Introducing Ch. Dateline Black List

Butch won the inaugural running of the Northern Michigan Coverdog Championship (replacing the Fruchey Classic) for his first championship.  He bested a field of 86 dogs for the win.  As always, thank you to Bruce and Jennie for the tremendous effort.  Thanks also to judges Joe Guzman and Joe Camissa for recognizing and liking what they saw.

Butch with some of his derby hardware

From left to right:  Dell Todd Derby Classic, Reuel Henry Pietz Classic, David Blakley Classic and Beaverton Open Shooting Dog.  The other trophy is my wife Jodi.

DOG UPDATE

I have decided to concentrate on Butch's career and consequently have sold Sudsy, Viper and Spook.  Heather and Kate will be used as my personal hunting dogs.  Rob Harlow of Michigan owns Spook, Brad Gerrits of Wisconsin owns Viper and Wisconsin pro Sonny Piekarz is in possession of Sudsy.

We are flattered that we have had a number of inquiries on using Butch for stud.  It shouldn't be too long before there are Butch pups on the ground.  One breeding in particular is scheduled to take place this month and when it does, we'll announce it.

Sudsy, Viper, Spook for sale

Sudsy:  Two year old son of CH. Elhew Sinbad and CH.HiFive's Wrangler.  Sudsy is a broke first year shooting dog and already has a shooting dog placement as a derby (with champions in the field).  He is breathtaking, fast and has everything needed to win a championship.  He has been with Bruce Minard 24x7 for the last year and has had nothing but the best since he was born.  I think it is safe to say there is not a better first year shooting dog for sale anywhere and, although nothing is guaranteed, the odds of him being a champion in the near future are very high. Suited to coverdog, walking or possible horseback shooting dog.  Lots and lots of dog here. $3500.

Viper: Two year old littermate to Butch (Dateline Blacklist).  Viper has a beautiful build for the woods and has all the tools for winning big, just like his brother.  He got off to a bit of a late start but has caught up quickly with a nice derby placement and is showing all the all the attributes of his brother. He is broke and ready to run as a first year shooting dog.  He has also been with Bruce 24x7 for the last year. $2500

UPDATE 7/23:   VIPER HAS BEEN SOLD TO A VERY LUCKY AND VERY SMART INDIVIDUAL IN MICHIGAN.  WATCH FOR HIM!

These dogs are NOT field trial washouts.  They are at the top of the heap of their peers and are ready to go out and win.  They are in top shape and have been in the best training program in the country, with the right training, lots of wild bird exposure and the best conditioning program. They broke early and easily and you don't have to suffer through the unnecessary "first year shooting dog blues" that is so common with other programs. You won't find dogs of this caliber elsewhere.

I am willing to accept payment terms for the right individuals for these dogs and because we are so confident in their abilities I would be willing to tie payments to performance for a premium and with certain conditions.

Spook: One year old son of Butch's sire and Dateline Meredith (Heather).  Spook is an eye-catching dog with a boatload of style, bird finding ability and a great personality. Pick of the litter. He pointed his first grouse in the campground at Alibi Hall.  He has been with Bruce since he was born and has had the best socialization and start that any pup can get.  Ready to win as a derby this fall or take hunting and start shooting birds over him. $1500

UPDATE 8/09:   SPOOK HAS BEEN SOLD TO ANOTHER VERY LUCKY AND VERY SMART INDIVIDUAL IN MICHIGAN.  HE WILL BE CAMPAIGNED AS "DATELINE SHARPDRESSED MAN".  WATCH FOR HIM!

Contact me at dogsnhorses08@gmail.com or 920-342-0812 for more information.  We have pictures, videos and all dogs can be shown on birds.

Dateline Blacklist WINS Purina Foster Derby Award

With his first place wins in three classics, the Reuel Henry Pietz, the David Blakely and the one-hour Dell Todd, Butch dominated the season's derby field.  His wins came in MN, MI and PA and were large entries.  The Purina Foster Derby Award is the award given to the top coverdog derby (regardless of breed!) in the country.

