Result: Southwestern Championship & John Seawright Memorial Open Derby

Location: Trail City, South Dakota

Post Date: Nov 13, 2025

Submitted By: Claudia McNamee

Southwestern Championship: Miller's Heat Advisory with Squire Lee and Sta'ao O' War with Lee Phillips. (Standing, l-r): Gary McKibben, Judd Carlton, Alan Johnson, David Williams, Douglas Spale, Claudia McNamee, Joe Rentz, Tricia Rentz, Luke Eisenhart, Melody Shenker, and Tom Shenker.

"Where Legends Are Made"

This year marked a historic milestone for the Southwestern Championship -- its 2025 edition being a testament to the hard work of a few and the support of many. In 2024, this trial was canceled because lower-than-normal entries just wouldn't cover the costs of running the trial. As with many all-age trials, the number of handlers, owners, and dogs has steadily decreased over time for a myriad of reasons not up for discussion here. Fortunately, this year unfolded a different story. Fresh thinking, innovative fundraising, and engaging social media promotion, including a dedicated Facebook page, brought this important competition back from the brink and resulted in great success.

It all started with club members and Mr. John "Squire" Seawright having regular phone conversations about what could be done to bring it back bigger and better in 2025. Sadly, and unexpectedly, Squire passed away in early 2025, but the club remained committed to the vision and went about executing on the plan: raise money to cover expenses and figure out how to attract more handlers. Matt Brown, an enthusiastic amateur from St. Louis, suggested an out-of-the-box approach, that we invite amateur handlers by offering special amateur recognition awards. In addition, he and Tucker Johnson, longtime owner with Luke Eisenhart, gave generously towards the championship purse. And then to top it off, there were 100 or so field trialers countrywide who bought our hats to help support our efforts. All of these things contributed to the incredible end result (for these times), which was a total of 77 entries--34 derbies and 43 all-age. Even more satisfying was the number of amateur handlers who entered dogs; a total of 11 were in it to try and win the special amateur recognition awards. There were also nine professional handlers present, which was equally as noteworthy because, in recent years, there have been significantly fewer vying for the title. A total of 21 handlers entered dogs in this storied championship, with 19 competing (two ended up scratching). Squire would be very happy and proud!

The 2025 Southwestern Championship returned to the Johnson Ranches in Trail City, South Dakota, on Wednesday, September 3, and finished up on Monday, September 8. A week later in the season than previous years, but conditions were good with pastures green, with a great diversity of prairie vegetation. The cover held wild game well, giving all contenders equal opportunity to showcase their hunting abilities. These ranch grounds are rolling prairie above the Missouri River Valley, used for pasturing cattle rather than crops or hay. Punctuated by watercourses and draws, it is a country of sweeping, stunning vistas where an all-age performance has infinite possibilities. To ride across this country on a sure-footed Tennessee Walker and be witness to this quality of competition and performance is exceptional in today's world, and those of us here are very fortunate indeed.

The task of judging both the Derby and All-Age stakes was in the capable hands of Joe and Tricia Rentz of Chester, Georgia. Securing trial judges is always challenging, so the club was quite fortunate to have their commitment early. This married, dynamic duo has broad experience in field trialing, bird hunting, and dog training and development, and is highly qualified to observe and place judgment on the 34 derbies and 43 all-age dogs in this 2025 renewal. Always maintaining a professional observance and demeanor, they were impressed with the field of talent competing for top honors. The three continuous courses were charted out so that no course was more advantageous or desirable than the others. Weather was the only factor that wasn't quite as equitable, with windy conditions and higher afternoon temperatures playing into some dogs' overall performances.

With the experience of the club member team, consisting of President Garland Priddy, Secretary/Treasurer Kathy Priddy, Lee Phillips, Luke Eisenhart, Judd Carlton, Tom Shenker, and this writer (Claudia McNamee), the trial ran well and without incident. Alan Johnson, our consummate host, traveled from Hermosa, South Dakota, with his wife, Collette, to take the dog wagon wheel once again. Knowing the grounds and how to navigate the challenging terrain is critical in this role, and Alan's maneuvering, as always, was flawless. He was punctual and always where he needed to be, which is absolutely necessary for the trial to stay on schedule. Others who sprang to action when needed for "gatekeeping" were Frank LaNasa, Scott Jordan, and Calvin Curnutte. Lunch setup/breakdown was handled by landowner Angie Allison and field trialer Shannon Grady-Nygard.

