NGSPA Chukar Championship

[Crestonegsp]

The dates for this year Chukar Championship are August 15 to conclusion. Running order will be ASD, OAA, OSD (all three stakes are retrieving) and if time permits a Derby. As usual, the trial will be held in the beautiful White Mountains of Arizona near Springerville and Eager. The courses are superb. We'll still working on judges.

If you haven't been to this trial, please consider coming out and giving it a try. Its a good one to kick off the trial season with.

Questions? Please email me at CrestoneGSP@hughes.net

Doris J. Schoenfelder

[Hotpepper]

This is one that I have always wanted to attend. Let us see.

Pepper

[Crestonegsp]

Finally have judges for the NGSPA Chukar Championship:

Starting on Aug 15:

ASD - Ric Peterson and Tim Heiner
OAA - Ric Peterson and Tom Davis
OSD - Ed Dixon and Terry Zygalinski

Derby Classic will be run if there is time, judges will be announced on the grounds.

Next year we hope to have Jerry judging for us.

[DGFavor]

Well, cripes...if noone else is gonna do it. It's time to post the yearly "why in the heck is there a chukar championship in the White Mtn's of Arizona?" Shouldn't a species championship be run on the native game in their native habitat to really reflect some sort of prowess or expertise on the species in question? IMO, a large part of a species "persona" is where they live and the attributes it takes to pursue 'em!

There, whew, got that outta the way, it's been building up .

[Joe Amatulli]

I agree with you Doug that's why next year you run on your training grounds.

[DGFavor]

No problem Joe - have 'em put me in charge!! Any good chukar training grounds would be a 4-6 hours drive for me but I bet we could make it happen!! We should piggyback the trial right on with the Reg. 9 NGSPA trials except we'll compete on the Nat'l Chukar and NW Chukar Ch. courses!

NGSPA Chukar Championship grounds:
http://pets.webshots.com/photo/14398525 ... 9708FUtneP

http://pets.webshots.com/photo/14392268 ... 9708cnkvOp

Nat'l Chukar, Nat'l Am. Chukar, and NW Chukar Championship grounds:






I'm goin' after the Pheasant Ch. next!? New Jersey!!? C'mon!! Just kiddin, Wye could be a haven of native phez for all I know...but pretty sure the high meadows and ponderosas of the White Mtn's don't hold many chukars!!

I've never heard anything but good things about the White Mtn. championships and man, any championship win is a goodun in my book. Not questioning the championship at all, just questioning it as a species championship. I'd brag it up if I won there for sure...just wouldn't brag up it as the a great chukar test!!

[Dave Quindt]

No problem Joe - have 'em put me in charge!! Any good chukar training grounds would be a 4-6 hours drive for me but I bet we could make it happen!!

I'm guessing you probabaly know of a spot of two where we could run the Hun CH without having to run on pen raised birds as well?

[R-Heaton]

Oh yea,, Douglas know's where the Hun Mecca's at.

[Crestonegsp]

Doug there may not be any Chukar up in the White Mountains (except in August) but Parl started the Chukar up there and by god that’s a good enough reason for me to leave it in Arizona.

[DGFavor]

Oh I know Dan...it's just a yearly thing to goof about for lack of anything else to do!! I get beat at enough chukar championships up here already - no sense adding another to the list!!

Oh yea,, Douglas know's where the Hun Mecca's at.

The hun meccas are dang near under water, washed away, kaput!! Man, we'd been seeing so many in spring workouts too - I think Ma Nature is pummeling 'em. We'll see in a couple months I guess.

[Joe Amatulli]

No problem Joe - have 'em put me in charge!! Any good chukar training grounds would be a 4-6 hours drive for me but I bet we could make it happen

Doug you don't have to take over the Chukar you could start a new Championship. If you have the grounds and even more important the help all you need to do is put in an application with the NGSPA run a trial first and than apply for a Championship status, the NGSPA has yet to turn down an application so your chances are very good. If you need help I would be happy to assist you any way that I can.

[DGFavor]

Getting off thread now but if I was to try and get something going Joe, I'd be interested in creating an invitational (the top 12 AA or top 12 SD or top 12 ASD or ??) and run it in the format of the Nat'l Am. Invitational trials. 6 one hour braces one day, invert 'em and run 6 one hour braces the next day. Pick the top 4 to run two 1.5 hour braces the next day to name a winner. I think it'd be good to add an "endurance" stake to the NGSPA schedule.

All that said, our club already hosts the Reg. 9 ASD, a 3 course wild bird trial, and that pretty much fulfills my yearly mental ability to put on a trial!

[Hunter]

What Pro's will be at the Chukar in the white mts. I heard that Eldon would not be there this year. How many dogs do they usually have?

[Crestonegsp]

Eldon has been coming to the White Mountains for 18 years too bad he’s not coming with his change to Killam from Richardson.

Last year for Pros – Chandler, GF Henry, Ronnie Sales, Eldon Hongo, Gene Wulcotte and we have others who show sometimes – Pat Waresk, Art Armurst and Heiner is judging so he is coming.

We always have a good crop of Ami-Pros

Have not heard who is coming this year

[Crestonegsp]

ASD finished yesterday and AA starts this morning.

ASD Results:
Runner Up -
Oakridge's Duke of Golden West
O/H Steve Pasass

Champion -
Henry’s Monster I Am Carl
O George Turner
H Charles Kelly

[Blue Dawn Kennel]

Thanks for posting Dan, was just wondering what was happening up there. Tom Davis had stopped here on his way out and picked up a dog from us so knew he was heading out that way. Best of luck to all out there.

