September 6, 2003 – Snow Farms, Moscow ID

Another hot Saturday just as summer came to a close, but that did not stop 23 SRSGDA members, new and old, plus additional family members and multiple dogs from coming out and tearing up the fields in search of pheasant and quail. Club President Bart Dearborn briefly left his duties at the Palouse Empire Fair and watched his wife Monica run Echo to a winning placement. Chuck Dwyer’s son celebrated his ninth birthday as he accompanied Dad and Dog on a high scoring run. Much of the fun and excitement of the day was watching the close competition among the braces. It was not clear until the very last brace run, who would ultimately end up in first place. Special recognition goes to Gary Gage – the only person able to withstand the hot and dusty fields to the bitter end AND handle simultaneously both dogs entered in the final brace of the day.

Good job, everyone!

Despite a devastating loss to our bird population the evening before, we were able to fill and run 11 braces in the pheasant field and 13 braces in the quail field. Our host and co-chair, Jack Flack, provided a cool safe place to hold the remaining birds and his expert planting of the birds ensured finding, flushing, and shooting opportunities for everyone.

Once again, I am impressed by the tremendous support our club members share with each other through the presence of many knowledgeable and willing volunteers staffing the event, and, the teaching, training, and mentoring that goes on throughout the day– THANK YOU TO ALL!

A very special thank you to John “Doc” Kramer for his informative and enlightening presentation on conditioning and dog care. If you missed the talk and would like a copy of his handout, please contact Nance Ceccarelli (208-883-0752, njc@moscow.com). Results of the trial are as follows:

Field A

1^sUhrich/Tel 720pts

McKinney/Rowdy

2^nd(tie) Dwyer/Jack 695pts

Schneider/Queen

2^nd(tie) Gage/Harry 695pts

Lopez/Brie

Derby Dog = Ginger, 8 months, owned and handled by Devon St. Pierre.

Field B

1^sPollilo/Molly 665pts

Dearborn/Echo

2^nd Watson 540pts

Westbrook/Abby

3^rd Spickler 505pts

Bundy/Carhartt

Derby Dog = Radar, 6 months, owned and handled by Derek Fryer.

Don’t forget, winners…club tradition holds that you chair the next fun field day! J

Other news...

Clearwater Pointing Dog Club NSTRA Trial

Sept 13 & 14, 2003 – Snow Farms, Moscow, ID

Jack and Susie Flack opened up their home and farm to MORE people, dogs, and birds the very next weekend as they hosted the CPDC’s sanctioned National Shoot To Retrieve Assoc. trial. Three SRSGDA club members entered dogs – Jack Flack, Jerry Thiessen, and Nance Ceccarelli. Three SRSGDA club members placed: Jack and Micki earned a 1^st, Jerry and Tanner placed 2^nd, and Nance and Bonne placed 3^rd. WAY TO GO! Many other SRSGDA members attended at various times – serving as observers, field marshals, cheerleaders, tactical advisors, pinch gunners, color commentators, and judges. Now, I (NC) have to share with everyone that I entered this event after being told that it was “just like a fun trial, except there were more dogs…and it ran for two days.” This sounded like a great opportunity to practice shooting moving targets, and give our dog more exposure to birds. It was.

Short stories from the past... However, I highly recommend that BEFORE entering for the first time, get a copy of the NSTRA rulebook and read it. The game is played very differently than our Fun Field Trials. You may also need to consult or hire a coach! Regardless of my own lack of preparedness, Bonne did pretty darn well, and she didn’t read the rulebook. It’s amazing how dogs just do their job and move on. The experiences we shared in four braces gave me a very clear picture of what Bonne does well, and where there is an opportunity for us to improve our respective skills – my shooting, and her retrieving of the birds I actually kill! (The ones I miss are no problem) This was a wonderful learning experience, and there was no shortage of folks ready and willing to tell me all about their experiences and teach me all they’ve learned.

I think that anyone who enjoys finding and retrieving birds, with and without their dogs, should consider participating in the NSTRA trials. There is always something for someone to do! And, THIS is where our SRSGDA Fun Field Trials and the sanctioned trials share something in common. The smooth running of the events requires many hands and a variety of talents. Timekeepers, field marshals, event chairmen, food preparers, bird handlers, - just to name a few of the jobs available. Add to that, the chance to watch many different and amazing dogs work in the field!

So, you wonder, where the heck is she going with this? Well, it just so happens that the SRSGDA club will sponsor and host our own NSTRA sanctioned field trial in March 2004. In 2003, the club hosted a very successful trial – successful because of you, the club members who volunteer! Please contact Chairman Bart Dearborn to get involved – enter a dog, plant a bird, or … See you next spring!

Hey all – if you weren’t there, Thursday September 18, 2003 – you missed an eventful evening! Unfortunately, a SRSGDA club member did not win the beautiful gun of the year. However, at least 14 or so club members, along with about 100 others in attendance, raised more than $7000 (net) in funds which will be available to groups here in the Palouse to support shooting sports and safety activities next year! THANK YOU!

(This is a piece archived from a previous newsletter; reprinted with permission from the author)

The 5^th Brace

Gene leaned on the saddle horn trying to rest his back as the 5^th brace came to the line. He had been judging NSTRA trials for a number of years though his back never adjusted to the infrequent daylong rides. As Gene waited, he heard a new handler with a Setter wish luck to his brace mate, Lester. As Lester unsnapped the leash from his Shorthair he replied, “Son, with Ranger here there is no such thing as luck – all you really need is a judge who knows the difference between a bird dog and Holstein.”

The Field Marshal asked the judges and handlers if they were ready. Not waiting for a reply, he called, “Let ‘em go,” punched the clock and trotted back to the coffee.