Season Summary

Dateline Black List (Butch)

• 1st, Beaverton Open Grouse Shooting Dog
• 1st, Lake States 1 hour Dell Todd Derby Classic
• 1st, Sooner Field Trial Open Shooting Dog
• 1st, Grand Valley Walking Derby
• 1st, Minnesota Reuel Henry Pietz Grouse Derby Classic
• 1st, David Blakley Grouse Derby Classic
• 3rd, Chippewa Valley Open Derby

Dateline Milwaukee (Sudsy)

• 1st, Ruffed Grouse Field Trial Club Open Derby
• 1st, Grand Valley Walking Derby
• 2nd, John R. Stuart Derby Classic
• 3rd, Sooner Field Trial Open Shooting Dog (Oklahoma)

Dateline Fastrack (Viper)

• 2nd, Grand Valley Open Walking Derby

Dateline Dublin (Kate)

• 3rd, Wisconsin Grouse Derby
• 3rd, Lake States Open Derby
• 3rd, Michigan Amateur Open Derby
• 3rd Kalamazoo Open Walking Derby

Sudsy WINS Open Derby at Highland, Viper takes Second

Bruce handled Sudsy and Viper to first and second place at Highland.  Both dogs were placed on their races in very high humidity.  This is Viper's first placement.

Butch WINS Beaverton Open Shooting Dog at Gladwin

Butch laid down another great race and pointed a grouse on a relocation to win the 26-entry Beaverton Open Shooting Dog.  This is Butch's second Open Shooting Dog win and sixth first place finish out of 7 placements.  He is not yet two years old.

Dateline Milwaukee (Sudsy) takes 2nd in John R. Stuart Derby Classic

Handled by Bruce and running in the first brace at Gladwin, Sudsy had an "awesome" race and pointed a grouse to take second place among 24 entries.  Sudsy is a son of Ch. HiFive's Wrangler (and Ch. Elhew Sinbad) who just took runner-up in the Grand National Invitational a couple days ago.  The winner, Hifive's Rock Solid, is Sudsy's littermate.  In addition to this placement, Sudsy won an Open Derby stake at Gladwin last August and took third in an Open Shooting Dog stake in Oklahoma in February.

Butch WINS One-Hour Dell Todd Derby Classic

With the temperature in the 70s, Bruce handled Butch to another Classic win, this one with a 28 dog entry at the famed Gladwin grounds.  Butch scored a broke grouse find at 58 minutes (whew!) just as the course was running out.  This is Butch's fifth first place win (including a first in an open shooting dog) and his third straight Classic derby win.

Viper, Sudsy and Kate all had very good performances, but no birds were produced.  Sudsy suffered two unproductives with a good race.  Viper had what Bruce thought might be the best race of the stake but had no birds.  Kate's race and application improve with each outing.  

Butch's win should solidify his place at the top of the Purina Foster Award as this win adds 224 points to his existing 168 for a total of 392.  More importantly, Butch keeps proving he can run well, handle well and connect with wild birds.  Butch's placements have come in MN, WI, MI and PA with amateur and pro handlers.  His Classic wins are MN, MI and PA and all featured broke wild bird work.

Butch leads Purina Foster Derby Award Standings

We're pleased to learn that Butch (Dateline Blacklist) is leading the Purina Foster Derby Award with 168 points. His wins at the David Blakley Classic and Reuel Henry Pietz Classic in PA and MN, respectively, are what got him there. Kate (Dateline Dublin) also made the list at #20 with her placement in a a large WI stake. There are still a number of trials coming up where he could be knocked out, but for now he is in the lead.

Butch's brother, Viper, who has every bit and maybe more, the genetic talent and potential as Butch, is for sale.

DON DIDCOCT MEMORIAL CLASSIC - Augusta, WI

We ran Butch, Sudsy, Viper, Kate and HiFive's Wrangler in the Eau Claire County Forest March 26-28. On Friday, Sudsy ran a nice race in the Amateur Shooting Dog but failed to connect with a bird. Birds were very difficult to come by for all of the entries on Friday. Butch, Sudsy, Viper and Kate all ran in the Open Derby stake which began and ended on Friday. Butch impressed the judges with a very powerful well applied race, needing a fair bit of handling from Bruce. He won a third place on a call back. Sudsy had to run his Derby brace right after his one-hour shooting dog brace and while he ran well, he was a half step off his usual pace. Viper and Kate had their usual ultra fancy exciting races but didn't have the envelope-pushing power of Butch. A couple of folks who walked all the derby braces commented on how nice Viper and Kate are, which was great to hear. Bruce and I were happy that Kate required some handling to get her around, which shows she is becoming more independent.

This picture is Bruce flushing for Butch during the call back on planted quail.

Plateau Shooting Dog Classic March 5-7

We visited Spencer, TN March 5-7 for the Plateau Shooting Dog Classic trial. We don't have any placements to report for the Dateline Kennels team, but we had a great time. Bruce placed Fireside Fleetwood first in the Open Shooting Dog. Butch and Sudsy ran as shooting dogs and both had very acceptable performances but were picked up - Butch for a lazy back and Sudsy, running as a bye, for a race that probably wasn't going to match the winners. Kate ran a tad short for our taste in the derby. Viper had a great race, handle, and application but went birdless, along with almost all the other derby entries on Saturday. We did not enter Spook (pictured above) in the puppy stake but had the opportunity to run him Sunday morning and are thrilled with how he looks so far.

