Result: Lake States Field Trial Club

Location: Meredith, Michigan

Post Date: Aug 19, 2025

Submitted By: Denise Peters

Open Shooting Dog (l-r): Hypointe Monarch Express with Marc Forman, Ken DeLong (judge), Hitail Roxy Afield with Russell Fazio (owner/handler), Mike Brown (judge), and Wicked Pursuit with Sandy MacLean (owner/handler).

The Lake States Field Trial Club held its summer trial on August 9 and 10 at the Gladwin Field Trial Grounds in Meredith, Michigan. This trial was a Purina-sponsored event, and a big thank you to them for their ongoing support. The weather was not as congenial as last year. This year it was brutally hot and humid. The courses were in good shape, as we have worked the last couple weeks, made changes, and cleaned up. It was a small trial due to the heat conditions, but we were able to run in the morning, and wanted to thank all the judges for volunteering to judge and walk all the braces.

The Open Shooting Dog Qualifier commenced at 7:04 a.m. on Course 4 with Mike Brown and Ken DeLong as Walking judges. We had 12 entries for our judges to take a look at.
First place, owned by Sandy MacLean and Kelsey Hajek and handled by Sandy MacLean, was Wicked Pursuit. "Sue," a well-built, mostly white pointer female, handled by Sandy MacLean, ran in the first brace, impressively forward, handling kindly throughout her half hour. A woodcock was flushed wild by the gallery at 8. At 12, Sue's bell went silent in the thick cuttings on the left. Handler and Judge walked quietly up the slope, and a loud grouse flushed ahead. Half a dozen steps later, Sandy pointed out the staunchly standing pointer and fired. She was locked up tight, looking hard in the direction of the blast-off, eyes bulging with intensity, and never budged. After collaring her and sending her on, Sue continued to hunt the cover hard, always forward and in tune with her soft-spoken handler. Several minutes later, the bell stopped again. As we approached the motionless pointer, a fat timberdoodle lifted as she watched intently. Sue finished her early morning brace forward and strong.
Second place was awarded to Hitail Roxy Afield, owned and handled by Russell Fazio. Turned loose by her handler in the second brace while there was still some semblance of cool in the air, Roxy tore up Course 5 from start to finish. This young, black and white setter has legs and a motor, often testing her handler and pushing the limits of bell range. Stylish and strong, she would tear up the path and turn into either side of the cutting, scouring the cover. A search ensued the first time her bell quit, and when located, she was standing tall and proud. When the doodle lifted, she marked the flight, all in order at the shot. Several minutes later, a stand near the path did not yield a bird. At about the 20-minute mark, Roxy's bell stopped again, maybe 15 yards in, and a woodcock was flushed in front of a very tense point. She finished her brace far to the front, but responded well to Russ's efforts to reel her in.
Third place went to Hypointe Monarch Express, also owned and handled by Russell Fazio. "Fazio the Fantastic" brought the up-and-coming pointer "Tess" to the line in the fourth brace on Course 7 as the morning was really starting to heat up. This is another of Russ's young, strong, promising dogs. We did not get too far into the brace when her bell stopped on the left in very thick cover. As the judge and handler walked in, eyes peeled searching for the pointer, young grouse began to lift everywhere in front of us....from the ground and the trees. An excited Tess allowed her bell to give her location away, but handler strongly reminded her of field trial etiquette. After perhaps 6-8 brood birds had left the area in every direction, Tess was collared and sent on. She stopped again far ahead on the right moments later, and an initial search was unsuccessful until, trusting intuition, judge moved ahead 40 yards along the path and stopped, at which point Tess started up and emerged, waiting for handler to arrive. Sent back into the cover, she dug very deep and stopped again some 200 yards in. Upon the approach of handler and judge, three young grouse (quite probably the remnants of a dispersing brood) took to the air. Shot was fired, all good. The pointer was collared and sent on, finishing strong.

Thank you, Ken DeLong, for the wonderful written report on the Open Shooting Dog Qualifier.
Knowing the heat index would be a factor, the Open Derby stake was started as soon as possible on Course 10. Sandy MacLean and Christy Helmes took a look at seven fine young dogs.
First place was awarded to Ahoy Captain Boomer, owned and handled by Daniel Gehring. Daniel traveled all the way from South Carolina to join us again this summer. Running on Course 10, Boomer ran a classy forward race with a pointed grouse to his credit. Second place went to Seldom Rest Pork Chop, owned by Brian and Brandy Ralph and handled by Scott Chaffee. Pork ran a big race, pointing a covey of grouse on Course 11. Coming in third was Erin's Green River, owned and handled by Mike Francus. "Tuck" also ran a nice race on Course 10, pointing a grouse to put him on the podium. Thank you, Christy Helmes, for the input on the Open Derby running.
After the morning stakes, everyone went back to the Alibi Hall for sloppy joes and some welcome announcements.

