Winners - 2013 Region 1 Amateur Walking Championship

CHASEHILL LITTLE D-LITE

 NAMED TOP DOG

 AT REGION 1

 AMATEUR WALKING

 SHOOTING DOG

 CHAMPIONSHIP

  

 CHASEHILL LITTLE BUD

 NAMED RUNNERUP

Ch.Chasehill Little D-Lite, right, with Erin Stolgitis, and R-U Ch. Chasehill Little Bud with handler Mike Flewelling. Rear from left, John Stolgitis, Bud's owner; judges Gene Casale Jr. and John Malone, Richard Giuliano, D-Lite's handler; Janice Gregory, reporter, and Jeff Smith, Region 1 treasurer.

EXETER, RI -- With six finds, three backs, and a fast, forward ground race, Chasehill Little D-Lite continues the Chasehill legacy, winning the champion's ribbon at the  2013 Region 1 Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship held April 13-14 at Arcadia Management Area. Runnerup was D-Lite's dad, Chasehill Little Bud, who had three finds and a well-applied ground race. Bud was the winner of this championship in 2010.

D-Lite, a white and liver 3-year-old pointer female, is owned by Jim Kilrain of Braintree, Mass., was bred by Richard and Monique Giuliano and handled by Richard Giuliano of Foster, RI. Bud, a white and liver 8-year-old pointer male, is owned by John Stolgitis of Ashaway, RI, and was handled by Mike Flewelling of Holden, Maine.

D-Lite was "classy going through the woods, always up front, a nice little dog with just as much fire at the end as she had at the beginning," said judge Gene Casale Jr. She had six finds and three backs.

The difference between champion and runnerup, according to both judges, was that more was seen of D-Lite. "It was a pleasure watching her," said Casale. "Although you didn't see [Bud], you knew where he was all the time. I had him on the bell," said Malone.

Runnerup Chasehill Little Bud hunted "very, very hard," said Malone. "He hunted the country. He didn't get rewarded with the number of birds he should have [Bud had three finds], but he hunted hard, he was forward. You know what I liked? He got inside the wind all the time."

"He had as much stamina at the end as he did at the beginning," said Casale. "He probably did the most hunting out of them all. Didn't find as many birds but no one found as many birds today as yesterday," he said.

Region 1 Runnerup handler Mike Flewelling with Region 1 treasurer Jeff Smith, left, and  Championship chairman Richard Giuliano, right.

Honorable mentions went to Victor's Big Jake, a setter male owned by Victor Forsyth, and to Texas Honey Bee, a setter female, owned and handled by Kevin Klein. 
 

Judges John Malone, left, and Gene Casale Jr.

 Judges were long-time bird dog experts Gene Casale Jr. of Marlborough, Conn., and John Malone of Bolton, Conn. Championship chairman was Richard Giuliano. Twenty-five dogs were entered in the two-day event.

THE WINNERS

The champion came from the sixth brace on the first day of the running. Chasehill Little D-Lite was paired with John Fino's pointer, Sugar Knoll Jack.  

Jack started the hour nicely with a find on the right edge of the big field after the breakaway. D-Lite swung in for a back and all was in order. Jack would go on to have two more good finds but later he would refuse to back D-Lite, and would be picked up.

After Jack's first find, the dogs were released and this time it was D-Lite's turn to point some birds, swapping ends smartly as she caught their scent. D-Lite was loosed and several minutes later came upon another quail which she again pointed with intensity. A single bird was flown and all was in order. 

D-Lite had a find at 45 where she was found standing far to the front. A single bird was flushed for her and all was in order. She was released and ran only several yards ahead when the scent of a bird called to her and she swapped onto point for a quail walking in the brush along the path. Her handler flushed for her and as he was returning to collar her, Jack came blazing through, neglecting to back, and was picked up. D-Lite stayed mannerly through the ruckus. Again, D-Lite was loosed and stopped on a quail that was moving in heavy undergrowth. All was in order. She went on to have two more finds, both buried in the woods, and finished the hour going away.

