Result: Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship

Location: Augusta, Wisconsin

Post Date: Dec 4, 2025

Submitted By: Brent Sittlow and Roger King

Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship Winners: Brent Sittlow (judge), Ben Mergens (scout), Rod Lein with Over The Hill Try, Roger King, John McKellop with Grouse Trails Warrior Cat, Lindsey Peterson (scout), and Brian Ralph (judge).

It was decided by club members to run the Wisconsin Championship two weeks later than normal. Two reasons: Many of the leaves are off the trees and underbrush, and the migrating woodcock would add to the opportunities for dogs to point a bird. It turned out to be the right decision. The judges were better able to see the dogs, and the woodcock were plentiful-sometimes too plentiful. Temperatures ranged from high 30s in the mornings to low 60s in the afternoon, except for Friday afternoon when it reached the mid-70s. In addition, we had some much-needed rain at night to help scenting conditions.

We were blessed to have two experienced judges who gave every entrant the fullest opportunity to win, always looking at the positive side of each situation. As we all know, native bird continuous course bird dog trials are hard to win. It seems that more things can go wrong than you could imagine. Brian Ralph of Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania, and Brent Sittlow of Hudson, Wisconsin, presided over the Championship. Both are seasoned Cover Dog judges. Brian is the owner of the 2023 Grand National Champion, Ralphy's Chasehill Rip. Judge Brian Ralph mentioned the great hospitality that he and others felt at the 2024 Grand hosted by Chippewa Valley Grouse Dog Association, Minnesota Grouse Dog Association, and Moose River Grouse Dog Club. Our goal was to create a similar experience for him and all who attended this Championship. Our three clubs respect the tradition of the Grand and appreciate all the work over many years that has been done by all our friends to the East; Thank you! Brent Sittlow has judged numerous championships. He is a highly sought-after judge. He regularly gets asked to judge premier events, which are a testament to his knowledge, fairness, and the decisions he renders. We are blessed to have him as President of CVGDA and do not take his contributions for granted. As the saying goes in our club, call 1-800-Brent Sittlow for what you need, and it gets done, on time or sooner!

These trials don't just happen by themselves. We do not have planted birds or bird planters, but we do have course-cutting people, lunch providers, road marshals, field marshals, and people dealing with the other necessary ingredients for a successful field trial. Thank you to every one of them for their incredible hard work! In addition, Purina has been a longstanding supporter/partner of the Chippewa Valley Grouse Dog Association. For over five decades, Purina has supported us financially and rewarded our winners with its excellent products.

Recently, Nestl 's parent company, which owns Purina, donated $1 million in cash and 2.5 million in-kind to help families struggling with basic food needs. Needless to say, a strong statement of their cultural values as an organization. Thank you, Greg Blair, of Purina, for taking time out of your busy schedule to attend more of our trials than you miss and for continuing to grow our partnership.

Thursday evening, a Judges' dinner was hosted by Scott and Roger King at the King cabin in the heart of the Eau Claire County trial grounds. It's a unique setting on the Eau Claire River, lying between the Culvert course and the Diablo Jake course. In addition to judges Sittlow and Ralph, Ben Mergens, Tim Callahan, Rod Lein, Mike Luebke, Jerry Furnish, and Jordan Pharris, club officers and volunteers enjoyed a delicious meal. Woodcock hors d'oeuvres prepared in the black cast iron frying pan with onions and mushrooms on a tripod over a wood fire were enjoyed by all. Wisconsin is famous for Friday night fish fries, and arguably the best are panfish, namely Bluegills. They are not that big but tasty, sweet morsels, complemented with "Secret" Canadian fish breading again in the cast iron skillet. Finally, Pineapple Upside Down Cake in the Dutch oven, done to perfection over a bed of charcoal, received many compliments from the group. Surrounded by friends telling stories and laughter abounding, it was a memorable evening.

The Running
The club diligently maintains eight courses of one hour in length. The cadence of the trial was six braces per day, picking up where we left off the next day. Therefore, the course order was as such: Highline, Culvert, Crash, Diablo Jake, County H, Horse Creek, Wilson Park, and Gas Line.

