Result: U. S. Complete Great Lakes Regional Open Walking Shooting Dog Championship

Location: Milford, Michigan

Post Date: May 1, 2021

Submitted By: David A. Fletcher

The Grand Valley Bird Dog Club, for the eighth time, hosted the U. S. Complete Great Lakes Regional Open Walking Shooting Dog Championship very successfully May 1-2 over the Highland Recreation Area near Milford, Mich.

The Highland grounds are yet this season to grow up with thick growth and yet to be mowed provided very good cover for this Championship.

Weather was a bit of a factor over the two-day weekend.

Thanks to the handlers who brought 37 dogs to the competition. Dave and Mark Hughes from Pennsylvania, along with Eric Munden, Robert Ecker also from Pennsylvania., and Bruce and Neil Minard and Scott Chaffee from Michigan were the mainstays, with amateurs Ken DeLong, Ricky Hollister, Brown, Burkovitch also competing. Some very talented dogs competed in this event.

Grand Valley Club President Jim Cipponeri put all the facets of this Championship trial together in great fashion. He is a U. S. Complete Board member, applied for his club to host the event, and with wife Connie staged the drawing, secured the judges and marshaled almost every brace of the event.

Mike Brown picked up the birds in Ohio and delivered them to the trial. Paul Tutro liberated the quail for the complete two days. Bryan Wood announced the braces. Dave Fletcher looked after the report photos, judge's books, the rosettes, the entry fees and served as scribe. Local trialers Blake Rizzo and Bill Branham, judged. Lunch Saturday was Little Caesar's Hot and Ready Pizza.

Many thanks to Purina for all the wonderful help they give this club.

Weather was a bit of a factor in performance of the dogs and scenting. Saturday morning started with a temperature of 26 rising to the mid-60s at midday. At times a gusty wind may have influenced scenting. Sunday was totally different. We cast away the first brace at 7:45 in 65 temperatures and at midday we were in hot, sunny, well over 80 temperatures. The heat became a factor most of the afternoon on Sunday, and again we had wind gusts to possibly hamper scenting. Wisely the club had some large water tubs in place on the course. Dogs could be refreshed.

THE WINNERS AND CHALLENGERS

Named new Great Lakes Region Champion was Glassilaun War Paint, five-year-old white and black pointer male owned by Jamie Nee of Plymouth, Mass., handled by Robert Ecker. War Paint had two good finds, a very fine hour of strong hunting wisely, going to good cover every minute, and a strong finish.

This handsome pointer male has placed thirty times in field trials. This was his first Championship title. He has a remarkable win record consisting of three Open Puppy placements, eleven Derby, eight Derby Classics and four wins in Futurities. One Futurity win, a third place, was in the Fifty-Fourth United States Quail Shooting Dog Futurity, a horseback event at Hoffman, N. C. War Paint has two Open Shooting Dog wins and an Amateur Shooting Dog placement, and now a Championship.

Runner-up was Grouse Trails Tuscarora, four year old black and white pointer male owned by Michigander Dave D'Hulster of North Street, Mich., handled by Mark Hughes. Tux ran at midday on Sunday in a hot sun and elevated temperatures but handled the heat well, logging two very nice finds, style, location and manners all of premium quality. One of the dog's finest qualities is his ability to hunt hard and find birds in the hot windy conditions and finish the hour at that level.

Owner Dave D'Hulster purchased the dog from John McKellop at Derby age and hunted him all over North America, a valuable asset in his learning process. Mark Hughes related he is an easy going dog, easy to train, and adapts well to the terrain he's running in.

Tuscarora has a total of seven placements, including a third place in the Bob Lee (hour) Classic and was also runner-up in the U.S. Complete National Championship, and has added another runner-up title in this Great Lakes Championship.

Turning to the progression of this fine stake, eventual Champion Glassilaun War Paint ran in the second brace, Saturday morning, down at 8:35 a.m. He set an early mark with great birdwork and fine hunting to establish himself and be carried by the judges for a placement.

In the morning's fourth brace Grouse Hill Bullet Proof, also handled by Robert Ecker, logged four good finds and finished the hour well, but his effort was not enough to displace War Paint. In the late afternoon Saturday Mark Hughes steered Double Deuce Zeke to a four-find performance, but late in the hour the dog was gone a long interval and he was withdrawn, only to have scout find the dog on point after time which would have been his fifth find.

Sunday morning Mark Hughes sent away Pistol Grip who rang up four good finds but his first, where he lost scent did not turn out as great birdwork. Runner-up Grouse Trail Tuscarora went down in the 14th brace, 11:30 Sunday. This dog hunted hard despite the increasing heat of the day, logging two very good finds and searched and finished at a high level of desire and hunting skill. In the second to last brace Sunday, the 18th, Mark Hughes ran Suemac's Sashay which logged two very creditable finds and hunted strongly. This dog overcame the worst period of Sunday's heat, but was not in the overall able to displace the champion or the runner-up for a placement.

The following 37 dogs competed in this Championship:

High Five's Power Line (Minard) with Double Deuce Sage (Hughes), Wayward Flyin Tomato (Hughes) with Glassilaun War Paint (Ecker), Faith's Maximum Justice (DeLong) with Braggabull (Hughes), Grouse Hill Bullet Proof (Ecker) with Done Roven's Drifter (Hollister), Phillips Moonlite Lilly (Hughes) with Springpond Rock (Brown), Snyder's Pioneer Scout (Chaffee) with Jars Way Leroy (Hughes), Thornapple Cody (Minard) with Attitude's True Grit (Ecker), Springpond Luther (Brown) with Double Deuce Zeke (Hughes), Bo of Piney Wood (Ecker) with Fly Cast Rollie Fingers (Chaffee), A Distant Spec (Hughes) with Titanium Jacksin (Minard), Islander (Ecker) with Kendal Hills Dawson Creek (Hughes), Hair Trigger Colt (Burkovitch) with Pistol Grip (Hughes), Wild Apple Siri (Minard) with Miss Pennstar (Ecker), Grouse Trail's Tuscarora (Hughes) with Boston (Ecker), Sunrise Star (Ecker) with Bawl of Fire Slipper (Minard), Wild Land Warrior (Hughes) with Sterlingworth Jack (Ecker), BK Sunny Day (Minard) with Lasombra (Hughes), Clark's Katzenjammer Kid (Ecker) with Sumac's Sashay (Hughes), Maximum Resistance (Ecker).

Milford, Mich., May 1

Judges: Bill Branham and Blake Rizzo

U. S. COMPLETE GREAT LAKES REGIONAL OPEN WALKING

SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] --

19 Pointers and 18 Setters

Winner--GLASSILAUN WAR PAINT, 1667331, pointer male, by Sugarknoll War Paint--Neeley's Hot Pepper. Jamie Nee, owner; Robert Ecker, handler.

Runner-Up--GROUSE TRAILS TUSCARORA, 1674616, pointer male, by Grouse Trails Cracker Jack--Grouse Trails Pride. Dave D'Hulster, owner; Mark Hughes, handler.