Result: Westark Field Trial Club

Location: Booneville, Arkansas

Post Date: Dec 28, 2022

Submitted By: Thomas Rice

Fleetwood Open Shooting Dog Classic Winners (from left): Upfront's Southern Star with Virgil Moore, Charitable Deed with Eddie Taylor, and Cheap Thrill with Tommy Rice. (Back row, from left): Shawn Kinkelaar, Ronnie Miller, Rick Thone, Mike Lemmons, Judge Everett Brannan, and Jerry Oswald.

On October 3th in Booneville, Ark., the J. Perry Milkes field trial grounds hosted the Fleetwood Shooting Dog Classic. The Fleetwood is put on by the Westark Field Trial Club and Ronnie Miller is the man that runs and makes this trial flow smoothly.

The judges were Everett Brannan from Powderly, Tex., and Greg Pool from Dancyville, Tenn. The handlers and club officials want to thank these two men for staying alert and giving their undivided attention to all dogs that were turned loose. That being said, conditions were extremely tough! This part of Arkansas had not seen rain in nearly two months and burn bans were in effect in several counties near by. As you could imagine, finding birds was going to be a challenge and a challenge it was! But the grounds were mowed to perfection and courses looked great with good cover for birds and visibility to see dogs work.

Upfront's Southern Star was the first place dog in the Fleetwood Open Shooting Dog Classic. This pointer female is no newcomer to the winners' circle. Star is a multiple champion and is handled by Shawn Kinkelaar and is owned by Lance Schulz. Call name Roo, drew the second course in the morning on the second day of running. She made big casts and stayed to the front the entire hour. Roo had her only find on the edge of a big field close to the Petit Jean River where scout Virgil Moore called point after she had disappeared from the edge as she was rimming it. She finished her hour strong as pick up was called right before crossing the bridge. A solid performance in tough conditions.

Another pointer female was named second who has been a consistent competitor throughout her career. Charitable Deed who is owned by Keith Finlayson and handled by Tommy Rice ran the fourth day on the first course in the morning. Deed had an unproductive within the first five minutes and then shortly after had her only find of the hour just before the creek crossing. She ran a strong race showing well to the front and handling.

Cheap Thrill was named third place, she is a first year dog who's dam is Charitable Deed. Call name Reba, is also owned by Keith Finlayson and is handled by Tommy Rice. Reba ran the third hour in the morning of the first day. She had her only find just past Mario's Hill around the thirty-minute mark of her hour. Reba's race was to the front with some good cast but slowed down at the end of her hour. A good effort for a young dog and her handler was pleased.

The Fleetwood Derby was ran the day after the shooting dogs and conditions had not changed. Fourteen derbies were turned loose. Winning the stake was a female pointer named Dollywood Thrill. Dolly ran the last brace of stake and had a strong ground performance for a derby in the heat. She had a fall derby find where she was seen pointed, then bumped birds but was whoa to stop only a few yards away from initial point and stayed steady through gun fire. Dolly was handled by Tommy Rice and is owned by Benny Cain. Second was Cold Creek Thrill Tuff, Tuff is handled by Tommy Rice and is owned by Terry Reinke. Tuff ran in the second brace and had a strong race and handled very nicely and showed well to front with some big casts. Game Changer was named third place for handler Eddie Taylor and owner Rick Thone. Changer had a nice smooth race. He handled nicely and made a couple good casts for a derby and had a good way of moving.

The Lone Star Open Shooting Dog Classic started October 8th following the Fleetwood Open Shooting Dog on the J Perry Milkes fried trial grounds near Booneville, Ark. Weather conditions had not changed from the Fleetwood, except the few water holes that were present were no longer existing. Judging this trial was Greg Pool from Dancyville, Tennn., and John Humphrey from Claremore, Okla. Thank you goes out to these two men who watched hard from the saddle in the hot, dry conditions. Another appreciation goes to Rick Thone and Mike Lemmons who put the Lone Star on.

