2021 NGSPA Shooting Dog Invitationals

By: Chris Bryant and Keith Richardson

The most “Prestigious” events in the GSP Field Trial world.

The 2021 NGSPA Open and Amateur Shooting Dog Invitationals!

The 2021 editions were the 9^th Open Shooting Dog Invitational and the 6^th Amateur Shooting Dog Invitational for the National German Shorthaired Pointer Association. The weather for the two events was the best since the Inaugural Open event 9 years ago. It was enjoyed by all dogs, horses, and human competitors.

If you aren’t familiar with the Shooting Dog Invitational here is a quick recap of the format:

Only the TOP 12 dogs are invited to the Invitational each year for both the Open Shooting Dog and the Amateur Shooting Dog. The format of the trial is like no other trial you run in and requires three days of running an hour each day to win. Day one the dogs are drawn randomly. On the second day, the dogs are braced so that the first braces yesterday run last and the last braces run first. No dog has the same brace mate or runs on the same course. The third day the judges call back their top dogs to run again for an hour. The trial is designed to test the bird ability, bid ability, range and the endurance of the best of our breed. After the third day of running, a Champion is named.

We ran the Invitational at the Smith Farms in Gentry, MO. The grounds consist of three one-hour courses covering rolling crop land and dense stands of woods which make for some beautiful lines for the dogs to run. The courses really challenged the character and tenacity of even the best of bird dogs. We planted 1,000 quail over the six days of the two trials, and every dog had multiple finds throughout the Championship.

We are more grateful than words can express to Larry Smith and his lovely wife Linda for allowing us to run the Invitationals on their property. Larry campaigns English Pointers and he allows other Championships to be run on his grounds, but no other GSP trials are allowed to use this land.

A huge Thank You goes out to all our sponsors that helped make this trial what it is. Greg Blair and Purina were incredibly supportive, paying half of both Ross Young Oil Paintings, Dog Food for the Champion and auction. Also thanks to Garmin for their latest Alpha 10 Compact Tracking and Training Handheld device. Thanks to Ed Moody and Costa for the sunglasses.

There are a lot of people to thank to make this trial one of the best events in the NGSPA. A huge thanks goes out to Keith and Bobbi Richardson for all their generosity and support, for not just the Invitationals, but everything they do for our sport. Their Executive Assistant, Brittiny Habercorn is a huge help behind the scene. Triple J is the wrangler and he always brings some high quality horses for the judges and people to ride. A big thank you to Joe Frauendienst, property manager for the Richardsons, who planted the quail for the second year. He did an excellent job with many multi-bird finds in spots that showcased the work of a good bird-dog. Jon Small was a big help by running the dog wagon. Thanks to the Marshals Larry Smith, Tommy Smith, Terry Bomer, Dan DiMambro. Donna Gladstone and her lovely nieces Mary and Wendy, cooked breakfast and lunch for us each day. Linda Smith cleaned rooms for the judges. Chris and Keith Bryant and Penny Robertson share in the administrative duties and did a great job.

Not only did Charmayne Hughes prepare wonderful dinners, but she hosted us in a private room at Hughes Bar X in Albany. The gentlemen wear coats and ties while the ladies wear nice dresses or suit-pants for the nightly festivities. We enjoy appetizers, open bar and some of the finest wine out of Keith Richardson’s wine cellar. Brownie is our auctioneer. For the second year, Malloy Gamebirds, provided the best flying and strongest birds we have seen at any NGSPA Championship.

