BO REPEATS

[Elkhunter]

Scott some burn through dogs, pounding a square peg in a round hole and blaming the "dog" or the "breeding". And keep culling dogs looking for that unicorn of a puppy. And heck if your not trialing and just hunting, not that hard to find a solid hunting dog. Especially a pointer!

Attend a few CH trials and then come back and educate us.

[Neil]

So caling my dogs culls and subpar is not an insult?

Do you even read your posts? Try it sometime and imagine yourself as the recepient. I am proud I have shown restraint.

But I do politely ask that you start another thread, you have sullied a tribute to a great dog.

Neil

[birddogger]

Scott, I am not qualified to give a credible opinion on this but your comments have started me thinking. So I will just make a comment about my perspective from my understanding from what I have read and been told. It seems as though a lot of trial dogs are also used for wild bird hunting. I would think that those dogs probably learn the difference between the trial game and wild bird hunting.In other words, if the winning dogs are always running the edges of thick cover or just off the paths, I can only assume it is because they have learned that is where they should find birds in that setting. On the other hand, in a wild bird environment, they have probably learned that the birds will be found in different places or types of cover than they would on the trial grounds and perform accordingly.Those are just my thoughts on it for whatever it's worth.

Charlie

[cmc274]

It is disappointing to see how this thread has turned into another attempt to marginalize field trial dogs. I've sat on a horse and watched Bo in both workouts and trials from the canadian prairies to the S. GA plantations. He is nothing but the finest bird dog i've seen.

Report from Brad Harter:
Bo’s automatic requalification returned him once again to defend his title for the 115th running. Bo had been drawn to run on the first Saturday afternoon at the end of the first week. An ice storm the first week had delayed the running a half day pushing Bo to the morning course on the first Monday of the second week. The weather had improved considerably by the second week allowing the birds to move about and feed for the first time in many days.

Bo’s brace mate, Miller’s Happy Jack, was lost to the right side of the course before the first road crossing. That left Bo with the course all to himself for the remainder of the three hours. Bo took full advantage of that opportunity quickly settling into a bird hunting frame of mind. When the cover and terrain allowed, Bo took the country to the limits. When the terrain and cover appeared to hold birds, Bo left little unchecked. His first find came after crossing Bulford-Ellington Road when we entered the new pond basin area. Bo was standing out in a mowed strip a good 40 yards from a broom sedge patch of cover. The location of these birds was perfect and Robin Gates, Bo’s handler, put a large covey of nearly 20 birds to wing!

When we crossed Turner Road, Bo took the large Turner crop field to the far end appearing as an aspirin tablet nearly a 1000 yards to the front. The Turner Pines have an undergrowth of Bi-Color Lespedeza and that is where Bo was spotted next, pointing a covey which had not been seen once during the first week. Again, Bo’s location and manners were perfection. Bo seemed to be figuring out that the birds were feeding and Bi-Color might be the key. His third find came in heavy bi-color to the right of the course, once more Bo’s location and manners were perfection. In the Mary Scott Loop, Bo was spotted pointing in heavy cover. A rabbit was produced bolting from the cover nearly running into the rigid setter.

Bo was zeroing in on cover and this paid off just before entering the lowlands for find number four directly ahead on the course. Number five came straight ahead on the course with Bo standing some 10 yards off the cover.

Birds appeared to shut off from feeding and Bo started to make some big swings to the front while always staying in contact with his handler.
As the course wound back into the lowlands coming from a different direction, Bo was seen pointed to the left side with the wind to his advantage. Robin spotted a fresh roost directly in front of Bo but he continued to flush in ever enlarging circles. When nothing could be produced Robin tapped Bo on the head asking him to relocate. The setter immediately backed up, swinging out to the right where he could use the wind to his advantage. 40 yards farther on Bo zeroed in on the birds pinning this scattered feeding covey in a heavy thicket. As Robin approached the birds boiled out from the backside of the thicket for a perfect piece of work.

Bo was not done. For the next 45 minutes Bo once again settled into a bird searching mode. When we entered the Edward Clark North field near Rube Scott Road Bo went up into the left corner where he could use the wind to his advantage. Bo wheeled and pointed into a briar patch where he had his seventh and final covey, this bunch also located to perfection.

With time left on the clock, Bo never let down rimming the field edges, always on his mission to find game. When the call of pickup came Bo was to the front digging into the same type of cover that had paid dividends for his entire three hours.

[Razor]

Great dog. Two in a row is an incredible accomplishment.

[Ricky Ticky Shorthairs]

Nice brace!

[Gertie]

Cmc274, thanks for posting that synopsis. Gave me goosebumps! Bo sounds like a truly phenomenal dog. I would have loved to have seen that brace. Gotta get out there sometime soon.

[Grange]

That write up was great. I love a good relocate.

[NC Quailhunter]

That write up was a great read. Thanks for sharing. Bo truly must be an amazing dog.

[JKP]

THANK YOU!! A display of what a hunting does and a handler with confidence in his dog. A nice sweep on the wind to relocate and pin the birds. Doesn't get better!!!

[midwestfisherman]

I found this post on another board. It really shows just how difficult it is to repeat as National Champion!!