Our traditional Landowner's Supper was held on Friday, September 5, at the Trail City Town Hall for a total of about 50 guests. The caterer was the Country Market Grocery Store located in Timberlake, South Dakota, and owned by Patty and John Linderman. Food and drink were plentiful, making for a fun and memorable evening with field trialers and local friends who generously share their special lands with us.

The Winners
Named champion was Miller's Heat Advisory, a 7-year-old, white and orange pointer male (Just Irresistible-Miller's Bring the Heat). Heat Advisory ("Mick") was handled by Judd Carlton, scouted by Luke Eisenhart, and is owned by Mike Sweet of Sebring, Florida. Mick was named runner-up in 2023 and returned here two years later to snag top honors with three quintessential all-age finds and a race to match!

Earning runner-up was newcomer, Sta'ao O'War, a 3-year-old white and orange setter female (T's Nickleback-T's Hidden Grace). Sta was handled by Luke Eisenhart, scouted by Judd Carlton, and is owned by Douglas Spale of Lenexa, Kansas. A prized hunting dog, Sta had one credited find and a stylish, strategic race with an exceptional finish!

The John Seawright Memorial Open Derby
The program at the Southwestern began with the Derby stake on Wednesday, September 3. Thirty-four (34) young contenders were entered, and 32 competed for three placements in 16 30-minute braces. A total of 15 handlers participated, five of whom are amateur competitors. There was a sixth amateur handler who entered his dog but ended up unable to attend. The derby handlers who held amateur status (in alphabetical order) included: Jarrett Bell, Matt Brown, Scott Jordan, Erick Parsons, and Nik Zewers.

We broke away at 7:30 a.m. (CST), in light fog with temperatures in the 60s. The judges were impressed with the strong roster of talent, particularly because birds were elusive, as had been the case all summer. A strong prairie derby performance should demonstrate all age potential more than finished qualities--purposeful and bold hunting, a forward ground pattern, and attentiveness to the handler. Most importantly, derbies should show the physical and mental tendencies and characteristics that will lead to successful future all-age performances.

First place winner, Law Man, appeared on the second morning in Brace 13 under the whistle of Tom Shenker and scouted by Squire Lee. He and his bracemate, Rick, with Jason Loper, let loose in cool temperatures in the 40s and had a divided find at 28. Law Man ran a big race and handled with ease throughout his 30 minutes on the ground. Finishing forward and strong, this young athlete definitively snagged the top spot. Law Man, an orange-white pointer male (Ch. Miller's Blindsider-Fly In the Sky), is owned by Kirk Law of Dawson, Georgia.

Second place was claimed by Rester's Wildflower (Ch. Rester's Johnny Ringo-Wynona's Funseeker Dixie), owned by Pat and Julie Roach of Fort Wayne, Indiana. This pointer female was handled by Luke Eisenhart and scouted by Judd Carlton, alongside Confident Sun with Ryan Mulcahy in the second brace of the stake. At 6, Wildflower was standing staunchly, and a single was flushed by his handler. There was no further game contact until 23, when both dogs were found standing. As both handlers approached these bracemates, another single chicken got up. Confident Sun didn't quite keep his composure, but Wildflower certainly did!

Third place was awarded to pointer male, Haneys Redhill Nation (Ch. Haney's All In-Ch. Pearl Jam Nation) for amateur handler and owner, Scott Jordan. Frank LaNasa provided scouting support. Redhill ("Joe") was also recognized as the Top Amateur Derby. Joe ran in the third brace on the very first morning with Erin's Dreamcatcher as his bracemate. He had one solid piece of bird work, an unproductive and impressive ground race, demonstrating that he belonged in the winners' circle!

