Result: Region 13 Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship

Location: Meredith, Michigan

Post Date: Nov 12, 2026

Submitted By: Bob Wheelock

Region 13 Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship (l-r). Moss Meadow Seeker with Ken Moss, Judge Christy Helmes, Judge Mark Hughes, Grouse Trails Little Bud, with John McKellop, and Eric Naus, scout for John McKellop. [Photo Credit: Tyler Miller].

The Michigan Amateur Field Trial Club came together the weekend of September 25th, 26th, and 27th 2026 to hold the Region 13 Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship at the Gladwin Field Trial grounds near Meredith, Michigan.

The Gladwin Field Trial Grounds are an incredible piece of Michigan hunting heritage and a testament to the hard work of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, in addition to the work of all the volunteers from grounds committee as well as the many field trial clubs who use the grounds for their trials. Countless hours go into maintaining and improving the courses so that each has appropriate cover to give each competitor a fair shot at showing their dogs' full potential as a bird dog. This year, work included an entirely new course 1, as well as modifications to courses 11, 14 and 16.

The judges for the championship were Christy Helmes and Mark Hughes who brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to their roles. Judging the Puppy stakes were Jessie Hollister and Kit Foster, while Rachel Butler and Richard Hollister judged the derby. Credit goes to Bob Wheelock for organizing an event with many moving parts, providing breakfast of coffee and donuts, pizza and sandwiches for lunch, and then a beautiful spread of local barbecue for the handler's dinner Saturday evening. Thanks as well, must go to Richard Hollister for acting as stakes manager and providing horses to the judges and reporter. Then, thanks must go to everyone who marshalled, moved cars, and helped fill in all the gaps to make the week a success. Without the effort of everyone who contributed and has contributed as a member or volunteer, the Michigan field trial community would not be as rich and vibrant as it is.
Weather ranged from the cool low-mid 30's in the mornings to the low 70's by mid-afternoon, with a mix of sun and cloud throughout the weekend.

The Running

A total of 39 dogs drew for a running order of 19 braces and a bye, though 35 broke away.
Day 1

The first brace broke just after 8 AM in cool conditions on the new course 1. Tom Fruchy's Ghost Train Minnie ran forward and wide, though it proved to be too much too fast and Tom called for the GPS at 39 minutes. John McKellop's Grouse Trails Ginger Sunshine ran a smooth, energetic race, running well to appropriate cover, though she couldn't connect with a bird before the end of the hour.

Brace two set Grouse Ringer Pappy against Spring Pond Rockin' Gibby on courses 4 and 5. Gibby stopped at 15 minutes to the right of the course, thirty yards into dense aspen cover, putting up a woodcock just after 16 minutes. Both bells stopped just before the 19-minute mark, which produced a woodcock for Grouse Ringer Pappy to the left of the course just before 20 minutes and a woodcock for Spring Pond Rockin' Gibby at 21 minutes to the left of the course. Gibby stopped again at 23 minutes to the left of the trail, producing a woodcock at 24 minutes 30 seconds. In the final ten minutes Gibby made an impressive limb find to the right of the trail, with the bird flushed at 54 minutes.

Fazio's Hypointe Sharpshooter and DeLong's Justice broke on course 6 to start brace three which ran into course 7. Hypointe Sharpshooter stopped to flush on a grouse at the 21-minute mark not far off course to the right of the trail. He stopped at 30 minutes to produce a woodcock and then stopped again at 32 minutes to produce another about ten yards from the right side of the trail. At 36 minutes he had a grouse find. Justice put up an impressive limb find at 39 minutes. Both dogs stopped with 7 minutes left, with a woodcock up a minute later. At 57 minutes, Hypointe Sharpshooter went on point in a promising hollow to the right of the trail, but after a relocation he could not connect with a bird before time. Both dogs ran a forward, aggressive race, each with impressive finds.

Grouse Trails Warrior Cat and Confidence Squared Kelly broke on course 8 running into course 9 for the fourth brace. Grouse Trails Warrior Cat hit point at 14 minutes and 30 seconds to the left of the trail on the peak of a hill in mixed pine and maple. The point produced a woodcock at 16 minutes.

Confidence Squared Confidence Squared Kelly ran a forward, responsive race.
Brace five stretched across courses 10 and 11. The dogs, Rowling's Star and Erin's Green River showed eager promise at the starting line and ran a solid race to find birds, but they didn't find their opportunity to shine before the time on the brace ran out.