2021 NGSPA 9^th OPEN SHOOTING DOG INVITATIONAL

The Top 12 Dogs

1. Texas She’s Got Legs “Ziva” Owned by Kirk and Terry Bomer, Handled by Keith Gulledge – Defending Champion
2. Autry’s Natural Chromoly Steel “Molly”. Owned by Heath and Allison Autry. Handled by Josh Nieman – with 2421 points
3. Slate Rock’s Mountain Heart “Rommel”. Owned by James and Andy Dynkiewicz. Handled by Dan DiMambro – with 1478 points.
4. Chicoree’s Riden High Trixie “Trixie”. Owned by Jeff Alexander. Handled by Dan DiMambro – with 1282 points.
5. Rumel’s Augie Doggie “Auggie”. Owned by Jim Yates & Frank Mucci. Handled by Dan DiMambro – with 778 points.
6. Prairie Wind Evolution’s Re-Creation “Spike”.  Owned by Keith and Bobbi Richardson. Handled by Rich Robertson, Jr. – with 720 points.
7. Llano’s Game on Greta “Greta”. Owned by Chad Inderman. Handled by Josh Nieman – with 612 points.
8. Teton’s One Slick Dude ”Slick”. Owned by Don Lee. Handled by Josh Nieman – with 572 points.
9. Cuttin Wild’s Hank “Hank”. Owned by Chuck Costa and Tod Tuls. Handled by Jim West – with 572 points.
10. Aunt Troji’s Dirty Nike “Nike”. Owned and handled by Larry Metter – with 570 points.
11. Hickory Acres All Out Blitz “Blitz”. Owned by Scott Weslow. Handled by Chris Goegan –with 532 points.
12. In-Country’s Hurricane Jane “Jane”. Owned by Dr. Robert Reynolds. Handled by Chris Goegan – with 524 points.

The Judges. The 2021 Open Shooting Dog Invitational was honored to start off with two very experienced and knowledgeable judges: Eli Richardson from Uxbridge, MA, and Talmage Smedley from Farr West, UT. Both are very experienced trialers as well as highly respected judges. Talmage is a professional dog trainer, and Eli is an accomplished amateur with many Championship placements. Unfortunately, at the end of the first day’s running Eli experienced some health issues and the reins were picked up by Larry Smith in a very smooth hand-over. Larry is not only an experienced amateur handler, trainer and judge, but he and his wife own the grounds we run on. Their experience was evident in the way they evaluated the dogs. We really appreciate these three fine men taking time out of their busy lives to help us out.

Special comments made by the judges before announcing the Champion.

The judges called out April Raber for exhibiting an exceptional level of sportsmanship. She went out of her way to help other scouts and handlers in many ways over the three days, and her bright smile and cheerful disposition was appreciated by all. It was also noted that the general atmosphere of the event was one of camaraderie and friendly competition.

Larry Smith, who has been around since the very first Invitational in 2012, observed that we are “light years” ahead of where we were at that first trial. The overall quality of our dogs is much better, the handlers are better and our training programs must be better. He felt this event was the best overall trial with the strongest field of call-back dogs to date.

The judges agreed at the outset that their ideal dog would have a consistent 3-day performance in all key areas: stamina, undiminished power throughout and especially the last 15 minutes of the third day, excellent bird dog, nice-easy “shooting dog” handle.  

THE RUNNING

The Champion… Prairie Wind Evolution’s Re-Creation “Spike”

After the three days of running, the judges named Prairie Wind Evolution’s Re-Creation “Spike” the 2021 Open Shooting Dog Invitational Champion. Spike was handled by Richard Robertson, Jr., and scouted by owner Keith Richardson.

Spike proved to be an exceptional bird dog and judges were impressed with what they called his “definitive” finds. He pointed with “decisive authority”. He used the wind with intelligence quickly identifying old scent and moving on, or slamming on point. He pointed his bird’s way off and stood with “frozen” intensity through their flight. His nose pointed the way and birds were quickly produced. Relocations were not necessary and there were no NPs. Handler flushed with aggressive confidence and a number of birds flew back over the dog while he remained motionless. The other call-back dogs all had NPs during the three days, and most had some manners issues.

Spike exhibited great stamina all the way through his very last cast with a big powerful shooting dog race, and a smooth calm connection with his handler requiring no intense hacking and very little scouting. He was never “out of pocket” except while taking a distant edge or being found on point to the front. He had quality limb finds every day. The judges were particularly impressed when near the end of the call-back brace both dogs were seen standing, and during the lengthy approach Spike’s bracemate aggressively self-relocated resulting in frantic riding and “whoaing”, during which Spike remained backing with intensity all the way through the extended flushing process.