Blair's Holy Thunder (Waite) and One Acre Wood Bandit (Rector) started off the trial on the Highline course. The environment was good for this morning brace, but no birds were moved on this course.

Goodgoing Tickety-Boo (Edstrom) and Grouse Trails Little Bud (McKellop) got the Culvert course from the lunch area to the canoe landing. Tick was nimble, fast, and animated. She stopped once for woodcock, but it got the best of her and was up. Bud was strong and powerful for the first 20 minutes. He was observed making game near the halfway point, but got too close to a woodcock and was taken up.

Dirty Waters Chiltepin (Foley) needed the tracker at 20. Northwoods Cedar Edge (Saetre) had most of the Culvert course to herself. She converted a nice woodcock find at 15 in a thick new aspen cut. She was running and handling nicely to the river. She was stopped at 35 for a very long time while a search for her stand ensued. She ended up starting back up on her own and finishing in a very thick cutting at time.

After a delicious pulled pork sandwich lunch at Knight's Pool Pavilion, we shifted across the bridge and started Brace 5 on the Diablo Jake course. I'm Easy Money (Peterson) had an easy handling race and fished with a grouse find to his credit. Blair's Calvary Mountain (Waite) was tough to track. Very attractive at times, with extended casts to the front, but the bell would fade off, and he would inconsistently reappear from various vectors. Calvary finished the brace without birds.

Grouse Trails Bathilda (McKellop) and Lake Effect Ali (Kaufman) started Brace 5 on the County Road H course. Ali had a nicely pinned woodcock at 10, just past the footbridge. She stood twice in likely cover near the halfway junction, but judge and handler had trouble finding her in thick prickly ash cover along the river. Numerous woodcock were flushed in the searching effort, but without the dog located, they couldn't be converted into credits. She finished the hour working hard as she always does. Bathilda was well behind the forward party and was taken up at half.

Blind Faith (Pharris) and Larix Laricina (Anderson) finished day one on the Horse Creek course. Both dogs looked very good with multiple stylish woodcock finds to their credit. By the time we reached Dack's Crossing, their races were strong, and pattern was good. The birds got the best of these two young dogs, and each was leashed by half.

One Acre Wood Flash (Rector) and King (Waite) started the second day on the Wilson Park course. Both dogs looked nice on the ground, with the slight nod to King in pattern and speed. Each negotiated the road crossing well and got to the second half of the course. Numerous grouse were seen and heard from treetop level, which makes it kind of hard for dogs to point! Both dogs finished without true bird work.

Berg Brothers Hatchet (Peterson) and Northern Slopes Bell (Graddy) broke away on the Gas Line course. Hatchet's bell went quiet, just past the pipeline crossing, and a lengthy search ensued. He eventually started up on his own and regained the front near the end of the brace. He had two woodcock finds near the road crossing and was credited with a divided find at the very end of the brace, with great style. (Note: Hatchet was handled by first-time handler Lindsey Peterson. By all accounts, she did an excellent job. Way to go, Lindsey!)
Bell had some pop in her race and was energetically moving through the cover, seldom seen on path. She stopped in a thick green bottom at 25. As handler and judge moved in to find her standing, a single grouse blew out of the same covert. Scout Saetre found Bell standing less than a minute later, and she was shot over by her handler--a nice piece of work. Continuing with that same diligent effort, a woodcock find was tallied along the river at 53. A final divided woodcock find was produced at 57. A good finish for both dogs, which kept them on the board until the very final braces of the trial.

Raintree Blue Moon (Waite) was vigorously covering the Highline course through the first 50 minutes, but got hung up at the final road crossing, and tracker was taken.

Northwoods Cedar (Saetre) had a firewagon start. Cedar and handler got some rhythm going after the second road crossing and were settling in. She was standing well to the front at 30 for an extended period of time. When she was located, she moved too much at the flush and was taken up.

