Vitali's Grouse Ringer Justify garners another derby placement.

Vitali's Grouse Ringer Justify took third place in the Open Derby stake of the Bluegrass Walking Shooting Dog club's spring trial on February 22, 2020. A big race and 3 nice finds helped "T" gain the placement for his owner and handler Gary Vitali. We very much appreciate the job Gary's doing with this talented youngster. We also appreciate the BWSD's efforts to hold the trial. The photo is courtesy of the BWSD.

"T" is from our Erin's Hidden Shamrock X CH/RU Pine Straw Sweet Tea litter.

Pine Straw's Tupelo Honey is on the board!

Pine Straw's Tupelo Honey (call name Moxie), seen above in a workout with Jeanette Tracy, recently got her first derby placement by taking third place at the Town Creek Open Derby in Hardaway, Alabama. The stake drew 16 dogs. Moxie's run included some big moves and a broke find on a large Alabama covey.

Moxie is out of our Multiple CH Erin's Hidden Shamrock X CH/RU Pine Straw Sweet Tea litter. She is not yet two years old.

Big thanks to Jeanette for her work with Moxie and the folks at Martino Kennels in putting on the event.

CH/RU Pine Straw Sweet Tea qualifies for the 2020 National Shooting Dog Championship.

CH/RU Pine Straw Sweet Tea has qualified for the 2020 National Shooting Dog Championship. Big thanks to Jeanette Tracy for her work with "Sugar" and getting her to this milestone. The Championship is held near Union Springs Alabama in early February. We are not sure if Sugar will compete, breeding plans might keep her out of the trial.

Shamrock X Sugar Son Earns Derby Placement

Vitali's Grouse Ringer Justify (T) earned second place in the Michigan Brittany Grouse Dog Association Open Derby stake on October 6, 2019. T's race in combination with a woodcock find settled him firmly into the second place spot.  We love when our dogs place and getting it done on wild birds is icing on the cake.

T is from our breeding of our winning female, CH/RU Pine Straw Sweet Tea to CH/RU Erin's Hidden Shamrock. Some may wonder how a son of an AA champion mated to a Shooting Dog champion can result in a successful cover dog competitor. Well, if you look through T's pedigree you'll find prominent grouse dogs top and bottom. His maternal grand-dam is RUCH Pine Straw Katydid that took Runner-Up at the National Amateur Grouse Championship and her sire (T's great grand-sire) was GNGCH Chip's Uncle Buzzy who won the Grand National Grouse Championship. So he's got serious grouse dogs up close in his pedigree.

We appreciate Gary Vitali putting the work in to developing T as a bird dog. Congrats on a qualifying win Gary! And thanks for sending us the picture!

Sugar bests a field of 50 at the English Setter Club of America Labor Day Weekend Trial.

On Labor Day Weekend 2019, CH/RU Pine Straw Sweet Tea ran in the Open Shooting Dog Stake at the English Setter Club of America's Trial. The stake drew 50 dogs and under the whistle of Jeanette Tracy, Sugar took first place.  Jeanette's up and coming scout, Taydem Boyer assisted in the effort, rounding out the team.

It was a nice way to start the field trial season.

Sugar wins again at York Pointer and Setter Club!

CH/RU Pine Straw Sweet Tea (Sugar) wrapped up a great year with a first place finish in the Open Shooting Dog Stake at the York Pointer and Setter Club's spring (2019) trial. Sugar's four find performance under the whistle of Jeanette Tracy of Ladywood Kennels topped a field of 20 tough competitors. We greatly appreciate the folks at the York Pointer and Setter Club for their efforts in holding the event and the judges that put the time in the saddle to look at the dogs.

Sugar had a very good field trial year and we plan to breed her next year for a spring of 2020 litter. We haven't made the decision on the stud at this point, but stay tuned if you're interested.

Puppies available by Pine Straw Smudge

Pine Straw Smudge (CH/RU Chip's Torquato X RUCH Pine Straw Katydid) has a litter on the ground out of Breakaway Sugar. Smudge is probably the best wild bird dog we have produced. While he has walking and horseback placements, his full time job now is being a grouse dog and he is the best grouse dog we've seen. Smudge is a litter mate to Elwin G. Smith Award winner Pine Straw Blackhawk and a half brother (via RUCH Pine Straw Katydid) to CH/RU Pine Straw Sweet Tea.

Breakaway Sugar is a fancy bird finder in her own right. And she brings some powerhouse dogs into the breeding with what is behind her.

The pedigree of these pups is not only packed with cover dog champions like GNGCH/CH Chip's Uncle Buzzie and 5XCH Grouse Ridge Reroy, it also contains Ridge Creek Cody and CH Hamilton's Blue Diamond.

All pups are white and orange and they were born April 17, 2019.  They will be old enough to enjoy their first season hunting this fall. They are in Michigan.

If interested call Dale Ash - (616)318*8254