When it was all over there was no doubt that Spike had earned the title of Invitational Champion.

Champion’s Call-Back Bracemate: Texas She’s Got Legs “Ziva”

Ziva was handled by Keith Gulledge and scouted by co-owner, Terry Bomer. Ziva possessed a consistent performance throughout the three days. She was very connected to her handler and they worked as a team while she hunted through the country with an easy-flowing and attractive gait. Ziva was consistent in her application, stayed to the front and proved to be a good bird dog with a smooth moderate range.

Ziva had a lot of finds and exhibited nice style. Her manners were mostly good. She had some NPs and her finds were not “definitive” as those of the Champion often requiring wide-ranging flushing attempts.

Call-Back, Brace 1

Autry’s Natural Chromoly Steel “Molly”. Handled by Josh Nieman, scouted by owner, Heath Autry.

Chicoree’s Riden High Trixie ”Trixie”. Handled by Dan DiMambro, scouted by April Raber.

The judges felt this was the strongest single brace of the stake. Both dogs were exciting to watch as they ran through the country with good ground speed and power. Both had multiple finds and backs. They were often together as they coursed forward moving with good range, each having multiple finds and backs. Unlike the first two days, both handlers seemed to settle in with relaxed confidence allowing their dogs to show what they could do.

Both dogs had listening problems at times during the first two days, but found birds and exhibited good style. Between these two dogs Molly had the more consistent performance over the three days, and judges said if an Invitational Runner-Up had been named, it would have been Molly. Note: The Invitational rules require that only a Champion may be named and not a Runner-Up.

Call Back, Brace 3

Rumel’s Augie Doggie “Augie”. Handled by Dan DiMambro, scouted by April Raber.

Augie was big running as he flowed through the country all three days. He showed that he was a talented bird dog by finding lots of birds and pointing them with intensity. At times he had trouble pin-pointing his game resulting in extended flushing attempts and a number of NPs.

His “handle” seemed to improve each day. He was a hand-full the first day, handled better the second day and worked nicely with his handler on day 3. He consistently showed power, and endurance with strong finishes.

Teton’s One Slick Dude “Slick”. Handled by Josh Nieman, scouted by Heath Autry.

Slick had a find at 4, but checked out at 15 and handler pulled the tracker at 34 ending his bid. The first two days he was described as being “a lot of dog”, as he would go missing but then show to the front with strong finishes. At times he turned the wrong way and did not respond to the directional guidance of the handler. Slick had plenty of power and endurance. He pointed a lot of birds and exhibited excellent style and intensity.

The Other Entries

Aunt Troji’s Dirty Nike “Nike”, was handled by the owner, Larry Metter. Nike had great rapport with her handler, and she was a good bird dog. Her range improved after a slow start, but it was still less than the judges desired. She tended to pull off the edges to check-in with her handler, who often called her back. She may have looked a lot better on the ground if she was allowed “to roll”.  Her casts were moderate when the lines rewarded a long, confident cast. Nike stood tall on point with exceptional style.

Cuttin Wild’s Hank “Hank”, was handled by Jim West and scouted by Rhonda Haukoos. Day 1 was Hank’s best day. On Day 2 he showed his youth by chasing birds. He is a good bird-dog, moved through the country nicely with plenty of endurance. He showed a lot of promise for the future.

Hickory Acres All Out Blitz “Blitz”, was handled by Chris Goegan and scouted by Staci. Blitz was a good bird dog with plenty of finds and nice style on game. His overall performance for the two days was marred by excessive cautioning around birds which implied a mistrust around game.

In-Country’s Hurricane Jane “Jane”, was handled by Chris Goegan and scouted by Staci. Jane had a strong Day 1 and the judges loved her race, intensity and style on birds. Her bid was ended on Day 2 at 9 minutes when handler picked her up due to injured pads.

