Result: Gyp Hills Field Trial Club

Location: Lodge, Kansas

Post Date: Mar 10, 2022

Submitted By: Paul Roederer

Greypointe Luminoso, First in the Amateur All-Age Stake.
LODGE, KAN. -- The Gyp Hills Field Trial Club held its all amateur club trial on February 19-20 at the expansive Z Bar Ranch located about thirty miles southwest of Medicine Lodge, Kan.

The adult stakes were one-hour Amateur Invitational Points and Purina Points stakes, the Derby an Amateur Derby Invitational Points stake; all run on wild birds only.

Ranch Manager Keith Yearout has welcomed us without hesitation for the last eleven years and has lent the club the use of any ranch equipment we might need to mow trails through the heavy native grass pastures along the courses. We also have had their assistance in remodeling the headquarters building which provides trialers a comfortable spot with heat, air, plumbing and full kitchen.

Longtime ranch worker Thane Yunker has been a tremendous help to us by driving our dog wagon which is no small feat on this ranch. The ranch's 43,000 acres are grazed only by buffalo and are managed to provide optimal cover for native bobwhite quail, pheasant and true lesser prairie chicken.

We saw more lesser prairie chickens and pheasants than in any previous trials; quail were scarce but the shooting dogs showed us where they hid. Scenting conditions were horrid in the intense drought this area has been under and hindered further by hot, sunny days during the trial.

Many thanks to Donnie Jeffrey who came in from Omaha, Neb., to judge the All-Age and Shooting Dog Stakes, Lou Qualtiere from Canada and Missouri who judged the All-Age and Derby, and Joe Worsham who judged the Shooting Dog Stake.

The club thanks Purina and Greg Blair for their support in providing Pro Plan dog food, hats and advertising support. Thanks also to Carolyn Roederer who assisted in dog wagon duties and cooked our meals.

AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG STAKE

The Shooting Dog stake ran on a bird-finding day with Paul Roederer's Cruise Rocket convincingly winning with two exciting wild coveys combined with a huge front- running race. The race started with a half mile cast to the nearest ridge where he showed up and crossed to the front and continued to impress on the ground. The first find at about 25 was far to the front down a fenceline that resulted in a statuesque find at a quarter mile standing in one of the few alfalfa fields on the ranch. He stood there for quite a while before we got there and flushed a large covey right in front, the dog not twitching a hair and maintaining his composure after shot.

Taken on, he made a big swing along hillsides bordering a creek. Not long after, at 45, he skirted a plum thicket, cast up a draw and was found on point. He looked positive with 12 o'clock style, a straight vertical tail and high head. When deer erupted from a nearby plum thicket he didn't move and handler flushed a nice covey wadded up in front, Cruiser motionless before and after the shot until taken on to finish strong.

Greg Sand's champion and many-time winner Traveler's Split Rail garnered second on a hot afternoon, handling kindly and to the front. At about 40 he whirled about and nailed an antsy covey that took wing before Greg could even flush, Traveler withstanding the temptation of the flight and subsequent shot. Taken on, he finished in very heavy cover as strong as he started.

Third was awarded to longtime Oklahoma trailer Mike Griffin and his Griff's Big Ransom that ran a heat-defying race in heavy cover but could not come up with a find.

Jeanette Heise's Ten Oaks Annie A ran a smooth even race and made a good case for placement. Doug Meyer's You Can Never Tell could have been in the mix after finding a nice covey resting in plum thickets only 5 minutes after breakaway. It was very hot and sunny but she gravitated right to them. Doug got them airborne and shot but You Can Never Tell took steps as Meyer shot.

Medicine Lodge, Kan., February 19

Judges: Donnie Jeffrey and Joe Worsham

AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG [One-Hour Heats] -- 7 Pointers,

5 Setters and 2 Vizslas

1st--CRUISE ROCKET, 1686934, setter male, by Rhythm Rocket--Rocketing Hope. Paul Roederer, ownre and handler.

2d--TRAVELER'S SPLIT RAIL, 1662940, setter male, by Shadow Oak Bo--Star's Last Chance. Greg Sand, owner and handler.

3d--GRIFF'S BIG RANSOM, 1667466, pointer male, by Ransom--Coldwater Snow. Mike Griffin, owner and handler.

Cruise Rocket, First in the Amateur Shooting Dog Stake.
AMATEUR ALL-AGE STAKE

The All-Age was won by Doug Meyer's Greypointe Luminoso with a big race requiring little scouting. Luminoso has won this trial before as these big prairie grounds seem to suit his ambition.

Steve Auxier came down from Nebraska and did well as his Intensive Chain Breaker earned second and Working Class garnered third, both based on race on a day where birds were hard to find.

Judges: Donnie Jeffrey and Lou Qualtiere

AMATEUR ALL-AGE [One-Hour Heats] -- 7 Pointers and 1 Setter

1st--GREYPOINTE LUMINOSO, 1657282, pointer male, by S F McKenzie--Greypointe Gloriosa. Douglas P. Meyer, owner and handler.

2d--INTENSIVE CHAIN BREAKER, 1675497, pointer female, by S F Bandwagon--S F Rushhour. Steve Auxier, owner and handler.

3d--WORKING CLASS, 1658384, pointer maale, by Elhew Fibber McGee--Ice's Elhew Reba. Steve Auxier, owner and handler.

AMATEUR DERBY

The Derby was very competitive as handlers competed for Amateur Derby Invitational points and produced three outstanding winners with big races.

First was Doug Meyer's Greypointe Quiere, commonly known as Waylon for us who don't speak Spanish. He had an outstanding reaching to the limits very mature looking race, flowing forward at all times running to objectives and keeping on any lines to their conclusion. He had to finish in a plum thicket infested river bottom where he was not seen for 5 minutes before time and showed up on cue at time.

A very close second was Rodney Shoemaker's HP Shots Fired who had a very fast and forward race. He was gone a little over 5 minutes at the end with Rodney riding hard to round him up. Any other time this would be a first place race. Steve Auxier rounded out third with a race a little less consistent than the other two but showing some heels indicating an all-age future.

Judges: Lou Qualtiere and Paul Roederer

AMATEUR DERBY -- 10 Pointers and 1 Vizsla

1st--GREYPOINTE QUE QUIERE, 1690521, pointer male, by Greypointe Izquierda--You Never Can Tell. Douglas P. Meyer, owner and handler.

2d--H P SHOTS FIRE, 1692506, pointer male, by Wiggins Mister Ronnie-Wiggins Miss Swami. Rodney Shoemaker, owner and handler.

3d--INTENSIVE SPINAL TOP, 1697202, pointer male, by Broken Halo--Rocky River Snow Bird. Steve Auxier, owner and handler.

H P Shots Fired, Second in the Amateur Derby.