Chasehill Little Bud, the runnerup, ran in the 11th brace on the second day of the two-day trial. He was braced with Grouse Hill Dixie, a pointer female owned and handled by John Capocci. The tracker was called for Dixie as she wasn't seen again off the breakaway. Point was called for Bud at the 20-minute mark. He exhibited his usual strong pointing style, head and tail up, showing that he knew his birds were there. The dog was loosed and within minutes had dug up another find, again with the same style and class. His last find was on the edge of a cornfield several yards in under some pitch pine where a single bird was produced. He hunted the course hard and far and wide and finished his hour going strong.

THE RUNNING 

John Fino flushing for Southbound Strech

The first brace of the day paired Southbound Strech (Fino) and Victor's Big Jake (Forsyth). Strech ran a commendable race with two finds but suffered numerous unproductives. Jake was the star of the day with six finds and one unproductive. His ground race wasn't quite up to par with the winners and while he was carried in the top two for all of Day 1, the ground race resulted in his drop to the No. 3 spot at the end.  

Yankie's Bucky Boy, owned and handled by Frank Skut.

Yankie's Bucky Boy (Skut) and Fox Cobble Jack (Whigham) comprised the second brace. Early on, both dogs stopped under stand of pines. Neither handler could produce a bird, however, and unproductives were taken for both dogs. Jack had a nice find several minutes later near the Midway Trail where he stood staunchly and a single bird was flown. Seven minutes later, Bucky had a find. He stood solidly with a high head and tail as his handler flushed a bird. Another stop 10 minutes later, however, resulted in his first unproductive. With several minutes still left in the hour, Jack's handler called for the tracking collar as the dog had been out of pocket for too long. Bucky went on but suffered his second unproductive and was picked up. 

Jim Bush stands with his white and black pointer, Pointer Meadow Elroy, while Mike Flewelling flushes for Richfield Silver Lining.

In the third brace were Porter Meadow Elroy (Bush) and Richfield Silver Lining (Flewelling). The pointers shared a divided find at 15 minutes. Ten minutes later the dogs were spotted with Silver Lining pointing and Elroy backing. Both stood staunchly. Shots were fired, dogs were released and all was in order. Several minutes later, Silver Lining did a hard skid onto point. Her handler produced a single bird for the white and liver pointer. The tracker was called for Elroy at about 50 minutes after an extended absence. Silver Lining finished her hour going away.

Fourth brace: One Bad Winter (Unsworth) and Peace Dale Duke (Frisella). After the breakaway, not much was seen of Duke and the tracker was eventually called for. Winter was putting down a very nice race. This snappy young pointer had two nice finds, including one that she slammed into, high in the back, low in the front. However, this pretty running dog suffered two unproductives and was picked up by her handler.

Kellie Short's setter, True Patriot, on point.

 In the fifth brace were True Patriot (Short) and Texas Copper Top (Klein). Two pretty setters in this brace, the first after lunch. Copper had her first find six minutes out when she made a cast to the right and up a hill, where no other dogs had gone, and pointed herself a bird. Shots were fired and she was released, running only several hundred feet when she came upon another bird.  Patriot was coming up from another direction at the same time and the dogs shared a divided find. Birds were produced and shots were fired for both dogs. Patriot had another find at about the halfway mark with Copper being whoaed to a back. At 50 minutes, Copper had a nice, staunch find, with Patriot backing. Birds were flown and all was in order. Patriot had himself another find at 56 in a heavy pine stand. Both dogs finished their hour hunting ahead.

Richard Giuliano, right, stands with pointer Chasehill Little D-Lite with John Fino flushes for Sugar Knoll Jack.

Sixth brace, Sugar Knoll Jack (Fino) and Chasehill Little D-Lite (Giuliano), previously described. 

In the seventh brace, Yankie's Ginnie Girl (Skut) and Islander (Kazic). Both Ginnie and Islander started out with quick unproductives this afternoon. Islander made up for this with a find on the edge a minute later with Ginnie backing. All was in order. Dogs were released and Ginnie was found standing several minutes later. Islander came running through and failed to back. He was picked up, as was Ginnie, by her handler after what would be her second unproductive. 

