Super Storm earns US Complete Amateur Shooting Dog-of-Year

Super Storm

After traveling to competitive trials through the fall of 2020 and the spring of 2021, our now 4 year old setter male Super Storm, amassed more points from his wins than any of the other scores of entrants in these trials to be named the US COMPLETE AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG-OF-THE YEAR.

Super Storm, call name “Fed” (think GOAT tennis player), has been a favorite of ours since his puppy months. Whelped in 2017 he came from a litter of 4 pups sired by 5x wild bird champion Pennstar ex 9x wild bird champion Straight Forward. Both of these dogs were owned by Bob Watts and Dick Brenneman. We had a difficult time getting the great bird finder Straight Forward mated. We either missed her heat cycle or it was too shallow to detect or she didn’t want to cooperate in a mating. Finally, we turned to using frozen semen that we had stored from Pennstar. It was the first time we had tried to do a frozen semen mating. Dr. Melissa Goodman, a world acclaimed canine reproductive specialist, had collected the semen from Pennstar years earlier and she supervised the AI mating. Not wanting anything to go wrong, we had professional whelper helper, Jeannie Grejda,, oversee the birth. We weren’t taking any chances, leaving the process to the super experienced pair. It all went perfectly.

As with virtually all the pups from the from Bob and Dick’s matings over the past 40 years, the pups started their life at Bob’s place. Here enter Thor Kain. Our pal, local gun dog trainer/pro Tom Gingher had recommended that we try to get this new guy set up with a good prospect. Tom claimed that this new guy (Thor) was really committed to learning about and working at getting a winning setter. We had come to know Thor at bit but Tom’s promoting of Thor was what convinced us to let him have a top pick from this litter. After a look at the pups, Thor chose “Fed”. “Fed” in many workouts was impressing everyone with his knack for finding and getting wild birds pointed. He was evidencing the traits of his spectacular parents in this regard. Straight Forward, “Cracker”, has a national reputation in the grouse woods for uncanny bird finding. Pennstar, “Rock”, found wild birds all over the country in trials and hunting with rarely seen ability. It was no fluke that “Fed” was proving to be a bird finder. And when he found birds, he personified that adage as “he looked like a million bucks on point’. His tail is absolutely poker straight and near 12 o’clock every time he stands game. Additionally, “Fed” showed drive and desire to hunt for birds. On top of that, he has a lot of snap and quickness on the ground. Very flashy, very cracky–both traits he still maintains and that attract and hold a judge’s attention. This is what Thor saw over the course of months and why he chose Fed from the litter. It’s also why he chose to name his prosperous kennel after “Fed” as well–Super Storm kennel.

Winning the US Complete Amateur Shooting Dog-of-the-Year takes determination and consistency. No one wins every trial. You have to go to a number of events to win as often as it takes to earn Dog-of-the Year. You have to win regularly to outscore the many worthy competitors. “Fed” was challenged by a number of outstanding dogs from various regions of the country. He displayed consistent, high-level performances reflecting his God-given abilities and Thor’s training skills. Deserving of special mention is Dean Avillion’s excellent pointer female, Huckleberrry’s Lucky Penny, who was the RU in this award falling short of Super Storm’s point total by just a handful of points. In addition to the other stout competitiors, Super Storm had to beat the other dogs in our string. Our Deciding Point and No Limit both had first place wins in amateur shooting dog stakes where “Fed” ran. Our Power Forward and Super Storm Liz also earned amateur shooting dog placements where “Fed” was entered.

Here are a listing of Super Storm’s amateur shooting dog wins, 20′-’21.

1st, Peter Ecker Amateur Shooting Dog Classic

2nd. Sandy Valley Bird Dog Club, Amateur Shooting Dog

3rd Ridgerunners Bird Dog Club, Amateur Shooting Dog

2nd, Mountain View Bird Dog Club, Amateur Shooting Dog

1st, Northern Bucks Bird Dog Club, Amateur Shooting Dog

It has been a lot of fun and a lot of work to develop Super Storm to this point and rewarding to see him prove in a public way, at trials, all the hope we had for him as he developed.