Result: NGSPA National Championships

Location: Grovespring, Missouri

Post Date: Jun 2, 2023

Submitted By: Robin Lambourn, Co-Chairman

NGSPA National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship Winners (l-r): Art Armbrust; Justin Crook (judge), Brandon Blum with B M B's Madison Ave, Dan DiMambro, Mark Wasserman with Chisholm Creeks Cut'er Loose, and Chris Meyer (judge).

The National German Shorthaired Pointer Association held another successful running of its National Championships at the Field Trial Sportsmen Association grounds in Grovespring, Mo. The grounds were well maintained, as always. Thank you to the FTSA for allowing us to run on these world-class grounds.

Entries were very strong again this year and slightly higher than last year, with 204 total entries across all stakes. More entries require more help, but we had no shortage of people and sponsors who answered the call and without whom the NGSPA National Championships could not run. Specifically, thank you to Mark Verdoorn, Art Armbrust, and Lori Rezzardi for again serving on the Nationals Committee and doing much of the heavy lifting. Lori additionally serves as secretary and keeps the trains running on time and the paperwork in order. Dan DiMambro also deserves our gratitude for co-chairing the event. Thanks also to the stake managers: Josh Nieman, Anthony Rusciano, Art Armbrust, Chad Inderman, James Messer, Harvey Franco, Ray Larrondo, and Heath Autry. Thank you to Rich Robertson for waking up early to plant birds and doing everything required throughout the trial. Rich is always a Hall of Fame helper. Finally, thank you to all our judges who traveled from near and far to watch our dogs.

We also do not take for granted the support of our numerous sponsors. Purina deserves special recognition for its loyal support. We enjoyed Terry Trzcinski's company during the Amateur Shooting Dog. Purina again sponsored a steak dinner and sent the winners home with plenty of Pro Plan. We also thank Garmin for its generous donation of tracking and training collars. SportDOG also continued its support with its donation of training collars for the Futurity winners. Thank you as well to Dogs Unlimited for its happy hour sponsorship. Finally, we give our sincere thanks to Heritage Tractor in Lebanon, Mo., for loaning us one of its new John Deere Gator UTVs to serve as our dog wagon. Please visit Heritage Tractor the next time you are in the market for a UTV.

The following contributed to the write-up for each stake: Dan DiMambro for the National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship, Harvey Franco for the National Futurity, Anthony Rusciano for the National Championship, and Josh Nieman for the National Shooting Dog Championship.

47th National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship

The National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship drew 40 dogs, with Chris Meyer and Justin Crook judging. The courses were in great shape, and temperatures varied from cool to hot during the stake. Both judges mentioned how well the trial ran and how all the participants worked together.

The 2023 NGSPA National Amateur Shooting Dog Champion is B M B's Madison Ave, owned by Jennifer and Brandon Blum and scouted by Brandon. This is Madison's second consecutive National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship. She ran in the third brace of the afternoon with temperatures in the low 80s. Madison had finds at 6, 16, 20, 35, and 57. She ran the course as a true shooting dog should, with little handling or scouting required. The judges commented on how well she handled and how Brandon strategically watered and caught her at spots on the course so the judges could see her race around the edges. They were also impressed that Madison powered through the heat with little impact on her range or bird finding while other dogs succumbed to the heat.

Chisholm Creek's Cut'er Loose, owned and handled by Mark Wasserman, was named the NGSPA National Amateur Shooting Dog Runner-up Champion. Lucy also ran on Course 3. Lucy had five well-spaced finds at 12, 19, 28, 40, and 60. All her bird work was flawless. She ran a great shooting dog race that was forward and required little handling. Lucy took the edges and hunted smartly around the course. She was always on the right side of the wind and heading for the likely objectives. The factor that separated the winners was that Madison had a little more punch throughout the hour.

The judges were impressed with the overall quality of the dogs and handlers. They felt honored to judge this stake and gave all the dogs their undivided attention. The following other dogs, in no particular order, also caught the judges' eyes.

Hi Tailyn Skye, owned and handled by Scott Bodenstab, ran in the brace No. 17. Skye had a great race, but the judges noted that she showed some immaturity. Nonetheless, she did a nice job with six finds, a snappy race, and impeccable style and manners.

Stoney Hill's Pinnacle Dee, owned by Larry and Kirk Loftin and handled by Kirk, had a powerful race and surged down the edges of Course 1 with complete authority. Dee had two finds at 34 and 40 and one unproductive at 56. The judges commented that Dee would have won the stake if she had a few more finds spaced out in the beginning. They also mentioned that no dog ran a course as well as Dee.

