Texas Cherry Bomb, six-year-old setter female topped the field of sixteen dogs in the 2010 Armstrong-Umbel Endurance Classic. The two-hour grouse dog event was held March 25th and 26th on the famed Marienville grounds in the Allegheny National Forest of western Pennsylvania.

The animated, tricolor setter is owned by Kevin Klein and ably handled by Scott Forman. Cherry Bomb competed in the second brace on combined Loletta courses three and four on the first morning. She ran a mature, easy-handling, forward race punctuated by a triple grouse find late in her second hour. The hallmarks of her performance were her consistency and hunting/handling maturity, gaining her this coveted title. 

Texas Cherry Bomb

Runner-up was five-year-old pointer female, Pal O’ Mine, owned by Chris Mathan and handled by Joe McCarl. Appearing in the first brace, Pal had two grouse pointed in high style complemented by a searching race and particularly strong finish. 

Pal O' Mine

Members of the Black Ash Grouse Dog Club and those who support endurance trials in the grouse woods accept that the entries for this challenging event may never equal those of hour duration stakes. We believe that stamina is a quality that should be sought in all field trial bird dogs. An endurance event evaluates many of the subjective preferences we seek in our dogs today. Does the gait thought to be appealing also prove to be efficient and sustainable? Do the dogs we find exciting to watch have the mental fortitude to respond well to additional stress? Endurable gait, physical and mental strength are necessary to keep dogs focused on the task of hunting for and handling birds with class past the hour mark.

The weather over the two days of running was an improvement over last spring with many more opportunities on grouse. Eleven grouse were pointed, seen or heard flushing wild before lunchtime on Thursday. The first two braces were granted quintessential weather for getting grouse pointed — overcast, in the mid forties to mid fifties with just a slight breeze. That night temperatures dipped below the freezing mark. By Friday morning, the ground was covered in a thin blanket of crunchy snow and birds proved more illusive until later in the morning when the sun came out, causing the conditions to improve. Grouse were seen on all four of the two-hour courses during this Classic.

A small group of able-bodied and enthusiastic club members took on the duties of organizing and running the Classic and accompanying amateur derby stake. They include Russ Richardson (club secretary), Joe McCarl, Shawn Thomas, Brian Ralph and Chris Mathan. Joe McCarl and Russ Richardson took on marshalling duties. Horses were once again supplied by R. B. Powell and were tacked and ready when and where they were needed. Running of the event went smoothly.

On hand to watch the first morning’s two braces were Anna Stubna, editor of The Ruffed Grouse Society’s magazine, and friend, Dan, an avid grouse hunter. She and Dan were impressed with the dogs and birdwork they witnessed and left with a new understanding of the importance of field trials for evaluating bird dogs. Dan remarked that the upland bird hunter was the lucky recipient of the work, time and effort field trialers and breeders of wild bird field trial dogs put into selecting, producing and evaluating their breeding stock. All in attendance enjoyed their visit and appreciated their interest.

We were fortunate to entrust the judging to two highly respected gentlemen. An avid bird hunter for the past 35 years, Frank LaNasa has bred, trained and successfully campaigned his dogs in amateur and open grouse, horseback shooting dog and all-age stakes for over 21 years. His dogs have won wild bird championships on ruffed and sharptail grouse and prairie chickens. He has judged all three circuits from the mid west and prairies to Nevada and south to Mississippi, this year alone, judging the prestigious all-age endurance championship, The Southern, for the second time and the All-America Derby Championship in Illinois. In the grouse woods, he has judged the Minnesota Grouse Dog Championship and the Lakes States Grouse Championship. Frank traveled from Isanti, Minnesota for this assignment. Dave Hawk hails from Athens, Ohio and has been training and campaigning dogs for the past seven years. He is a life-long grouse hunter. He has won with his dogs in horseback, cover dog and other walking shooting dog stakes and amateur championships. His dogs have also won open championships, including the 2007 Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship and R-U in the 2008 Grouse and Woodcock Invitational Championship. He has judged walking and horseback stakes throughout the region, including the Region 4 Walking Shooting Dog Championship and the National Walking Shooting Dog Futurity. Both men were attentive to all the dogs and judged in a positive manner. Their commitment and expertise was appreciated by all.

