Result: Region 19 Amateur All-Age Championship

Location: Danbury, Wisconsin

Post Date: Nov 13, 2019

Submitted By: Frank LaNasa

Championship Winners. From left: Doug Meyer, Bob Saari, John Mathys with Chief's Rising Sun, Scott Jordan, Ian MacTavish, Judge Greg Dixon, Rich Boumeester with Boumeester's Duramax, Don Dack and Judge Bruce Mueller.
DANBURY, WIS. -- All summer long word was spread that the Barrens had a very good hatch and that sharptail grouse were doing well. By fall, cover and water were in abundance, but so were the grouse.

The Namekagon Barrens is a slice of heaven in the middle of a forest wilderness. Everything that is wild in that part of the country uses the Barrens at one time of the year or another. But by late September the primary habitats are migrating song birds, waterfowl, shorebirds and their year round residents, the sharptail grouse. Around the edges is prime cover for ruffed grouse, and in the many miles of surrounding forest ruffed grouse prosper like few places in the nation.

This year the sharptail were there, as proven by the recently completed Region 19 Amateur Shooting Dog Championship with 20+ covey days, but like many hunting and fishing days, some days are tougher to find your quarry than others. The All-Age Championship was completed in two days and those two days proved to be a challenge for locating game.

The Northwest Field Association, a club of more than 80 years, hosted this year's All-Age Championship. The Namekagon Barrens, near Danbury Wis., provides some 5,000 acres of sand and scrub oak habitat. Willow and various wet grasses make up the majority of the balance of vegetation. There is some jack pine, birch and poplar, but those are isolated.

Club secretary Katherine Gove has been a rock for the club and for these events through the years, always doing way more than her fair share. She handles the secretarial duties flawlessly and is involved in planning and implementing most of the club's activities, besides being one heck of a scout!

This year's judges are two long time dog men from the area, both having had significant success in trials around the country. Amateur Bruce Mueller of River Falls, Wis., and professional trainer/handler Greg Dixon of Baldwin, Wis., did a great job watching every brace and were attentive and positive. Their decisions were well received.

Named champion was three-year-old white and orange setter male Chief's Rising Sun for his handler-owner John Mathys of De Pere, Wis. Chief was bred by Skydance Kennel's owner Dennis Lutynski's fine female Skydancer Flash Dance to Mathys' winning setter Erin's Prometheus. Prometheus has produced a couple of recent winners of this event.

Chief was braced with Jumpstart in the second brace starting on course No. 2. The course winds south for approximately two miles over rolling hills and long grades. Right off the breakaway Chief took a hard-right west where by 3 he was pointed beautifully. Mathys put a nice covey to flight to Chief's perfect manners. Back to the front he continued to roll through the country. Chief was only seen sparingly holding a far-flung pattern through most of the southern swing of the first half of his course. Once the course turned back north Mathys had to ride deep to the south to help his charge make the turn. With both dogs heading north, Chief on the left and Jumpstart on the right, they continued to show deep in the country for more than a three-mile stretch of quality bird cover. After the old buckwheat field Jumpstart did not return. Chief continued to use his course well. Always forward, he finished his hour strong.

Rich Boumeester handled his handsome Boumeester's Duramax, three-year-old pointer male, to the runner-up title on the strength of an aggressive hour with birds at about the 40-minute mark. "Max" hunted the first course and got to work right away. The course takes a large clockwise path through the most southern section of the barrens. He did a good job keeping his handler in mind as he reached over consecutive hills. He showed on the top of the hills long enough to get his handler's path and off again he went.

On a couple of occasions Max got wide, but never behind, and he always made his own way deep to the front. East across Gumlak trail the course turns north. Max was wide to the east but made his way forward, came across the front and pointed. Boumeester raised his hat and while some birds left early, the balance of the covey waited to be flushed in front of quality work. Duramax continued his hour in a manner consistent with all that happened previously, finishing strong.

Danbury, Wis., October 6 -- One Course

Judges: Greg Dixon and Bruce Mueller

REGION 19 AMATEUR ALL-AGE CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] --

12 Pointers and 4 Setters

Winner--CHIEF'S RISING SUN, 1673071, setter male, by Erin's Prometheus--Skydancer Flash Dance. John Mathys, owner and handler.

Runner-Up--BOUMEESTER'S DURAMAX, 1669447, pointer male, by Erin's Redrum--Bar P Fizz. Rich Boumeester, owner and handler.

OPEN DERBY

The accompanying Derby proved very competitive with all of the honored performances having advanced bird work for fall Derbies.

Pointer female Hawthorn Pearl had flawless bird work with a quality ground performance to win the stake for her handler Jim Tande. Pointer male Cold Creek Lucky Break put forth a mature effort with handsome bird work for his owner-handler Ian MacTavish. Third place was awarded to Jim Tande's setter male Due Respect whose persistence paid off with bird work late in his effort.

OPEN DERBY -- 11 Pointers and 3 Setters

1st--HAWTHORN PEARL, 1684585, pointer female, by Dominator's Rebel Heir--Bar P Fizz. Jim Tande, owner and handler.

2d--COLD CREEK LUCKY BREAK, 1684674, pointer male, by Boumeester's Duramax--Bar P Ali. Ian MacTavish, owner and handler.

3d--DUE RESPECT, 1684605, setter male, by Erin's Hidden Shamrock--Hawthorn Patty. Jim Tande & Wyndell Hines, owners; Jim Tande, handler.