Result: Maine Bird Dog Club

Location: Brownfield, Maine

Post Date: Jul 26, 2023

Submitted By: Deb Kennedy

Open Shooting Dog Winners (l-r): Deb Kennedy with Deb's McKeachie Road, Kelly Hays with Lightening Flash Frank, and Kellie Short with Paucek's Little Tommy Tucker.

It is only fitting that a mother held up the Amateur Shooting Dog stake at the Maine Bird Dog Club's annual Mother's Day trial. A sitting grouse sat tight on her clutch of eight eggs all through Saturday's derbies and shooting dogs, but on Sunday, she took flight after one dog too many ran by her nest. Stake Manager Kellie Short rerouted the course, and we all hoped that the determined mother would go back to her business.

Over 70 dogs were entered for the two-day trial, with participants from every state in New England and one competitor from our neighbor, New Brunswick, Canada. Many people pitched in to help, and we continue to benefit from Purina's generous support. Bruce Burnell brought lunch fixings, and Cal Robinson donated two days' worth of soda and water. Our main bird planter, Roy Hargreaves, couldn't compete his fiery young female setter, who picked a rotten time to go into season, but that didn't stop Roy from walking many miles over two hot days,
making sure the birds were there for the dogs.

Special thanks go to our judges, especially those who judged the Shooting Dog stakes, Jamie Leitch, Sam Jackson, Adam Dubriske, and Tony Bly. The Shooting Dog entries have been large this year in many New England events, with ten or more braces, making for a lot of walking. Gun Dog stakes have been well represented, too. Several folks held out their dogs to help out the club when some of our judging slate couldn't make it, a real sacrifice when there are only so many trials in a given season. We are very lucky to have such a deep bench of judges available in our area--Kelly Hays, Jim Levesque, Jim Hathaway, Deb Sloan, Cal Robinson, Roy Hargreaves, and Brian Dix.

Besides the touchy grouse, two other notable events from the trial deserve mention. All three dogs in the Open Shooting Dog stake were handled and owned by women, and a young woman handled her gun dog to a placement. If that has ever happened before in New England, I don't know when it might have been. Finally, near the end of the second day, Bob Paucek bought himself a pretty little pointer named Bella. Watching that old guy love up his new dog was simply beautiful. It made this Mother's Day.

It must be something in the planets because Bob wasn't the only one with a puppy. Everyone seemed to have little one hopping around, and judging by the looks of them, it will be a wild fall with all these well-bred youngsters tearing through the woods in the Puppy stakes.

We are looking forward to the fall wild bird championships, both to be held in Maine this year, the New England Open Grouse and the Northern New England Open Woodcock. Course work will begin in July and August once the birds have fledged. Stay tuned!

Brownfield, Me., May 13 - One Course
Judges: James Hathaway and Cal Robinson
CLIFTON HALE-GARFIELD WALL OPEN DERBY CLASSIC - 1 Pointer and 4 Setters
1st--PAUCEK'S YEAGAR MEISTER, 1701548, setter male, by Long Gone Studly-Paucek's Black Pearl. Kellie Short, owner and handler.
2d--POOL BROOK DOBBY, 1699125, setter male, by Thornapple Cody-Hifive's Guilty As Charged. Charles Hulbert, Jr., owner; Adam Dubriske, handler.
Judges: Sam Jackson and Jamie Leitch
OPEN SHOOTING DOG - 5 Pointers and 16 Setters
1st--PAUCEK'S LITTLE TOMMY TUCKER, 1679370, setter male, by Long Gone Wallace-Paucek's Hickory Roxy. Kellie Short, owner and handler.
2d--LIGHTNING FLASH FRANK, 1686626, setter male, by Lightning Flash Butch-Grouse Ridge Berry. Brian & Kelly Hays, owners; Kelly Hays, handler.
3d--DEB'S McKEACHIE ROAD, 1680807, setter female, by Ponderosa Mac-Grouse River Woodcock Annie. Deborah Kennedy, owner and handler.
Judges: Brian Dix and Deb Sloan
MICHAEL S. ROBINSON OPEN PUPPY - 2 Pointers, 3 Setters and 1 Irish Setter
1st--PAUCEK'S ROCKY ROAD, 1704261, setter female, by Long Gone Porky-Paucek's Mandy. Kellie Short, owner and handler.
2d--RAY, unreg., setter female, particulars not given.
3d--CAN AM BELLA, 1703027, pointer female, by Hirollins Gone and Doneit-Steel Valley Wardance. Jamie Leitch, owner and handler.

Bob Paucek with his new puppy, Bella.

Judges: Tony Bly and Adam Dubriske
BERNIE MURRAY AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG - 6 Pointers and 16 Setters
1st--LIGHTENING FLASH REMINGTON, 1687367, setter male, by Denco's Crockett Again-Arctic Tundra Bird Dog. Douglas J. Dix, owner; Brian Dix, handler.
2d--PAUCEK'S DORMIN, 1689478, setter female, by Deadwater Jake-Deadwater Wissah. Kellie Short, owner and handler.
3d--DUDE, setter male, breeding not given. Bob Arkley, owner and handler.
Judges: Kelly Hays and Jim Levesque
AMATEUR PUPPY - 2 Pointers and 2 Setters
1st--CAN AM COOPER, 1703026, pointer male, by Hirollins Gone and Doneit-Steel Valley Wardance. Jamie Leitch, owner and handler.
2d--RAY, setter female, breeding not given. Bob Arkley, owner and handler.

Grouse Nest five feet from trail course.