THE WINNERS AND OTHERS

Texas Cherry Bomb displayed an animated, hard hunting race from the breakaway, selecting prime objectives and wasting no steps — the mark of an intelligent and mature dog — characteristics that are proving essential for winning the Armstrong-Umbel. She was forward at all times, required almost no help from her handler and remained focused on hunting grouse for the two hours. Cherry Bomb was well-mannered backing her bracemate pointing in the thick highbush blueberries at the 35 minute mark. She suffered unproductives at about the half and hour marks, both in likely looking places. Finally, she was rewarded for her efforts when at an hour, 40 minutes, she made a cast into the right side of a cut where her bell went silent. Handler and judge Hawk followed with a grouse heard leaving followed by a shot and two more grouse taking flight. Her style and manners were excellent. The temperature was warming towards the middle of the day and the two hours came to an end on a steep upward sloping hillside where Cherry Bomb’s fatigue was evident. Her overall impressive race and bird work late in the brace kept her on top in the judges’ book. Texas Cherry Bomb was bred by Marc and Scott Forman. She is out of Shady Hills Whirlwind by 4 x CH., 3 x R-U CH. Shady Hill’s Billy.

Texas Cherry Bomb

Pal O' Mine (below)

Pal O’Mine ran in the first brace on Thursday morning. She too showed her maturity by reaching for likely objectives from the beginning and throughout her two hours, spending no time in areas unlikely to hold birds. The white and black female pointer is a small, rugged built dog who moves with speed and animation. She required more handling to keep her to the front and was lateral on a few occasions but always in search of game. Pal was rewarded for her hard hunting early on with a stylish find on two grouse far to the front at 15. She suffered two unproductives, one, unfortunately, a divided find with her bracemate where the grouse was heard leaving only by this reporter. She had a slight lapse at the hour and 35 minute mark where she lost focus and made a backwards cast. Quickly rounded up she was sent on without further incident. The highlight of her race came at the very end of her two hours where, with renewed energy, she reached for a far to the front cut and was hunting enthusiastically when time was called. Pal was bred by Rich Boumeester out of his grouse CH. Boumeester’s Elhew Sas by 4 x CH. Front N’ Center.

Finishing the two hours strong with a particularly impressive race was River’s Edge Bella. Had she pointed a grouse, her strong and consistent race might have put her in contention.

New Slideshow from the Armstrong-Umbel Endurance Classic has been created in the Photo Gallery. Click on album 11.

Start of the second brace: Scott Forman with Texas Cherry Bomb and Joe McCarl
with Hard Driving Rita.

Scott Forman with Texas Cherry Bomb, Chris Mathan with Pal O’ Mine. Marc Forman, Jared and Bob Drew, judge Frank LaNasa, Russ Richardson, judge Dave Hawk, Bob Grassi, Joe McCarl, Joe Cammisa, George Crumlich, and Shawn Thomas. Craig Doherty was taking the photo.

Winner: Texas Cherry Bomb, Scott Forman handler, Kevin Klein, owner
Runner-Up: Pal O‘ Mine, Joe McCarl handler, Chris Mathan, owner

The Black Ash Grouse Dog Club would like to thank judges Frank LaNasa and Dave Hawk for giving so generously of their time and expertise traveling from Minnesota and Ohio, respectively, to look at the dogs competing in the 2010 Armstrong-Umbel Endurance Classic for grouse dogs. Both are men of great integrity who have been involved with the breeding, developing and handling of field trial dogs for considerable time. Both have a great love of and deep respect for this sport and we were most fortunate to have them.

We would also like to thank Dale Hernden, Kim Sampson, Shawn Wayment, DVM and all those who bought Armstrong caps for their support as well as Strideaway advertising sponsors: Industry Leader’s Fund, Purina, TechMix Inc., Tri-Tronics, DOGS Unlimited, and Marshall Radio Telemetry. Their support of Strideaway allowed us to give a donation to the club for the expenses incurred putting on the Classic. Entry fees alone can not cover the  expenses and generous purse the Classic offers.

Six year old Texas Cherry Bomb, handled by Scott Forman, had a consistent and easy handling forward race. She was attractive moving, hunted hard, applied herself maturely and was rewarded with a triple grouse find in her second hour which she handled beautifully. She ran in the second brace on Thursday. The sun was out and though the temperature was in the low fifties, it felt considerably warmer than earlier in the morning.

Five year old Pal O‘ Mine, handled by Joe McCarl, ran in the first brace on Thursday morning. Two grouse lifted from her lofty stance early in the first hour. She, too, ran a mature race requiring, perhaps, a little more handling. She was given a great opportunity to show a strong finish to her two hours which she took full advantage of by racing to and disappearing in a big cut at the far left edge of the large open bowl we finished in.