Aunt Troji's Dirty Nike, owned and handled by Larry Metter, had finds at 30, 40, and 44. Nike was not accustomed to the lines and struggled a bit, staying on the edges for the entire line at times.

In Country's Hurricane Jane, owned by Robert Reynolds, DVM, and handled by Chris Young, ran in brace No. 11. Janie carded finds at 27, 37, 45, 50, and 56, all handled with great style and intensity. She finished her lines and hunted hard and big to the front. The judges were sitting up in their saddle and carried her for a while. They both mentioned that her prolonged absence in the beginning, separated her from the winners.
B D K's Sam I Am, owned and handled by David O'Brien, ran in brace No. 20 and impressed the judges with his bird-finding ability. Sam had five well-spaced finds in great locations. They did note that he was a little too handy for this stake, which cost him in the end.

Tulli's Shot to the Heart, owned and handled by Joe Amatulli, ran a big forward race and had finds at 21, 28, and 50, and an unproductive at 6. Cupid tore the lines up on Course 1, but the judges felt that her handler should have held her up in a few spots, watered her, and then let her rip again.

Grovespring, Mo., April 1
Judges: Justin Cook and Chris Meyer
NGSPA NATIONAL AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 40 German Shorthairs
Winner--B M B'S MADISON AVE, 1670283, female, by Trueblu's B D K Ace Inthe Hole-Time To Pay The Piper. Brandon & Jennifer Blum, owners; Brandon Blum, handler.
Runner-Up--CHISHOLM CREEK'S CUT'ER LOOSE, 1683348, female, by Chisholm Creeks Cuttin Loose-Uodibar's Lorrie Darlin. Mark Wasserman, owner and handler.

3rd National Amateur Championship

Running for the third time this year, the NGSPA National Amateur Championship has quickly become a big hit among our sport's amateurs. Entries for this stake have grown each year. While the NGSPA has run its National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship for 47 years, amateur owners of all-age dogs on a pro's string previously had to sit on the sidelines at Nationals or risk entering a dog that might be "too much dog for the stake." The National Amateur Championship gives all amateurs an opportunity to run their dogs.

We were fortunate that James Messer and Ken Chenoweth agreed to judge. Both have substantial experience judging our breed and others. Incidentally, Ken also supplied our quail this year, which performed tremendously throughout the trial.

Twin Creeks Running Rocky, owned and handled by Kirk Loftin, separated himself from the pack as the NGSPA National Amateur Champion. Running in brace No. 9, Rocky set the bar high. His run started on the back half of Course 2 and finished halfway through Course 3. He scored well-spaced finds at 12, 19, 29, and 51. Rocky had the most consistently forward application of the stake, hanging on every edge in the open fields. Whenever the course tightened, Rocky always moved forward, hitting objectives along the way. He was consistently powerful and forward.

B M B's Free Ride, owned by Brandon and Jen Blum and handled by Brandon, also had a strong performance on Course 2 and was named the NGSPA National Amateur Runner-up Champion. Lewey carded finds at 15, 28, 45, and 56, with an unproductive at 42. Lewey stayed to the front and went with his handler throughout, showing impeccable style on each find. He made several nice moves around Little Vine Loop and up Sycamore Bottom, with a strong finish after his last find. The judges commented that the champion separated himself from the runner-up champion with a little more punch, especially toward the end.

The judges commented that H's Am Cruiser, owned by Harlan Higginbotham and handled by Chase Verdoorn, and Uodibar's Robbi Jo, owned and scouted by Sherri Tangsrud and handled by Kirk Loftin, also had performances that pushed the winners. Cruiser was braced with the runner-up champion on Course 2. He had a comparable performance to his bracemate's with three finds and a back but with a bit less power. Robbi Jo scored finds at 22, 29, 38, and 45 on Course 1. Her final find at the top of Horse Killer Hill was especially nice. Overall, her race could not quite best the winners'.

NGSPA National Amateur Championship Winners (l-r): James Messer (judge), Kirk Loftin, Sherri Tangsrud with Twin Creeks Running Rocky, Brandon Blum, Terry Bomer with B M B's Free Ride, Chad Inderman, Ken Chenoweth (judge), and Robin Lambourn.

