Full Blast: History Making Awards Winner

Full Blast
Full Blast

Champion Full Blast has made history as the only dog to ever win all the cover dog derby awards and all the cover dog all-age awards.  Consistently winning multiple derby stakes led to “Jeb” earning the honor of being both the winner of the Thomas Flanagan Award (top setter derby) and the William Harnden Foster Award (top derby of any breed) in the 2012-2013 season.  At the recent Grand National Grouse Championship banquet, Full Blast received both the Michael Seminatore Award (top all-age setter) and another William Harnden Foster Award (top all-age dog of any breed) for his string of quality wins in the 2013-2014 season.

No other grouse dog in history has won all of these awards.

FULL BLAST

THE ONLY DOG OF ANY BREED TO WIN ALL FOUR COVER DOG AWARDS!  

 

 

Full Throttle wins 2nd in the Grand National Grouse Futurity

Full Throttle
Full Throttle

Full Throttle, daughter of Full Blast ex Jumpstart, rambled through the woods at the Gladwin Preserve near Meredith, Michigan, on Nov 2 putting forth  her usual fast, snappy, rangy hunting effort.  Her find in the call-back session exhibited straight up style and intensity earning her second in the Grand National Grouse Futurity.  Ruby is bred, owned and handled by Mike Spotts of Bloomsburg, PA, and her early development was with his friend and hunting pal Thor Kain of Carbondale, PA.

Ruby earlier won the prestigious Venango Puppy Classic for Thor and she has placed as a  fall derby prior to the Futurity running.

Ruby is line-bred to Ch. Pennstar as both her sire Full Blast and her dam Jumpstart are direct offspring of the five-time grouse and woodcock Champion.  Jumpstart. originally owned by our kennel and bred by Michiganer Brian Woods, won the Pennsylvania Grouse Trial Club Open All-Age besting forty contenders with Mike then the owner/handler.  In her first litter, Jumpstart, then owned by Watts/Brenneman produced Ch. Spitfire who won the National Amateur Grouse Championship with Mike, her owner, at the helm.  Jumpstart became known as an excellent bird finder and Ruby follows in the tradition.  Ruby is from Full Blast’s first litter. Seeing young Full Blast’s potential in workouts, Mike selected him as the sire for Jumpstart before Full Blast’s string of Championship wins and awards.

Full Blast, Runner-Up in the PA Walking Shooting Dog of Year Award

Full Blast
Full Blast

Full Blast has earned Runner-Up honors as the Pennsylvania Open Walking Shooting Dog.   For decades the Pennsylvania Walking Shooting Dog Association has recognized the best walking shooting dogs on the PA circuit.  “Jeb” seldom runs in released bird trials but in 2013 we made an exception and Jeb proved his versatility by winning the 34-dog DuBois–Beaver Meadows open shooting dog stake.  Jeb’s point total was a mere four points from the total of the dog who was named the Winner of the award.  Jeb follows in his sire’s footsteps as 5XCh. Pennstar won the PA Walking Shooting Dog Award in 2004.

Full Blast named winner of the Seminatore Award

Full Blast
Full Blast

For the 2013-2014 cover dog field trial season, Full Blast has been officially named the winner of the Mike Seminatore Award.  This award goes to the top English Setter all-age dog cover dog.  “Jeb” built on his previous win of the Flanagan Award as the top cover dog setter derby by winning the Michigan Woodcock Championship in the fall of 2014.  In the fall he also was named RU Ch. in the Pennsylvania Grouse Championship.  Both these wins were accomplished in hot field trial weather over relatively dry courses.  Jeb rang up finds on grouse in the final minutes of his hour of hunting in both events to prove his toughness and ability to perform in the heat.  Then in the spring season, “Jeb” won the Ontario Grouse Championship again scoring on grouse in the last minute of his brace.  All these events featured large entries, filled with accomplished cover dogs, including more than a dozen champions.  It’s gratifying to have such a special dog to head our kennel.  “Jeb” joins other dogs we have owned, Grand National Grouse Ch. Body Guard and his current kennelmate, Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational Ch. Straight Forward as previous winners of the Seminatore Award.   Not only is “Jeb” a strong competitor but he’s a gentle, quiet, handsome and respectful companion.  Right now, we are preparing him for the upcoming season and he’s looking strong, eager and sharp on his game

Thor Kain’s Full Blast pup, Full Throttle, wins the Venango Puppy Classic

At the most prestigious event for puppies in the East, Thor Kain’s setter female, Full Throttle, emerged as the Winner of the Venango Puppy Classic, March 30, 2014.  “Ruby” is sired by multiple Champion Full Blast ex Mike Spotts’ champion producer, Jumpstart.  Ruby additionally won the West Branch Open Puppy in the first grouse trial of the spring season with a spectacular effort over “The Barrens” near State College, PA.  The hard work that Thor has put into Ruby and the opportunities he has given her on wild birds in PA shows in the maturity demonstrated in not only her hard hunting but her intelligent hunting to objectives.  Ruby is extremely animated, fast and very cracky running…she is eye-catching to watch in action.  Much more will be heard from Thor and Ruby down the road.

Full Blast adds the Ontario Grouse Championship title to his resume.