Trail City, S. D., September 3
Judges: Joe Rentz and Tricia Rentz
JOHN SEAWRIGHT MEMORIAL OPEN DERBY - 32 Pointers and 2 Setters
1st-LAW MAN, F1723359, pointer male, by Miller's Blindsider-Fly In The Sky. Kirk Law, owner; Tom Shenker, handler.
2d-RESTER'S WILDFLOWER, F1718696, pointer female, by Rester's Johnny Ringo-Wynona's Funseeker Dixie. Julie Roach, owner; Luke Eisenhart, handler.
3d-HANEYS REDHILL NATION, F1716099, pointer male, by Haney's All In-Pearl Jam Nation. Scott Jordan, owner and handler.

The Championship Running
The Southwestern Championship began immediately following the completion of the Derby stake on Thursday morning, before breaking for lunch. We did not run that afternoon because of winds gusting upwards of 45-50 mph. We finished up midday on Monday, September 8.

A total of 43 dogs were entered, and 42 competed. Fifteen (15) handlers participated, of which eight* held amateur status. By comparison, in 2023, the last time this stake was run, a total of nine handlers participated. The 2025 handlers included (in alphabetical order): Jarrett Bell*, Matt Brown*, Judd Carlton, Calvin Curnutte, Luke Eisenhart, Brian Gingrich, Scott Jordan*, Frank LaNasa*, Squire Lee, Chris Perkins*, Lee Phillips, Tom Shenker, Austin Turley*, Kyle Whitfield*, and David Williams*.

In addition to the owner-handlers who participated in the trial, two other owners were present to watch their dogs: Douglas Spale from Lenexa, Kansas, for Sta'ao O'War, and this reporter, Claudia McNamee from Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, for Erin's War Eagle and Erin's Bold Ruler.

We attempted to break away each morning at 7:30 a.m. (CT) and start back promptly one hour after returning from the morning braces, usually around 12:30-1:00 p.m. (CT). Wind and fog hampered our efforts on a few days, but participants were always ready and eager to get to the line in the mornings and afternoons. Wild bird finding was particularly challenging this year, attributed to fewer coveys of young birds seen during the spring and summer months. Overall, bird numbers seemed a bit off, which affected the hunt success of both our young and experienced contenders. The champion and runner-up both came out of morning braces on Thursday, B1, and Sunday, B14, respectively.

The Champion: Miller's Heat Advisory
Brace 1 (B1) of the Championship running began directly after the completion of the Derby stake on Thursday morning. Conditions were less than desirable, with winds steadily picking up and gusts approaching 40 mph. However, nothing was going to deter the Miller's Heat Advisory team, and they delivered an incredible performance that would remain the gold standard for the duration of the trial. Braced with World Class Terminator under Squire Lee's whistle, both dogs broke away at 9:53 a.m. into the wind with high energy and determination. Heat Advisory ("Mick") was always forward and strong, casting long and wide the entire hour. At 3, he pinned his first covey, which was easily flushed into flight by Carlton--an estimated 12 birds got up and were beautiful to watch. At 7, Terminator stood with conviction, but his handler was unable to flush out birds even with a relocation. About 10 minutes later, Lee decided to pick up his charge, not pleased with how the hour began. Mick had the field to himself, and he made the most of it, not letting a solo run make him any less competitive. His next objective was eight minutes later at 11, and this was the limb find of the trial! As the gallery rode and looked on in anticipation, Carlton made his way to Mick, who stood gallantly across a great divide and up the side of another hill. A shot was heard, and birds were in the air once again. His third find was at 40--a single this time, but nonetheless impressive. And then finally at 46, although Mick appeared certain on his game, his handler wasn't able to put birds into flight on his fourth stand, and an unproductive was noted. For the next four minutes, until pick-up was called, Mick punched out the front and completed his hour in true all-age fashion. Bravo for an exceptional performance!

