Spring trialing

As usual, Dave has been quite the busy person. He spent several weeks in Georgia at his winter camp, going to the Central Georgia Pointing Dog Club trial at Leesburg over the New Years weekend, where he won the 27-dog Open Limited Gun Dog stake with Colonel and took 4th with Specter. He then went on to Jackson for the GSP Club of Atlanta trial, winning the 27-dog OLGD stake with Specter.

Dave headed back to Virginia in late January to manage the start of the upland hunting operation at Blandfield Plantation near Tappahannock, Virginia. For a peek at what's going on at Blandfield, visit www.blandfieldplantation.com. What beautiful grounds for a truly unique upland hunting experience!

The start of Dave's spring trial season was back in Leesburg, Georgia, for the Middle Georgia English Setter Club of Milledgeville trial. There he won a 39-dog Open Gun Dog stake with Daisy, finishing her AKC field championship. He also took a 2nd in the Open Derby with Sara. The NVA Eastern Shooting Dog Championship followed the ES trial at Leesburg, and Dave took Runner-Up honors with Mason. He then traveled up the road to Norwood, Georgia, for the VCA National Gun Dog Championship, where Mason was awarded 2nd place.

Dave then came back to Virginia, where the spring trial season here kicked off with the Old Dominion Vizsla Club trial. Dave won the Open All Age with Daisy, and took 3rd with Specter. Mason won the OLGD, with Moxie taking 3rd.

The following weekend we headed up to Petersburg, Delaware, for the Potomac Irish Setter Club trial. Specter won the OLGD stake with Moxie taking 2nd. Brinkley took 2nd in the Open Gun Dog stake, with Moxie taking 4th.

Dave went on the road again, this time to Grovespring, Missouri, for the NVA National Championship. Of course, he had to brave over 9 inches of rainfall and record flooding while there. The dogs performed well, but alas didn't bring home any honors.

Upcoming trials this spring include:

Central Virginia GSP - Sumerduck, VA
Diamond State GSP - Petersburg, DE
Mason-Dixon GSP - Petersburg, DE

Catching up...

Dave has been so busy that he hasn't had time to catch up with his blog posts. So I will take the liberty and do so for him.

I joined Dave at the Show Me Vizsla Club field trial in Thayer, Iowa, in mid-October. This was a one-day (Friday) trial with only an Open Derby and Open Gun Dog stake offered. In some tough derby competition, Panna took a third place and Sara a fourth. Zeke took second in the Open Gun Dog stake. Saturday was the beginning of the Hawkeye Vizsla Club trial. Moxie won the Open Gun Dog stake with Zeke taking third. Sunday we awoke to thunderstorms, and the field trial committee decided to cancel the rest of the trial.

After getting Jack Sharkey's motorhome and Dave's truck and trailer towed out of the mud, we headed on down to the Hickman ranch for the NVA Quail Classic. Being the first ones there, we were able to park where we could get ourselves out if the rains continued. The weather cleared on Sunday afternoon, and Monday, the starting date of the classic, brought ideal trialing conditions. Dave ran Colonel in the first brace of the shooting dog stake, scoring seven finds, a forward race, and nice moves to his finds. Brinkley also ran on the first day of the classic, scoring two finds and motoring hard at the end. Mason was in the last brace of the first day, putting down a powerful race and also scoring seven finds. At the dinner on Monday night, the judges announced that Mason was "dog of the day" and Colonel was "second dog of the day". Tuesday brought some nastier, rainy weather, and many of the shooting dogs didn't handle the adverse conditions so well, or were picked up by their handlers for not performing. The stake concluded that day, and at the dinner, Mason was named Winner and Colonel was Runner-Up. Sara and Dylan ran in the Derby classic. Though neither placed, they both performed well.

From the Hickman ranch, we ventured on to Branched Oak near Raymond, Nebraska, for the VCA National Field Trial. It was a week of heartbreaks. Dave ran Mason, Moxie, Colonel and Zeke in the National Championship. Both Mason and Colonel were called back to the second series of the National Championship. Mason had a bobble on the retrieve, and Colonel got frustrated in the thick cover and got too "hunty" and was picked up. Sara and Dylan ran in the Derbly Classic. Sara had a nice forward run with a couple of finds. Dylan put down a beautiful course but unfortunately went birdless. Mason's owner Lisa handled him in the National Amateur Championship. He started off with a strong run, but bumped a bird on a relocation attempt. I handled Colonel in the National Amateur Championship and was called back for the second series. Colonel, as in his typical style, put on a bird finding show in the second series and did not place.

From the VCA Nationals, Dave headed on to Illinois to the Gateway GSP Club field trial. Pete, Judith Hamilton's pointer, took second in the Open Limited Gun Dog stake, with Dave's pointer Daisy taking fourth. Moxie was second in the Open Gun Dog retrieving stake.