Slate Rock’s Mountain Heart “Rommel”, was handled by Dan DiMambro and scouted by April Raber. On Day 1 Rommel had 8 finds and no NPs. He had good style and lots of power and ground speed. He rapidly covered the ground from bird to bird, but he had a rough “handle”. Handler had to ride him down and gather him up four times which detracted from his performance. Overall he displayed more All-Age tendencies than those of a Shooting Dog. He was harder to handle and required more scouting. On Day 2 he went AWOL at 33 and tracker was pulled at the end of the hour.

Llano’s Game on Greta “Greta”, was handled by Josh Nieman and scouted by owner, Chad Inderman. On Day 1 Greta ran with extreme range and power having a back at 6 and a divided find at 18. She looked really nice on her birds, and she was strong on the ground, but lacked compliance with her handler. After an extended absence handler elected to pull his tracker ending her Invitational bid.

2021 NGSPA 6^th AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG INVITATIONAL

The Top 12 Dogs

1. Snowy River’s White Out “Willy,” owned by Mark & Chase Verdoorn. Handled by Chase Verdoorn – Defending Champion.
2. Hi-N’s Hasty Matilda “Matte,” owned and handled by Hank Lewis – with 1816 Points.
3. BMB’s Madison Ave “Madison”, owned by Brandon & Jennifer Blum, and handled by Brandon – with 1212 Points.
4. MSR’s Rowdy One “Rhonda”, owned by James & Sarah Messer, and handled by James – with 1,159 Points.
5. Hi-N’s Bodacious “Bo,” owned and handled by Hank Lewis – with 1078 Points.
6. Snowy River Struttin’ N Cuttin’ “Spur”, owned by Chase & Mark Verdoorn, and handled by Chase – with 1000 Points.
7. H’s Am Cruiser “Cruiser”, owned by Chase Verdoorn & Harlan Higginbotham, and handled by Chase – with 994 Points.
8. PJ Wildfire’s Little Lexi “Lexi”, owned and handled by Kirk Loftin – with 804 Points.
9. Uodibar’s Robbi Jo “Robbi”, owned by Sherri Tangsrud, and handled by Kirk Loftin – with 752 Points.
10. Tulli’s Shot To The Heart “Cupid”, owned and handled by Joe Amatulli – with 736 Points.
11. AO Tripp’s To Win “Tripp”, owned and handled by Alan Davidson – with 676 Points.
12. BMB’s Samsquatch “Sam”, owned by Brandon & Jennifer Blum, and handled by Brandon – with 668 Points.

The Judges

Our judges for the 2021 NGSPA Amateur Shooting Dog Invitational were Allen Vincent from Collinsville, OK, and Brian Gingrich from Prewitt, NM. We greatly appreciate these two distinguished gentlemen of our sport spending their time to watch our dogs.

The Marshalls

We appreciate our two Marshalls, Larry Smith and Chris Bryant, who perform a very important job on these challenging grounds.

THE RUNNING

The Champion… Snowy River’s White Out “Willy”

After the three days of running, the judges named Snowy River’s White Out “Willy” the 2021 Amateur Shooting Dog Champion. Willy is owned by Mark and Chase Verdoorn and handled by Chase and scouted by Mark Verdoorn.

Willy was the first of our breed to win the ASDI two years in a row and after this year he is the first in our breed to win it THREE years in a row!

Over the three days of running Willy showed that he had the stamina, forward race, and range to win the Invitational for the third year in a row. His bird work was flawless as Willy had double digit finds over the three days. The judges noted that Willy had the limb find of the stake on day 1. Willy won day 2 with a strong forward race rimming the bean fields. The judges noted his ground speed and how he would be loss to the front and was found standing numerous times, buried in deep on point with a covey of quail. Day 3, he was all about showing the dogs range and Willy knocked that out of the park with a huge forward race and a strong finish. The judges noted that Willy seemed to get stronger and more forward each time he was on the ground, he put together three solid days. With his style and intensity on point, along with his consistent forward race, the judges awarded Willy the 2021 NGSPA Amateur Shooting Dog Champion!