The Runner-Up: Sta'ao O'War
Translated from the Blackfeet Indian language, her name means "Ghost of War"; her owner's heritage traces back to this Native American tribe. Sta was handled by Luke Eisenhart, scouted by Judd Carlton, and is owned by Douglas Spale of Lenexa, Kansas. A prized hunting dog, Sta has spent the last couple of summers in the prairies on Luke's string. Douglas had asked Luke to keep her conditioned in the summers so that when he picked her up on his way west in September to bird hunt, she'd be in prime shape. This year, she was qualified to run in a championship, and Spale decided to stay a few days to see how she'd measure up to the top all-age dogs in the country. The result was a grand surprise! So, who says gun dogs can't be formidable field trial contenders?!

Sta ran for Luke Eisenhart first thing Sunday morning in Brace 14 (B14) alongside Black Rocks Snow Goose, who was handled by Chris Perkins. This was the last full day of the Championship running. Temperatures were cool in the mid-50s with light, smoky fog rising above water spots and just a whisper of a breeze to carry scent. Goose was running strong and went on point at 20, but bad luck would prevail for this team with an unproductive noted after relocation, and then as Perkins was taking his charge on, a covey took flight. To say these birds were elusive at that moment was an understatement and a disappointment. Goose experienced another unproductive at 33, and unfortunately, that finished his time on the ground. Meanwhile, the young female setter had sprung into action off the breakaway and hunted with determination the entire hour. Making sweeping casts in search of native game that can only be found through assiduous effort, Sta pinned a single at 31 deep down in a draw. Eisenhart flushed and shot with his charge remaining in fine composure--stylish, steady, and seemingly proud. Four minutes later, at 35, Eisenhart's hat was again in the air as he rode hard to reach her quickly. Sta stood head high and sure of her find. In the next moments, her handler called, "There go the birds!" but alas, the judges weren't near enough to see. For the next 25 minutes, Sta continued the hunt--attractive in motion and demonstrating her connection to her handler. With an impressive finish, both strong and forward, Sta completed the hour and punctuated it with an owner's smile from ear to ear. Well done, team!

Field of Other Contenders

Brace 1 (B1) was let loose on Thursday just before lunch and produced the champion as described earlier in this report.

Brace 2 was put down on Friday at 8:05 a.m., pairing Rambling Rivers Unplugged, handled by Brian Gingrich, and Sunset Sam Houston with amateur handler Matt Brown. Temperatures were in the 40s, and the wind was still blowing but had calmed down some since the day before. Unplugged had two solid finds at 12 and 23, but then went off course, and his handler asked for the tracker. Sam Houston didn't fare much better--unsteady on his one find and was picked up as well.

Brace 3 let loose at approximately 8:45 a.m. and presented Late Hit under Tom Shenker's whistle and Erin's Code of Honor with Luke Eisenhart. At 10, Late Hit had a breach of manners on his first and only find and was picked up. Code of Honor, defending champion from 2023, went on to have two noteworthy finds at 16 and 40 and hunted the entire hour with intensity and purpose. He completed the hour with a strong finish--job well done.

Next to the line in Brace 4 were C S Smoke Roll with Calvin Curnutte and Rester's Johnny Ringo (Eisenhart). Neither contender finished their hours. Smoke Roll had a nice find at 35, but then two unproductives followed at 25 and 50. Ringo didn't have any bird work and wasn't pleasing his handler. He was picked up at 50. And that concluded the morning runs.

Friday afternoon, Brace 5 was brought to the line at 12:48 p.m. and paired up Erin's Three Amigos for Judd Carlton and B G K's Luke with Jarrett Bell. Both of these contenders sprang into action and hunted fiercely. Luke went on point at 17 with his bracemate backing. Relocation involved a breach of manners, and the judge gave Bell his tracker. Three Amigos now had the field to himself. At 34, Carlton's hat was in the air with his charge looking stylish and certain. Unfortunately, no birds were produced after two relocations. Carlton asked for his tracker at 41.

Brace 6 braced Perkins Sawyer's Warrior with amateur handler, Chris Perkins, and Cash Slinger (Carlton). Warrior stopped at 23 and 30 with Slinger backing at both locations, but no birds were flushed. Both handlers picked their dogs up at 30.

