Result: National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship

Location: Abilene, Kansas

Post Date: Dec 16, 2025

Submitted By: Douglas Meyer

National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship (l-r): Emily Weiss and Mark Wasserman with Chisholm Creeks Cut'er Loose, Dr. Buck Neil and Tom Curtsinger with Stylish Miss Bell. (Back): Dr. Alex Jacocks (judge), Luke Topp, Howard Burbach (judge), and Rodney Shoemaker (trial chairman). [Photo by Diane Shoemaker].

The National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship came to Kansas for the 2025 renewal. The AFTCA selected the beautiful prairie venue at Holler Point Farms, south of Abilene, Kansas, for this renewal. Rodney and Diane Shoemaker have spent countless hours and dollars developing their farmland and adjoining Flint Hill pastures into an excellent multi-course venue to show a class dog. Rodney initially purchased the farm and, a couple of years later, added more acreage from Diane's family holdings and other neighbors. Recently, Mark Wasserman contributed another quarter section to the courses with the purchase of adjoining acreage. The locale provides a varied terrain where a dog can be asked to course the open prairie and, alternatively, negotiate fencerows and woodlot edges in their pursuit of game. Wild Prairie chickens, pheasants, and Bobwhite quail coveys are supplemented with a prerelease program. For this championship running, additional Bobwhites were released to make sure adequate game contacts would occur. Rodney grooms these grounds and spends hours creating food plots and discing to feed the game birds. The winners and many others had multiple finds.
In addition to the grounds, Rodney has developed a clubhouse and corrals with water for horses, plus mowed parking for rigs. Diane and Rodney are super hosts providing hot lunches and evening meals for all. Smoked meats and homemade sides are the norm, and this trial was no exception.

Judges Howard Burbach and Dr. Alex Jacocks are very experienced in various venues, including all-age and shooting dog championships, and were well qualified for this assignment. I've judged with Alex a number of times and have run under Howard as well, and know they could handle the decisions involving this field of 35 contenders.

The Running
Friday morning brought pleasant conditions with an afternoon high reaching 70. Texas Cool (Buck Neil) was scratched due to injury.

Brady's Fresh Starter (John Van Horn) ran a good race but didn't have birds. Chisholm Creeks Sweetie Pie (Mark Wasserman) had an unproductive at 24, a find at 41, and finished her hour.

This shorthair female ran big at times but also checked back frequently. Miller's Concealed Weapon (Bill Owen) had an unproductive at 30 and backed his bracemate at 41. The setter didn't finish the hour.

Bridgers Open For Business (John Holt) required the tracker at 20. High Enchantress (Matt Griffith) was running around pretty well, but self-relocated during the flush and was picked up.

Bells Yellowstone Pride (Keith Anderson) backed at 11 but suffered a breach of manners when birds were flushed. Stylish Miss Bell (Tom Curtsinger) had finds at 2, 11, 41, and 56. She ran big but handled kindly with little scouting to annex the runner-up champion in this trial.

Big Whiskey (Neil) had a clean find at 25 but took steps on a second find at 42. Southern Shadow's Burnin' Sky (Klaus Schmidt) suffered two unproductives and was leashed.

Caladen's Struttin Bode (Holt) was a scratch. Worsham's Spitfire (Joe Worsham) had a find at 4, an unproductive at 15, and another at 43, ending his day.

Saturday morning brought another good weather day, similar to the first day, with highs around 70. Rebel Country Spectre (Lynn Oxendine) had an unproductive at 24 and then a breach of manners after flush ended his run at 40. Topp's First J R (Luke Topp) had a stop-to-flush at 25, a find at 43, and finished the hour, although a bit hard to handle.

Southern Twist (Neil) had a bird issue at 40 and was picked up. H P Social Distancing (Rodney Shoemaker) required the tracker at 22.

Chisholm Creeks Cuttin Loose (Wasserman) had mannerly finds at 16, 24, 38, and 59. The German shorthaired pointer also had an unproductive at 40 with a nice forward race to be named champion.

