Super Storm Cliff, our male derby handled by Thor Kain, shone at the Spring 2022 Horseback trial hosted by the Mountain View Bird Dog Club at Mt. Ariel, PA, April 3. “Cliff” has never been trained from horseback as owners Thor Kain and Bob Watts no longer have horses. Nevertheless, “Cliff” adjusted to the change of his handler being on horseback rather then on foot seamlessly. He drove forward along the inviting fence rows, woods edges and fields of the Murphy Farm with youthful enthusiasm.
Despite the frigid weather, cold rain, sleet and snow “Cliff” was undeterred. With plenty of jump in his step and crack in his tail he demanded the attention of the judges. Three times “Cliff” stopped to point and he had the quail accurately located on each occasion. His pointing style was ideal–straight up tail and loads of intensity throughout the flush. As the birds took flight he was solid and stayed high and tight as the quarry departed. Naming him the first place dog was an easy decision for the judges.
“Cliff” rarely competes as a derby as we’ve been running him in shooting dog stakes and championships since last fall 2021. He’s still young for this elevated level of competition but his advanced manners and training for his age have encouraged us to compete him with the big boys. This performance at Mountain View, especially his performance on birds, verifies that he’s more than ready to travel with the big boys of the shooting dog circuit.