Shady Hills Bean, who also ran in the first brace, had three separate, well-mannered grouse finds and finished the two hours handling kindly. The judges felt that her last hour was not as independent as the winners. Dogs that finished the two hours strong included last year’s runner-up, Grouse River Ace and kennel-mate, River’s Edge Bella who put down a particularly impressive two hours of responsive handling and hard hunting. Her attractive, sustainable gait allowed her to finish the two hours effortlessly. Unfortunately she was only rewarded with the remains of a dead grouse. An exciting race was put down by Russ Richardson’s Two Acre Hope, a contender in last year’s Classic. She had a great multiple grouse find towards the end of her first hour but crashed soon after when she self-relocated on her next stand while Russ was flushing. Russ mentioned before the beginning of the brace that he was a little concerned about all the Texas quail hunting she had done this past winter. She gave it her all and was particularly exciting to watch!

As usual, the weather had a lot to do with the numbers of birds that were seen over the two days. Russ has the exact count which I will get from him for the report but the first morning of overcast skies proved the best with eleven grouse seen before noon. On three occasions, three grouse were flushed from the same area for dogs. Only one woodcock was seen on the course flushing behind a grouse that got up wild.

I would personally like to thank all those who put their dogs down for this difficult but rewarding challenge. I took a lot of photographs of the running and will prepare a slide show that will appear on the Photo Gallery page next weekend. 

The Amesian Standard

The dog under consideration must have and display great bird sense. He must show perfect work on both coveys and singles. He must be able quickly to determine between foot and body scent. He must use his brains, eyes, and nose to the fullest advantage and hunt the likely places on the course. He must possess speed, range, style, character, courage, and stamina—and good manners, always. He must hunt the birds, and not the handler hunt the dog. No line or path runner is acceptable. He must be well broken, and the better his manners the more clearly he proves his sound training. Should he lose a little in class, as expressed in extreme speed and range, he can make up for this, under fair judgment, in a single piece of superior bird work, or in sustained demonstration of general behavior. He must be bold, snappy, and spirited. His range must be to the front or to either side, but never behind. He must be regularly and habitually pleasingly governable (tractable) and must know when to turn and keeps his handler’s course in view, and at all times keep uppermost in his mind the finding and pointing of birds for his handler.

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The American Field, March 4, 1961

Up until now...

The National Championship and its arduous test of three hours hard hunting is a rigid examination of a bird dog’s qualifications. There is little wonder that a dog which emerges with honor in this grueling grind deserves the highest accolade, and it is notable that winners of the National have wielded important influence on their breeds.

The stake is not yet half completed. Twenty dogs made their bids in the first five days of the running, for Monday had been rained out. It is too early to anticipate the outcome of the stake. However, a few remarks pertaining to the performances thus far might be of interest. It can be said that it has been a mighty interesting feature thus far, with birds plentiful, huge galleries and some highly creditable exhibitions. True, those perfectionists who expect everything ideal might find little things to criticize, yet the enthusiasm of the large followings reflect the sustained interest in what has been witnessed.

The conversation dog up to this point is Riggins White Knight, the almost totally white pointer belonging to R.W. Riggins of Knoxville, Tenn., and handled by Hoyle Eaton. The dog was credited with eighteen contacts. Perhaps he did not satisfy the judges owing to inexperience and lack of polish in some circumstances, yet it cannot be said that he did not appeal to them for no observer who admires the essential virtues of a top hunting dog could fail to have his pulse stirred by “Bud’s” sterling performance. He may not be the eventual winner, but at least up to now he has created the most conversation among owners, handlers, and spectators generally.

Of the first ten dogs to make an appearance, four or five commanded attention with good searching, fine handling races and sufficient game contacts. Seairup, Spacemaster, Briardale Pensive, Rocky Creek Ben, and War Storm, to name them in order of appearance and not any preference for the excellence of their heats, all had vociferous admirers.

_________________________________

The American Field, March 18, 1961

Spacemaster, sturdy stylist and rugged performer, is the 1961 king of the nation’s bird dogs. The seven-year-old white and liver pointer dog, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Ralph E. Daniel of Durham, N.C. handled by Paul Walker, captured the crown in the 63rd running of the National Championship which attracted 48 starters. Spacemaster won the title on his three-hour appearance, which was made on Tuesday afternoon, February 21, the first day of the running, during which the Daniel pointer was credited with fourteen game contacts. It was not a brilliantly rendered performance, but a workmanlike exhibition, thus, as frequently happens in the classic event held annually over the Ames Plantation at Grand Junction, Tenn., the outcome was in doubt right up to the very moment of the announcement of the winner. There were nearly half-a-dozen aspirants to the crown whose owners, handlers and admirers felt they were in the thick of contention, which is an enlightening commentary on the keenness of the competition that developed in the stake.