Sunday, we battled the same heat and humid conditions. Again, we were off on Course 4 at 7:04. Bruce and Neal Minard came back today to take a look at nine amateurs, all in hopes of winning the rotating Mike Grostic Amateur Shooting Dog Memorial trophy.
First place went to Hypointe Monarch Express, owned and handled by Russell Fazio. "Tess" had a big, fast, and classy forward ground race with a limb find on a woodcock on Course 6. Second place was awarded to Hitail Roxy Afield, also owned and handled by Russell Fazio. "Roxy" had a fast-paced run but was a little lacking in range compared to the winner. Running on Course 4, she had a woodcock and a grouse find. Third place came off the bird field. First out was "Indy," with owner/handler Brent Peters. Scenting conditions were not conducive, and Indy clearly was not interested in the bird field and preferred the woods. Timing out, reserve dog Faith's Maximum Justice came out with owner/handler Ken DeLong. Justice, too, preferred the woods, but was finally able to point a well-buried quail in the quail field. Thank you, Bruce Minard, for submitting the information on the Mike Grostic Amateur Shooting Dog Memorial.
Congratulations to all the winners this weekend. Thank you to Mike and Debbie Singleton, who cooked lunch and brought cookies. A big thank you to all the competitors who helped move cars. A big thank you to Purina for being our sponsor and supporting us with the $15 Dog Food coupons and advertising.

Meredith, Mich., August 9
Judges: Mike Brown and Ken DeLong
OPEN SHOOTING DOG - 5 Pointers and 7 Setters
1st-WICKED PURSUIT, F1701168, pointer female, by Miller's Speed Dial-Wicked Quick. Sandy MacLean & Kelsey Hajek, owners; Sandy MacLean, handler.
2d-HITAIL ROXY AFIELD, F1705101, setter female, by Dun Rovens Zip-Castle Rock's Autumn Breeze. Russell M. Fazio, owner and handler.
3d-HYPOINTE MONARCH EXPRESS, F1704239, pointer female, by Springflow's Backcountry P-Apple Annie's Sweet Delight. Russell M. Fazio, owner and handler.

Open Derby (l-r): Erin's Green River with Mike Francus (owner/handler), Christy Helmes (judge), Seldom Rest Pork Chop with Scott Chaffee (handler), Sandy MacLean (judge), and Ahoy Captain Boomer with Dan Gehring (owner/handler).

Judges: Christy Helmes and Sandy MacLean
OPEN DERBY - 6 Pointers and 1 Setter
1st-AHOY CAPTAIN BOOMER, F1714641, pointer male, by Hifives Rolling Stone-Speed Dialing Kaia. Daniel K. Gehring, owner and handler.
2d-SELDOM REST PORK CHOP, F1712849, pointer male, by Ralphy's Chasehill Rip-Grouse Trails Firestorm. Brian & Brandy Ralph, owners; Scott Chaffee, handler.
3d-ERIN'S GREEN RIVER, F1713040, pointer male, by Erin's Grey Justice-Erin's Red Smoke. Mike Francus, owner and handler.

Judges: Bruce Minard and Neal Minard
MIKE GROSTIC AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG MEMORIAL - 3 Pointers, 4 Setters, and 2 Brittanys
1st-HYPOINTE MONARCH EXPRESS, F1704239, pointer female, by Springflow's Backcountry P-Apple Annie's Sweet Delight. Russell M. Fazio, owner and handler.
2d-HITAIL ROXY AFIELD, F1705101, setter female, by Dun Rovens Zip-Castle Rock's Autumn Breeze. Russell M. Fazio, owner and handler.
3d-FAITH'S MAXIMUM JUSTICE, F1660276, pointer male, by Nelson's Van Max-Wild Apple Faith. Kenric J. DeLong, owner and handler.

Mike Grostic Amateur Shooting Dog Memorial (l-r): Faith's Maximum Justice with Ken DeLong (owner/handler), Bruce Minard (judge), Hitail Roxy Afield with Brent Peters, Neal Minard (judge), and Hypointe Monarch Express with Russell Fazio (owner/handler).