Full Breeze, Bob Watts and Dick Brenneman’s female, won the coveted 2022 Ontario Grouse Championship at Marienville, PA on March 31, 2022. This is “Bree’s” first championship win. As with so many of our winners and champions, “Bree” was handled by veteran Hall-of-Fame pro Dave Hughes.
“Bree” was drawn in the first brace of the 2022 renewal of this championship event which featured grouse dogs from across the geographical range of this gamebird. Many champions were among the 30 dogs who competed. On the first course on the Lamonaville area of the Allegheny National Forest “Bree” set the bar high in the opening hour of the championship. Running under challenging weather conditions which featured temperatures in the 20s and precipitation that made for slick icy conditions, “Bree” nevertheless went forward with enthusiasm, drive and determination. Her efforts were rewarded with a sharply executed woodcock find where Dave found her standing, shivering in the wet, cold. She was styled up and intense for the flush-manners perfect. Under the nasty conditions, ‘Bree” pushed forward with surprising jump in her step. She finished ahead and still going to objectives, hunting. She set the bar high and it stood up to all the challengers. After the pickup “Bree” was a cold, shivering girl and she got a good toweling off back at the dog truck.
Birds were relatively available for this wild bird trial. Half a dozen dogs had clean birdwork (several other dogs found game, but their manners failed them) but it was “Bree’s” determined effort from start to finish that allowed her first brace of the trial effort to stand up to all the challengers. Significant numbers of birds were moved by the gallery, a good sign after a tough winter.
Full Breeze comes by her talents and title honestly. She is sired by Grand National Grouse Champion Full Blast. Full Blast died this winter and will be remembered for some dazzling performances which allowed him to be the only cover dog in history to win both the derby and all-age Cover Dog Setter Awards as well as the Purina Award for derby and all-age cover dogs. “Bree’s” dam is Ch Straight Forward. Folks remember her as a bird finding machine that claimed part of 9 cover dog championships, including the Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational championship title. “Bree” has the instinct and special talent as a bird finder much like her Mom!
The weekend following her championship win “Bree” added icing to the cake in winning the PA Grouse Trial Open All-Age over the same Allegheny Forest grounds on a different course. Since we only compete our grouse dogs in wild bird trials, that’s it for “Bree” in the spring of 2022. Two trials, two big wins. We look forward to the fall grouse trials and expect “Bree” to be in the thick of it as she has been since as a pup winning the Grand National Grouse Puppy Classic, 2017.