Month: September 2015

Ch. Straight Forward, our six year old female, added to her list of championship accomplishments with an exciting performance at the New York Grouse Championship, September 13, 2015, that earned her Runner-Up Ch. honors.  As the judges stated, “there were many fine performers who had good birdwork, so the stake was very high quality.” Ch. Grouse Hill Belle, the winner, was outstanding.  “Cracker” was all business during her hour of hunting.  Driving, forward, determined and classy,  she was not to be denied.  At 28 she scored her first grouse find off to the right of the trail where handler Dave Hughes got up the bird immediately.  Without any hesitation “Cracker” went back into hunting mode.  She doesn’t waste time checking in or running on the paths.  10 minutes later she nailed another grouse just before a road crossing.  Her straight 11 o’clock pointing style let Dave locate her quickly and the grouse was put to wing right where “Cracker” said it was.  From here “Cracker” continued to pound the course in continued search mode right up to the 6o-minute pickup mark.

Blast Zone, our young derby sired by Ch. Full Blast ex Marty Stoker’s Hardcore, is off to a fast start in his derby career.  With Thor Kain handling “Strike” won the open derby at the New York Grouse Championship with a determined hunt through the heavy cover in course #1 and paired this effort with a steady-to-wing and shot grouse find.  Just weeks earlier “Strike” won 2nd at the Mohegan Wild Bird Trial in PA.  In this event he had a strong hunting race under the whistle of Thor Kain and at 25 minutes he was found pointing in a creek bottom where he had a woodcock pinned.  He was also perfectly steady-to-wing and shot on this find as well.  In terms of finding, pointing and wanting to stand steady on wild birds “Strike” is perhaps the most remarkable dog we have ever worked with.  Last winter in TX, while still a pup, “Strike” would get the wild quail pointed (something few pups can do regularly) and then stand steady while the bracemate pup(s) would mill around and knock the covey.  We’ve got high hopes for Blast Zone.

“Sharp” a March 2015 male pup by Ch. Full Blast ex Ohioan Dave Mains’ female, Fling (Ch. Lilleyhill’s Secret Stash ex Grand National Grouse Ch. Full Tilt) is developing nicely.  A 40 lb. boy, he likes to hunt hard and has been absolutely excellent on his birds, both wild and released.  It’s seems like a miracle to me to have a good bird dog who points and lets you flush his birds when the animal didn’t exist but just 6 months ago.  We are excited about “Sharp” and more work will tell if he can make the traveling dog truck.  In the meantime we are all having fun together.