Result: Central Connecticut Bird Dog Club

Location: East Windsor, Connecticut

Post Date: Sep 26, 2022

Submitted By: Tom Gates

The Central Connecticut Bird Dog Club staged its annual spring event May 20-22, at the popular Dr. John Flaherty Field Trial Area in East Windsor, Conn. Established in 1961, the Central Connecticut club has run class bird dog field trials for 61 consecutive years. The five-stake event was again chaired by Gene Casale, Jr., with dogs from up and down the Eastern United States competing.

As usual, Gene Casale, Jr., managed the trial with perfection. Every detail was meticulously executed in true professional "Casale" style. I guarantee that everyone has a great time at a trial run by Gene! He will be hosting the Northeastern Championship in October on these grounds. The Casale family was well represented - daughters Anna and Heather with boyfriends Kevin and Jon helping in every detail. Anna offered a thrilling display of trick riding horsemanship for the gallery on Saturday. Pam Casale, Gene's wife, again put on the club's famous Saturday night 'Handler's dinner'. Fried Chicken and all the 'fixins' were augmented by a more than generous platter of fried eggplant donated by club member and good friend Tony Forte. Now in his 80s, Tony has been cooking and helping the club for nearly 45 years. A good time was had by all attending.

Great judges always make a great trial and we had some of the best! The club sincerely thanks Kevin Stuart, Dave O'Brien, John Olfson, Tom Tracy, Alene LeVasseur, Jim Thomas, Craig Santos and Mike Tracy for their fine judicial work. Their decisions were applauded by all attending. Dave O'Brien, Tom Tracy, Anna Casale and Heather Casale were true warriors - planting birds all day in the 90*+ degree heat! Thank you all!

The Open Shooting Dog started the trial on Friday with 9 very eager competitors. The weather was still cool and the grass was very wet making for great scenting conditions. Mike Tracy swept the stake, taking all three placements. Trumped took the blue. Owned by our buddy, Eli Richardson of Uxbridge, Mass., this pointer male was outstanding! He ran the limits of the course finding quail at three locations. He runs with a very animated happy gait. His high cracking tail and very fast attack on the ground was certainly unbeatable. A very intense stance was rewarded with multiple birds lifting over the motionless dog at each find. Trumped finished hard and driving way out on the powerline - ready to run another 30 minutes! Very nice dog!

Rich and Rare another pointer male that makes you look at him hard! Gaining second this week, he was very powerful on the ground. This day he scored three times on quail with impeccable manners. When the judges called ''time' he was a distant dot on the powerline edge.

Cinderella was a close third for Mike. The pointer female is another dog destined for top shooting dog honors on the major circuit. She is one of the classiest and stylish derby dogs that I have ever seen in a long time. Today she was found standing twice with birds well located and a statue at shot. Very pretty to watch on the ground; she also ate-up the course finishing far to the front.

The Scotty Creel Open Derby is named for a club member who put saving other lives above his own safety. A Waterbury, Connecticut Fireman, Scotty was honored several times for his heroic acts. Although injured many times, he always was the first in and the last out! A real-life hero! As the temperature climbed on Friday, eight derbies all demonstrated fantastic endurance.
Cinderella was back from placing in the Shooting Dog to take the blue! Mike Tracy did a fantastic job showing this dog. She had a single in fine form and then was found standing twice with covey birds well located. Her style on point is impressive. She finished hard in the midday heat.

Jim Thomas had his young setter male Jet for second. You might want to ride this dog - he's really big going, but in tune with handler. A statue on point, Jet carded two covey finds with birds blasting out everywhere on the second find. A single near the end lead to a huge finish on the left edge. Nice dog! Matt Basilone has a sure winner with Ragging Bull. Aptly named, this pointer male is a powerhouse. He never slowed down! His ground application was more than commendable (especially for a young dog). Found standing once, Bull looked like a picture - high and tight. He wanted to do another 30 minutes at time! Real nice dog!!

The Guard Rail Open Shooting Dog stake honors Eugene Casale's Hall of Fame pointer who competed on these grounds many times. This stake is a coveted placement for anyone's dog! This year, 24 top dogs from up and down the Eastcoast competed for chance to add a "Guard Rail" placement to their resume. Waybetter Rebel emerged the winner. Handled by Mike Tracy, this pointer male is a thrill to watch. Rebel ran the limits of the grounds. His hard driving effort was rewarded on three occasions with covey birds being flown over a picturesque stance. Rebel had plenty of bottom in the heat finishing strong on the left edge. A thrill to watch!

Matt Basilone had Fort River Lucky Charm for second in this highly contested stake. Owner Gary Tavares was in the gallery to watch a near perfect performance. Charm swapped ends in the pines to score a single in perfect form. He next was found standing a large covey; birds perfectly located. His third find saw a pair of quail lift over an intense stand. His ground race was a true hunting effort that couldn't be beaten. Great driving finish made Charm a sure bet.