[Crestonegsp]

Robbie, That is one heck of a dog Tom picked up from you, He sure runs around nice. Once he and Tom get better aquainted they shouldbe quite successful

[Crestonegsp]

We finished up the Open All Age today.

The all age Champion is: PVR's Dixieland Smokin Light'n owned by Lynda Sue Swart and handled by Terry Chandler.

There was no runner up.

"Jaco's" ran a beautiful all-age race. It was breathtaking! Jaco is a son of NFC Dixieland Smokin Freedom. Exactly 10 years ago "Marshall" won this Championship with George Newcomb handling and Terry Chandler scouting. What was really exciting was that George was here to see Marshall's son win.

Open Shooting Dogs starts Tuesday morning with 35 dogs.

[Hunter]

Something that has not been said is this is a retrieving trial. Why at an NGSPA Championship would you make it a retrieving stake on the grounds. What do you gain from it, you get no points twards AKC, so why here. I think it is kinda BS if you travel a long distance and then they decide on the grounds to make it a retreiving stake, plus you have to have your own gunner to kill on course, what the heck. Sounds more and more like AKC trials where it is catered to certain people.

[Wagonmaster]

The Chukar has always been retrieve on course. It is one of the only such trials left. I know there are alot of people that think retrieving is a joke. I personally don't, and am glad there are still trials where the dogs are required to do an honest retrieve. I have GSP's precisely because they are good retrievers. They do the same thing at the R8 & Hun in Cheyenne, except it is in a callback, not done on course. Shooting the first bird on course is a western tradition, they have the grounds, not so easy to find.

And it is sure not an AKC trial. It is an hour Championship with full use of the horse, and the dog had better be able to do a full hour.

Congratulations to the winners!

[Hunter]

I never said I didnt like the retrieve, my point is why, unlike the akc witch my dogs also run you get points for it twards your field championship. Here you get nothing, so it makes no sense. My dogs retrieve and have never been force broke but if I pay $100 entry and you want my dogs to retrieve then I should get a little more for the win than just that. My second question is why did they vote on it on the grounds with the amt if they had it that way all the time and then didnt even have a vote for the all age as well as the shooting dog. The breeding stock for shorthairs comes from the all age dogs and big shooting dogs that can go the hour or more, not from one that can retrieve and just make it around the course. Again I believe in the retrieve but it needs to be worth something.

[Wagonmaster]

If you win, the dog is a titled American Field Champion. One AF Championship win does that, you don't need to chase points. What happens in GSP circles is that dogs graduate out of the AKC weekend half hour stake type trials, finish their FC's and move on. So in the hour Championships you will be running against quite a few dogs that are already FC's, AFC's, and/or have won an hour Championship. It is not a place for green broke, "hope he'll do it today" type dogs. You will be up against limb broke veteran dogs that WILL back, every time, and that make few manners mistakes. The hour is about five times harder to win than the half hour AKC's.

Go win one. Take home the saddle or scabbard or whatever they give out for the particular event, that says "2009 Amateur Chukar Champion" on the fenders, then come back and tell us how little it meant to you.

[SFK]

Here you get nothing, so it makes no sense.

Again I believe in the retrieve but it needs to be worth something.

Well I would think that if your dog doesn't retrieve, it can't get the Championship. I would think that mean quite a bit and would make the retrieve worth something. Again, that is just me thinking that...

[Elroy's Bandit]

Go win one. Take home the saddle or scabbard or whatever they give out for the particular event, that says "2009 Amateur Chukar Champion" on the fenders, then come back and tell us how little it meant to you

I'll second that !
While running the AKC events are great, the 1 hour Championships really are the "bar" for how good a dog really is. These are, for the most part, the best at the game. They better have a solid hour in them, finish as strong as they start, bird finding machines, and honoring like no others. The retrieve is defineatly rewarded.....if all the other aspects are spot on , there is a Championship win. The margin of error in these events can be razor thin, and to win one is one heck of an accomplishment. If you and your dog are fortunate enough to win one, it's a beautiful thing for sure, and one you will not soon forget. JMO
Congratulations to all the Winners!! Well Done

Bill L.

[Crestonegsp]

Finished the 13th brace on Wednesday, 5 to go today.

This is the first time as long as we can remember that we have not had any rain all week.

The judges have only a few dogs around the mountain for the hour. The dry hot weather has made it tough on the dogs.

[Elroy's Bandit]

It's gotta be brutal out there! I'll venture to say that some rain would be welcome about now.
Bill L.

[Crestonegsp]

Winner of the Open Shooting Dog was:

REO Pawnee owned and handled by Don Dalton

Runner up was Rex's First Step, owned and handled by Don Pool

We had a couple of Pros show up who had never been to the Chukar before ... Tim Heiner and Leroy Merrell. We sure enjoyed having them. Wish it wasnt' so dry, as the conditions were quite tough on the dogs.

Many thanks to all who came out to support the Chukar Championship! We're so thrilled to have had an All-Age champion named this year and with Tom Davis and Ric Peterson judging, you can bet this was a true all-age. Yes, Virginia, there is an all age- dog . <GG>

Doris J. Schoenfelder (secretary, Chukar Championship)

[Crestonegsp]

ASD winners. Kneeling are scout Dan Schoenfelder with Karl and Susan Pasas with Duke. Standing: Stake manager, Bill Root, Judge Tim Heiner, Handler Charles Kelley, Event Chair Terry Chandler, Judge Ric Peterson and Steve Pasas



All Age Champion PVR Dixieland's Smokin' Light'n
With scout, GF Henry Standing: Stake Manager, Don Fidler - Handler, Terry Chandler - Judge, Tom Davis, George Newcomb and NGSPA Pres, Mike Aldrich

[Crestonegsp]

Will post Open Shooting Dog pics ASAP.