By: Larry Metter
After taking a year off, the Region 12 Championships were moved to the Mormon Mountains in Mesquite, Nevada. The grounds while somewhat difficult to get to, are spectacular. The courses are set in a valley that is surrounded by mountains which allow the dogs to make nice forward moves up hillsides and still be in plain sight of the judges, handlers and gallery. The weather was primarily overcast with light to moderate rain at times. Although there are washes and ravines throughout the courses, there was never enough rain to get running or standing water. The temperatures were in the 40’s-50’s and perfect for running dogs – heat was never an issue.
The trials had great participation and we had handlers from Texas, Nebraska, Washington, Utah, Idaho, California, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada. The professional trainers that participated were Josh Nieman and Patrick Clark. Richie Roberts was our participant that traveled furthest coming from the Dallas, TX area – our thanks to Richie for putting in the long drive! We’d also like to thank our sponsors Purina and Dogs Unlimited for their contributions.
Results
Open All Age – 10 entries
Judges: Steve Cosgrave from Turlock, CA and Mick Cheshire from Highlands Ranch, CO
Champion
The winner was BMB’s Free Ride (Lewey) Owned by Brandon and Jennifer Blum and handled by Brandon. Lewey was it the third brace, and was always forward while making some very nice moves up the numerous hillsides. His first find was at 19” high on one of the hillsides. He handled the flush and shot without any movement and showed great manners. His next find came at 41” on the back side of the course and he again handled it without issue. Lewey then finished very strong to the front completing an impressive all age performance.
Runner Up Champion
The Runner Up came from the first brace and was Cuttin Wild’s Rebel Yell (Rebel) who is owned by Mike Patrick and handled by Josh Nieman. Rebel made a nice first move to the front and was found standing at the base of the first mountain at about 8”. He had a total of three finds at 8”, 28”, and 43” and handled them all without issue. He had a nice strong finish and was awarded RU Champion for his performance.
Champion
BMB’s Free Ride (Lewey)
GSP Male 3/28/14
Sire: Kimber Tactical
Dam: Time to Pay the Piper
Owner: Brandon & Jennifer Blum
Handler: Brandon Blum
RU Champion
Cuttin Wild’s Rebel Yell (Rebel)
GSP Male 2/2/17
Sire: Slick’s Cuttin Wild
Dam: CLK’s Point Me The Way
Owner: Mike Patrick
Handler: Josh Nieman
Open Derby Classic – 12 entries
Judges: Matt Solt from Salt Lake City, UT and Patrick Clark from Flagstaff, AZ
Champion
The winner came out of the second brace and was JRS Zoy (Zoy). Zoy is owned and handled by Richie Roberts. She showed great power and delivered a strong performance. She ran the country with ease and worked for her handler with very little handle. She always showed to the front, had nice stamina and was going away at time.
RU Champion
Our RU Champion was Nike’s Air Jordan (JoJo) and came out of the first brace. JoJo is owned and handled by Larry Metter. JoJo and her bracemate both had strong performances and showed great power and stamina. Both dogs stayed to the front and spent a considerable time hunting the hillsides. JoJo required less work from her handler and was therefore awarded the RU position.
Third Place
Our third place dog came out of the first brace and was JRS Lady Rhea (Rhea). Rhea is owned and handled by Richie Roberts. As stated above, Rhea had a very strong performance but required a little more handle than her bracemate which was the primary reason for her placement behind JoJo. The judges remarked that all of the first three dogs showed great promise and are candidates for future success.
Open Shooting Dog – 15 entries
Judges: Brandon Blum from Loveland, CO and Steve Cosgrave from Turlock, CA
Champion
The winner was Aunt Troji’s Dirty Nike (Nike) and came out of the first brace. Nike and her bracemate (Molly) were on point together in under a minute. Both dogs handled the flush and shot without movement. Nike then made a strong move to the front and was found standing just before the first hillside. Again, she handled the flush and shot without incident. Nike made a move up the hillside and forward. Her third find came high on one of the hillsides and it took her handler several minutes to make the steep hike and flush the birds. Again, the bird work was perfect. Nike then made a big move to the front and by the time the judge and handler caught up, she was already ahead of her bracemate on the hillside. Nike’s final find came on another hillside at 47” which she handled without incident. Her final piece of bird work came as she Honored Molly as her handler produced the bird. Both dogs then finished strong to the front.
Runner Up Champion
The RU Champion was also in the first brace and was Autry’s Natural Chromoly Steel (Molly). As stated above, Molly started her run with a find in under a minute and handled it without issue. She then made a forward move but stayed to the right of the hillsides. She eventually got to the hills and hunted them well. Her next find was on the back course and she handled it properly. Her run was solid but she spent a little more time in the flats while her bracemate hunted the hills and that was the biggest determining factor in choosing the Champion and RU Champion.
Champion
Aunt Troji’s Dirty Nike (Nike)
GSP Female 2/15/15
Sire: Hardcore High N Tight
Dam: DCR’s White Sky
Owner: Larry Metter
Handler: Larry Metter
Runner Up Champion
Autry’s Natural Chromoly Steel (Molly)
GSP Female 7/18/16
Sire: Slick’s Cuttin Wild
Dam: Autry’s California Gold Rush
Owner: Heath Autry Handler: Josh Nieman