The trial was run on a 2500 acre private plantation that is managed for quail. It is a superior venue for a walking quail trial - no planted birds. Dogs have the opportunity to stretch out and take an edge, as well as dig into various types of cover that might hold birds.

We'll be back next year and look forward to it.

Butch WINS First Shooting Dog Stake, Sudsy Takes Third

As a 21 month old derby-aged dog, Butch (Dateline Black List) took first place in the shooting dog stake of the Sooner Pointing Dog Club trial on the Trail's End Ranch in Oklahoma. Sudsy (Dateline Milwaukee), a month younger than Butch, took third. Many, many thanks to Bruce and Jennie for bringing home a couple placements from "foreign" soil. Butch has four placements, all of them firsts.

"Spook" is Newest Addition to Dateline Kennels Team

This picture was taken by guide Dave Brown (Dave Brown website) in Arizona in January. Spook is from Heather's litter in July of 2009 (R-U Ch. Pecott's Rowdy Rover x Dateline Meredith). At an early age, he is showing everything we like to see in a puppy. Bruce is shooting the occasional bird over him. He will be registered as Dateline Ghost Town.

Spring is Just Around the Corner!

With below zero temperatures, rapier-like winds and well over a foot of snow on the ground, it seems a bit early to be getting ready for spring trials. Nevertheless, Butch, Sudsy, Kate and Viper are on their way south with Bruce and Jennie. The month of January will be spent in southern Arizona running on wild birds and from there the camp will move to Kansas for February and most of March for training and polishing on a mixture of wild and liberated birds.

Dateline Fastrack (Viper) For Sale

We have decided to sell Viper so we can concentrate on developing our other prospects. He is a littermate to Butch and has all the same traits, including a gorgeous movement, style and bird sense. He has blossomed under Bruce's direction and is right on track, if not advanced, for a dog of his age. He has been to Arizona and Kansas chasing wild birds as a young dog and has had extensive work with Bruce on grouse and woodcock. He would make someone an exciting and rewarding bragging rights bird dog and/or a legitimate trial contender. Contact us for details.

Dateline Blacklist (Butch) Available at Public Stud

We have made the decision to offer Butch at public stud. This was not a decision reached lightly. If you are interested or curious, please contact Bruce for the details and to talk to him about why we reached the decision. You can use this link to get to the Hifive Kennels site: Hifive Kennels Stud Dogs

The fall trial season is over for us. Bruce and Jennie and the dogs are enjoying a well-deserved bit of rest. Overall, the season was successful, with Butch taking three first place titles, Kate taking three thirds and Sudsy one first. Viper was acquired late in the season and didn't really have a chance to get his trial legs under him, although he made some respectable showings and we think he has great potential. Heather was not trialed this fall following her puppy episode at the end of July, although we enjoyed hunting her and had some great success. The pups are now about 15 weeks old. All four derbies will probably be going to Arizona and Kansas with Bruce starting in early January. We have very high hopes for the spring trial season for these four derbies. Their development between now and the end of the spring season will help us make decisions for the future.

Butch WINS David Blakley Derby Classic !!

Bruce handled Butch to his second consecutive derby win, both of them classics. The Blakley Classic was run as part of the Pennsylvania Grouse Championship at Marienville, PA. 27 entries with a large number of the entered dogs having previous placements.

BUTCH WINS Reuel Henry Pietz Derby Classic

Bruce handled Dateline Blacklist (Butch) to first place at the Reuel Henry Pietz Derby Classic with a broke woodcock find. The stake was held during the Minnesota Grouse Championship on Thursday, October 15.

Wisconsin Coverdog Championship

Handled by Bruce, Dateline Dublin (Kate) took third in the Open Derby stake with two quail finds and a woodcock find. Kate is posed by Jennie Minard on the right. 29 entries.

Butch WINS Open Derby at Highland

Mary-Beth Esser, an amateur, handled Butch to a first place in the Grand Valley Open Derby Stake at Highland on Friday, September 18. Thanks Mary-Beth! Butch, Kate and Sudsy are all qualified now and Butch has the added distinction of being qualified to run in Amateur Championships. Butch's race, wild bird finding ability and manners all stack up pretty well to make him a possibility for the National Amateur Grouse Championship beginning September 23 at Gladwin. We are deciding right now on whether to enter him.