Temps and humidity were a big factor on the afternoon braces of day two. Big Big Energy (Pharris) gave a good effort and finished on the Culvert course. Grouse Trails Black Knight (McKellop) worked every angle to produce for his handler, but to no avail.

Rebellious Fearless Fred (Luebke) had a challenging course for a very warm and humid afternoon. Unfortunately, Fred made a woodcock fly in very thick and tangled cutting and was taken up at 15. Moss Mac Daddy (Dozeman) had a similar fate. Daddy made a woodcock fly on a relocation attempt, in splash-filled thick cover, on the Crash course.

Over The Hill Morgan (Lein) ran a very smooth race to the front with some good reach. She carded a very nice woodcock find on the King property, a new wildlife cut on the Diablo Jake course. Clover Valley's Evans (Furnish) gave it a good run and finished strong.

Staying in course rotation, we started day three on the County Road H course. Brook's White Hot Blaze (Waite) diligently finished the hour, but without birds. Bad Habits (Mergens) had a beautiful grouse find in a green bottom after the footbridge. She dove back into that spot again when another grouse was heard leaving the covert. It was difficult to determine what had transpired. She was gathered up, sent on, and produced another stylish find on woodcock along the edge of the river at 20. Thereafter, she encountered a woodcock minefield. She got properly stopped to a flush but moved on her own after acknowledging flight.

Birdogn True Confidence (Pharris) and Grouse Trails Warrior Cat (McKellop) went on a bird finding spree on the Horse Creek course. Both dogs had five or six, or more, woodcock finds with impeccable style and manners. Most were solo finds. Some were shared, and a couple were classic finds and backs. Neither dog backed off from one another, and the pressure kept building through this exciting hour! The separator in this brace was the race and strength shown by Warrior Cat from Dack's crossing to the open meadow. Some great independent moves that took her far to the front earned her the title. This was a brace that will not be forgotten. It was noted by John McKellop his appreciation for the help of his scout, Lindsey Peterson. "She did a phenomenal job of locating Kitty and was a key component to Kitty's win." He was most grateful!

Dale Creek Janie Bell (Waite) and Clover Valley's Mulak (Furnish) let loose on the Wilson Park course. Both dogs had some difficulty gaining momentum in the first half. After the road crossing, Janie Bell dug in a little better and finished stronger than she started, but no birds. Similar fate for Mulak.

Temperatures were getting warm again by midday for the last brace of the trial on the Gas Line course. North Slopes Allie (Graddy) gave us a gutty hour and hit all the right spots. She stood once, but that was to back her bracemate at about 40. Over The Hill Try (Lein) had a bit of a rough start, but settled in by 10 and had a strong, smooth race that made you want to root for her to make something happen in the bird department. Her chance at a bird came at 40, when she was found standing on a hill crest before the road crossing. Her handler diligently flushed to no avail. But she was confidently sent for a relocation, and ultimately a second relocation. She had wrapped around the grouse to cut it off and pinned the bird between her and her handler.

Perhaps one of the most impressive pieces of bird work you could ever dream up in a wild bird field trial. She finished confidently to the front with enough reach to earn a runner-up title.

Augusta, Wis., October 16
Judges: Brian Ralph and Brent Sittlow
WISCONSIN COVER DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 15 Pointers, 14 Setters, 1 Gordon Setter, and 2 Irish Setters
Winner-GROUSE TRAILS WARRIOR CAT, F1690752, pointer female, by Panola Bacon-Chasehill Little Izzy. John McKellop III, owner and handler.
Runner-Up-OVER THE HILL TRY, F1699008, pointer female, by J T H Scion-Over The Hill Patty. Rod Lein, owner and handler.

