Author: janetbob

 

Full Blast has won the 73rd Grand National Grouse Championship.  Five year old “Jeb” faced a field of 49 of the best cover dogs in the country and after four days of running, with each dog having an opportunity to hunt for an hour over the historic covers of the Allegheny National Forest, Marienville, PA,  “Jeb” emerged the champion.  Hall-of-Fame trainer/handler Dave Hughes guided “Jeb” to this hallmark win as he has for “Jeb’s” other championship honors.

Birds were hard to find, as is typical of ruffed grouse.  Those that were found were touchy and difficult to get pointed, as typical of ruffed grouse.  In his championship effort, “Jeb” went aggressively about the task of finding grouse right from the breakaway.  He went forward and laid to the front at the very edge of bell range throughout the first thirty minutes.  Several times his bell faded and as Dave sang to him, “Jeb” swung back and his bell could be identified often 100-150 yards to the front.  At the half as the course turned back, we came to a forestry road and it was apparent that “Jeb” had gone down the road to the next cover.   We were delayed for several minutes waiting for “Jeb” to come around.  Scout Thor Kain went down the road and let Dave Hughes know that “Jeb” was coming back Dave’s way.  Upon returning “Jeb” hunted in the pocket and at reduced range as the cover on the course got noticeably heavier.  Still popping and with jump in his step, “Jeb” dug in and thoroughly investigated the thickets and pines along the stream edge.  Suddenly off to the right, “Jeb’s” bell stopped.  He was only 35 yards from the handler and gallery but the cover was so dense that we couldn’t see him.  The handler and judges went to “Jeb” who was reported standing with tight, straight-up style.  Intense throughout, “Jeb” stood with a high head indicating the bird was well out in front and after a brief flushing effort the grouse was clearly heard to take wing right from where “Jeb” said it was.  What a thrill when at the clubhouse Grand National Secretary Dave Fletcher called Full Blast’s name as the Grand National Grouse Champion.

Humbly, we note that “Jeb” is our kennel’s third winner of this title.  In 1998, our partnership was in its 17th year when Body Guard was name Grand National Grouse Champion.  “Skeets ” was handled by Dave Hughes and his spectacular performance still stands as one of the greatest in the long history of the Grand.  That first one was perhaps the most exciting for us as owners.  Then in 2009, Full Tilt went out and gave a full hour of hard driving effort coupled with her over-the-top jump and crack and a sharp grouse find to nudge past the legendary Ch. Long Gone Madison for the crown.  Now, Full Blast has brought the trophy home again.

In all these wins of the Grand, we note there is a key breeding ingredient, the bloodline of 5X CH. PENNSTAR.  Body Guard’s sister was Pennstar’s dam.  Pennstar is the sire of both Grand National Champions Full Tilt and Full Blast.  Pennstar lives.

It’s a special thrill to have three living national grouse champions ALIVE in our kennel.  Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational Straight Forward (she did a terrific job at the Grand again this fall and would have likely won had the judges been able to hear the grouse flush on her find), Full Tilt (12 years old when she visited the Marienville grounds this fall season) and now Full Blast.

Rightly so, Dave Hughes our friend and handler of our dogs for 25 years, has been elected to the Bird Dog Hall of Fame.  For his expert training and handling of Full Blast and all our Grand National winners we are grateful.

Justin Evans’ Blast Off won the 71st Grand National Grouse Futurity with pro Mark Foreman handling.  “Sam”, sired by Grand National Grouse Champion Full Blast, attacked the cover on the Loleta area of the Allegheny National Forest near Marienville, PA.  Braced with eventual third place winner, All In (his dam a littermate to Full Blast), “Sam” hunted with excellent application when the cover presented itself.  When the woods opened up, “Sam” opened up.  His speed was apparent and the judges were looking for a dog who could get from one objective to another efficiently.  The judges noted that “Sam” was the best at doing this.  From the breakaway and throughout his thirty minute effort, “Sam” showed not just the drive but jump and cracking tail that sets a class dog apart from other fine dogs.  In a callback, “Sam” flat out nailed the bird and his poker-straight, high tail stuck out above the heavy cover for his handler to find him with the bird exactly where “Sam” said it was located.

The Futurity is a breeder’s stake.  Blast Off was insightfully bred by Ken Moss of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, two years ago and based on his analysis of the pedigrees and characteristics of the sire and dam, Ken put up the money to nominate the breeding in the Futurity.  The dam Moss Meadow Rose is by Ken’s Grand National Grouse Ch. Moss Meadow Traveler ex a daughter of Pennstar.  The sire, Grand National Grouse Ch. Full Blast is a son of 5X Ch. Pennstar and thus Ken’s  linebreeding strategy has paid off.  There are several other winners from this litter.  Earlier “Sam” placed in the most prominent puppy stake in the east, the Venango Puppy Classic.  He has other puppy wins to his credit.

Originally, as the owners of the sire, we were going to take a pick pup instead of the stud fee.  Recognizing that Justin was new to the bird dog/field trial game and that he was sincere in his commitment to develop a quality competitor, we offered Justin the pick.  Justin was quick to accept and he and his son travelled to Michigan to exercise their pick-of-the-litter.  I chatted with Justin while he was on his journey to Michigan and recounted for him how in 1980 my then 8-year-old son and I similarly traveled to Michigan to pick out our first English setter pup.  We went to Terry Shermoe’s home and chose a male from his Ch. Ghost’s Star.  On the way home we had the pup in the front seat with us.  At one point on the journey, the pup fell asleep on the seat between us.  My son, whispered to me “Dad, look at the pup!”.  “Look at that tail!”  He was sleeping with his tail absolutely straight and perpendicular to his back…at 8 years of age, Seth knew what we were looking for.  We named the pup, Wire (17-41-309) and he is the foundation dog of our kennel and of Dick Brenneman’s and my 34-year bird dog partnership.  I’ll never forget that moment and that memory.  When I finished my story, Justin said “yeah, that’s what we are doing too, making memories”.  His son, River, was at the trial when “Sam” made a memory that will certainly last forever.