Two Seamer (Colby Tackett) had a find at 4 but required the tracker at 30. Nemaha Lima Bean (Pat McInteer) finished his hour without bird work.

Game Street (Van Horn) was scratched, and the bye dog, Touch's Steely Dan (Van Horn), moved up from the 18th brace. Dan ran a solid race but took steps on a find at 45 to end his day.

Erin's Grey Ghost (Owens) had a find at 45, but his race was erratic, and he was not seen often. Griffs Hackberry's Zack was scratched by handler.

Millstar's Lion Rampart (Laura Miller), the Vizsla, was up at 27 for character around game. Haney's I. B. Fancy (Schmidt/Sonny Clark) was lost at 20.

Sunday was a very different weather day, with a cold front moving through and blustery winds. Freezing temperatures in the 20s only rose to the upper 30s, while the Kansas wind howled at 30 mph+. Ready or Not (Keith Anderson) had unproductives at 12 and 42 and was leashed. Reed's Super Spirit (Jason Super) had an aggressive race with finds at 42 and 52 and a good shooting dog finish.

H P Cottonmouth (Shoemaker) was picked up at 10 in tough conditions for handler and dog. Business Man (Rick Thone) had an uneven race with a stop-to-flush at 21 and finds at 30 and 44 in the wind.

Bridgers Insane Bolt (Holt) was lost at 20 in the wind. Baja Blues (Neil) had a find at 14 but was picked up by the handler, who was unsatisfied with his race.

Chisholm Creek's Speak Easy (Wasserman) ran a big race without birds, ending at 50 when the handler threw in the towel. Miller's Newest Version (Owens) had a find at 11 and bird contact at 45 with a big running race.

Erin's Four Roses (Topp) was scratched. Ain't Easy Being Me (Neil) had a stop-to-flush at 24 and an unproductive at 27, ending the field trial.

The Winners
Chisholm Creek's Cut'er Loose ("Lucy") is a 5-year-old German shorthaired pointer out of Mark Wasserman's long-deceased National Champion, Chisholm Creeks Cuttin Loose. John Rabidou is credited with whelping the litter through artificial insemination in Abilene, Kansas, and Mark picked Lucy as his stud-fee pup. Lucy and Mark won the AKC GSPCA National Championship with a 70-dog entry back in 2022, as well as a runner-up in another GSP championship. Lucy had an excellent forward race in strong winds to be found to the front, pointed three different times with Mark's wife Emily Weiss scouting the dog. Lucy's last 15 minutes were commendable for punching straight into that wind and adding a fourth find, all with perfect composure around her game. Mark was very active trialing up through 2012 while living in the Wichita, Kansas area, including the aforementioned Cuttin Loose, winning the GSPCA National. Mark moved to Florida for eight years before returning to Wichita in 2020 to restart his field trial activities. Mark and Emily bought 160 acres adjacent to the grounds here to add more real estate to the courses, as well as help run events on the grounds.

Stylish Miss Bell ("Bell") is a 5-year-old pointer female who is a littermate to Haney's Storm Warning. Tom Curtsinger bought Bell as a 5-month-old pup from her breeder and has enjoyed great success with her, including winning the Ozark Open Shooting Dog Championship with a 60-dog entry. She qualified for both the Open Shooting Dog Invitational and ran in the National Open Shooting Dog Championship under Tom's whistle. Buck Neil scouted Bell, who had three beautiful broke finds, never moving a hair while holding her dramatic pose until collared each time. She ran in 70-degree temperatures and showed no let-up throughout her hour during a nice forward race to be the runner-up champion.

Abilene, Kan., November 7
Judges: Howard Burbach and M. Alex Jacocks
NATIONAL AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 34 Pointers and 1 German Shorthair
Winner-CHISHOLM CREEK'S CUT'ER LOOSE, F1683348, German Shorthair female, by Chisholm Creeks Cuttin Loose-Uodibar's Lorrie Darlin. Mark Wasserman, owner and handler.
Runner-Up-STYLISH MISS BELL, F1691586, pointer male, by Valiant-Haney's North Star. Tom Curtsinger, owner and handler.