__________________________________

The American Field, March 9, 1968

Riggins White Knight, Dr. N. E. Palumbo’s Pointer, Was National Crown in a Close Decision for the 1968 Classic

Riggins White Knight, white and orange pointer dog, whelped February 8, 1959, owned by Dr. Nicholas E. Palumbo of Baltimore, MD, handled by Dexter Hoyle Eaton, who has had him throughout his career, was awarded the title of the 1968 renewal of the National Field Trial Association’s event at Grand Junction, Tenn. “Bud” ran on Thursday, February 22, Washington’s Birthday, under arduous conditions and chalked up nine finds. The nine-year-old pointer was a tired dog after the rigorous trek and finished on nerve alone, consequently he was not an unanimous choice. One had to admire his fortitude, his indomitable will, and sympathize with the conditions under which he ran. Many do not like a second series, but the controversial verdict could have been avoided by a direct confrontation, running White Knight and Paladin’s Royal Flush, the other top contender, until, as the saying goes, the hair slips.

The irony of fate, Riggins White Knight was a veritable sensation when he ran over the Ames Plantation in 1961 as a Derby and had he been given the title then, it would have been wonderfully popular. Now there will always be an argument. For Paladin’s Royal Flush, when he ran the second week, had decidedly more favorable conditions, but his exhibition for three hours was certainly more impressive. It is the responsibility of the judges to take all factors into consideration and White Knight’s tough assignment indubitably entered into the analysis, but it is speculation that had he had similar conditions to those Flush ran under, that he could have surpassed the powerful race the Roger M. Kyes pointer delivered for John Rex Gates.

Maybe it is a good thing when there is a difference of opinion. It certainly adds spice. All conceded the expertness of the judges even if not concurring in the final verdict.

Paladin’s Royal Flush

The Black Ash Grouse Dog Club is proud to announce the second running of the Armstrong-Umbel Endurance Classic in March 2010. Heats will be of two-hour duration.

We are proud to have attained the following two judges:

Frank LaNasa has been breeding, training and successfully campaigning his dogs in amateur and open grouse, horseback shooting dog and all-age stakes for over 20 years. His dogs have won wild bird championships including the National Amateur Grouse Championship, the National Amateur and National Open Prairie Chicken Shooting Dog Championships, and the National Amateur Chicken Championship. He has judged all three circuits from the mid west and prairies to Nevada and south to Mississippi, most recently judging the prestigious all-age endurance championship, The Southern, for the second time. In the grouse woods, he has judged the Minnesota Grouse Dog Championship and the Lakes States Grouse Championship. Frank’s home state is Minnesota.

Dave Hawk hails from Southeastern Ohio and has been training and campaigning grouse dogs for the past seven years. He is a life long grouse hunter and has hunted with his own pointing dogs for the past 27 years. He has won with his dogs in horseback, cover dog and other walking shooting dog stakes and amateur championships. His dogs have also won open championships, including the 2007 Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship and R-U in the 2008 Grouse and Woodcock Invitational. He has judged walking and horseback stakes throughout the region, most prominent being the Region 4 Walking Shooting Dog Championship and the National Walking Shooting Dog Futurity.

Last spring’s inaugaral running of the the Armstrong as a two hour classic drew 22 dogs (21 ran). Judges Roger Hoover and Mazie Davis commented on the entry of strong bird dogs — most running well past the hour and a half mark and several finishing the two hours. The Winner and Runner-Up were extremely well-received by all who witnessed their performances. Both were outstanding in their ability to go the distance with strength and purpose. Though birds were at a premium during the running, both dogs hunted objectives, holding the judges and gallery’s excitement for the entire two hours.

Endurance is the ability or strength to continue and maintain a high quality of work despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina.

Stamina: physical or moral strength to resist or withstand fatigue or hardship; endurance.

Club members and other supporters of the Armstrong-Umbel feel strongly that endurance is a quality we should seek in all field trial bird dogs. By definition, an endurance event evaluates many of the subjective preferences we seek in our dogs today. Does the gait we think attractive also prove to be efficient and sustainable? Do the dogs we find exciting have the mental fortitude to respond well to additional stress? Both these qualities are necessary to keep dogs focused on the task of hunting for and handling birds with class past the hour mark.