Thunderbolt Wild Again took first place, point female who is owned by Doug Swingley and Brett Bruggeman and handled by Shawn Kinkelaar. Wild ran a moderate shooting dog race but she tallied two finds where her style was staunch and high. Her first find was at the five-minute mark on a big covey and the second find was at the thirty-five minute mark where she was in thick cover. Wild finished her hour strong to front.

Second place was Lester's Another Shockwave which was handled by Shawn Kinkelaar. Shock ran a good race on the third hour of the first day of trial. He showed well and ran edges well and had a divided find for his only piece of bird work.

Third place was White Way Anarkie handled by Eddie Taylor and owned by Kevin White. Anarkie was braced with second place dog and had a good race with a divided find. He did suffer and unproductive but finished his hour ahead with range to the front.
The heat and dry conditions really had a negative effect on the bird finding abilities of dogs in this stake. There were birds seen in several places but dogs never made game except for the three dogs that were placed. Several other dogs made valiant efforts on ground races that were strong and to the front but were unable to locate quail. But that is hunting and field trialing, some things have to fall in place to be successful. It was a good trial atmosphere with good people and nice prepared grounds to have a trial.
Booneville, Ark., October 3
Judges: Everett Brannan and Greg Poole
FLEETWOOD OPEN SHOOTING DOG CLASSIC [One-Hour Heats] - 40 Pointers and 5 Setters
1st-UPFRONT'S SOUTHERN STAR, 1662479, pointer female, by Ransom-Double Wild. Lance Schulz, owner; Shawn Kinkelaar, handler.
2d-CHARITABLE DEED, 1658659, pointer female, by Three Rivers-B W Molly. Keith Finlayson, owner; Tommy Rice, handler.
3d-CHEAP THRILL, 1699020, pointer female, by Just Thrilling-Charitable Deed. Keith Finlayson, owner; Tommy Rice, handler.

Fleetwood Derby. Dollywood Thrill with Tommy Rice, Cold Creek Thrill Tuff with Shawn Kinkelaar, Game Changer with Virgil Moore, (Back row). Dr. Jeff Hale, Rick Thone, Eddie Taylor Jerry Oswalt, judge Everett Brannan, judge Mike Lemmon.

Judges: Everett Brannan and Mike Lemons
FLEETWOO DERBY - 12 Pointers and 2 Setters
1st-DOLLYWOOD THRILL, 1701883, pointer female, by Just Thrillin-York's Hollywood. Benny Cain, owner; Tommy Rice, handler.
2d-GOLD CREEK THRILL TUFF, 1699324, pointer male, by Just Thrillin-York's Hollywood. Terry Reinke, owner; Tommy Rice, handler.
3d-GAMECHANGER, 1701067, pointer male, by Game Wardon-Whippoorwill Bumble Bee. Rick Thone, owner; Eddie Taylor, handler.
Judges: Jon Humphrey and Greg Poole
LONE STAR OPEN SHOOTING DOG CLASSIC [One-Hour Heats] - 44 Pointers and 4 Setters
1st-THUNDERBOLT WILD AGIN, 1691314, pointer female, by Chelsea's Thunder Bolt-Double Wild. Doug Swingley & Brett Bruggeman, owners; Shawn Kinkelaar, handler.
2d-LESTER'S ANOTHER SHOCKWAVE, 1691812, pointer male, by Lester's Shockwave-Miller's Stitch In Time. Tom Jackson, Jerry Moisson, Lance Schulz, Bjorn Peterson & Todd Mann, owners; Shawn Kinkelaar, handler.
3d-WHITE WAY ANARCHY, 1682553, pointer male, by Ready's First Pitch-Black Icy Night. Kevin White, owner; Eddie Taylor, handler.

Lone Star Open Shooting Dog Classic. Thunderbolts Wild Again with Virgil Moore, Lester Another Shockwave with Tommy Rice, Rick Thone with White Way Anarkie, (back row) Shawn Kinkelaar, judge dale Pool, judge Jon Humphrey, Eddie Taylor, Jerry Oswalt.