Full Blast
Full Blast

Ch. Full Blast, son of Ch. Pennstar, bested a field of 44 to be declared the Champion at the 2014 running of the Ontario Grouse Championship run over the challenging cover of the Allegheny National Forest near Marienville, PA, on April 1.  Jeb, running on the #1 course, put forth a powerful, consistently driving effort.  Noted for his smooth gait and snappy, cracking, animated style moving,  Jeb found the clock ticking away in his determined effort.  56, 57, 58 , 59 minutes ticked away in his allotted hour hunt.  Then, with just 30 seconds remaining (judges have stopwatches), Jeb’s bell went silent ahead.  Handler Dave Hughes quickly found Jeb and a well-located grouse blew out with Jeb maintaining his high. straight-tailed and intense demeanor throughout.  A thrilling conclusion and proof that determination pays off.  Note:  Last fall in the PA Grouse Ch. Jeb scored at 59 minutes on a grouse to be named RU Ch.

Game Changer and High Impact go 1, 2 at West Branch & Venango Open Derbies

High Impact
High Impact

To open the spring grouse trial season, our female derby Game Changer and Mike Spotts’ male, High Impact, scored first and second respectively in both the West Branch and Venango Grouse Trials.  These littermates are from a mating of Impact Player and our Grand National Grouse Ch. Full Tilt.  Each has a number of other puppy and derby wins.  Their hunting efforts were impressive featuring hard driving and hard hunting, done in an especially eye catching manner.  Both are flashy, quick and have cracking tails when they run.  Their searching carried them to the limits of hunting range and at West Branch, where they were braced together, some commented it was among the most exciting braces they had ever witnessed.

Full Blast named RU Champion at the PA Grouse Championship

Full Blast
Full Blast

Full Blast, son of Pennstar, was named Runner-Up Champion at the Pennsylvania Grouse Championship, October 31, 2013.  “Jeb” competed in a field of 54 of the best grouse dogs.  Congratulations to Dr. Roger McPherson and his pointer Suemac’s Coventry who was named Ch.  This is three-year-old “Jeb’s” second trip to the Championship circle this fall as he was Champion at the Michigan Woodcock Championship earlier in the month.  He was skillfully handled by Dave Hughes.

Conditions were tough as drought conditions greeted those who competed in the first three days of the four-day event.  The dry conditions and relatively warm temperatures were a challenge to the dogs and made grouse spooky and difficult to scent.    “Jeb” ran in the last brace of the second day.  His first half hour featured a strong, wide hunting effort which big  “Jeb” executed with the smooth, snappy gait he has been known for.  It’s a pleasure and something of a thrill to watch him go about his work.  Through the middle of his heat, “Jeb” was more moderate in his pace, but as the hour ticked on he picked it up and was going strong down the stretch.  At 59 the bell stopped.  It’s estimated that the walk to “Jeb’s” point took the judges, handler and scout 400+ yards from the path.  There he was standing tall, intense, with his tail still at 12 o’clock and the grouse right off his nose.  All perfect for the flush and the bark of the .32.   An impressive find for such a young dog, but much in the tradition of his earlier win at the Michigan Woodcock Ch. where conditions were especially hot and several of his four finds came later in the hour.

 

rosie2“Rosie”, Full Blast pup owned by Bob Watts

 

A pup from “Jeb’s” first litter (ex Jumpstart) stepped into the winner’s circle in early October as Thor Kain guided his female, Full Throttle, to a win at the West Branch Open Puppy.

Full Tilt Derbies–High Impact, Game Changer, Magic Mist Jack and Full Impact continue winning.

SALLIE 3Game Changer

High Impact
High Impact

 

 

 

Four derbies ex our Grand National Grouse Ch. Full Tilt continue their winning ways this fall with each of them registering placements in top-quality grouse competition.   High Impact (Mike Spotts), Game Changer (Bob Watts/Dick Brenneman), Full Impact (Marty Stoker) and Magic Mist Jack (Joe Dahl) won in cover dog trials from ME to PA.   These trials include the DuBois FTC, Maritime Classic, West Branch Grouse Trial, Nittany Valley Grouse Trial, PA Amateur Grouse Trial and the PA Open Grouse Trial.  Each of these young dogs has the class running and on point that their Mom was known for, as well as the drive it takes to go on to be career competitors on the circuit.  We are especially impressed with how readily each has developed advanced manners on pointed birds.  Their sire, Impact Player, like Full Tilt, is sired by Pennstar and “Joe” has had a very positive impact on this litter.  Impact Player is now owned by Bill Krazinski and campaigned in Dave Hughes’ string.  We have no reservation in recommending Impact Player as a sire based not only on this litter but on other pups of his we have seen.

Ch. Full Blast wins the Michigan Woodcock Championship

Full Blast
Full Blast

Ch. Full Blast, young son of Ch. Pennstar, won the 61-dog entry Michigan Woodcock Championship on October 13, 2013, with a convincing  grouse find and three woodcock finds.  These multiple finds were sprinkled within a powerful, forward and flashy one hour hunting effort in 76 degree weather.  In just his second Championship start, “Jeb” lived up to the reputation he has earned by winning the Flanagan Award and Foster Awards for the top cover dog derby.  Two shooting dog 1sts over large fields  on quail preceded this championship win.   Handler Dave Hughes deserves much credit for molding “Jeb” into the exciting bird dog he has become.

Interestingly, back on the PA homefront, “Jeb’s” daughter from his first litter won at the West Branch Grouse Trial.   At just 6 mo. of age, Full Throttle, owned and handled by Thor Kain got on the board with a hard driving and tail cracking performance in her first trial.