Result: Summerhill Field Trial Club

Location: Glenville, Pennsylvania

Post Date: May 27, 2026

Submitted By: Ernie Saniga

Amateur Restricted Derby: Alex Smith with Dunn's Step N' Out, Joe Lordi with Bryant's Sunset Silver Surfer, and Ben Dillard with Bozeann's Whisper.

The Summerhill trial ran its spring trial on May 2 and 3 at the George Tracy training grounds near Glenville, Pennsylvania. It was unseasonably cold throughout the trial, but the sun was out, treating us to some beautiful views of rural Pennsylvania.

The Summerhill trial is indebted to the Southern Bird Hunters Association (SBHA) for their support; SBHA is headed by Marty Robinson. Eukanuba's support is massive as well: considerable amounts of dog food for all winners, plus boxes of goodies for all youth participants. We thank them.

Robert Ecker, a highly successful field trial trainer, judged all stakes. He was paired with Larry King for the Restricted Derby, Roger Dvorak for the Shooting Dog, and Dave McKay for the Derby. Thank you all for your contributions
Taydem Boyer and Ava Tracy judged the Youth stake, both with field trial bloodlines and graduates of our Youth stakes.

The Amateur Restricted Derby was won by Dunn's Step N' Out, the recent winner of the New England Futurity. Will Dunn's pointer male had three finished finds and a strong forward race, handled well by Alex Smith. Second went to Mark Janiec's pointer male, Bryant's Sunset Silver Surfer. Surfer was handled by Joe Lordi to a fine race to the front with a nice back from 40 yards and a good find. Both dogs are off the Tracy strings.
Third went to Ben Dillard's setter female, Bozeann's Whisper. Placed on class, her race was impressive as well.

Kevin Joyce won the Amateur Shooting Dog with his pointer female, Hightailing Cindy. Cindy scored three times with style and manners and had a very good forward effort on the ground. Gratitude was second for Roger Boser. The Irish setter male had three finds with finished manners in a good race. Boyer's Running Buck Wild won third. The pointer male, handled by Gunner Boyer, hunted nicely forward and had three finds with perfect manners.

Winning the Amateur Derby stake was Bull Jangles. The pointer male was braced with the second-place dog, Southbound Priscilla, a pointer female handled by Larry King. The pair complemented each other, hunting independently forward throughout. Priscilla scored early and Bull in the middle, both high and tight. With similar class, Nottingham's Imagine That was third in a good race and two stylish finds for Roger Dvorak.

Youth Stake
The highlight of the trial was the Youth stake. While we had as many as 21 riders in the other stakes, the Youth stake doubled that, counting all the gallery-mounted and various side-by-sides.
The first handler, Liam, started with "Patch," a champion several times over, and one that likes to go. He had no trouble with the dog or the horse on this occasion, blowing the whistle and flushing and shooting quickly over the mannerly dog. George Tracy said he is going to teach Liam, who lives nearby, how to really ride a horse this summer.
Emilia ran female pointer champion "Sky" in the second brace, and the little girl was spot on with her handling and flushing over the dog's multiple finds. A little caution on firing the cap gun did not detract from a fine effort. Little Paisley ran "River" in the next brace, and it was just like we witnessed with Emilia. These little ladies have seen field trial action and know what to do in terms of blowing the whistle, saying "whoa," flushing, and shooting the cap gun. And the dogs, wearing a training collar, aren't about to make a mistake.
Little Brooklyn ran Ch. Woodie in the last brace. Jeanette Tracy scouted. Brooklyn rode her great-grandad George's horse, "Champ," to handle the famous dog, who is registered as Miller's Heat Seeker. The young girl did just fine, and the dog was perfect running in front of the horse he is used to seeing behind him. Muriel Primm, one of Woodie's owners, noted that "looks like we have a new handler for our field trial dogs".

Glenville, Pa., May 21
Judges: Robert Ecker and Larry King
SBHA AMATEUR RESTRICTED DERBY - 5 Pointers and 1 Setter
1st-DUNN'S STEP N' OUT, F1708353, pointer male, by Touch's Malcolm Story-Treeline's Sunflower. Will Dunn, owner; Alex Smith, handler.
2d-BRYANT'S SUNSET SILVER SURFER, F1708719, pointer male, by Haney's Silver Dollar-Bluemound's Changed Up. Mark Janiec, owner; Jor Lordi Jr., handler.
3d-BOZEANN'S WHISPER, F1725396, setter female, by Bozeann's Roscoe-Dust Til Dawn. Ben Dillard, owner and handler.

Amateur Shooting Dog: Gunner and little Bear Boyer with Boyer's Running Buck Wild, Larry King with Gratitude, and Kevin Joyce with Hightailing Cindy.

Judges: Robert Ecker and Roger Dvorak
SBHA AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG - 17 Pointers and 2 Irish Setters
1st-HIGHTAILING CINDY, F1714947, pointer female, by Cheyenne Jack-Hightailing Maggie. Kevin Joyce, owner and handler.
2d-GRATITUDE, F1676458, Irish setter male, by Come Back Cutter-Come Back Doodle. Roger Boser, owner and handler.
3d-BOYER'S RUNNING BUCK WILD, F16933000, pointer male, by Chowan River C Rail-War Paint's Little Birdie. Stephen Boyer, owner; Gunner Boyer, handler.

Amateur Derby: Roger Dvorak with Nottingham's Imagine That, Larry King with Southbound Priscilla, and Ernie Saniga with Bull Jangles.

Judges: Robert Ecker and Dave McKay
SBHA AMATEUR DERBY - 4 Pointers, 1 Setter, and 1 Irish Setter
1st-BULL JANGLES, F1713962, pointer male, by Double Deuce Zeke-Braggabull. Ernie & Karen Saniga, owners; Ernie Saniga, handler.
2d-SOUTHBOUND PRISCILLA, F1715114, pointer female, by Haney's All In-Calico's Guns N Roses. Larry King, owner and handler.
3d-NOTTINGHAM'S IMAGINE THAT, F1708990, pointer female, by Imagine-Mohawk Mill For Real. Roger Dvorak, owner and handler.

Youth Stake. Liam and Ava Tracy with "Patch," Dillon Shaeffer and Emilia with "Sky," Wendy Tracy and Brooklyn with "Woodie," and Jeannette Tracy and Paisley with "River."