Brace 6 set Tupelo Honey and Springpond's Addy Boy against each other on courses 12 and 13. Both dogs ran forward, running big. At 25 minutes Tupelo Honey's bell drifted out of range, with Springpond's Addy Boy ranging out of contact at 27 minutes. The handlers found both dogs steady on point at 36 minutes, with an impressive limb find to the right of the course, but for Tupelo Honey the pressure of another dog and the long temptation of a woodcock brought an impressive race to an end with a pickup

In the seventh and final brace of the day, Grouse Trails Bathilda and HiTail Roxy Afield broke on course 14. Both dogs ran a forward race, checking in with their handlers, but could not connect with a bird through the tough terrain of the course. Handler John McKellop elected to pick up Grouse Trails Bathilda with 5 minutes left on the clock.

Day 2

With a touch of frost on the ferns, Vitali's Grouse Ringer Shiner and Moss Meadow Seeker broke on course 15 as the first brace of the day and eighth of the trial. Both dogs made an aggressive start, with Vitali's Grouse Ringer Shiner running smooth and forward, but Moss Meadow Seeker had the luck. His bell stopped at 19 minutes and after a relocation he put up a woodcock at 24 minutes in oak cover. Moss Meadow Seeker stopped again at 35 minutes to the left of the course at the beginning of course 16, along the cut. His bell rang again to stop at 38 minutes, yielding a solid grouse find at 39 minutes and then another at 42 minutes. He stopped for a final time at 57 minutes to the right of the course, earning a woodcock find at time. Seeker's excellent performance earned him the championship.

Brace nine paired Rachel Butler's White Indian Outlaw with John McKellop's Buckshot Reloaded along courses 1 and 2. Pushing through the loose oak cover approaching Joy Rd, White Indian Outlaw stopped 10 minutes and 30 seconds into the brace, producing a woodcock 3 minutes later with Buckshot Reloaded earning a back. At the 24-minute mark, White Indian Outlaw's bell stopped again and after a relocation and a hard 7 minutes of working cover, he put up another woodcock at 31 minutes to the right of the course. Buckshot Reloaded worked hard to match White Indian Outlaw's finds, stopping at 26 minutes and again at 32 minutes, but he couldn't quite find the payoff for his energetic search. At 54 minutes White Indian Outlaw produced a grouse find with a surprise woodcock flushed immediately after.

In the tenth brace, Rowling's Donna and Bert Benshof's Reba worked the aspen cover of course 4 into course 5. Rowling's Donna stopped to the right of the trail at 15 minutes 30 seconds to produce a pair of woodcock a minute later. Donna stopped again at 33 minutes, just into course 5, earning another woodcock find. Donna's forward race gained momentum as the brace went on, and unfortunately handler Chuck Rowling had to ask for his tracker at 51 minutes. Reba ran well and forward, ranging to appropriate cover, but unfortunately she, too, got disconnected from her handler in the hilly terrain and dense cover of courses 4 and 5 and was picked up.

Ponderosa's Copper Penny ran as a bye dog in the eleventh brace beginning on course 6. Her bell stopped at 5 minutes 30 seconds about fifty yards into cover to the right of the trail. Unable to find a bird, she was back at a run at 11 minutes, but unfortunately her handler Rob Ellis elected to pick her up just before the halfway point.

Moss Meadow Able and Ghost Train Stan the Man broke on courses 8 and 9 for the twelfth brace. Both dogs ran well, moving through the course's mix of dense cover and open landscape appropriately. Ghost Train Stan the Man made a grouse find at 30 minutes, but the temptation of the bird proved too much, and the dog was ordered up.

In brace thirteen, Juni Jones and Grouse Trails Fire Dancer hunted their way through courses 10 and 11. Grouse Trails Fire Dancer was responsive, showing a smooth race while Juni Jones sought out and hunted cover hard. Unfortunately, the dogs did not find the opportunity to show the judges their strengths.

Hack Berry's Wild ne and Rowling's Stormy were the fourteenth and last brace of the second day of trialing, breaking on the tall, open poplar of course 12, leading into 13. Hack Berry's Wild ne, unfortunately, lost contact with handler Mike Francus early in the brace who elected to pick up at the 20-minute mark. Rowling's Stormy hunted to her physical limit but did not find the bird to match her efforts.

Day 3

Day three began a little warmer than the previous morning, with the first brace of the day and the fifteenth of the trial beginning on course 14. Hypointe Dixie and Flambeau Moon River ran forward and made some promising moves, hunting out of sight but within bell range. They could not, however, make the connection they needed with a bird, despite an admirable showing.