Straight Forward stood in the Championship circle for the fifth time as the announcement was made that she is the 2015 Runner-Up Champion at the prestigious Pennsylvania Grouse Championship.  With 70 dogs competing for the crown, “Cracker” put forward her typical hard driving, snappy and far-reaching hunting effort.  Relentless describes how she approaches the task of finding and pointing grouse.  Again, “Cracker” showed her intelligence and savvy in handling a running bird.  At 35 “Cracker” came into the area where her bracemate had just been released from an unproductive point.  Just some fifty yards from that scene she pointed.  Dave Hughes, her handler, flushed but no bird was put to flight.  He tapped “Cracker” to ‘go on’ and she raced another 75 yards and slammed onto point.  This time the elusive running grouse was flushed.  From here “Cracker” finished her hour with forward, in the pocket, application.  Earlier in the fall, “Cracker” was also Runner-Up Champion at the New York Grouse Championship.  In both cases the event’s Champion was Ch. Grouse Hill Belle, a fabulous pointer owned by John Cappocci and handled by John Stolgitis.

 

Ch. Full Blast, son of Ch. Pennstar, got an early start on the fall cover dog season with a solid performance at the West Branch Grouse Trial Open All-Age.  “Jeb” pounded through the heavy cover on the Murphy farm, near Carbondale, PA to dig up three woodcock during his performance.  “Jeb” stood his birds with outstanding style and for his overall effort was awarded first place.   Dave Hughes was at the controls as he has been for most of Jeb’s all-age and Championship wins.  It was doubly satisfying to see “Jeb’s” son, Blast Zone, keep it in the family by winning the open derby at this trial with an outstanding effort and broke wild bird work.

 

Blast Zone, son of Ch. Full Blast, is off to an impressive start to his derby career.  “Strike”, handled by Thor Kain, has shown an amazing ability to handle grouse and woodcock with finished manners at his young age.  Thor, an amateur and friend of ours, had “Strike” this summer and set videos of “Strike” on dozens of wild bird finds with steady-to-wing and shot manners.  When the trial season started with the Mohegan Wild Bird Trial in August “Strike” went right to work with a scouted stylish woodcock find steady-to-wing and shot for a first placement.  Then in September at the New York Grouse Championship open derby, “Strike” ran his driving, snappy race and scored on a grouse, again with adult manners.  This first place win was followed by his performance at the West Branch Grouse Trial where he was the only dog in the entire trial, including the all-age, to find and handle a grouse with finished manners.  He threw in a steady woodcock find to cement his first place win.  Later in October, Strike earned a fourth open derby placement at the Nittany Valley Grouse Trial.  We are excited about Strike.  He runs hard, as big as the cover with lots of class and eye-appeal.  He is the earliest and most naturally developing wild bird handling young dog we have ever had. That statement would include a lot of dogs and some great dogs in our 35 year program.  Much of “Strike’s” success certainly goes to Thor for all his hard, consistent work over the last months with Strike.

Full Tilt is retired; however, her impact at trials and on the breed continues as her offspring scored some nice wins in the early part of the fall competitive season.

Game Changer (Impact Player x Ch. Full Tilt) won 2nd at the West Branch Grouse Trial Club Open All-Age in September with her hallmark big forward, easy-handling hunt and a find on wild pheasants.  It took her owner, Thor Kain, nearly ten minutes to locate “Sally” once her bell stopped and it was clear the birds had moved in that time but a prompt, sharp relocation effort yielded a handful of cackling roosters.  Sally stayed steady and cool under the pressure.

Michter’s Rock N’ Rye (Ch. Lilleyhill’s Secret Stash x Ch. Full Tilt) won the Nittany Valley Grouse Trial Open All-Age in mid-October with a strong one hour hunting effort and a stylishly handled woodcock at the famous “The Barrens” gamelands outside State College, PA.  Her owner, Jared Specht, was the handler.  To top it off “Riley” is recorded as the sire of both the 1st and 2nd place winners of the open derby stake at this trial.  The line continues.

All In (full brother to Michter’s Rock and Rye and out of Full Tilt) is also producing some outstanding offspring.  His son, All In, has three open derby wins in the early fall for his owner, Thor Kain.  “Nick” won at the Mohegan Wild Bird Trial, West Branch Grouse Dog Club and the New York Grouse Championship.  The line continues.

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.

Blast Zone, our setter male, won the Freeland Open Puppy stake in his first field trial start in early May.  “Strike” is sired by Ch,. Full Blast ex Marty Stoker’s female, Hard Core.  “Strike” has impressed us from the start with his exceptional desire to find, point and stand birds.  In Texas this spring he was handling their touchy wild quail regularly and exhibiting his desire to stand, even when younger pups were circling him and putting up his birds.  Built in the image of his Dad, “Strike” is remarkably classy while on the move–a priority of our kennel.  We look forward to campaigning “Strike” in the coming derby season.