Result: Wolverine Field Trial Club

Location: Highland, Michigan

Post Date: Jun 11, 2025

Submitted By: David A. Fletcher

Open Walking Puppy (l-r): Dave Fletcher, John Paul Jones with Hifives Rolling Star, Steve McKalko with Ausable Junction Odine, and Mike Cook with Bobo.

The Wolverine Field Trial Club held its Spring event, Mother's Day weekend, May 9-11, over fine courses at the Highland Recreation Area near Milford, Michigan. Forty-two dogs were entered in four stakes, three walking stakes, Open Puppy and Open Derby, featuring the Dave Fletcher Open Walking Shooting Dog Classic, and an Open Horseback Shooting Dog stake. The trial was completed in two sunny, warmish days, leaving Sunday, Mother's Day, to attend to family matters. Although the bright skies and sunny weather were a springtime treat, it got a bit warm for the dogs, and there had to be water tubs available on most of the course route, thanks to the efforts of Paul Tutro. Quality was plentiful on the course, and most flushed easily and flew well Friday. Grounds were in fine shape. The winter snow and the annual maintenance of the DNR Prairie Grass project keep the grassy cover low in the spring for good bird finding, and the brushy edges are there for the dogs to fringe.

Judges for the Dave Fletcher Classic were Mike Brown of Linden, Michigan, with wide experience judging pointing bird dogs from the judge's saddle, and Bruce Barlow a DNR official from the Gladwin office with duties on the Gladwin Field Trial Area where some of the nation's most important Grouse and Woodcock Championships trials are held annually. Bruce has competed his dogs over the Gladwin Refuge wild bird events for over a decade. Also judging were Ken DeLong, Blake Rizzo, Mark Hughes, and Tom Vanecek, a very experienced crew.
Who accomplishes the myriad of things necessary to make this trial happen? Let's start with club president and trial manager Jim Cipponeri. He does the drawing, with help from his wife Connie, arranges for the quail, horses, and judges, and is on hand every minute as the trial unfolds, making sure that the necessary things do happen. Paul Tutro does a host of things, brings his horses to ride and plant birds every brace, and as mentioned earlier, puts out his water containers on the course and keeps them full of water for dogs on warm days. He also brings the quail from Emmet, Michigan, and acts act trial photographer. Bryan Wood announces the braces from the starting line as he has for many years. Club Secretary Dave Fletcher furnishes and writes the judges' books, takes the entry money at his little silver car office, calculates and writes checks for club expenses, and purses. Dave also donates the three winners' plaques for the Fletcher Classic.

Saturday lunch was donated, prepared, and served at the pavilion by Steve McKalko, with help from John Paul Jones; the luncheon fare was great. Paul Tutro furnished the morning donuts, as he always does. Many of the purses were donated back to club funds by winners, a much-appreciated move on their part. Thanks must also go to Purina for their continuing support.

Open Walking Puppy
The field of seven showed maturity, ready to move into the Derby ranks with desire, the ability to recognize and search the good-looking places, and finish well. The most accomplished took the placements.

Highland, Mich., May 9
Judges: Mike Brown and Bruce Barlow
OPEN WALKING PUPPY - 4 Pointers and 3 Setters
1st-BOBO, unreg., pointer male, breeding not given. Mike Cook, owner and handler.
2d-AUSABLE JUNCTION ODIN, F1711112, setter male, by Cash Van Pioneer Scouts Man-Anna Van Frutchey Ranch. Steve McKalko, owner and handler.
3d-HIFIVE'S ROLLING STAR, unreg., pointer female, by Rolling Stone-Speed Dialing Kaia. John Paul Jones, owner and handler.

Dave Fletcher Open Walking Shooting Dog Classic
With an entry of 15 starters, this Classic stake had plenty of talent and good performances to fill the placements. Ponderosa's Copper Penny, owned and handled by Robert Ellis of Clarkston, Michigan, was the winner with a bellringer find and perhaps the most impressive hunting in the stake. Second was K Del's Eagle Magnum Hotshot, owned and handled by Ken DeLong of Greenville, Michigan. "Shooter" notched two stylish and solid finds and a back. Third was Faith's Maximum Justice, also from the DeLong kennel, and his score was also two nice finds and a back. Close to the winners were Zeke, a pointer male handled by Mark Hughes in the first brace, and Stone, a pointer male owned and handled by John Paul Jones in the seventh brace.

The Running
Juni (Jones)-Zeke (Hughes). Juni put down a good hunting effort, out of touch a few moments, but finished well without birds. Zeke hunted diligently, finished the heat still charging, and added a mannerly and stylish find late in the heat.

Justice (DeLong)-Larry (Hollister). Justice hunted powerfully the entire time, had a nice back, and two stylish finds. A very good performance and was placed third. Larry hunted well, logged a find and a back, and was still digging for the front at time.

Penny (Hughes)-Soozee (Hollister). Penny had an attractive and fluid motion, logged a back and a mannerly find, a very solid 30 minutes. Soozee, hunting hard, hit the far places this time down, and was lost to judgment.