Please see archived postings (Category: Endurance Trials) of excerpts from reports of several of the more exciting early Grand National Grouse Championships which ran as one hour first series, followed by two hour second series.

Report and other details from last years running are archived under Category: Armstrong-Umbel

For anyone wishing to support the Armstrong-Umbel Endurance Classic, please scroll down to the information on the right side bar on this page.

The Armstrong will be accompanied by the Black Ash Amateur Derby.

Additional details to follow in the American Field ad. Thanks to all who supported the Classic last spring. We look forward to seeing you in March!

Judges, Mazie Davis and Roger Hoover

A year and a half ago, Russ Richardson and Joe McCarl, core members of the Black Ash Grouse Trial Club, began to consider an endurance trial in the grouse woods. On March 28th, on the Marienville grounds nestled in the Allegheny National Forest in west-central Pennsylvania, their vision was realized. Nineteen contenders competed in the grueling two-hour format giving birth to the first Armstrong-Umbel Endurance Classic.

At the conclusion of the braces on Monday afternoon, the judges requested to see Texas Copper Top and Grouse River Ace for a second time with Stokely’s Ginger B held in reserve.

Wild bird trials are unpredictable by nature. In the spring, mature grouse can be even more elusive than in the fall and that held true over the three days of the trial. Texas Copper Top, six-year-old white and orange setter female, owned by Kevin Klein and handled on this occasion by Marc Forman delivered a performance that fulfilled the high benchmark sought by the creators of this Classic. With owner in attendance, Copper Top held the attention of all who witnessed her scorching two-hour race. Grouse River Ace, three-year-old mostly white pointer male, owned by Bryan Wood and handled by Scott Forman entered the winner’s circle as Runner-Up with a fast paced, exciting two hours, displaying all the qualities required of a true endurance dog. Stokely’s Ginger B, five year old white and orange female, owned by Tony Bly and handled by Marc Forman showed the strength and hard hunting effort that kept her on the judge’s list despite the two unproductives she chalked up near the end of her exciting two hour effort.

Pictured above: Kevin Klein, Joe McCarl, Marc Forman with Texas Copper Top, John Bilideau, judge Mazie Davis, Russ Richardson, Steve Groy, judge Roger Hoover, Joe Cammisa, Scott Forman with Grouse River Ace, Dave Bogle, Bryan Woods, Tony Bly.

Congratulations to Marc, Scott, Kevin and Bryan on a job well done. Thanks to everyone who entered a dog and supported this first two-hour endurance classic. Thanks to our two fine judges and to our many sponsors. The Black Ash Grouse Club could not have put on this prestigious trial without their help. 

Mazie and I will be in Pennsylvania for the duration of the Classic. Good luck to all the participants!

Thanks again to the following for their generous support of the Classic:
Purina
Dogs Unlimited
Industry Leaders Fund
Marshall Radio Telemetry
TechMix Inc.
Tri-Tronics
Davis Kennels
Earl DeCarli
Field Trial Magazine
Hard Driving Kennels
Bill Henke
Dale Hernden
Frank LaNasa
Northwoods Bird Dogs
Kim Sampson
Keystone Setters
Shawn Thomas
Shawn Wayment, DVM.

For anyone who does not subscribe to the American Field, you can find a pdf of the ad that will run in the March 7th issue. Please scroll down the right side of this page to find: recommended reading: articles in pdf format.

When the jaunty Traveler was put down in the very first brace of twenty-seven starters he laid down a heat, coupled with faultless bird work, which started low mutterings that he was being unfair to organized grouse labor. And when in the closing seconds of that driving heat he poured over a hill, tail cracking, to nail an old grouse that had good reason for thinking that he was a way over in neutral country, some of the wiser observers began calling up railroad stations to arrange for transportation home.

But the happy tradition-busting Traveler had his real race up his sleeve, a heat he laid down in the two-hour grind of the finals on Monday morning. It wasn’t a grind for him—he is no grinding dog. He sets a pace that is even and level throughout and then goes about his pleasing chore in a way that makes the observer feel that this could go on and on. Snow began falling midway the final heat making the footing extremely slick but it did not affect Tex. He just kept pouring along with the flowing power of a perfectly tuned engine....