From Illinois, Dave went to Connecticut to the Pointer Associates of New England (P.A.N.E.) trial. Dave handled Judith's setter Specter to a first place finish in the Open Limited Gun Dog stake, with Pete taking second, and Moxie a fourth. Colonel won the Amateur Limited Gun Dog stake, Pete was second, and Specter third. Sara took fourth in the Open Derby.

Dave then went down to Wye Island, Maryland, for the APC National Field Trial. With a lot of help from scout Ray Dohse, Dave won the National Championship with Daisy.

Next stop was the Southern Maryland English Setter Club trial at Rosaryville, Maryland. Sara won the Open Derby stake. Moxie won the Open Gun Dog retrieving stake, with Zeke taking second. Colonel won the Open Limited Gun Dog stake, and he took third in Amateur Limited Gun Dog.

Dave spent Thanksgiving weekend back up in Connecticut to judge a US Complete Shooting Dog championship. Then we went to Medford, New Jersey, the following weekend for the Delaware Valley GWP Club trial. Specter took third in the Open Limited Gun Dog. Daisy took second in the Open Gun Dog stake. Colonel was second in the Amateur Limited Gun Dog stake. And Dylan was fourth in the Open Derby.

In mid-December our club, the Old Dominion Vizsla Club, hosted its fall field trial at South Hill, Virginia. Dave's string did quite well. Mason took third in the Open All Age. Colonel won the Open Limited Gun Dog stake. Daisy won the Open Gun Dog stake. Sara won the Open Derby. Dylan won the Amateur Walking Derby. And Colonel took third in the Amateur Limited Gun Dog.

Dave headed down to winter camp at Ray Dohse's place in Georgia after the Old Dominion trial. The last trial of this year will be the Central Georgia Pointing Dog field trial at Leesburg, Georgia.

Sadly, Dave lost his number one horse, BEAMER, to anterior enteritis on arrival in Georgia.

Grace Anne

Midweek at Eastern Iowa FT Grounds

Jack and I have the field trial grounds to ourselves. Around 5:00 pm a couple of foot handlers show up to run their hunting dogs but other than that we are alone here. Not wanting to go off and leave the dogs unattended we took turns today going to the store for supplies. We'll do the same tomorrow and get our laundry done.

The use of ATV's (four wheelers) is strictly forbidden on the grounds so I road dogs the old fashioned way. Can't do four at a time but it's helping to get the horses in shape as well.

We'll leaved here early Thursday morning for Thayer, IA where the Show Me Vizsla Club and the Hawkeye Vizsla Club are having their trial next weekend.

Dave

VIZSLA CLUB OF EASTERN IOWA FIELD TRIAL

Jack Sharkey and I arrived mid afternoon on Friday and got into the grounds and parked with the help of Jerry Jordan and Steve Whitney. It's always a challenge to get into new grounds with a big rig. It wasn't as bad as predicted but I was glad to have help. Once there there was plenty of room for the dogs and horses with a fresh water tank next to the trailer for the horses. We were a fair distance from the club house and breakaway but Jack unhooked his Honda from behind the motorcoach and did dog wagon duty for me all weekend.

I was in the 1st, 3rd and 5th braces of every stake I entered, those random drawings never cease to amaze me. Why do you put an out of towner in the first brace knowing that he and his scout have never seen the grounds is the question of the day. ZEKE ran from the first brace of Open Gun Dog, a retreiving stake, and brought home the blue! Congratulations to Kim and Ron Sayers and the boys for ZEKE's three point retreiving win. Open Derby didn't go as well with two of my three entries going birdless. PANNA however had a nice run and three finds with nice points on all.

Tim Carwile along with his wife had driven out from Virginia to scout for me and run COLONEL in the Amateur Limited. With the cover so thick on a short course lots of dogs got lost and the Tracker was used numerous times.

Open Limited Gun Dog was the last stake of the weekend with welcome showers that cooled things off from the 90's to the 70's. The hometown team did well with MASON taking the blue, MOXIE the red, HUNTLY the yellow and ZEKE the white. Congratulations to Lisa DeForest for the one-two finish of her dogs.

We fed and cleaned up in the rain. Jack and Tim were a great help all weekend. Jack and I kicked back with that other Jack (Daniels) and watched the football game.

We're still on the grounds and may stay here a couple days since you can train here and we're not ready to move on to Thayer, IA for the next trial yet.

CATCHING UP

It's been several weeks since I've had time to add to my Blog.

Audra Jaconetti and Kim Nelson visited us for a week spending much of their time hunting with Larry Piatz for Sharptails, successfully at that !

