Winners - Arcadia Field Trial Club Spring Trial

Open Puppy winners, from left: first place, John Stolgitis with Tea; second,  Phil Clarke with Tank; third, Phil Woody with Rina.

 55 DOGS COMPETE

FOR RIBBONS

AT ARCADIA

FIELD TRIAL CLUB'S 

ANNUAL SPRING TRIAL

EXETER, RI – A total of 55 dogs were drawn for Arcadia Field Trial Club’s annual spring trial held April 30-May 1, 2011, at Arcadia Management Area.

The grounds were nicely groomed with the state having done a lot of mowing this spring. Weather was pleasantly cool and overcast on the first day. Sunny, warm weather on the second day caused scenting conditions to deteriorate.

Erin Stolgitis and retired champion Beaver Meadow Benjamin get ready to face off against Tim Kisieleski and Maggie.

One of the high points of the weekend trial was Erin Stolgitis running retired champion Beaver Meadow Benjamin in the Gun Dog stake on Sunday. Benny was celebrating his 10^th birthday but he race hardly reflected his age. 

Pretty in pink, Erin Stolgitis handles Beaver Meadow Benjamin in the Gun Dog stake.

Erin, dressed in a pink shirt, pink boots and with pink dyed hair, and Benny sporting a fluorescent pink collar, proved quite the pair but even Erin’s expert handling couldn’t contain Benny this day as the dog ran to the extreme extremes of the course. When Erin finally corralled him at the end of his 30 minutes, she was a bit hoarse, but Benny looked like he had another hour in him.

Claudia McNamee

Another standout moment was the awarding of first place in the Amateur Shooting Dog stake to Richfield Finnegan, owned and handled by Claudia McNamee. The was the first blue ribbon in a shooting dog stake for Claudia with Finn and her eyes-wide-open “I-can’t-believe-it” reaction when chairman Richard Giuliano made the announcement was priceless.

Ten puppies were entered in the Open Puppy stake and these young animals hit the ground running. First place in the Open Puppy went to Tea, a pointer female handled by John Stolgitis. Second went to Tank, a setter male owned and handled by Phil Clarke, and third to Rina, a setter female handled by John Stolgitis. A field to 10 puppies competed. Judges were Claudia and Bill McNamee.

In the Open Derby stake, with a small entry of three, first place went to Jessie, a pointer female handled by John Stolgitis. Three dogs were entered in the stake. 

George Doyle and Jay Shippole get ready for the next brace.

 In the hotly contested Open Shooting Dog stake, the blue ribbon went to Iron Lady, a setter male handled by John Stolgitis. Lady had four finds and a quick, snappy race where she both ate up her edges, yet hunted the woods where necessary. Second place went to Chasehill Little Bud, also handled by Stolgitis. Bud had three finds and a hard-hitting race. Third place winner was Karen Unsworth’s Misty Meadow Rosebud, a pointer female. This pretty pointer had four finds and a race that was only slightly shorter than the top two dogs.  Sixteen dogs were entered in the stake. Judges were Jim Curtin and Janice Gregory.

Stacey Goodie and Eliza getting ready to ride.

 On Sunday, in very sunny and warm conditions, the Amateur Derby stake kicked off the day’s competition. First place went to Yank’s Bucky Boy, a setter male owned and handled by Frank Skut. Second went to Boss, a pointer male owned and handled by Dave Calcagni.

In the Gun Dog stake, which drew eight competitors, first went to Stokely’s Yankee Boy, a setter male owned and handled by Frank Skut. Second went to Luc, a Brittany male handled by Claudia McNamee, and third went to Sammy, a Brittany male handled by Goodall. Judges were Jeff Smith and George Doyle.

Dave Marshall and Sarah Conyngham plot their strategy in the Open Shooting Dog stake.

 In the Amateur Shooting Dog stake, first place went to Richfield Finnegan, a pointer male owned and handled by Claudia McNamee; second, Yankie’s Ginnie Girl, a setter female owned and handled by Frank Skut, and third, Misty Meadow Rosebud, a pointer female owned and handled by Karen Unsworth. Judges were Jeff Smith and John Stolgitis.

Jay Shippole with Pretty Boy.

 Many thanks go to the judges for their assistance, to John Stolgitis for his all-around help, to all the participants who not only come to run dogs but pitch in to help wherever they can, and especially to chairman Richard Giuliano for again hosting this trial, this time solo as his wife, Monique, who wasn’t feeling up to snuff, was unable to attend. To her we send our love and wish her a very speedy recovery.