Result: Minnesota Grouse Dog Association

Location: Milaca, Minnesota

Post Date: Jun 22, 2026

Submitted By: Kyle Peterson

Open Shooting Dog (front, l-r): Paul Cook with Palometa's Hemingway, Holden Baker with Baker's Beignet, and Tim Callahan with Tim's Setter Meg, joined by participants.

The weekend of May 16-17 marked the last trial for the Minnesota Grouse Dog Association's spring season. This weekend is our traditional qualifying trial held at the Four Brooks WMA near Milaca, Minnesota. The weekend not only offers dogs and handlers an opportunity to qualify but also serves as a great opportunity for us all to spend one last weekend together, celebrating a very successful spring trial season. This trial weekend, the MGDA really focuses on bringing everyone together. From people who have been trialing for years to brand-new folks wanting to learn more about trials to kids getting to enjoy all things dogs and trials.
A highlight of the weekend is our annual Youth stake. Held at the end of the Open Shooting Dog and Open Derby stakes, this event has grown to be a highly anticipated stake. This year, 13 youth participants signed up to run. After the draw, participants took to the main field course, where all could pull up a chair and watch our future trialers handle their own dog on planted quail. Judge Katie Cook watched over the event from her horse as the handlers helped guide their dogs from bird to bird. The excitement and enthusiasm the kids show during this really make the event a lot of fun and give us all hope that the future of this sport is in good hands!

MGDA would like to thank AJ Kalupa and Jeremy Moore for chairing this trial. The countless hours put into pulling off this trial are greatly appreciated by all. We would also like to recognize all those who stepped up to judge the stakes. Ben Berg and Jerry Furnish judged our Saturday Open Shooting Dog stake. Jordan Pharris and Chris Bye presided over the Saturday Open Derby. On Sunday morning, Josh Matel and AJ Kalupa judged our final Open Derby stake. A huge thank you to all of them for the miles they walked and the attention they gave to each dog entered! Dogbone Hunter was gracious in donating gifts for the judges' hard work, and we greatly appreciate that as well!

We would also like to thank OnX and Purina, with Greg Blair, for their support for this and all our trials. Purina donated very nice gear bags filled with dog-related gear, which were given to each of our youth stake handlers! Jeremy Moore from Dogbone Hunter also provided prizes for the kids. Between ribbons and gear, the kids could not have been more excited to dig through the bags and see the great swag! Thank you again, Purina and Dogbone Hunter!
On to the results...

Saturday Open Shooting Dog
Earning first place was "Ernie." Owned by Hayden Dobbs and handled by Paul Cook, Ernie ran a strong forward race, hunting all available cover and had two well-spaced finds, all in order. Ernie ran with a lofty carriage and looked beautiful on point.
Second place was given to "Ben," a Brittany owned and handled by Holden Baker. Judges said Ben was methodical in cover and ran hard in the open. Ben had three well-mannered finds and was staunch on point.
Claiming third place was "Meg," owned by Tim and Deb Callahan and handled by Tim. Meg had three finds, all in order, and a stop-to-flush. She was an easy handle and had a strong motor with an efficient gate from beginning to end.

Saturday Open Derby
"Andi" set the tone early with an eye-catching 500-yard cast to the edge of cover to the joy of the gallery and judges. Settling into the zone within a few minutes, Andi was impressive as she kept a strong pace with a focused ground application. With an industrious find in difficult cover at the 15-minute mark, Andi continued to run strong to the front until time was called.
"Slim" capped off the derby stake with a run that delighted the judges with his application. Hitting edge cover at the limit of his bell, Slim was never out of contact with his handler and was unique (within the stake) in his ground game and search, notable for a dog just hitting his first year. Reaching far, he always found the front and finished with ease.
With perhaps the most mature run of the stake, "Rita" confidently hit all the objectives throughout her brace and pulled her experienced handler through the course. Despite the warming air and dry wind, Rita stayed far to the front and ran stronger at the end than at the breakaway, a testament to her efficient gate, experience, and conditioning.

Sunday Open Derby
The weather changed dramatically overnight, and Sunday morning offered much cooler temperatures and windy conditions for the morning Derby stake.
Coming in first was Casey Wagner's "Rebel." Rebel took advantage of the cool temperatures, ran through the course very deliberately, and produced several finds, much to the judges' pleasure.
Second place went to "Presley," handled by Nick Sisterman. Presley went on point early in the stake and from there opened up, going from bird to bird. Her intense pointing style and ability to run stronger and stronger as the brace went on impressed everyone who watched.
In third place was "Crush," handled by Jordan Pharris. The young male pointer floated across the course with an easy, efficient gate that made it look easy. He handled well for Pharris, and the judges took note of this and awarded him a placement.

Milaca, Minn., May 16
Judges: Ben Berg and Jerry Furnish
OPEN SHOOTING DOG - 1 Pointer, 8 Setters, and 2 German Shorthairs
1st-PALOMETA'S HEMINGWAY, F1703720, setter male, by Woodville's Yukon Cornelius-Kasida. Hayden Dobbins, owner; Paul Cook, handler.
2d-BAKER'S BEIGNET, F1721401, Brittany male, by Riverbend's Tied Us Down-Riverbend's Annie Get Your Gun. Holden Baker, owner and handler.
3d-TIM'S SETTER MEG, F1705309, setter female, by Rebellious Fearless Fred-Lake Effect Ali. Tim & Deb Callahan, owners; Tim Callahan, handler.

Saturday Open Derby (front, l-r): Jeremy and Lillian Moore with Aspens Edge Moore Than Dandy, Holden Baker with Bakers Clover Valley Slim, and Steve Snyder with Snyder's Rita, joined by participants.

Judges: Chris Bye and Jordan Pharris
OPEN DERBY - 10 Entries
1st-ASPENS EDGE MOORE THAN DANDY, F1723295, setter female, by Northwoods Homer-North Star Ash. Jeremy Moore, owner and handler.
2d-BAKERS CLOVER VALLEY SLIM, F1724087, setter male, by Northwoods Sir Gordon-Clover Valley's Millie. Holden & Carley Baker, owners; Holden Baker, handler.
3d-SNYDER'S RITA, F1711244, setter female, by Ponderosa Mac-Eldridge's Beauty and Beast. Steven Snyder, owner and handler.

OPEN DERBY - 10 Entries
1st-SWITCHGRASS BECCAS LIL REBEL, F1716380, setter male, by Switchgrass Cash Daddy-Switchgrass Magic Jasmine. Casey Wagner, owner and handler.
2d-DOUBLE DEUCE DOLLY'S DYNASTY, F1713587, pointer female, by Cal Peak Hundredth Meridian-Double Deuce Sage. Nick Sisterman, owner and handler.
3d-ORANGE CRUSH, F1724274, pointer male, by Southern Breeze-Birdogn True Confidence. Jordan Pharris, owner and handler.

Sunday Open Derby (front, l-r): Casey Wagner with Switchgrass Beccas Lil Rebel, Nick Sisterman and Marit Waters with Double Deuce Dolly's Dynasty, and Jordan Pharris with Orange Crush, joined by participants.

Youth Stake participants.