Maggie gets a 4th place and also earns Junior Hunter title.

PINE STRAW MAGPIE - Maggie earned her AKC Junior hunter title this fall with 4 qualifying scores in 4 attempts. She was well liked by the judges and given great scores. This isn't competitive like field trials, but it is a great way for a young dog to get accustomed to horses, bracemates, judges, other handlers, and a field trial atmosphere.

Maggie also recently (Nov. 18) took 4th place honors at the GSP club of Atlanta field trial walking puppy stake. Maggie had a good run and great puppy finds on birds. We look forward to seeing what kind of a trial dog she matures in to.

Breeding Katie - Sire Chosen

We have decided that when Katie comes in we will be breeding her to 4 time Runner-Up Champion High Desert Devil (formerly Uppercove Desert Devil) AKA Grumpy. Grumpy is by Shady Hills Billy X Timberdoodle Ohsobad. Our thoughts are that his pedigree matches up well with Katie's, and I have seen him run and he is truly a bird dog. We like that Grumpy has won on wild birds and on released quail. This breeding won't be advertised until we actually breed her, but for those that watch our blog, we thought we'd give a head's up. Here is a photo of Grumpy nailing a woodcock.

Wisconsin Trip for Grouse and Woodcock

In Mid October we took a trip to Northern Wisconsin, one of our favorite places to be, to do some Grouse and Woodcock hunting. Although we've hunted grouse and woodcock a lot, we didn't want to have to spend a lot of time looking for good coverts, so we went with Back Forty Guide Service.

Three of the Setters made the trip along with a vizsla and a wirehaired vizsla. We had some wet and windy weather that kept the grouse in the thick stuff. Smudge and Katie both had some points on grouse. Katie nailed one 247 yards out according to the Garmin and she was standing beautifully when we got there, and the vizsla, Kate, backed her nicely. The last point of the trip Smudge locked up on a woods road standing beautifully in the sunshine. Little Maggie emerged from the woods behind him and froze into a beautiful honor. Of course I was a bit too far away and when Maggie heard the grouse rustling in the leaves, she bolted past poor Smudge and took a pair of grouse out right in front of him. Oh, the fun of puppies...

The best bird work came on the woodcock though. We had timed it right and the flight birds were in. That is something you have to experience at least once. We limited everyday but one, and that was because I was trying to only shoot them over Maggie when she pointed. And she did have several very nice finds on woodcock. She is definitely a bird dog. In three days (two full days and two half days) of hunting we had nearly 60 points on woodcock. And that was with some of the time spent looking specifically for grouse.

It was definitely a worthwhile trip, and was good to shoot some birds for the Setters.

On Friday November 23, Katie (RUCH Pine Straw Katydid) put in a fantastic performance and was awarded a 2nd place out of 20 starters in the VCMA Open Restricted Shooting Dog horseback stake.

It had been a year since her last trial and her performance was one of those that really makes you know why you love the dogs so much and enjoy trialing. We are so lucky to have a dog like Katie.

Pine Straw Smudge got 2nd place in the Open Gun Dog stake of the Central Georgia Pointing Dog club's trial on Tuesday. Thanks to Jamie Fountain for running him for us in the horseback event. That's Smudge's 2nd second place this fall.

First trial of the year produces three placements

Smudge, Hawk and Maggie all came away from the Emerald Coast Vizsla Club's fall field trial with placements. Smudge took 2nd place and Hawk took 4th place in the Open Gun Dog (AKC Broke dog stake), and Maggie got 2nd place in the Open Puppy. This is little Maggie's first placement. All three ran in the heat, with temps over 85 degrees when they ran.

Current Field Trial Records for Pine Straw Setters

There are several reasons that we run our dogs in field trials;to extend our enjoyment of them beyond the regular hunting seasons, to keep them in shape, to enjoy the friendly competition and company of fellow dog people, and to have independent assessment of our dogs' abilities. The latter is important to us as breeders. We know "kennel blindness" can infiltrate any breeding program, so we want to have independent confirmation of our beliefs about the strengths and weaknesses of our dogs' performance. We are not stuck on titles or disposed to throw away quality genetics due to a shortage of ribbons, but it is nice to have some placements to back up your breeding decisions. In light of that, we did a review of our four current trial dogs, each dog's record is summarized below.

KATIE - RU CH (AKC FC) Pine Straw Katydid

1st Am Gun Dog VCMA, Horseback trial (HB) 2011
1st Open Ltd Gun Dog Kentuckiana Pointing Breeds Club 2011
1st Am Ltd Gun Dog Kentuckiana Pointing Breeds Club 2011
3rd Am Ltd Gun Dog GSP of South GA 2011
1st Am Gun Dog Central GA Pointing Dog Club 2011
3rd Am Ltd Gun Dog Central GA PDC 2011
1st Open Gun Dog Old Dominion VC HB (22 entries) 2011
Runner Up Champion 2010 National Amateur Grouse Championship (69 entries)
2nd Open Gun Dog Old Dominion VC HB (24 entries) 2010
3rd Open Gun Dog GSP Club of OH HB 2010
4th Open Limited Gun Dog Miami Valley VC (26 entries) 2010
3rd Open Shooting Dog Vidalia Field Trial Club HB 2010
2nd Am Shooting Dog I.B.Parnell Trial SC NBHA 2010
3rd Open Gun Dog Central GA PDC HB 2009
4th Open Limited Gun Dog VCMA HB 2009
3rd Am Derby SC Birdhunters NBHA 2009
1st Am Puppy PA Amateur Grouse Trial Club 2008
2nd 2008 Venango Puppy Classic