The judges and handlers moved south as the Shorthair and the Setter struck a cord for the end of the field. Lester fell in, stride for stride, with Gene’s right stirrup. “Damn, Judge, I bet you’ve never seen a dog run like that,” Lester crowed. “ Isn’t that something to see?” Gene nodded but kept his eyes on the dogs 200 yards to the front. He noted the older Shorthair was losing a puppy chase with the young Setter. The fact that the Shorthair was giving up and turning back was not lost on Lester, either.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Lester chirped as he shook his head. “You’re not going to believe this, Judge, but Ranger there must have read my mind. He knew I wouldn’t like him running with that other dog so he turned just as I was reaching for my whistle. I wish that other feller had a handle on his dog. Yep, ain’t one man in a million who has a dog like Ranger.”

Gene noticed the Shorthair was panting heavily as the dog began to closely hunt a small area on one side of its original cast. Lester decided it was time to shift “The Tale” into gear. “Judge, did I ever tell you about this dog? This dog is the end product of my 30 years search for the perfect bird dog. I’ve never seen another like him. Why, I once had a rich feller offer me $25,000 for him – had the check written out and everything. Well, I told that joker he may have money but he’d never have Ranger. I wouldn’t sell him because there ain’t another like him. Judge, ain’t one man in a million…”

“Your dog is on point,” Gene remarked, cutting Lester off mid-sentence. They both gazed at the Shorthair who stood near a clump of sage 50 yards to the front. Gene was quick to notice Ranger’s stance had the intensity of bread dough.

Lester shifted “The Tale” from 1st gear in a hurry. “Well, that’ll teach me! Damn that medical research and I don’t care how many lives it saved!” Lester shouted up the stirrup. “You ever heard of Dr. Knudsen, Judge? Well, he is a big wig doing Tsetse fly disease research in the Congo. He did a blood test on Ol’ Ranger there and found Ranger’s blood is as pure as it comes. Anyway, this Dr. Knudsen talked me into testing some of his serum on Ranger, as it would save the lives of thousands of folks. And I guess it did, but he didn’t tell me about the side effects. Look at that damn limp tail! Well, that’s the price you pay for saving a million little kids!”

Ranger continued his casual pose as Lester searched for the bird. The bird finally flushed and fell to Lester’s shot. Gene noted on the retrieve that Ranger sniffed the bird but refused to pick it up. Lester found 3^rd gear. “Damn that paraplegic,” he howled. “You know, Judge, about four years ago the Mayor of Seattle invited me and Ranger to the Space Needle for lunch. I didn’t know it but the Mayor wanted to buy Ranger. Anyway, while we was eating these fancy kabobs a paralyzed guy in a wheelchair goes flying off the observation deck. Ranger sees this and leaps over the edge, gets this feller by the scruff of the neck and hangs on for dear life. Well, it was over an hour before the rescue squad could get them down. Ranger has never been able to hold anything in his mouth since – broke his jaw in 16 places.” “Sure, they made Ranger out to be a hero and all – even gave him the key to the city,” Lester remarked as he bent over and scooped up the bird, “but I don’t think it is fair to downgrade him for dropping birds when he is in constant pain from rescuing that crippled feller.”

On the way back with Lester, Gene noticed the Setter had a head high find in some canary grass off to the right. “The other dog is on point if you want a back,” he told Lester. Lester brought Ranger forward from the dog’s leg high posture on a piece of brush behind Gene’s horse. Gene noticed the young Setter took a cautious step as Ranger passed within a few feet. Lester grabbed the stirrup and hit overdrive. “You’re damn well right, Ranger! Ranger ain’t going to back that kind of dog work, Judge, and he knows I’d shoot him if he did. Yes Sir, Judge, Ranger’s one of a kind. Ain’t one guy in a million…”

“Time’s up, leash your dog,” Gene advised Lester as the horn sounded. Lester was quiet as they marched back to the gallery. Twenty feet off the line, Lester asked about the score and Gene remarked, “One, no retrieve, and a refusal to back.” Lester hesitated and then replied, “Ya, Judge, Ranger never was much. But wait to you see Ol’ Duke in the 13^th brace – now there’s a bird dog. Ain’t one guy in a million has a bird dog like Old Dukey Boy. I tell you, Judge, you are in for the treat of a lifetime.”

As Lester walked into the gallery, Gene leaned on the saddle horn trying to rest his back as the 6^th brace came to the line.

- Cam Hershaw, 1998

Fall – it’s a great time of year. In addition to the opening of various hunting seasons, it’s also funnel cake time! Here’s how to make a funnel cake a home, so that you don’t have to take time and go down to the fairgrounds!

1) Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl.

2) Go to fridge to get milk and eggs.

3) Get milk and eggs.

4) Yell at all dogs (and husband) who are half in the fridge in search of goodies.

5) Physically pull ignoring lab puppy (and husband) from fridge.

6) Heat oil.

7) Cover oil so English pointers don't get burned.

8) Combine ingredients in big bowl.

9) Go to living room to interrupt adult GWP’s having deafening tug o’ war.

10) Mutter expletive when you hear big bowl crash to the floor.

11) Proceed back to kitchen.

12) Pause to consider dipping batter covered puppy (or observing husband) in boiling oil.

13) Grab wet towel and wipe puppy off.

14) Tell drooling adult GSP dogs that puppy is not edible - unfortunately.

15) Throw dogs and husband outside.

16) Turn on sprinkler.

17) Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl....

Classified ads...

People selling puppies, people wanting puppies, this is your opportunities and space in our club’s newsletter to match up sellers and buyers…

The advertising rates are very competitive and I have heard from many that success has come as a result of using our classified ad service.

Please drop a note to nancec@uidaho.edu if you have any contributions.