Roger Duerksen's pointer female, Faithful, was a close third for Mike Tracy. Another awesome ground effort in the intense heat, saw Faith swap ends twice with a very intense pointing style. Her manners were impeccable. This is the type of dog that you want to take home with you! She finished driving on the left edge.

The Amateur Derby started things off on Sunday. Tom Tracy took the blue with Stream. The fast-moving pointer male certainly has all the tools to become a top shooting dog. This day, Stream had a single in fine form and then logged a perfect covey find. Near the end he was found standing a single. He finished way to the front with that high tail cracking all the time. Real classy dog! Jet was back from placing in the Open Derby to grab second in this stake for Jim Thomas. I like this dog!! The stylish setter was big going - trading ends twice with covey finds. High and tight at shot! Jet also added a single near the end before a long driving finish on the left edge.

The Milo Wilkenson Amateur Shooting Dog stake is named for one of the club's founding members. Milo was instrumental in acquiring grounds and establishing clubs and the New England Association. Bill Bonetti took first with Cape Point Lucky Strike. It was getting hot! Well into to the 90* area, but these shooting dogs ran like it was November! This big setter was the epitome of class on the ground. He is exciting to watch and a handful at times for Bill. He carded three evenly spaced finds in this awful heat. His style pointing can only be described as intense. Perfect at flush; he was untouchable.

Alene LeVasseur took Tin Man's Hart (Coin) to second. This setter just did it all; taking the edges, finding birds four times and finishing as a dot in the distance. His quail finds were perfect, with birds lifting right over his motionless stance on one occasion. Wow! What a great job! Gene Casale had Railway Barnie third. I love this dog! I think Gene has placed him just about every time that he has put him down. Barnie is magic on the ground, magic on birds. Two great quail finds in the heat of the day coupled with a race that got bigger and bigger in the midday heat made him a sure bet.
East Windsor, Conn., May 20 - One Course
Judges: David O'Brien and James Thomas
OPEN SHOOTING DOG - 8 Pointers and 1 Setter
1st--TRUMPED, 1690083, pointer male, by Mohawk Mill Image-Bevy's Cadillac Jukebox. Eli Richardson III, owner; Mike Tracy, handler.
2d-RAAG'S RICH AND RARE, 1685880, pointer male, by Lester's Sunny Hill Jo-Raag's Miss Lightfoot. John Ivester, owner; Mike Tracy, handler.
3d-MILLER'S SPECIAL CINDERELLA, 1696287, pointer female, by Miller's Upgraded Version-Miller's Special Edition. William & Muriel Primm, owners; Mike Tracy, handler.
Judges: Alene LeVasseur and Tom Tracy
SCOTTY CREEL OPEN DERBY - 6 Pointers and 2 Setters
1st-- MILLER'S SPECIAL CINDERELLA, 1696287, pointer female, by Miller's Upgraded Version-Miller's Special Edition. William & Muriel Primm, owners; Mike Tracy, handler.
2d-THOMAS JET STREAM, 1693768, setter male, by Erin's Wild Atlantic Way-Erin's Black Watch. Jim Thomas, owner and handler.
3d-IRON WILL'S RAGING BULL, 1697738, pointer male, by Hyhope Chipper-Iron Will Suzie. Robert & Lisa Brooks, owners; Matt Basilone, handler.
Judges: John Olfson and Kevin Stuart
GUARD RAIL OPEN SHOOTING DOG - 21 Pointers and 3 Setters
1st--WAYBETTER REBEL, 1689139, pointer male, by Dominator's Rebel Heir-Calico's Country Strong. William & Muriel Primm & Carl Bishop, owners; Mike Tracy, handler.
2d-FORT RIVER'S LUCKY CHARM, 1681132, setter male, by Mohawk Mill Lucky Charm-Fort River Jackie. Gary Tavares, owner; Matt Basilone, handler.
3d-FAITHFUL, 1684597, pointer female, by Waybetter Rocky-Steel City Karen. Roger & Susan Duerksen, owners; Mike Tracy, handler.
Judges: Craig Santos and Mike Tracy
AMATEUR DERBY - 4 Pointers and 1 Setter
1st--L H STREAM, 1694440, pointer male, by Miller's Heat Seeker-Moonlite Yellow Jacket. Tom Tracy, owner and handler.
2d-THOMAS JET STREAM, 1693768, setter male, by Erin's Wild Atlantic Way-Erin's Black Watch. James Thomas, owner and handler.
MILO WILKENSON AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG 4 Pointers and 4 Setters
1st--CAPE POINT LUCKY STRIKE, 1687954, setter male, by Awsum In Motion-Cape Point Millbilly. Bill Bonetti, owner and handler.
2d-TIN MAN'S HEART, 1675626, setter male, by Erin's Hidden Shamrock-Waymaker Hello Dolly. Alene LeVasseur, owner and handler.
3d-RAILWAY BARNIE, 1686582, pointer male, by Glassilaun War Paint-Railway Jill. Gene Casale, owner and handler.