CHARLIE - CH Chip's Charlie Brown

1st Am Walking Gun Dog GA Brittany Club 2011
3rd Open Gun Dog Middle GA English Setter Club Horseback 2011
2010 Champion Michigan Woodcock Championship (72 entries)
1st Shooting Dog Stake DuBois Beaver Meadows FTC 2010
3rd Open Derby NBOGA 2009
1st 2009 Wolverine Derby Classic
3rd 2009 Joel Collier Derby Classic
3rd Am Derby Black Ash Am FTC 2009


Smudge - Pine Straw Smudge

1st Open Derby GSP club of Atlanta 2012
3rd Am Shooting Dog SC NBHA 2012
1st Open Derby Central GA PDC Horseback 2011
2nd Open Derby Kentuckiana Pointing Breeds Assoc. 2011
3rd Am Derby Michigan Amateur FTC Grouse trial 2011
3rd Open Derby VCMA trial HB 2011
4th Am Derby GSP club of S. GA 2011
1st Am Derby GSP club of Atlanta 2010
1st Am Puppy GSP club of Atlanta 2010


HAWK - Pine Straw Blackhawk

1st Open Derby Chemung Co FTC 2012
1st Am Derby SC NBHA 2012
2nd Open Derby Middle GA ES club Horseback 2011
2nd Am Derby GSP Club of Atlanta 2010
2nd Open Puppy NBHA SE Regional Trial 2010

*HB - indicates horseback trial

In addition to the above listed wins, Katie and Charlie, through their performances, earned their way to the Grouse and Woodcock Invitational Championship Trial that was held in the spring of 2011. Katie, Smudge and Hawk have also earned their AKC Junior Hunter titles. Smudge and Hawk have just finished their derby year and we have high hopes for their continued success.

We are fortunate to have obtained our dogs from breeders that have worked diligently for years to develop conformationally correct dogs that can find birds and do so in a style that will win trials. Our thanks go to Steve and Ginny Chiappini (Chip's Kennels), Craig Peters (Keystone Setters), Steve Groy, and Mike Groy (Blue Sky Setters). We also appreciate the efforts of our pro handlers that trial the dogs when we can't: Marc and Scott Forman of Shady Hills Kennels and Jamie and Tippe Fountain of Oconee Kennels.

Introducing Pine Straw Magpie - "Maggie"

This is our newest member of Pine Straw Setters, and Katie's half sister. Out of CH Chip's Uncle Buzzie and Annabelle Blue Sky. We got this puppy from Mike Groy of Blue Sky Setters. We have big hopes for little Maggie. She has already been introduced to birds, and not only sight points, but is scent pointing them already as well.

Hawk wins Chemung County Derby!

Pine Straw Blackhawk took 1st place in the derby stake at the Chemung County field trial. Hawk ran well and had several nice finds for Marc Forman. There were a total of 12 dogs entered in the stake. This placement was his first after taking first at an NBHA derby stake in South Carolina. We're proud of Hawk and appreciate the Forman brothers' (Marc and Scott) efforts.

Spring Training for Katie and Smudge

We took a trip to my parent's farm over spring break. While there we took advantage of some great weather to work Katie and Smudge. It was nice to have some big fields and woods in which to work the dogs. It was getting green, but not too bad. I also took the opportunity to snap some pictures of the dogs.

Smudge scores another blue ribbon, Charlie and Hawk go back with the Formans.

On Presidents Day, I took Charlie and Hawk back to the Formans at their training grounds in central Kentucky. The spring cover dog trial season starts this coming Saturday and Hawk and Charlie are on their way.

Smudge kept his roll going with another Derby 1st place on Saturday, February 25. Smudge ran well and had several nice finds. This is his second placement of 2012, the other was a third place in an Amateur Shooting Dog stake at an NBHA trial in South Carolina.

Katie did not take.

We are disappointed to report that Katie is not pregnant. The breeding of her to Charlie did not take. We have to wait another year for a batch of puppies at Pinestraw Setters.

Pheasant Hunting with Pinestraw Setters

Smudge and Katie got to go on a pheasant hunting trip to Illinois and the well known Harpole's Heartland lodge. They shared time down with the Vizslas, but everybody got in on the action. Smudge learned a lot and tracked down several wily roosters, pinning them cautiously once they were cornered. Katie remembered the pheasant dance too and pointed her fair share. Here are a couple of pictures showing them doing what they were bred to do.

Hawk wins Amateur Derby, Smudge gets 3rd in Am Shooting dog

On January 14, 2012 Pine Straw Black Hawk had won first place in the Amateur Derby stake at the Sumter County Bird hunters NBHA field trial (American Field). Hawk had four broke finds. This was Hawks first AF amateur placement which qualifies him for most amateur championship trials.

At the same trial Pine Straw Smudge took 3rd place in the Amateur Shooting Dog stake. He had two nice finds, one far to the front. This was Smudge's first shooting dog placement, not too bad for a derby aged dog.