Elias Richardson flushing for Blackstone Stoney

  Blackstone Stoney (Richardson) and Chasehill Bud Lite (Unsworth). In the eighth and final  brace of the first day, Stoney and Bud Lite raced from the breakaway, Stoney down the right edge of the field, Bud Lite down the left. Stoney slammed into point . . . and Bud Lite, who was crossing the field from left to right, failed to back him. One pickup there. Then, as owner/handler Eli Richardson was flushing, Stoney decided Eli needed some help and left point, at which time he, too, was picked up.

In the first brace of the second day, where temperatures were about 10 degrees warmer than the previous day and the skies were blue, Grouse Hill Belle (Capocci) was braced with  Chasehill Ben Franklin (Flewelling) in the 9th. Belle started off nicely with a stop-to-flush on a relocation. She followed that up with a couple of unproductives which put her out of contention. Franklin stayed with his handler for a little while, then the tracker was called for at the halfway mark after an extended absence.

Karen Unsworth and her pointer, Misty Meadow Rosebud, and Kevin Klein with his setter, Texas Black Pepper.

Texas Black Pepper (Klein) and Misty Meadow Rosebud (Unsworth) comprised the 10th brace. Rosebud was found pointing about 15 minutes out, with Pepper backing. A single bird was flown and all was in order. The dogs followed that up several minutes later with a divided find which they both stood staunchly. Pepper ran with a merry gait and a poker-straight tail. Pepper and Rose shared another find on the second half of the course with neither dog exhibiting a lot of style or conviction. Birds were flown for the dogs and they were taken on. Rose had another find but clearly there was something up this day as this usually high-tailed pointing dog was pointing with a level tail. She just seemed not herself. Pepper was picked up for not pleasing his handler. Rose finished her hour.

Kevin Kline with his setter, Texas Black Pepper, and Mike Flewelling.

The 11th brace, Grouse Hill Dixie (Capocci) and Chasehill Little Bud (Flewelling), was previously described. 

Mike Flewelling returns to  Chasehill Little Bud after a find.

Richfield Almond Joy (Giuliano) was braced with Texas Honey Bee (Klein) in the 12th. At about 15 minutes out, Joy had a limb find - a REAL limb find with the quail sitting on a tree branch. Handler flushed the bird and all was in order. On her next find, however, Joy chased a bird and was picked up. Honey Bee nicely pinned a bird on the edge of a field under some pines looking very staunch. She would go on to score four more finds, all with good manners, and finished her hour going away, but she just didn't have the style or ground race of the dogs the judges were carrying. 

Kevin Klein and Texas Honey Bee.

In the 13th and final brace, Grouse Hill Bullet (Capocci) ran as a bye. Bullet started his hour with one nice find on the field's edge. Shots were fired and all was in order. Bullet stopped the next time, his handler came in to flush and it all got too exciting for the handsome pointer who chased the bird. He was picked up, and the championship was over.

SIDELIGHTS

As always, food at a New England field trial can't be beat. John Stolgitis made a huge pot of tasty venison stew, perfect after a chilly morning of riding and running dogs, and there were more cold cuts, salads and rolls than you could shake a stick at.

Lots of new young horses this weekend. John Malone with 4-year-old "Junior" and Karen Unsworth with 3-year-old "Abilene."

Following the running, a cocktail party hosted by chairman Richard Giuliano on behalf of Region 1 included a huge assortment of crackers and cheese, amazingly crabby crab dip made by Mike Flewelling (no skimping here), hummus, pepper biscuits, stuffed peppers, sopressata, shrimp, you name it, it was there. 

Many thanks go to out to those helping including Bob Danna, Phil Clark, Lanny Dellinger, Frank Skut, Bill Whigham, Richard Frisella, Tad Dorry, Carl Lufkin and Jim Bush. Pretty much everyone who attended this trial -- and all who attend trials in New England -- pitch in to help where it's needed and never need to be asked. We thank you all for that.