Judges: Ken Chenoweth and James Messer
NGSPA NATIONAL AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 27 German Shorthairs
Winner--TWIN CREEKS RUNNING ROCKY, 1685652, male, by Twin Creeks Running Ruger-P J Wildfire's Little Lexi. Larry Loftin & Kirk Loftin, handler.
Runner-Up--B M B'S FREE RIDE, 1660979, male, by Kimber Tactical-Time To Pay The Piper. Brandon & Jennifer Blum, owners; Brandon Blum, handler.

65th National Futurity
This year's National Futurity included many promising young dogs from which the judges had to make a difficult choice. Ken Chenoweth and Brandon Blum graciously donated their time in the saddle. They placed Holcomb's Lottie Sue first, MSR's Scarlet's Witch second, and O B's Little Girl Blue third.

The first and second-place dogs both came from the first brace. Scarlet and Sue started off briskly to the front in Davis Bottom. Scarlet located a bird on the corner line at 3, standing with great manners and style at the flush. Both dogs made great use of the Island Field to showcase their power, with Sue taking the lead into the next field and both dogs well to the front. As the gallery entered the next field, Scarlet had come from the top line, and Sue was seen farther down, headed towards Horse Killer Hill. Sue was next observed on point down the tree line above Horse Killer Hill, standing stylishly for the flush. They both finished well to the front with plenty of gas left in their tanks. The judges placed Sue first due to a slightly more forward race and Scarlet second.

The third-place dog, Janis, ran in brace No. 8. She started off to the front hunting the likely objectives. She stayed on her lines nicely, using the wind to her advantage. Janis continued through the brace hunting hard and to the front. She became more independent as her 30 minutes progressed. She was rewarded with a find at 2 after a big move up the right side. She had a second find at time and earned third place.

NGSPA National Futurity Winners (l-r): John Holcomb, Chase Verdoorn with Holcomb's Lottie Sue, Brandon Blum (judge), Harvey Franco, James Messer with MSR's Scarlet's Witch, Sarah Messer, David O'Brien, Art Armbrust, Robbi Gulledge with O B's Little Girl Blue, Ken Chenoweth (judge), and Keith Gulledge.

Judges: Brandon Blum and Ken Chenoweth
NGSPA NATIONAL FUTURITY - 39 German Shorthairs
1st--HOLCOMB'S LOTTIE SUE, 1698903, female, by Snowy River's White Out-Holcomb's Ava. John Holcomb, owner and handler.
2d--MSR'S SCARLET'S WITCH, 1701064, female, by Llanos Game On Dude-MSR's Pretty Little Psycho. James & Sarah Messer, owners; James Messer, handler.
3d--O B'S LITTLE GIRL BLUE, 1703568, female, by B D K's Twelfth Man-O'Brien's Ill Gotten Gains. David O'Brien, owner; Keith Gulledge, handler.

70th National Championship

Randy Anderson and Kent Patterson judged the 2023 NGSPA National Championship. The weather started cool with a slight breeze and overcast skies but turned hot and windless by the third day of running. Most dogs had plenty of opportunities to point the abundance of birds that had established small coveys. Enough dogs made the hour with strong runs to make the judges' decision difficult.

The judges crowned B M B's Free Ride the 2023 NGSPA National Champion. Lewey ran on the first day in the third brace. Lewey was last year's National Runner-up Champion and the 2021 National Champion. The judges stated that Lewey had a strong forward race and required little scouting. Lewey broke away at 10:41 a.m. on Course 3. Lewey had a strong start racing up the hill to Clubhouse Loop. He was found standing at 6 on the back side of the loop with his bracemate backing. All was in order throughout the small covey flush. The handlers sent the dogs forward, and Lewey again showed himself moving to the front. Point was called again at 10, with both dogs dug in on a divided find. Lewey remained stylish through the covey flush. Lewey scored again at 13 near the pond on Clubhouse Loop on a single bird. After last being seen heading towards the Twin Barns, Lewey was found standing in Sycamore Bottom at 28 on a two-bird find. The handler and Lewey went on, and the handler next showed Lewey across the road, making a big move around the cemetery. Lewey was found standing again at the bottom of the hill on the back of Course 3. Lewey had a strong finish. Lewey's forward, all-age application and impeccable manners garnered him the 2023 NGSPA National Championship.

