 |
| Front from left, Alex Smith with Champion Calico's Touch of Class, and Brian Sanchez and Tom Brown with Runnerup Champion Sugarknoll War Paint. Rear from left, chairman Richard Giuliano, John Stolgitis, Tiffani Smith, Erin Stolgitis, Elizabeth Malone, Gene Casale Jr., judge Dom Preite, Brooke Robinson, judge Pat Casey, Mary Tracy, Aidan Malone, reporter Janice Gregory and George Doyle. |
CALICO'S
TOUCH OF CLASS
WINS REGION 1
AMATEUR
HORSEBACK
CHAMPIONSHIP
HORSEBACK
CHAMPIONSHIP
Runnerup is Sugarknoll War Paint
EAST WINDSOR, Conn.
On the first day, birds that were proving too wild for their own good were causing dog after dog in brace after brace to crash and burn. Out of 14 dogs run the first day, only one would have multiple clean finds and complete the hour -- Elias Richardson's setter male, Ironstone Lone Star. In total, during the entire weekend, more than half of the 27 dogs entered would not make it around the course.
Things were looking bleak, but on the second day, circumstances began to change for the better.
In the ninth brace, Erin's War Creek, a pointer male handled by Brian Sanchez, broke the drought. War Creek smoked the course with eight finds. Said judge Dom Preite, "This dog had a cast that was forever, and he never, never left it. He ran like that all the time, right on the edges and he found the birds. And he was magnificent on point."
And from there, things just kept improving.
In the 10th brace, the hot streak continued. Judges Preite and Pat Casey gave their full attention as John Malone's pointer female, East Coast Sally, had four finds in a clean hour. Dogs were finally starting to make it around the course. In the 11th brace, with temperatures dipping and snow beginning to flurry, Erin's Stonecutter, a pointer male handled by Kevin Stuart, and Kate, a pointer female handled by Kevin Joyce, would both stay down for 60 minutes, each dog having four finds.
But it would take until the 12th and 13th braces to produce the winner and runner-up.
Sugarknoll War Paint, a 6-year-old pointer male owned by Allen Linder and Pete and Chris DelCollo, would run in the 12th. With seven finds and a good, forward race, he would be named runner-up. And from the 13th and final brace came the champion, with a remarkably strong and precise race, Calico's Touch of Class, a 5-year-old pointer female owned by Calico Kennels, Pete and Chris DelCollo and Dale Hernden and handled by Alex Smith.
Said Preite, "The first-place dog was a great handling dog. And Alex sat in the saddle like a gentleman. The dog went out there and did a nice job. She had six finds and one back and [War Paint] had seven finds. [He] was a little bit harder-handling dog, a bit more to try to control, but a real good bird dog. We were very pleased with both."
On the first day, birds that were proving too wild for their own good were causing dog after dog in brace after brace to crash and burn. Out of 14 dogs run the first day, only one would have multiple clean finds and complete the hour -- Elias Richardson's setter male, Ironstone Lone Star. In total, during the entire weekend, more than half of the 27 dogs entered would not make it around the course.
Things were looking bleak, but on the second day, circumstances began to change for the better.
In the ninth brace, Erin's War Creek, a pointer male handled by Brian Sanchez, broke the drought. War Creek smoked the course with eight finds. Said judge Dom Preite, "This dog had a cast that was forever, and he never, never left it. He ran like that all the time, right on the edges and he found the birds. And he was magnificent on point."
And from there, things just kept improving.
In the 10th brace, the hot streak continued. Judges Preite and Pat Casey gave their full attention as John Malone's pointer female, East Coast Sally, had four finds in a clean hour. Dogs were finally starting to make it around the course. In the 11th brace, with temperatures dipping and snow beginning to flurry, Erin's Stonecutter, a pointer male handled by Kevin Stuart, and Kate, a pointer female handled by Kevin Joyce, would both stay down for 60 minutes, each dog having four finds.
But it would take until the 12th and 13th braces to produce the winner and runner-up.
Sugarknoll War Paint, a 6-year-old pointer male owned by Allen Linder and Pete and Chris DelCollo, would run in the 12th. With seven finds and a good, forward race, he would be named runner-up. And from the 13th and final brace came the champion, with a remarkably strong and precise race, Calico's Touch of Class, a 5-year-old pointer female owned by Calico Kennels, Pete and Chris DelCollo and Dale Hernden and handled by Alex Smith.