Brace 7, the final brace of the day, let loose under continued windy conditions and some light rain. Southern Confidence, handled by Frank LaNasa, and Haney's Silver Dollar (Eisenhart) were paired together, but neither stayed on the ground long. Silver Dollar pointed one minute off the breakaway, and Southern Confidence politely backed--birds were easily flushed! At 12, Eisenhart's charge pointed again with certainty, and birds were flushed, but Silver Dollar didn't maintain his composure, which ended his bid for the title. LaNasa wasn't pleased with his charge and decided to pick him up as well.

On Saturday morning, Brace 8 broke away at 7:30 a.m. with temperatures in the 30s, clear skies, and a very light wind. The gusty conditions that had prevailed over the first three days of the trial had finally subsided. Chasin Coveys Justified (Curnutte) and Quail Woods Pine (Carlton) were braced together, but neither finished their hours. Justified wasn't pleasing his handler and was picked up at 22. Woods Pine stood staunchly at 6 and 35, but neither produced any game. This brace concluded quickly at half the hour.

Brace 9 would prove to be slightly more successful for both contenders, Erin's Doc Holliday (Bell) and Comanche (Eisenhart), in that they both finished their hours with and ran big, strong races, but alas, no bird work for either. Doc Holiday had one UP at 15, and Comanche had one UP at 47.

The last brace of the morning was Brace 10 with Touch's Too Much, handled by Austin Turley, and Haney's Storm Warning under his owner, Chris Cagle's whistle. Off the breakaway, Storm Warning took to the front, always hunting with style, albeit seeming uncharacteristically "handy" at times. He had one covey find at 41 and then finished the hour strong and out front where he needed to be. The judges named Storm Warning the Top Amateur All-Age winner. Turley handled Too Much in a broader pattern from the start, so these two bracemates rarely connected. At 43, Too Much stood staunchly and certain he had pinned his game, but his handler couldn't produce the birds, and an unproductive was noted. He went on to finish his hour in good fashion.

The afternoon session began at 12:51 p.m. with temperatures rising into the 60s and a light wind. Brace 11 paired up Erin's Legacy (Carlton) and Confident Nation (Jordan). Both dogs finished their hours, but neither had bird work. Confident Nation had two unproductives at 36 and 56, and Legacy had one unproductive at 46. Both hunted hard and ran big, bold races, but birds continued to be elusive.

Brace 12 presented Touch's Crush (Perkins) and Erin's High Note (Carlton). These contenders ran their hours with purpose and promise, but towards the very end, at 56, High Note had a breach of manners on his one find, taking him out of contention. Crush backed High Note and finished his 60 minutes, but had no bird work.

Brace 13, the final brace of the day, paired up T S Coal Train with Lee Phillips and Southern Thunder (Shenker), and as good luck would have it, both of these contenders had bird work and finished their hours! After the breakaway at 13, Coal Train pointed a covey with Southern Thunder backing, and birds were quickly flushed by his handler. Both dogs ran independently, demonstrating their hunting prowess with strong races. Coal Train would go on to have one unproductive at 16 and another solid find at 40, finishing up front and in good fashion. Meanwhile, Southern Thunder hunted hard with a single, deep limb find at 55 and finished his hour as he started--going big and wide!

Brace 14 was the first morning brace on Sunday and produced the runner-up champion, which was described earlier in this report. Six braces were run on this Sunday, the last full day of the Championship. Monday morning would present the final four contenders in the final two braces.

Brace 15 paired up Touch's Walk the Line (Turley) and Erin's Bold Ruler (Eisenhart), who both hunted up pheasant instead of prairie chickens, but no strikes against them for that! Walk the Line stood staunchly at 22, but his handler wasn't able to produce any game and took him on. He would stop again at about 40, but even with three attractive relocations, birds were elusive, and he lost composure as a pheasant took flight, and he was out of contention. Meanwhile, Bold Ruler was pleasing his handler and owner (this writer) with a strong, forward race and sensible hunting patterns. He wouldn't dig up any game until 45 on top of a butte across a wide divide. It took his handler some time to reach him--scouts had called point--but he was still standing proudly, and a single pheasant was flushed out by Eisenhart. He finished his hour in strong fashion up front. Good job for this first-year dog!