The picture above shows our camp looking back from the breakaway with Mike to the left, me in center and Mark to the right

Ray left Towner on Thursday, September 20 heading to Branched Oak for the Nebraska GSP trial. I decided to stay for one more week and then go to Branched Oak for the Nebraska Vizsla trial. Mark Howard, from Texas, joined Mike and me for that final week and provided spectacular meals each night. Mark has three GSP's, we enjoyed his company and culinary delights.

It took about a full day to break camp but I was able to leave a lot of things behind which will make the trip next year easier. John and Maxine Rognlien had a going away party/dinner for us all just before Ray left. The Rognlien hospitality is exceptional. At the party were the Rognlien clan, Larry and Nydia Piatz, Donny Schmit, Clifford and Mary, Ray, Mike and myself and Kim Nelson, Audra Jaconetti, Lance Fargo and Brian Wayson. Can't wait to post the pictures of Lance in a WW II helmet with WW II weapons and the picture of John and me with a bottle of "John's GOOD TO GO SIPPIN' WHISKEY".

I headed to Branched Oak on Thursday September 27, arriving Friday afternoon. There I met up with Ray and Jack Sharkey who had come in from Virginia for the trial and to travel with me through the VCA National. Grace Anne flew in to Omaha to scout for me and run a couple of amateur dogs.

The Nebraska Vizsla trial was well run, the grounds are beautifully manicured although a little green still. The only negative was extremely high winds all weekend, above 30 mph all day which made scenting tough and kept the cover extremely dry.

I was pretty happy with all the dogs, COLONEL won the Amateur Limited Gun Dog and got good performances out of others however no placements. Ray got 1 and 2 out of Open Limited Gun Dog.

Grace Anne left for Omaha and Jack, Ray and I left for Beatrice, NE where we had arranged for training grounds. I had been toting birds and a recall pen from North Dakota so we were pretty well set up in Beatrice in 500 acres of CRP where we worked on wild pheasant, prairie chickens and the quail I brought with us.

Jack and I are headed for Eastern Iowa Vizsla Club trial by Cedar Rapids, IA this afternoon with a stopover at Cabela's this evening.

Dave

Leach Ranch

I tried to find some history of the Leach Ranch and other than stories from a number of locals I've found very little.

In 1928 Thomas Leach first visited western North Dakota and as a geologist he was convinced there was oil in the Williston Basin. After serving our country in both WW I and WW II he began leasing land in North Dakota for the purpose of drilling oil. On April 4, 1951 he discovered oil which was considered the first significant oil producing well in North Dakota. By 1957 his company was listed on the New York Stock exchange and he and his partners held 4 million acres under lease, the largest operator in North Dakota. Thomas passed in 1966 but is still considered "The Father Of Oil In North Dakota."

From here on there is little written but during his life he acquired 10,000 acres just south of the little town of Towner, ND for hunting and recreation. This is where my summer training camp is located. I will try to take notes in my next conversations with locals.

Day One in North Dakota

I arrived in Towner, ND on July 28. My good friend of 20 years and retired Towner resident Larry Piatz met me at my new camp along with Bruce, the electrician, John Rognlien, owner of the east 5200 acres of the Leach ranch and Donny, neighbor and rancher who devised an intriguing method of "washing in" a twenty foot well in under 10 minutes.

While I unloaded dogs and horses Bruce hooked me up to the electricity that I had brought into the property and John and Donny started the well. Quicker than it takes to tell about it I had a nice 30 amp RV service outlet and a well with cold sweet water. In the meantime Ray Dohse set up his camp about 200 feet to the west of me in the same grove of trees.

With the dogs fed and put up Ray and I went in to the Rafter Bar for an hour of relaxation and a cold beer.

Fortunately the trip out this year was uneventful, weather was cool for the three days on the road and I had no trouble finding overnight way points. Ray, leaving from Wrightsville, GA and me leaving from Orange, VA actually crossed paths within 5 minutes in Minneapolis so we traveled together the last day.

I had driven out to North Dakota in June to consummate a real estate deal that was in the works since early Spring.The Leach Ranch, originally 10,000 acres was the grounds that some of the American Field trialers trained on. Changing hands twice John Rognlien purchased the 5200 acres east of Hwy 14 where all the field trials were held in the 60's, 70's, and 80's. 5200 acres is 8 sections, a section being 1 mile square. The Rognlien spread is 2 miles north to south and 4 miles east to west. I have purchased the southwest corner (undisclosed acreage since asking how much acreage a man owns is akin to asking how big.....oh never mind). The Rognlien family are great people. John and Maxine have four great kids, James and Jared work on oil rigs and then come home every two weeks to help their dad ranch. Elliot and Emma are both in high school. Elliot is a gear head so we get along great.

John, an ex saddle bronc rider of some acclaim has given me carte blanc to run dogs any where on the ranch. This is paradise.

Dave