Sandy (Hollister)-Cricket (Hughes). Sandy had all the things judges look for except birds...hunted forwardly, searched the right cover, finished well, but no birds. Big cast after big cast, Cricket stayed out on the rim hunting and had a nice find deep in the course.

Penny (Ellis)-Kaia (Jones). Attractive in motion, swift of foot, and with a very stylish and solid quail find, Penny was creating the impression she was the best dog so far in this stake. She was the stake winner. Kaia, not to be outdone, was also reaching to the course edges, had a nice find out there, but went with her quail at flush.

Cash (Hollister)-Spec (Hughes). Cash was very strong afoot, wide, and the tracking collar was called for. Searched for, and found on point, unfortunately, the work was out of judgment. Spec was also hunting hard, probing the good places, added a good find, and finished well.

Stone (Jones)-Shooter (DeLong). This pair was making a great bid for a place in this stake. Stone had a great effort with a find and a back. Shooter was fast forward and hit all the good places, racking up two nice finds and a back. Shooter was placed second, and Stone was very close to the winners.

Dusty (Hughes)-Lucy(Hollister). Dusty made a succession of nice casts to good places, had a nice find, but could not quite reach the winners' circle. Lucy was very strong afoot, very forward, but had an absence where the tracking collar was used, ... out of judgment.

Dave Fletcher Open Walking Shooting Dog Classic (l-r): Brian Wood, Dave Fletcher, Robert Ellis with Ponderosa's Copper Penny, Ken DeLong with K Del's Magnum Hotshot, Tammi Savage with Faith's Maximum Justice, and Jim Cipponeri.

Judges: Mike Brown and Bruce Barlow
DAVE FLETCHER OPEN WALKING SHOOTING DOG CLASSIC - 10 Pointers, 4 Setters, and 1 Brittany
1st-PONDEROSA'S COPPER PENNY, F1690593, setter female, by Ponderosa Mac-Eldridge's Beauty and Beast. Robert A. Ellis, owner and handler.
2d-K DEL'S EAGLE MAGNUM HOTSHOT, F1685770, Brittany male, by Magnum High Velocity-K Del's Eagle's Chance To Soar. Ken DeLong, owner and handler.
3d-FAITH'S MAXIMUM JUSTICE, F1660276, pointer male, by Nelson's Van Max-Wild Apple Faith. Ken DeLong, owner and handler.

Open Walking Derby
Dash was the winner, owned and handled by Mark Hughes. Dash put down a very powerful, forward-reaching pattern of hunting and had a very nice find well out on the edge near time. Second was Winston, a setter male owned by Renee and Nick Moelders of Franklin, Massachusetts, handled by Mark Hughes, hunted every minute down, and logged two nice finds. Third was Hippy Girl, owned by Chal Curtis, handled by Rich Hollister. Girl scored two nice finds, solid and attractive on point and in motion.

Open Walking Derby (l-r): Brian Wood with Backwoods Dine & Dash, Mark Hughes with Mojo's Winston Joy, and Rich Hollister with Dunroven Hippy Girl.

Judges: Ken DeLong and Blake Rizzo
OPEN WALKING DERBY - 4 Pointers and 4 Setters
1st-BACKWOODS DINE & DASH, F1718950, pointer male, by Springflow's Backcountry P-Apple Annie's Sweet Delight, Mark Hughes, owner and handler.
2d-MOJO'S WINSTON JOY, F1705340, setter male, by Wayward Flyin Tomato-Doodle
Ridge Fern. Renee & Nick Moelders, owners; Mark Hughes, handler.
3d-DUNROVEN HIPPY GIRL, F1713542, setter female, by Dun Rovens Drifter-Dunrovens Midnight Eve. Chal Curtis, owner; Richard Hollister, handler.

Open Horseback Shooting Dog
Despite good scenting on Friday, Saturday eventuated as a scenting disaster...not a bird pointed. Placements came on class of the dogs hunting. First was Wicked Quick, a pointer female handled by owner Kelsey Hajek. Quick had great style in motion, a beautiful gait, and hunted the terrain relentlessly. A close second was Arias, a pointer female owned and handled by Blake Rizzo. Aria was attractive moving and hunted widely on the course. Third was Windfall Last Stand, a pointer male owned and handled by Joe Guzman. The dog hunted moderately at times. It was a hot time of the day, but finished going strongly on the far course edges.

Judges: Mark Hughes and Tom Vanecek
OPEN HORSEBACK SHOOTING DOG - 8 Pointers, 3 Setters, and 1 German Shorthair
1st-WICKED QUICK, F1674810, pointer female, by Dunn's Tried'n True-Dunn's Get Out Sue. Kelsey & Sandy Hajek, owners; Kelsey Hajek, handler.
2d-ARIAS, unreg., particulars not given.
3d-WINDFALL LAST STAND, F1705328, pointer male, by Knight's Last Chipster-Windfall Queen of Soul. Joe Guzman, owner and handler.

Hall of Famers (l-r): Dave Hughes and Dave Fletcher.