Result: National Brittany Open Grouse Championship Association

Location: Meredith, Michigan

Post Date: Oct 5, 2026

Submitted By: Kenny DeLong

Open Shooting Dog. Scott Chaffee with Highbanks Final Justice, Chuck Rowling with Rowling's Stormy, Marc Forman with Twilight's Problem Child. In back: Judge Kenny DeLong, Judge Amy Gauthier.

Warm temperatures and thick cover challenge canine competitors and human handlers alike in late August, but fun, food, and fellowship find a way to prevail! We had a good entry, good weather, good dogs, excellent, attentive judges, and plenty of helpful folks to marshal, move vehicles, donate food, make and serve lunches, and all the assorted tasks that help a trial run smoothly. We thank Purina for their steadfast sponsorship and support.

Saturday featured 10 braces of Open Shooting Dog Qualifier with Amy Gauthier and Kenny Delong in judgement. A fine, forward race and a nicely relocated and pinned woodcock earned the male pointer Bud, handled by Scott Chaffee, first place honors. Doodles were the bird of the day, as the second-place spot was snatched by Chuck Rowlings' setter Stormy (handled by Marc Forman) with a find less than two minutes into her brace with the winner Bud. Marc guided his smooth-running setter female Joey to the yellow ribbon, sticking a woodcock at the twenty-minute mark.

Lunchbreak was time for the youngsters to show their stuff. Junior Handler stake is fun for all, as everyone gathers around the bird field to watch kids & dogs & quail, while enjoying some brats and smoked cheddar sausage hot off the grill. A pointer (John), a Brittany (Alexis), and two setters (Jettson and Kaylee) were put up by judges Deb Nihart and Tammi Savage, to the delight and enthusiastic applause of all.

We started the Open Derby Saturday after lunch and Open Shooting Dog announcements, finishing up Sunday morning. Birds were harder to come by for these younger hopefuls. As a result, Judges Josh Bambach and Tom Butler placed Marc Dozeman's setter Beni, and his bracemate Tripp (Bill Siemer's pointer male) second and third, respectively, on the strength of their strong, forward ground races. The blue went to Kenny DeLong's little pointer Mercy, whose ground speed, animation, and application yielded a single grouse early in the brace, followed ten minutes later by a stylish, broke find on a good size brood of grouse, flushing two or three at a time in front of her while she watched.

In the Amateur Shooting Dog (which began at the other end of the refuge Sunday morning) birds were at such a premium judges Neal Minard and Christy Helmes called back dogs to the bird field to show on quail (left over from the Junior Handler event Saturday). Indy's ground race earned him a trip to the field, where Brent was able to handle the setter to a successful stand on bob and the blue ribbon. Kenny's Britt Shooter flew into the field and swapped ends to stick a quickly exiting quail for second place. Third place went to Star, as Chuck's seasoned setter's serious search finally snagged a sneaky hen.

We are privileged and thankful to have the blessings of great grounds, great folks, great judges, great sponsors, and of course, great dogs. Good Luck and God Bless to all this Fall!

Meredith, Mich., August 22
Judges: Kenny DeLong and Amy Gauthier
OPEN SHOOTING DOG - 9 Pointers and 11 Setters
1st-HIGHBANKS FINAL JUSTICE, F1699690, pointer male, by Faith's Maximum Justice-Chasehill Mighty May. Bill Nelson, owner; Scott Chaffee, handler.
2d-ROWLING'S STORMY, F1710741, setter female, by Moss Meadow Seeker-Rowling's Star. Chuck Rowling, owner; Marc Forman, handler.
3d-TWILIGHT'S PROBLEM CHILD, F1786124, setter female, by Wayward Flyin Tomato-Twilight's Echoed Promise. Marc Deneka, owner; Marc Forman, handler.

Open Derby. Bill Seimer with BK Quicktrip, Marc Dozeman with Dozeman's Benelli, Kenny DeLong with Lucy's Just Have Mercy. In back: Judges Josh Bambach and Tommy Butler.

Judges: Thomas Butler and Josh Bambach
OPEN DERBY - 5 Pointers, 8 Setters and 1 Irish Setter
1st-LUCY'S JUST HAVE MERCY, F1723542, pointer female, by Hibanks Final Justice-Hibanks Diamond Lucy. Kenny DeLong, owner and handler.
2d-DOZEMAN'S BENELLI, F1726265, setter male, by Moss Meadow Seeker-Lake Effect Ali. Marc Dozeman, owner and handler.
3d-BK QUICKTRIP, F1723793, pointer male, by Ralphy's Chasehill Rip-B K Rolling Dice. William Siemer, owner and handler.

Amateur Shooting Dog. Brent Peters with Baxter's Indian Arrowhead, Kenny DeLong with K Del's Magnum Eagle Hotshot, Chuck Rowling with Rowling's Star. In back: Chuck Langstaff, Christy Helmes (judge), Bruce Minard, John Minard, Neil Minard.

Judges: Christy Helmes and Neal Minard
AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG - 3 Pointers, 11 Setters, 3 Brittanys and 2 Irish Setters
1st-BAXTER'S INDIAN ARROWHEAD, F1685299, setter male, by Baxter's Apache John-Baxter's Mary Katherine. Brent & Denise Peters, owners; Brent Peters, handler.
2d-K DEL'S MAGNUM EAGLE HOTSHOT, F1685770, Brittany male, by Magnum High Velocity-K Del's Eagle's Chance To Soar. Kenny DeLong, owner and handler.
3d-ROWLING'S STAR, F1675772, setter female, by Long Gone Studly-Rowling's Nike. Chuck Rowling, owner and handler.

Junior Handler. Kaylee with Jett, Jettson with Bash, Alexis with Ozzy, John and Dean Minard with Junior. In back: wrangler/pro Rich Hollister, Judges Deb Nihart and Tammi Savage.