The Derby started promptly after the announcements for the championship. When you want to run an efficient, on-time event, Greg Johnson is the man! He had dogs on the line, marshals and judges in the right place, and always letting the next brace know where they needed to be. In comparison with the last several years, the Derby stake was smaller in numbers; however, what it lacked in numbers was made up for with quality. The top three dogs in contention for the Purina Minnesota/Wisconsin Derby Dog of the Year were in contention.
The winner, Grouse Trails Northern Thunder ("Reggie"), handled by Rod Lein, and the third-place winner Northwoods Rip Roy ("Rip"), handled by Greg Johnson, ran on the Horse Creek course Sunday morning. This was a very exciting brace, both dogs pushing the extent of bell range; Rip, the wider of the two, both handled well to the front and hunting the right cover. Reggie had the find of the stake with a broke find on a woodcock at the halfway point along the Eau Claire River. The find was in excellent woodcock cover, and Reggie displayed perfect manners. Rip made several really nice casts to the front, attacking the cover in a forceful, aggressive style. The second-place dog, Rib River Best Bet (Betty), handled by Roger King, ran Saturday afternoon on the H course. The judges liked Betty's attractive, fancy style of running consistently to the front. She had a stylish woodcock find at 10 with derby manners. The judges also liked Ocooch Ridge Runner (Romeo) run by Tom Waite in the second brace Saturday afternoon on the Diablo Jake/King cabin course. Romeo was inconsistent for the first 10 minutes but gained momentum and finished well. The judges carried him on their cards until the very end.

Our Derby judges were seasoned veteran Ed Graddy and Eric Saetre, who, with his wife Lindsey, have won numerous championships, including runner-up in the 2024 National Grouse Invitational with their dog Cedar. As the saying goes, "The trial is never over until Ed Graddy runs all of his dogs." Ed has won many championships and is a multiple winner of the prestigious Don Didcoct Memorial Classic. It is truly a pleasure to have both these gentlemen at our trial, and certainly an honor to have them judge.

In preparation for the 2024 Grand National Grouse Championship, our club decided to rebuild a 40-year-old structure at Wilson Park and build an entirely new structure at Knights Pool, located exactly in the center of our grounds. These two would allow us to have a warmer, drier shelter to serve lunches/dinners and host award ceremonies. The Knights Pool project was a longstanding vision of Rod Lein and Roger King for many years. The old saying, "It takes a village to raise a child," likewise, "It takes a village to build a shelter in the middle of the forest," is certainly true. Ben Mergens headed the crew: Rod Lein, Mike Luebke, Denny Baumann, Tim Callahan, Jerry Furnish, Tom and Annette Goltz, Dave Bretrang, and Crew, and I'm sure I've forgotten someone. Sorry! Ben Mergens also initiated an effort to make a "Special Recognition" to Roger King. At the championship awards ceremony, a very surprised Roger was presented by Ben Mergens and the club with a sign to be hung on the wall of the Knights Pool structure. Roger was very humbled by this gesture, as he was only one of many who made this facility happen. He accepted the recognition on behalf of all the hard work that many put into this project. For many years in the future, field trialers, picnickers, snowmobilers, horse riders, and fishermen can enjoy the beauty of the Eau Claire River, namely Knights Pool, and appreciate the Eau Claire County Forest to it fullest! Come see us in the spring at our next event!

Judges: Ed Graddy and Eric Saetre
OPEN DERBY - 8 Pointers and 3 Setters
1st-GROUSE TRAILS NORTHERN THUNDER, F1712850, pointer male, by Ralphy's Chasehill Rip-Grouse Trails Firestorm. Brian Stichter, owner; Rod Lein, handler.
2d-RIB RIVER BEST BET, F1710626, pointer female, by Toth's Tornado Reloaded-Grouse Trails Warrior Cat. Roger & Kathy King, owners; Roger King, handler.
3d-NORTHWOODS RIP ROY, F1711135, setter male, by Woodville's Yukon Cornelius-Northwoods Redbreast. Greg Johnson, owner and handler.

Open Derby Winners: Rod Lein with Grouse Trails Northern Thunder, Roger King with Rib River Best Bet, and Greg Johnson with Northwoods Rip Roy.

An emotional Roger King accepting recognition on behalf of CVGDA club members for the new Knights Pool project.

Knights Pool Shelter. We thank Purina for being a major sponsor.