"After Shadow Oak Bo's 2014 National Bird Dog Championship back to back win I started wondering what other dogs have achieved this at the National. Here is what I could find on dogs that have multiple and/or back to back wins of this prestigious event:

2013 & 14 - Shadow Oak Bo (setter)
1951 & 52 - Paladin HOF (pointer)
1922, 23 & 25 - Becky Broom Hill HOF (pointer)
1917, 19 & 20 - Mary Montrose HOF (pointer)
1901 & 02 - Sioux HOF (setter)

There are a few other dogs that have multiple wins however none have triple back to back wins:

1987 & 89 - Whippoorwill Rebel (pointer)
1956 & 59 - Palamonium HOF (pointer)
1950 & 53 - Shore's Brownie Doone (pointer)
1941, 43 & 45 - Ariel (pointer)
1926, 28 & 30 - Feagin's Mohawk Pal (setter)

I thought this was pretty neat info and wanted to pass it along. Way to go Bo!!!

Sources were:
http://www.birddogfoundation.com/national_champions.htm
http://americanfield.villagesoup.com/.. ... .../150542

[Neil]

This link should take you to painting of Souix the 1901 and 1902 National Champion, the last until Bo. Thanks to Brad Harter for sharing.
https://fbcdn-photos-d-a.akamaihd.net/h ... 0099_n.jpg

Neil

[roaniecowpony]

Pups out of Bo are listed on Hickox's website.

[Sharon]

This link should take you to painting of Souix the 1901 and 1902 National Champion, the last until Bo. Thanks to Brad Harter for sharing.
https://fbcdn-photos-d-a.akamaihd.net/h ... 0099_n.jpg

Neil

Very interesting to see how little difference in appearance between the field setters of today and 86 years ago.

[dan v]

But Sharon....just remember...those evil field trialers have changed the breeds. /s

[Neil]

Most point to the lower tail of the early dogs as the chief difference, but even that is slight. Today we stroke the tail up for photos and asked that they be painted that way.

In the early 1900's, they brushed the tails down and had them painted with a low tail.

When the setters were dominating, they tended to be a bit smaller than today, the pointers about the same size.

I love history.

[Grange]

When the setters were dominating, they tended to be a bit smaller than today, the pointers about the same size.

I love history.

What do you mean "were dominating"?

[Neil]

From the beginning of field trials in 1876 in Memphis, TN the setters won almost everthing, in fact they even held pointer only stakes to give them a chance. Sometime in the teens it became equal before the pointers went on to dominate. Would like to think Bo is the beginning of parity again, but I think it will take awhile, if ever - the pointers are good and still have the numbers.

[Soarer31]

But Sharon....just remember...those evil field trialers have changed the breeds. /s

You referring that to me Champ?
For the record I'm a fan of the "Murica" Pointers, would love to import one down here

Cheers

[Grange]

From the beginning of field trials in 1876 in Memphis, TN the setters won almost everthing, in fact they even held pointer only stakes to give them a chance. Sometime in the teens it became equal before the pointers went on to dominate. Would like to think Bo is the beginning of parity again, but I think it will take awhile, if ever - the pointers are good and still have the numbers.

I was having fun with my comment. One Setter winning (granted it was twice) the National in more than 40 years wouldn't constitute a "changing of the guard". I do wonder though if Pointer placements numbers mean they are really dominating when considering how many more Pointers are competing versus Setters? I prefer cover dog trials over other venues and a few years ago I looked at all the placements that had the running orders with breed designations available in cover dog trials. I did this for more than two years until it became too difficult to easily find the information. Setters dominated in numbers over all other breeds and thus placed a lot more than any other breed, but when I looked at placement percentages per breed they were about the same as Pointers. I don't know how often Setter's place or what the percentages are in the AA venue.

I guess the question is are there just not enough Setters being entered in AA trials or are Setters, as a whole, not able to compete with Pointers, as a whole, in AA trials? I regularly hear that Setters take longer to develop than Pointers and that Pro's don't want to wait to have a dog on their string that is still developing when they could have a fully developed dog instead. But is that the only reason?

[roaniecowpony]

Granted
what will be interesting is whether there will be more interest in setters and therefore more setters entered, as result of Bo.

[Elkhunter]

They will just cost more, its like 3X as much to get an AA bred setter and an AA bred pointer. I tried to get one, and they were all $1500 +++. I paid $400 for my pointer.

[Neil]

Cost really does come down to supply and demand, there is a very limited supply. We will see what the demand will be. Pups could go to $3,000..

[Elkhunter]

Cost really does come down to supply and demand, there is a very limited supply. We will see what the demand will be. Pups could go to $3,000..

I agree. It just prevents a lot of people from running setter is all.

[ACooper]

They will just cost more, its like 3X as much to get an AA bred setter and an AA bred pointer. I tried to get one, and they were all $1500 +++. I paid $400 for my pointer.

So for $400 you have a 2 x CH? Or am I mistaken? Does he have a runner up in there also?

[Elkhunter]

They will just cost more, its like 3X as much to get an AA bred setter and an AA bred pointer. I tried to get one, and they were all $1500 +++. I paid $400 for my pointer.

So for $400 you have a 2 x CH? Or am I mistaken? Does he have a runner up in there also?

A 2X RU CH. For $400. I think it has a lot more to do with what you do after you buy a pup, than how much ya pay. JMO

[DonF]

I wonder what Bo's pup's will go for now. I heard someone has a litter down asking $10k! I was In Tygh Valley at a qualifying trial today, went to get a couple photo's of my Stormy's mom. I got there an hour or so before the Shooting Dog Derby ran. I think it was the second brace, guy had a Bo pup! He got the pup just before Bo won the first time! He should have bought a lottery ticket.