Result: National Amateur Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship

Location: Lacey Township, New Jersey

Post Date: Dec 29, 2022

Submitted By: Lloyd Miller

The English Setter Club of America hosted the National Amateur Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship with an excellent field of 36 top shooting dogs on the Greenwood Wildlife Management Area in Lacey Township, New Jersey. It started Friday October 21 and concluding Sunday October 23. The weather was excellent throughout.

The club would like to thank Purina for their support of this event. Their backing is always most welcome. We also like to thank Joe Cincotta for getting this Championship again this year for all the field trialers in the Eastern part of the country. I think we all appreciate his effort in doing so and it turned out be a great success. Others who helped were Piper Huffman of the AFTCA who handled the entries and drawing, Matt Basilone who planted all the pheasants throughout the trial, Bob Brooks who handled the dog wagon, Mark Janiec of Growing Concerns, Inc. of Cranbury, NJ. who brought in water for the dogs and horses, Joe Lordi, Marcus Ramseur, John Frank, Joe Buchanan, Louise Wilcox, Muriel Primm and others who did things behind the scenes to get things done that were needed to make this event run smoothly. We also would like to thank Gary Miller who put on a great pig roast Friday night with all the trimming and Kevin Joyce who hosted a great catered Italian Meal Saturday night in honor of his winning last year championship. The food was top notch.

Our judges this year were Joseph Luisi of Vernon Hill, Virginia. and Ashby Morgan of Hudgins, Virginia. They both are extremely good dog men with a lot of judging experience. We thank them for their time in the saddle and attentiveness throughout. Their decisions were well received. This year we utilized our normal counter-clockwise course for the hour stake taking in the extreme southern limits of the grounds and then switching to the inner north and south loops before starting over on a continuous course layout. It provided a nice flow for dogs and handlers and plenty of bird work for all, including not only the normal expected pheasants but some coveys of quail left over from the Brittany Championship and Middle Atlantic Open Shooting Dog Championship a week prior.
THE WINNERS
After some discussion Sunday afternoon, the judges made their decision and chairman, Joe Cincotta, after all the thank you made the announcement. The winner was declared as Navajo Cody, six-year-old white and liver pointer male, owned by Camille Masielli and Sal Morelli of White Plains, NY. and handled expertly by Joseph E. Lordi of Atco, N.J. Cody was broken away at 9:09 Saturday Morning and handled the course with good forward range and in good repour with handler. He scored with good style running and pointing on four well located pheasants and two quail stands. His finish was well to the front. It was a very good effort which put him at the top of the judge's book and eventually hold off many good challengers to come.

Taking the Runner-up spot was Miller's Unbridled Forever, eight-year-old white and orange pointer male, owned by Great River Kennels and Neil Walker of Central Islip, NY. and ably handled by Brian Sanchez. Unbridled ran Sunday Morning in the third brace. Off at 11;07, he started with a nice back of bracemate at 7, followed by stylish well-located pheasant stands at 21,30, and 57. It was a strong performance. His race was always forward and handled showed confidence in the dog riding at a nice pace and showing trust in the dog that he would be found standing at the front, which he did. A good effort to closely take the Runner-up spot over a few other pretty good efforts.

Others that completed the hour in order of running are as follows.
Brace 3 (Friday Morning): Limbsmoke Skeet Rock, setter male, scored on two backs of bracemate plus a good single quail find and an unproductive after relocation at pickup at horseshoe mound area, A likely quail spot, but not home today. He also had a good forward race on the ground.

Brace 6 (Friday Afternoon): Bull Biscuit, pointer female, with Ernie Saniga at the helm had a nice pheasant find on a good relocation coupled with an unproductive and a nice in the pocket forward race. Pheasants were at a premium on Friday.

Brace 11 (Saturday Afternoon): Bull Finch, pointer female, with Ernie Saniga had backs at 9 and 23 and a nice pheasant stand at 40.

Brace 12 (Saturday Afternoon): Waybetter Bobby (pointer male) with Bob Verderosa had six finds on pheasants. Took tiny steps on some which hurt.

Brace 13 (Sunday Morning): Ravenwood Gemstone (pointer female) with Joe Cincotta handling scored nicely on five pheasant finds and finished to the front. A good effort.

Brace 14 (Sunday Morning): Bella Bulli, pointer female) with Ernie Saniga had three nice pheasant finds. One was with an excellent relocation and a good stop to flush. She also had a pretty good race to boot.

For mention, there were many others that were getting something done but the wily pheasants were not co-operating this year. Dogs were having trouble when they came across the many birds running in front of them or escaping into the cover producing an unproductive stand. It was a challenge for most but the best dogs and handlers that could handle the obstacles were rewarded. It was good championship and I think everyone enjoyed the trial and the commodity with friends, old and new. We hope to see everyone next year.
Lacey Township, N. J., October 21 - One Course
Judges: Joe Luisi and Ashby Morgan
NATIONAL AMATEUR PHEASANT SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 32 Pointers and 4 Setters
Winner-NAVAJO CODY, 1668520, pointer male, by Great River Ice-Blaze's Isis. Camille Masiello & Saverio Morelli, owners; Joseph E. Lordi, handler.
Runner-Up-MILLER'S UNBRIDLED FOREVER, 1661404, pointer male, by Just Irresistible-Miller's Bring The Heat. Great River Kennels & Neil Walker, owners; Brian Sanchez, handler.

Championship Winners (front row, from left): Joe Lordi with Navajo Cody and Marcus Ramseur
with Miller's Unbridled Forever. (Back row, from left): Judges Joe Luisi and Ashby Morgan,
Brian Sanchez, and Sophie Ramseur.