Congrats to Mark and Chase and Willy for winning the ASDI for the third year in a row.

Other Dogs Called Back on Day 3

The judges called back six dogs for the final hour’s run on day three.

PJ Wildfire’s Little Lexi “Lexi”, owned and handled by Kirk Loftin put down three strong days. She was the braced with Willy on day 3 as they were the judge’s top 2 dogs. Lexi was flawless on her birds with double digit finds over the three days. She was consistent and showed her power to the front while handling great for Kirk.  The judges noted Lexi’s snappiness on the ground and how broke she was over the three days.

Uodibar’s Robbi Jo “Robbi”, owned by Sherri Tangsrud, and handled by Kirk Loftin was in brace two on day three. Robbi Jo caught the judge’s eyes on day 1 with her ground speed and style on her birds. She also had double digit finds over the three days. The judges noted that her ability to rim the edges and finish a line was impressive. She showed why she is one of the Top 12 Dogs in the country.

Hi-N’s Hasty Matilda “Matte,” owned and handled by Hank Lewis was braced with Robbi Jo on day 3. Matte showed her ground speed and stamina over the three days. She powered through the country side with numerous finds and had a huge finish on day one. The judges said she had one of the nicest limb finds of the stake on day 2.  The judges were impressed with her style on her bird work. She held her high head and 12 O’clock tail through the flush. The judges noted her intensity on each find.

H’s Am Cruiser “Cruiser”, owned by Chase Verdoorn & Harlan Higginbotham, and handled by Chase was in brace 3 on day three. Cruiser had several finds over the three days and the judges were impressed with his style. They loved his 12 O’clock tail while he ran and his high head on his finds. The judges noted that Cruiser was an edge running machine but ended up being too much dog for the judges.

BMB’s Madison Ave “Madison”, owned by Brandon & Jennifer Blum, and handled by Brandon was the braced with Cruiser in brace 3 on day 3. Maddison got stronger as the trial went on with day 3 being her most impressive day in the judge’s eyes. She had double digit finds over the three days while showing a good forward race.

The Other Entries

MSR’s Rowdy One “Rhonda”, owned by James & Sarah Messer, and handled by James. Rhonda showed plenty of power and range over the two days. She had several finds while rimming the bean fields. The judges loved her ground speed as she worked the edges hunting for quail. She finished both hours strong and to the front.

Hi-N’s Bodacious “Bo,” owned and handled by Hank Lewis. Bo was in brace 5 on day 1 and showed his ability to power though he country side.  On day 2 Bo was in brace 1 and had several finds as he really stretched out and showed his desire. He got stronger each day and the judges thought day 2 was Bo’s best day.

Snowy River Struttin’ N Cuttin’ “Spur”, owned by Chase & Mark Verdoorn, and handled by Chase. Spur drew the first brace on day 1 and made several nice forward moves throughout the hour. He worked the edges and had a bunch of finds.  On day 2 Spur once again showed his ability run the edges. He had a solid two days of running.

Tulli’s Shot To The Heart “Cupid”, owned and handled by Joe Amatulli. Cupid had her wheels on as she rimmed the edges around the course. She had several nice stylish finds on day 1 and the judges were excited to see what she would do on day 2. On day 2 she had a little mishap and Joe decided to pick her up.

AO Tripp’s To Win “Tripp”, owned and handled by Alan Davidson. Tripp showed his power and style throughout the first two days. He is a line running machine and he had several finds with a stronger forward race both days. But a little mishap ended his run for an Invitational Championship.

BMB’s Samsquatch “Sam”, owned by Brandon & Jennifer Blum, and handled by Brandon. Sam was in brace 5 on day one and showed plenty of power and had a nice forward race. On day 2 Sam was in brace 2. He had several finds to the front as he covered the country side at Smith Farms. Sam was broke on all his finds and handled nicely over the two days. The judges were impressed with his stamina over the two days.