Butch has 3 finds in 25 minutes

On Wednesday morning, September 9, Butch pointed a single grouse not 30 seconds after being turned loose, then pointed a pair of woodcock and then a pair of grouse - all in 25 minutes. Workouts like this are getting to be common! All four derbies- Butch, Sudsy, Kate and Viper- are entered in the Highland Trial September 11 and 12.

Heather's pups at 4 1/2 weeks

They have their mom's appetite and like to lean into it the same as she does.

Ruffed Grouse FTC Open Derby - Dateline Milwaukee (Sudsy) Takes First Place!

Dateline Milwaukee (Sudsy) places first with a big forward race in the pocket and a broke quail find in the bird field. Dateline Black List (Butch) had a strong race and a broke woodcock find but was not used. Dateline Dublin (Kate) had ANOTHER grouse find (2 weeks in a row) on the derby course running as a bye dog in the last brace. While certainly very nice, her race is not quite on the same level as Sudsy's and Butch's, but she sure has a nose for those grouse. Her genetics don't leave any doubt that her race will extend. She wasn't judicially used either.

Sudsy is the product of Ch. Elhew Sinbad and "The Golden Girl", Ch. Hifives Wrangler. Two of his brothers, Johnny and Rock (both also under Bruce), can match him stride for stride on any given day. In fact, his brother Rock (Hifive's Rock Solid, owned by Mike Lareau), took second.

This makes 3 Dateline Kennels placements in as many weeks.

Thanks Bruce and Jennie for the hard work and dedication!!!

Here is a video taken by John Paul Jones of most of the braces in the MAFTC derby stake August 15. I thought it was good and his effort is appreciated. Dateline Dublin (Kate) appears in the second brace and Dateline Milwaukee (Sudsy) appears in the last brace.

Hifive Kennels Sweeps MAFTC Derby Stake

Hifive Kennels entries swept the MAFTC derby stake August 15, 2009. Here is a picture of Bruce with a ribbon in each color. Dateline Dublin (Kate) scored with a third for the second time in as many weekends. This weekend her performance featured a grouse find on a single derby course, along with a quail find in the bird field. Dateline Milwaukee (Sudsy) fared well with a better race than Kate but the judges rightfully honored her grouse find and placed her instead. It seems Sudsy's day is not far off. Posed with the winners are Bruce, Mary-Beth Esser, and the inimitable Jennie Minard with Kate.

Lake States

Pictured here with Bruce following a workout where she pointed a brood of 8, Kate took third in the Lake States Open Derby on Saturday, August 8. Yours Truly is posing Kate next to Alibi Hall in the first picture, alongside Gary Vitale with Purdy and Bryan Wood with Deuce. It rained hard all day Saturday and then on Sunday the dogs ran in brutal humidity and warm temperatures, making birds hard to locate. Butch had a nice broke grouse find on Saturday but the bird was not officially seen or heard. On Sunday he undermined a very nice race by running through a bird and was picked up.

Lake States August Trial (Aug 8-9)

Jodi and I are heading to Hifive Kennels on Friday to run dogs with Bruce before heading to Gladwin on Saturday morning. Butch, Kate and Sudsy are all entered. Check back for the results next week.

Kate starts her summer training

Kate (Dateline Dublin) goes to Hifive Kennels in early July to start getting ready for her fall derby season. Kate was acquired from Sean Derrig at Erin Kennels in November 2008. She has all-age/shooting dog horseback blood courtesy of Ch. Erin's Southern Justice (HOF) and royal coverdog blood in the form of 6x Ch. Hard Drivin Bev.

Sudsy joins the Dateline Kennels team

Sudsy (Dateline Milwaukee) is acquired in mid-July from Mike Shanly of Michigan. Sudsy is Ch. Elhew Sinbad x Ch. Hifive's Wrangler and was whelped in May of 2008. He is well built and hunts with every powerful stride.

Heather whelps a bunch of prospects

In the wee hours of July 29, Heather (Dateline Meredith) whelps a small army of liver and black pups. The sire is retired R-U Champion Pecott's Rowdy Rover. Butch is also out of Rowdy. There has to be a future champion in the lot!

Butch has a grand day out

In a 30 minute workout with Bruce and Jennie, Butch (Dateline Black List) had three broke grouse finds. He hit three popple cuts in succession and scored three times. The first find was a brood of 8 and Butch kept his composure throughout the flush(es) and shots, not to mention on the subsequent finds. He is a 15 months old. Jennie was right there to record it for posterity.