Through this scene flitted Traveler feather-footed as a cat, noiseless and swift as a snowy owl. To see him, one had only to look in the right place. If not there, he would be in a minute. In simple fairness to the dog, it should not be said the Dr. Ziliak was the handler. Tex was doing his own hunting; the good Doctor was just out for a two-hour walk. Not once did a whistle go to his lips; he does not even carry a whistle. To those field trialers seeking an example of quiet handling, wherein the dog goes hunting with the least possible direction from the handler, we give you the combination of Dr. Ziliak and The Texas Traveler!

From the foregoing, it must not be thought that Tex was always near at hand. Far, far from it! No dog showed fleeter foot or greater range, yet he was swinging to the course with an uncanny sense of direction which prompted the thought that someone had kept him up all night, making him study a map of the area. Most important of all, he was hunting every jump of the way—and he was loving it!

As a matter of fact and for the record, many old grouse trialers, competent in their judgement, fell to wondering if Traveler was not laying down too big a race; that he might be too wide in his search. This could be answered in two ways: First, when a dog can hunt swiftly for two hours, covering his country like a blanket, yet show so constantly and regularly in the right places as never to cause his handler a moment of apprehension, then that dog is not too wide. Second: He was certainly much wider than the other (it is freely admitted), but that establishes no case against him. Are we to say, “Thus far and no further?” Are we to set up some fancied standard based upon the performance of some good and highly admired dog and then say: “Exceed this, and you are out?” A dog is never out when he exceeds the excellent. And this is precisely what Traveler did. He did not win his championship against poor dogs. On the contrary, he took on the best dogs in the realm of grousedom—and he beat them!

...In the field, Traveler has in abundance the four essentials for greatness: A superior nose; high intelligence; a sound body; and a stout heart. 

Grand National Grouse Championship, Nov 8, 1947
Held at Gladwin State Game Refuge, Prudenville, Michigan
Judges:  Henry P. Davis, Dr. Harold R. Ersig, William T. McCarty
One hour qualifying heats, two hour finals
21 setters, 6 pointers

FOOTNOTE:

The Texas Traveler was sired by Jack Harper’s 10 x Champion The Texas Ranger elected into the Field Trial Hall of Fame in 1956. Jimmy won the All American Amateur Championship on chicken, and on quail: Associated Field Trials of Texas Open Championship, The Texas Open Championship twice, the National Free-For-All twice, the Continental three times and the Quail Invitational Championship.

On winning the Inaugural Quail Invitational Championship in 1940, William F. Brown had this to say about The Texas Ranger:

“Ranger covered the country like a windstorm, yet handled with glovelike ease...Ranger was the epitome of what is meant by a big running dog. He covers prodigious amounts of country yet handles with unbelievable kindliness. It was nothing short of incredible the way Jimmy would work the country out front, always appearing at exactly the right place and no matter the scope of his tremendous casts, he always knew where his handler, Jack Harper, was, and seemed divine what direction the course would turn.”

CH The Texas Ranger sits in the driver’s seat. Harper told a lady who wondered about having a dog in the front seat of a Cadillac, “he owns it, I just get to drive it.”

Champions have been crowned and champions will be crowned, but happenings and events surrounding the 1946 renewal of the Grand National Grouse Dog Championship, including the Champion that crowned himself, Burton’s Fleetfoot Ginger, will provide topics for conversation for years and years to come…

In besting the efforts of 24 contestants and following the judges’ requirements of a grouse dog champion, Ginger checked in with a phenomenal scorecard. In his qualifying hour, Ginger did not necessarily set the woods afire. Running a birdless course, Ginger managed to hold the eye and no serious faults could be scored against him, notwithstanding the fact that inconsistency at times, robbed him of perfection. But his final two hours left nothing to be desired. And since the work of champions should bear inspection, perhaps we can dispense with a general smather of words in preference to a breakdown of characteristics as displayed in winning the crown.

Brains: A sensible dog, Ginger keeps his mind on his work. His third contact with game proved that point. A gallery confusion reigned on all sides, the dog refused to relax and forget the task at hand. He pointed a grouse within twenty feet of the horses, and roadsiders jumped atop cars and trucks to view the work.

Nose: Five birds were seen or heard on his course during the two hours—four of them were kicked out in front of four rock-solid points, and the fifth would have been had not the bird been walked up before Ginger had time to pin it.

Stamina: His finish ending the qualifying hour was equal to the best seen. At the completion of his two hour grind, Ginger was whaling away in a swamp, and didn’t care to be picked up. Good showmanship. Strickland fired a shot.

Speed: Ginger is fast.

