Results, pictures - Arcadia FTC Fall Trial

ARCADIA FIELD TRIAL CLUB
HOLDS ANNUAL
FALL FIELD TRIAL

ROBERT ECKER TAKES FIRST
IN OPEN SHOOTING DOG;

BILL WHIGHAM TAKES FIRST
IN AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG

Robert Ecker, left, accepts the blue ribbon from chairman Richard Giuliano for winning the Open Shooting Dog stake.

EXETER, R.I. — On this last weekend of the summer – and it was a beautiful one – Arcadia Field Trial Club welcomed a total entry of 66 dogs for its annual fall field trial on Sept. 18-19, 2010, at Arcadia Management Area.

Arcadia offers a variety of situations for dogs to run in. There are huge open fields where they can show their speed and ability to hang onto an edge. There’s low, thin, brushy areas where you can see easily see a dog working closely. Then there’s the heavy cover where they have to show their ability to hunt very closely. Islands of pine trees dot the landscape, along with clusters of Russian olive bushes, and low scrub oak. It has to be a versatile dog to handle these varied situations.

Getting ready to run.

On Saturday, the first day of the trial, the weather stayed cool and overcast. It was a pleasant day for walking and running dogs.

First place in the Open Shooting Dog, out of a stake of 24 dogs, went to the first dog in the first brace, Neel’s Oneeyed Jack, a setter male handled by Robert Ecker. Jack had four finds and a powerful, forward race.

Robert Ecker on the line with one of his 15 dogs. That's a lot of walking, Robert! :-)

Second went to Foxfire, a pointer female handled by Robert Ecker. Foxfire, out of the fourth brace, had two finds. Third went to Richfield Charlie, a pointer male owned and handled by Richard Giuliano. Charlie had two finds and a forward race and was the last dog in the last brace of Saturday’s stakes.

There were lots of clean dogs in this stake and they were separated only by race. The first place dog ran stronger, faster and with more animation.

Bill McNamee was ready to ride anywhere and everywhere to scout a dog for whoever needed.

Honorable mention to Richfield Silver Lining, a pointer male owned and handled by Claudia McNamee.

Claudia McNamee did her share of scouting when she wasn't running her own dogs. :-)

Open Shooting Dog judges were Dave O’Brien and Mitch Swierczynski.

John Capocci, left, and Richard Giuliano, along with judge Mitch Swierczynski, watch two dogs working in the Open Shooting Dog stake.

First place in the Open Derby was Blackhawk Headliner, a pointer female handled by Robert Ecker. The pointer had three finds and ran a strong, forward race. Second went to Rock, a pointer male handled by Richard Bembenek, and third went to Chance, a pointer male owned by Mike Nemeschek. Open Derby judges were Dave O’Brien and Mitch Swierczynski.

First place in the Open Puppy was Yank’s Bucky Boy, a setter male, bred, owned and handled by Frank Skut. Second was Richfield Jenna, a setter female bred, owned and handled by Richard Giuliano. Open Puppy judges were Bill McNamee and Janice Gregory.

Frank Skut, right, accepting the blue ribbon for his win in the Open Puppy stake.

Sunday’s amateur stakes kicked off under sunny skies but very chilly conditions.

In the Amateur Puppy, winners were the previous day’s Open Puppy winners in reverse. First went to Richfield Jenna, and second went to Yank’s Bucky Boy. Amateur Puppy judges were Bill Bonnetti and Paul Kelly.

Richfield Annie with a find in the Amateur Shooting Dog stake.

In the Amateur Derby stake, only one placement was awarded and that blue ribbon went to Belle, a pointer female owned and handled by John Capocci. Amateur Derby judges were Bill Whigham and Janice Gregory.

Claudia McNamee wrapped up the Gun Dog stake by taking first and second placements with her Brittanies Luc de Roidelechasse and Gates of Waccabuc, respectively. Both dogs had two finds. Luc added two nice relocations where the birds were running and a stop-to-flush.

Amateur Gun Dog judges were Bill Bonnetti and Paul Kelly.

In the hotly-contested Amateur Shooting Dog stake, 16 dogs were vying for the top placements.

Dave Calcagni walks in front of Rocco to flush the bird.

Fox Cobble Jack, a pointer male owned and handled by Bill Whigham, took the blue ribbon. Second place went to Richfield Charlie, a pointer male owned and handled by Richard Giuliano, and third went to Yankie’s Ginnie Girl, a setter female owned and handled by Frank Skut.

Elizabeth Calcagni gets ready to run Gabby in the Amateur Shooting Dog stake. Dave gets to scout this time.

The second and third place dogs had four nice finds each. While Jack had three finds, it was his style on point — with intensity and a poker-straight tail — that set him head and shoulders above the others.

Amateur Shooting Dog judges were Richard Bembenek and Jim Curtin.

Rear, from left, Amateur Shooting Dog judges Richard Bembenek and Jim Curtin, and Dave Calcagni. Front, Elizabeth Calcagni with Dixie and Richard Giuliano with Richfield Charlie.

In one of the more interesting braces of the weekend, in Sunday's Amateur Shooting Dog stake, Iron Lady, Bill Bonnetti's setter, was running with Richard Giuliano's Richfield Annie. When the bells stopped, handlers darted into the woods to find the dogs on point - looking like Dr. Doolittle's Push-Me-Pull-You. The dogs were posed on a knoll nose to tail, each looking in the opposite directions. Who was pointing? Who was backing? Who knows. "Let's get 'em outta here,'' the handlers concluded.

Have you seen this one before? Iron Lady, left, and Richfield Charlie. Who was pointing? Who was backing? How can you tell? :-)

The Arcadia Field Trial Club thanks Pennsylvania pro Robert Ecker for bringing 15 of his top-notch dogs to support this trial. And thanks also go out to the many amateurs who turned out to run their outstanding puppies, derbies, gun dogs and shooting dogs in this two-day event.

Thanks go out to all the judges for donating their time, undivided attention, and horses. Thanks also to Frank Skut for driving the truck to retrieve handlers in a timely fashion at the end of each brace, to John Capocci for handling the majority of bird planting, and to field trial chairman Richard Giuliano, who ran the trial without the help of his wife, Monique, who was feeling under the weather. Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Monique. It took four of us to do the work you usually do!

Bill and Claudia McNamee's horses get ready for the long ride home.