BLUE RIBBON RIVER, F1701966, Pointer female, by Double Deuce Zeke-Huckleberry's Lucky Penny. Martin Festa, owner, Robert Ecker, handler.
Runner-Up-GRACIE BALLROOM STAR, F1694839, Setter female, by Sunrise Star-Lucy Two Star. George Najor, owner, Robert Ecker, handler.
Judges: Scott Forman and Brian Ralph
OPEN PUPPY - 4 Setters and 4 Brittanys
1st-SUNRISE DOUBLE BARRELL STAR, F1721031, setter male, by Sunrise Star-Mia Star. George Najor, owner; Bob Ecker, handler.
2d-MEADOWINK'S QUICK SILVER, F1720595, setter male, by Dun Rovens Zip-Castle Rock's Autumn Breeze. William Yant, owner and handler.
3d-HAYWOOD'S PRINCESS ECLIPSE, 1727348, Brittany female, by Hawk V-O'Callaghan's Luna Eclipse. Steve McKalko, owner; John Capocci, handler.
Judges: Tom Butts and Rich Jarosinski
OPEN DERBY - 13 Entries
1st-HEARTBREAKER BUD LIGHT, F1710620, pointer male, by Toth's Tornado Reloaded-Grouse Trails Warrior Cat. Tom Butts, owner and handler.
2d- LIZARD CREEK'S ALL ZOOM, F1710164, pointer female, by Grouse Hill Rambo-All On. Marissa Everett, owner; R. J. Ecker, Jr., handler.
3d-CERULEAN STONE, unreg., pointer male, by Hifives Rolling Stone-Speed Dialing Kaia. Tim Perschke, owner; Mark Hughes, handler.
Open Derby (l-r): Rob Hopkins, Tom Butts (judge) with Heartbreaker Bud Light, John Ferdinand with Lizard Creek's All Zoom, Mark Hughes with Cerullean Stone, and Rich Jarosinski (judge).