Range: He demonstrated a yearn for distant climes, and did get out there, but Strickland held a tight line in the finals. Then, too, none other an authority than the late Al Hochwalt told us “a dog’s legs should be long enough to take him to his birds...” Ginger’s legs took him to more birds than any other contestant in the stake.

Style: (Running) Ginger has a very attractive way of going. Head level; tail high and merry. His gait, however, is odd. Short-legged in front, Ginger pounds or chops as he goes. It’s hard to fault him here, for his method of picking ’em up and setting ’em down has no effect on his stamina. Aside from his downhill stand near the cars, where he slid into point level, Ginger towered over his birds with commanding style. Going to game, Ginger dispenses with all preliminary signals; no feathering, no fussing on ground scent. Absolutely cold, his attitude is indicative of, “Here’s one!” Then, too, there was none of that touch-and-go stuff about his bird work. Each time he was rock-solid and each time his handler walked in front of him to kick his birds out. The kind that hits ’em and makes ’em stay put.

Manners: Never has it been the grouse clans privilege to view a dog whose conduct at wing and shot bared higher polish and finish. Not once did Strickland caution the dog nor was the slightest precautionary gesture visible.

Handling: Ginger stayed in front consistently and showed to advantage, but there were times when Ginger proved to be hard to bend: and as stated previously, Strickland held a tight line on his charge in the second series.

Sense of Direction: Though seldom mentioned, a keen sense of direction is one of the component parts of a class grouse dog. Like some men who are blessed with an ever-present knowledge of where they are in the woods, Ginger, too, runs without the aid of a compass. That happy faculty of always showing to the front; only once in three hours did the dog report from the rear.

Application: Very often we are forced to say that a dog accepted his opportunities on game, but in Ginger’s case it was clearly demonstrated that here we had a dog that made up his own field trial breaks. Each and every find came as the result of diligent searching. It was a warm midafternoon as Ginger searched for two hours. He dug his birds out; they were buried deep in the shady swamps…

Summing up his work, we find that Ginger ran a total of three hours in winning the crown. He had five perfect contacts with game (in the second series); the first a clean stop to flush, followed by four finds handled as the book called for. Throughout he demonstrated range, speed and style.

Grand National Grouse Championship, Nov 6, 1946
Held at Gladwin State Game Refuge, Prudenville, Michigan
Judges:  William T. McCarty, Elias C. Vail, William T. Windsor
One hour qualifying heats, two hour finals
22 setters, 3 pointers

Second Series Contestants

50 Years of Grand National Grouse Championships available from Dave Fletcher (see List of Books)

The Black Ash Grouse Dog Club is proud to announce the first running of the Armstrong-Umbel Endurance Classic in March 2009. Heats will be of two-hour duration. The Armstrong-Umbel Classic has been run for over 30 years as an hour classic on ruffed grouse.

Members of the Black Ash Club believe there is an importance to re-establish an endurance stake for grouse dogs. From its inaugural running in 1943 to 1957, the Grand National Grouse Championship ran as one hour qualifying heats and two hour finals thus making it a true measure of stamina for a dog winning the coveted crown.

As we know, many aspects of field trial performance are open to subjective interpretation. Reading through the Grand National and other important grouse championship reports reveal shifts in emphasis over time and from one reporter to another, particularly where a significant change occurred. i.e. the change in length of heats in the Grand National fifty years ago.

Endurance is the ability or strength to continue and maintain a high quality of work despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina.

Stamina: physical or moral strength to resist or withstand fatigue or hardship; endurance.

Club members and other supporters of the Armstrong-Umbel feel strongly that endurance is a quality we should seek in all field trial bird dogs. By definition, an endurance event evaluates many of the subjective preferences we seek in our dogs today. Does the gait we think attractive also prove to be efficient and sustainable? Do the dogs we find exciting have the mental fortitude to respond well to additional stress? Both these qualities are necessary to keep dogs focused on the task of hunting for and handling birds with class past the hour mark.

Over the winter months, Strideaway will post excerpts from several of the more exciting early Grand National Grouse Championship win reports.

For anyone wishing more information or to support the Armstrong-Umbel Endurance Classic, please view the information on the right side bar on this page.

Armstrong-Umbel Endurance Classic (two hour heats)
Date: directly following the Grand National Grouse & Woodcock Invitational
Place: Allegheny National Forest, Marienville, PA
Judges: Roger Hoover, Harold Ray
Reporter: Mazie Davis

Additional details to follow in the American Field ad.