The 2023 NGSPA National runner-up champion, B D K's Twelfth Man, is owned by David and Peggy O'Brien and was handled by Keith Gulledge. Aggie ran in brace No. 7 on Course 1. Aggie had ideal running and scenting conditions on a brisk, overcast morning with a light wind. Aggie ranged far to the front after the breakaway. His handler pointed him out before crossing the first road into Davis Bottom. Aggie and his bracemate were later found standing in a hedgerow in Davis Bottom. A small covey took flight with everything in order. After a short absence, Aggie was again found standing on a single bird on a fence line along course left. Aggie was sent on and observed running forward until found standing at 45 in the hedgerow above Horse Killer Hill, with an unproductive taken. Aggie was sent on and moved forward out of sight with plenty of go. Aggie scored his final find at time past the Course 2 breakaway. Manners and style were all in order as a single bird flushed. This superb performance earned Aggie the NGSPA National Runner-Up Champion title.

The judges mentioned the following other contenders that deserve recognition in no particular order. Evergreen's Jed, owned by Lance Olsen and handled by Dan DiMambro, had a nice race with three finds and an unproductive. P W Bert's Joke on Us, owned by Keith and Bobbi Richardson and handled by Rich Robertson, also caught the judges' attention with his style and big forward race. Bart had four finds and a strong finish. Running in brace No. 3 with the champion, P W Ben There Done That, owned by Keith and Bobbi Richardson and handled by Rich Robertson, also had a fine performance. Ben scored two finds and a back during his all-age run. Cuttin Wild's Rebel Yell, owned by Mike Patrick and handled by Josh Nieman, also kept things interesting in brace No. 5. Rebel carded two finds and finished his hour strong with plenty of gas left in the tank.

NGSPA National Championship Winners (l-r): Anthony Rusciano, Brandon Blum, Josh Nieman with B M B's Free Ride, Kent Patterson (judge), David O'Brien, Robbi Gulledge with B D K's Twelfth Man, Peggy O'Brien, Keith Gulledge, and Randy Anderson (judge).

Judges: Randy Anderson and Kent Patterson
NGSPA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 36 German Shorthairs
Winner--B M B'S FREE RIDE, 1660979, male, by Kimber Tactical-Time To Pay The Piper. Brandon & Jennifer Blum, owners; Brandon Blum, handler.
Runner-Up--B D K'S TWELFTH MAN, 1661756, male, by Uodibar's Against All Odds-B D K's Sin City Casino. David O'Brien, owner; Keith Gulledge, handler.

53rd National Shooting Dog Championship

Jerry Langford and Mick Cheshire graciously donated their time in the saddle for the 2023 NGSPA National Shooting Dog Championship. The temperatures were high, and the scenting conditions were difficult throughout the stake.

The judges selected All N's Johnny B Good, owned by Gale and Cheryl Graves and handled by Joe Orndorff, as the 2023 NGSPA National Shooting Dog Champion. Johnny ran on the morning of the second day in the second brace. His run started eventfully with a stop to flush about ten seconds after breakaway. Johnny continued on laying down a spectacular run, with well-spaced finds at 5, 11, 23, 29, and 39. Each piece of bird work came with exceptional style and manners. Johnny scored two of his finds on a limb in locations where no other dog hunted. He is truly a deserving NGSPA National Shooting Dog Champion.

The judges named P W Indian Brook Heads Up, owned by Keith and Bobbi Richardson and handled by Rich Robertson, as the 2023 NGSPA National Shooting Dog Runner-Up Champion. Heads Up ran on Course 2 on the third morning of the stake. He carded four finds with excellent style and manners, having a divided find to start and three well-spaced finds to follow, finishing to the front.

Two other dogs pushed the winners. B D K's Sam I Am, owned by David and Peggy O'Brien and handled by Keith Gulledge, scored four finds and a back with a very nice race. Uodibar's Robbi Jo, owned by Sherri Tangsrud and handled by Kirk Loftin, also had an excellent run.

The NGSPA Nationals Committee looks forward to seeing everyone back in Grovespring in 2024.

Judges: Jerry Langford and Mick Cheshire
NGSPA NATIONAL OPEN SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 44 German Shorthairs
Winner--ALL N'S JOHNNY B GOOD, 1687178, male, by All N's Wild Card-All N's Double Down. Gale & Cheryl Graves, owners; Joe Orndorff, handler.
Runner-Up--P W INDIAN BROOK HEADS UP, 1661199, female, by No Mars Mack v Hauss-P W Pennies From Heaven. Keith & Bobbi Richardson, owners; Rich Robertson, handler.

NGSPA National Open Shooting Dog Championship Winners (l-r): Cindy Orndorff, Joe Orndorff, Mick Cheshire (judge), Josh Nieman with All N's Johnny B Good, Jerry Langford (judge), John Rabidou, Rich Robertson, Heath Autry with P W Indian Brook Heads Up, Penny Robertson, and Dan DiMambro.