Brace 16 was the third morning brace and presented Erin's Copper Colt (Carlton) and World Class Zip Lock (Lee). Both contenders broke away with determination and hunted with focus, but they both went birdless and were picked up by their handlers around the 40-minute mark.

After a quick lunch break, Brace 17 was released at 12:55 p.m., pairing Warbird under his owner's whistle, Frank LaNasa, and Rester's Knight Move (Carlton). The wind had again picked up, blowing around 20 mph, and temperatures were warm in the 70s. Neither dog was finding game nor pleasing their handler. Both contenders were picked up by their respective handlers around the 40-minute mark.

Next to the line in Brace 18 were Erin's Perfect Storm (Eisenhart) and Rebel Gold (Williams). Together they hunted the country enthusiastically for their entire hours, but disappointedly had no bird contacts. Perfect Storm put down one of the best ground races of the trial, and when he went on point at 25, all who watched were hopeful, but his handler was unsuccessful in producing birds, and an unproductive was noted. Rebel Gold also continued hunting and handling well for Williams, but also finished his hour without bird work.

Sunday afternoon finished with Brace 19 presenting I Dream of Jeannie with handler Kyle Whitfield and Touch's Amazing Greyce (Turley). These two contenders were run by amateur handlers vying for the Top Amateur All-Age dog. With sunny skies, temperatures had risen into the high 70s, and the heat was challenging. Jeannie had one solid find at 15 after relocation, which took some time. It was difficult for this team to catch the front, and Jeannie became overheated, and Whitfield picked her up at 30. Turley and Greyce, meanwhile, continued forward and pointed two birds at 27 and another single at 53. This team performed extremely well in challenging conditions, moving with strength and hunting prowess throughout the hour and finishing to the front in style.

The final two braces of the trial were run on Monday morning. Things got off to a slow start as a heavy fog had settled in, and it was necessary to wait until the sun burned it off enough to see the dogs. Brace 20 finally broke away at 8:47 a.m. with Touchy Feely under Turley's whistle and Shagtime Bill running under Eisenhart. Cool temperatures didn't last long, and it became warm quite quickly as the sun rose in the sky. Touchy Feely didn't have any luck locating birds in spite of his efforts, and his handler picked him up at 51. Shagtime Bill ran a strong race, but two unproductives at 13 and 38 took him out of contention.

Brace 21 was the final brace of the trial and paired Erin's War Eagle (Eisenhart) and Affinity (Turley). War Eagle snapped on point early at 5, but no birds were flushed, and an unproductive was noted. Following this quick stand, War Eagle just didn't run the way his handler and owner (this writer) hoped he would, and he was picked up by Eisenhart at 22. Meanwhile, Affinity ran a big race but wasn't always to the front. He had an unproductive at 53 and stood a second time just after time was called, which was unfortunately too late for the judges to consider. He was one of a small group of contenders to finish their hours.

And this concluded the 2025 edition of the Southwestern Championship.

SOUTHWESTERN CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 39 Pointers and 4 Setters
Winner-MILLER'S HEAT ADVISORY, F1685672, pointer male, by Just Irresistible-Miller's Bring The Heat. Mike Sweet, owner; Judd Carlton, handler.
Runner-Up-STA'AO O' WAR, F1704718, setter female, by T's Nickleback-T's Hidden Grace. Douglas Spale, owner; Luke Eisenhart, handler.

Open Derby Winners (front): Squire Lee with Law Man and Judd Carlton with Rester's Wildflower. (Standing, l-r): Kyle Whitfield, Matt Brown, Stacy Brown, Alan Johnson, Tom Shenker, Lee Phillips, Claudia McNamee, Luke Eisenhart, Tricia Rentz, and Joe Rentz. [Not pictured: Scott Jordan and Haneys Redhill Nation].