The date of Luminary’s win will be officially recorded as of Tuesday morning, March 10, 1942. But in the opinion of many who braved as adverse a bird-finding day as ever faced a brace of dogs, the magnificently conditioned, courageous Luminary drove through to victory on opening morning of the trials, Wednesday, February 25. Scheduled to start on Monday, the 23rd, rain, snow and sleet held up proceedings for two days. Wednesday arrived with brickbat underfoot and dull, aching cold.

It was a prospect to strike terror to any handler’s heart, the kind of going from which 95% percent of all bird hunters would recoil. But, like the play, a field trial must go on, and handlers like Clyde Morton and Dewey English, with Luminary and that splendid animal, Freebooter, in charge respectively, faced the issue with fortitude. Such men know the game and shoot fair. Loving their dogs, they have faith in and respect their courage. We have watched field trials a long, long time, and here was the call to raw courage. The dogs were ordered on.

For two mornings the handlers had been given starting option. Morton and English are not the type to blink. The gallery wound its way across drab, winter stricken terrain. Freebooter scored first, handling well a bevy racked up in a thicket-head. Made a swell job of it, too, and English’s gun spoke. It was eight minutes before Morton, between the first and second roads, was sighted waving his hat.

A wild ride and there stood Luminary, embedded in high sedge and sapling stalks. Failing to dislodge game, Morton ordered him on. The barrel-chested, lithe-hipped pointer made short work of the relocation chore. Clyde’s gun evened up the score, and Luminary departed thence. But again it was the worthy Freebooter who tallied, on top of a sedge pine knoll. He had ’em too, and just like the rulebook said...

They exchanged right and lefts, so to speak, on single-bird points from that find. Honors were about even and gun manners perfect. Then Luminary really began to go about his business. After a sweep that took him to the country’s utmost bird rims, he was found in the field marking an hour and a half on the course. At Morton’s command the dog did a perfect job of pile-driving relocation. Then he “sold out” far to the right and was not located until several minutes later.

The gallery had long since swung past the creek corner in which the dog was found on a shelf above a high ditch. Birds boiled from about him. Thrown on, he spurted past the crowd. Two hours were off his chest. Freebooter, though tiring, struck gamely. Riding close behind Morton, we were privileged to see Luminary in a surprise contact evoking considerable discussion among those who could not possibly have seen exactly what happened in this case. The dog, coming full tilt off a slope and up through some sparse woods into a mud-floored washout below us, caught scent and literally swirled in putting on the brakes.

We had ridden over to the very brink, not only because we saw Luminary coming in, but because we had seen birds moved from that basin before. And this time we saw the birds scramming off the floor of the place. Morton’s cry of warning wasn’t needed. No dog on earth could have stopped more suddenly or been less open to censure.

And around the corner, several hundred yards away, came another incident that set tongues wagging. Luminary, plunging through a grassy depression alongside the gallery, struck scent. Morton, up ahead, instantly assumed control and was off his horse and hurrying down the ledge, out front. Luminary’s birds were moving swiftly away from there. They ran up a red-earth bank and zoomed almost in Morton’s face.

Again Luminary checked out under a full head of steam. His two next finds, accompanied by a corking Freebooter location, came on the two last broad turns of the course. They were masterpieces of relocation, deft approaches, any step of which might have spelled disaster. The last one especially will linger long in the memories of those so fortunate as to witness it. Striking his quarry while on the far side of a wide, shallow depression, Luminary waited impressively until Morton threshed out the brush heaps between his dog and the excited gallery. Then he ordered on.

Luminary darted up the rim of the sink, crossed it and, literally ablaze with crafty discernment, charged along within twenty feet of the horses. He flung himself at a reef of straw and high-headed seemed to shout, “Here they are!” And they were too. When we passed into the last open spaces of the heat’s end, Morton’s whistles was scarcely needed to reach the winging Luminary. He struck the end of the course under all valves and chased down by proud scouts.

Just then some sunshine struggled through the cold murk. We stooped down with Morton and examined the dog’s pads. They were scuffed, and his toenails were a bit shaky at the moorings. Freebooter was also game to the end; and your correspondents were agreed that they had just seen about the finest heat either had witnessed at the National, or for that matter, on any course.

1942 National Championship
Run at Grand Junction, Tennessee, February 23.
Judges: Nash Buckingham, Dr. T. Benton King and Reuben H. Scott
Thirty-five Starters —Twenty-eight Pointers and Seven Setters.

Winner—Luminary, 275718, white and black pointer dog, by Doctor Blue Willing - Lullaby. A.G.C. Sage, owner; Clyde Morton, handler.

Used by permission.