Grouse Trails Bud and K Del's Eagle Magnum Hotshot ran forward and hunted aggressively throughout brace sixteen on courses 15 and 16. K Del's Eagle Magnum Hotshot's potential (and past accomplishments) as a competitor were on full display throughout the brace. but it was Grouse Trails Bud's incredible limb find on a woodcock, that held the judge's attention. Running out of bell range around the 17-minute mark, handler John McKellop found him on point deep into cover, left of the course near the gate toward the end of course 15. The bird flushed at the 25-minute mark, earning Grouse Trails Bud the well-deserved title of runner-up in the trial.

In the seventeenth brace, Pinestraw's Fat Bottom Girl and Belle broke on courses 1 and 2 for brace 17. Both dogs ran mostly forward and hunted hard, but Bell put up a woodcock at the midpoint and a grouse at time.

Brace eighteen set Grouse Trails Black Night and Glen Rae's Cooper Too against each other on courses 4 and 5. Grouse Trails Black Night ran hard to find a grouse and a woodcock in thick, hilly cover. Glenrae's Cooper Too ran an aggressive race, but handler Eric Naus elected to pick him up at 30 minutes.

Grouse Trails Chippewa Warrior was the final dog of the day, running as a bye on courses 6 and 7. His race earned him a difficult grouse find but unfortunately, he was picked up because he couldn't resist the temptation the bird offered.

Meredith, Mich., September 25
Judges: Christie Helmes and Mark Hughes
REGION 13 AMATEUR WALKING SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 15 Pointers, 23 Setters and 1 German Shorthair
Winner-MOSS MEADOW SEEKER, F1676726, setter male, by Moss Meadow Rambler-Moss Meadow Maggie. Ken Moss, owner and handler.
Runner-Up-GROUSE TRAILS LITTLE BUD, F1701061, pointer male, by Toth's Tornado Reloaded-Grouse Trails Warrior Cat. John McKellop, owner and handler.

Michigan Amateur Field Trial Club

The first brace of the Amateur Puppy stakes broke at 9 AM on the puppy course. Eight dogs drew in four braces. Castle Rocks Winter Birch, owned by Rob King, took first place; Ingomar's Misty Morning, owned by Rob Ellis, took second; and Hatton Hills Olive, owned by Shane Haskins took third.

The Amateur Derby broke at 9 AM on course 10. Fifteen dogs drew and fourteen dogs broke in 7 braces, running on courses 10 through 16. Dozeman's Benelli, owned by Marc Dozeman took first; Hitail Perfect Storm, owned by Russ Fazio, took second; Lucy's Just Have Mercy, owned by Kenric DeLong, took third place.

Of the winners, the judges said that Beni was always where he needed to be, on the edge of bell range, and his race was beautiful to watch. Stormy handled well, with beautiful moves across the crest of the hill on course 13, finishing strong. Mercy had a decent race with a grouse find on relocation at time.

Amateur Puppy front (l-r). Castle Rocks Winter Birth with Rob King, Ingomar's Misty Morning with Rob Ellis, Hatton Hills Olive with owner Shane Haskings. Back: Judge Kit Foster. [Photo credit: Bob Wheelock].

Judges: Carson Foster and Jessica Hollister
AMATEUR PUPPY - 8 Setters
1st-CASTLE ROCKS WINTER BIRCH, F1728214, setter male, by Castle Rock's Duke-Castle Rock's Winter Willow. Rob & Elizabeth King, owners; Rob King, handler.
2d-INGOMAR'S MISTY MORNING, F1728898, setter female, by Rebellious Fearless Fred-Ponderosa's Copper Penny. Robert Ellis, owner and handler.
3d-HATTON HILLS OLIVE, F1731342, setter female, by Snyder's Fireside Ed-Red River Jane. Shane Haskin, owner and handler.

Judges: Rachel Butler and Richard Hollister
AMATEUR DERBY - 15 Entries
1st-DOZEMAN'S BENELLI, F1726265, setter male, by Moss Meadow Seeker-Lake Effect Ali. Marc Dozeman, owner and handler.
2d-HITAIL PERFECT STORM, F1720599, setter female, by Dun Rovens Zip-Castle Rock's Autumn Breeze. Russell Fazio, owner and handler.
3d-LUCY'S JUST HAVE MERCY, F1723542, Brittany female, by Highbanks Final Justice-Highbanks Diamond Lucy. Kenric DeLong, owner and handler.

Amateur Derby (l-r). Judge Rachel Butler, Dozeman's Benelli with owner Marc Dozeman, Hitail Perfect Storm with Russ Fazio, Lucy's Just Have Mercy with Kenric DeLong, and Judge Richard Hollister. [Photo credit: Bob Wheelock].