Said Preite, "The first-place dog was a great handling dog. And Alex sat in the saddle like a gentleman. The dog went out there and did a nice job. She had six finds and one back and [War Paint] had seven finds. [He] was a little bit harder-handling dog, a bit more to try to control, but a real good bird dog. We were very pleased with both."
 |
Photos by Tim Doyle
A find right off the breakaway in an area that would prove perplexing to a number of dogs. |
THE RUNNING
First brace: Dry Creek
Jessy James (Doyle) and I'm Earl (Drew). Jessy was up early for not backing.
Earl was cruising along, doing a great job with two finds and one unproductive,
when, with 17 minutes left, his owner detected a slight change in the dog's gait and decided to pick him up. Earl had recently recovered from a torn ACL and just reinjured it the
previous week at the New England Open. Handler didn't want to risk any further
injury so I'm Earl's hour was finished.
 |
| Jeff Smith, left, and George Doyle. |
Ironstone Lone
Star (Richardson
 |
| Jeff Smith |
 |
| Jim Thomas, left, and John Malone |
The fourth
brace paired One Bad Winter (Unsworth) and Thomas Adirondack Mason (Thomas).
Winter was scratched and the bye dog, BraeVal Bearcat Laddie (McCluskey), was brought up to fill in. Laddie had one find but was picked up for taking a bird.
Mason was making some serious money with five cracking good finds. However,
with 15 minutes left, he bumped a pheasant as he was crossing a field and was
ordered up.
 |
Gene Casale Jr., above, and daughter, Anna, below. |
Railway Jill
(Casale) and No Hitting No Spitting (McKay). Jill had three good finds but on
the fourth she went with the birds. No Hitting was ordered up early for not
backing.
 |
| Maureen and Kevin Joyce |
Wizard's
Ploughman Poet (Hathaway) and Tess (GSPF) Joyce. Tess had a find right off the
breakaway. Poet didn't back and was picked up. The tracker was called for for
Tess at about 30 minutes as she been out of ken for too long.
 |
| Elizabeth Malone |
Moonshine
Magic (Malone) and High Drive
In the first brace on the second day -- a day that would feature
cold, wind, and snow flurries -- Calico's Casanova Cowboy (A. Smith) was braced
with Chasehill Little Thudd (Richardson). Both dogs were picked up early
for bird infractions.
Railway Danny (Casale) and Erin 's
War Creek (Sanchez). Danny had one nice find then was picked up for not
backing. War Creek had eight finds and was "something to see," said
judge Preite. But as good as it was, the performance wouldn't beat the
winners.
East Coast Sally (Malone) and Talladega
(Richardson Talladega
 |
| Maureen Joyce |
Sugarknoll War Paint (Sanchez) and Waybetter Tommy (Brown).
War Paint, the runner-up, was previously described. Tommy had two finds but an eventual refusal to back got him the hook.
Calico's Touch of Class (A. Smith) and North Country Girl (McKay). Class, the winner, was previously described. Girl and Class shared a find early and Girl went on to have two more finds, but a refusal to back got her leashed early and the championship was over.
SIDELIGHTS
* On Saturday night, a cocktail party was hosted by John Stolgitis, owner of 2014 winner, Chasehill Little Bud, handled by Elias Richardson. A lavish shellfish spread was followed by a baked lobster dinner. Not only was the dinner in celebration of Bud's 2014 Region 1 championship win, but also marked the occasion of the talented pointer's retirement. Always a threat whether running in the horseback circuit, on the walking circuit, or in the grouse woods, Bud will be missed.
* On Saturday night, a cocktail party was hosted by John Stolgitis, owner of 2014 winner, Chasehill Little Bud, handled by Elias Richardson. A lavish shellfish spread was followed by a baked lobster dinner. Not only was the dinner in celebration of Bud's 2014 Region 1 championship win, but also marked the occasion of the talented pointer's retirement. Always a threat whether running in the horseback circuit, on the walking circuit, or in the grouse woods, Bud will be missed.
* Many thanks to Purina representative Greg Blair for providing dog food to the winners and hats to participants.
* And many thanks to chairman Richard Giuliano and the members of Region 1 who stepped up to help whenever necessary, whether it was planting birds, marshalling or cleaning the clubhouse at the conclusion of the trial. No trial could be held without help from people such as these and we thank each and every one of them.
* And many thanks to chairman Richard Giuliano and the members of Region 1 who stepped up to help whenever necessary, whether it was planting birds, marshalling or cleaning the clubhouse at the conclusion of the trial. No trial could be held without help from people such as these and we thank each and every one of them.
