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Sharp Shooters Curahee (Rhet)
is a son of INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Funky Diva and Roughneck's Walk the Line. |
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INT CH VC Sharp Shooters Man in Black, MH (Clyde),
VC Sharp Shooters Hi Velocity (Jonathon Peeters), VC Sharp Shooters Brightest Star (Kelly Craghead), VC Sharp Shooters Alexis (Bill Janes) and INT CH VC Sharp Shooters Funky Diva (Jessica Lieffort). All four dogs starting from the left are littermates, their mother being the far right dog. All five passed the 2007 Invitational and all four pups earned a maximum score of 200 points, like their father INT CH VC Shooting Starrs Sharp Shooter, MH. |
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Sydney Lieffort of New Richmond, WI takes dog training very seriously. Actually, Syd takes everything pretty seriously...homework, dance, basketball, etc. So it was no surprise to us that when she asked to train her own dog, she would put the time and muscle into doing it right. She started off "right" by getting a Prize I, 110 points in Natural Ability with her dog VC Sharp Shooters Fifth Element (LeeLoo). She went on to achieve two Utility Prize I's with maximum scores and a maximum score at the 2009 Invitational. They are both looking forward to many years of hunting together. LeeLoo is a daughter of INT CH, VC Triple J's Run Rainey Run, MH and VC Sharp Shooters Time Bomb, MH. |
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VC Sharp Shooter American Zeal (Scout) |
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| Bradley Bischof of New Richmond, WI is a dedicated young hunter and dog handler. He has trained his own dog, Sharp Shooters Wild at Heart (Daisy) from day one. He got a Prize I, 112 points in Natural Ability when both were quite young and in the spring of 2009 Brad and his high-power dog earned a 196 pt. Prize in Utility. Daisy's a high power dog just like her mother VC Sharp Shooters Spy Girl (Jinx) and INT CH, VC Sharp Shooter Man in Black, MH. Both of them will enjoy a fall of hunting and living the rewards of having a well trained bird dog! |
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VC Sharp Shooters Autumn Magic (Sam) passed all his NAVHDA tests with flying colors (NA-Pz I, 108, UT-Pz I, 204, INV Pass, 200 pts) but more importantly he is a dream to take hunting on the prairies. He's graceful, stylish and honest as the day is long. He has his mother's snappy points and long-distance backs (INT CH, VC Triple J's Run Rainey Run, MH) and his father's unending drive in the field and water (VC Sharp Shooters Time Bomb, MH). Sam is like part of our family and we've been honored to work with him. He's everything a breeder could hope to create in a pup. He is owned by Jim Crowder of Muscatine, Iowa. |
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A recap from Kirk Rhinehart of LA on his first hunt out West with Sharp Shooters Cajun Bécasse (call name Béca). Béca is a daughter of INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Funky Diva and INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Hot Rod, MH: Here are a few shots of Béca in South Dakota last week. She did great! First is her with the first pheasants. Second: I just had to have a shot with my #1 girl. I've got a great dog, with limitless potential, she is a great addition to the family; I believe Chester (my old GSP) would have approved. Béca showed her potential by getting an NA Prize I and a maximum score of 112 points. |
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Darin Tolzin took Sharp Shooters Model of Fun (Tyra) to Montana this year for her first run at Sharptail and Huns...looks like she passed! |
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| Kurt Rouse with Sharp Shooters Twin Turbo (Jake) and his first grouse… a big first day in the woods! |
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Sharp Shooters Rockstar (call name Ozzy) is
quickly earning his name. He achieved his NAVHDA NA Prize I, 112 points at five
months and his UT Prize I, 201 pts. at 18 months. Ozzy is owned by Brian and Barb Johnson of Osceola, WI. Ozzy is the son
of VC Sharp Shooters Here 4TheParty, MH and
INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Man in Black, MH. | |
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Randy Kelly of Minnesota is an ideal puppy owner. He
spent all summer with his new pup Sharp Shooters Ring of Fire (June)
exposing her to birds, different fields and cover types, water and working on
play retrieving and all the other basics required to build a solid foundation
for a pup. His reward is to take a five-month old pup into the woods and have a
great first official hunt. Randy emailed us this picture and this quick report:
June had her first hunt today and did great. She is quite the little machine out in the woods. She really ran like crazy once she realized there were birds in the woods. June's parents are VC Sharp Shooters Here 4TheParty, MH and INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Man in Black, MH. |
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Sharp Shooters Bonita Senorita (Bella) is the daughter of VC Sharp Shooters Here 4TheParty, MH and INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Man in Black, MH and is owned by Bill Schultz of southern MN: We were in SW MN last weekend and our little Bella found a new gear!! We got her into a great population of pheasants and she really turned it on. She is gaining confidence in herself and is so fun to watch!! Bill and Bella followed up with a trip to ND where she helped him get his limit of Ring-Necks. Since the hunting season Bella got a Prize I, 110 points in her Natural Ability test. |
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| Jon Peeters with his dog VC Sharp Shooters Hi Velocity (Mags), alongside her mother INT CH VC Sharp Shooters Funky Diva and her owner, Jessica Lieffort. Mags is following in her mother's footsteps by garnering a NA Prize I, 112 points, a Utility Prize I, 204 points at 18 months and a Versatile Champion title before three years of age. Jon trained Mags and handled her through all of her tests. |
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 Photo courtesy of Purina (taken by Keith Schopp). |
Claira (Sharp Shooters Eau Claire out of INT CH, VC Triple J's Run Rainey Run, MH and VC Sharp Shooters Time Bomb, MH) was a MACHINE in South Dakota. I hunted Claira in the tough stuff -- cattails and water, and she was relentless. Point after point after point. It was a battle to keep up with her, fighting through the reeds and caked with fluffy cattail gunk till she pinned the birds up against the water. I shot limits over her three different days (two of the days in cattails, the other day in CRP). ~ Keith Schopp |
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| Nancy McLaulin of Virginia is pictured with Sharp Shooters Out of the Box Jack. Nancy and David have taken Jack Grouse hunting in WI and pheasant hunting in KS in first year. They found time to squeeze in a Natural Ability test between their hunts and Nancy and Jack received a Prize I, 112 points. Jack's parents are VC Sharp Shooters Here 4TheParty, MH and INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Man in Black, MH. |
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Trevor (Sharp Shooters Voll-Treffer out of
INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Funky Diva and
Roughnecks Walk the Line) can climb out of a 30" pen already... he is one determined little pup!
BTW, last Sunday I took him to a field to find and point game. I had two pigeons with trimmed flight feathers. On one of his later finds, he hit the cone from 8-10 feet out. It was funny, he wasn't sure what he found, but he worked it until he realized he was near a bird, he then pointed. Finally, I didn't expect/plan for this but he pointed, flushed and retrieved one of the birds before I could get to him/bird.. He didn't want to stop, I had to pick him up after 10-minutes. LOVE him! Right now, he's sleeping in between the other two shorthairs. ~ Ray Hippeli |
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| Don’t let this picture fool you. Sharp Shooters Annie Get Your Guns is anything but the calm, demure pup she pretends to be in this photo. Annie is a little go getter that just happens to be taking a break on the front porch, before she takes her next romp in the woods. She is owned by Joe and Melissa Crowder of Somerset, WI. She and Melissa earned a Prize I, 112 points in Natural Ability. |
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Spent the last 3 days chasing Mearns. The dogs and I are all beat up. Southern AZ is harsh to say the least. No rain this summer so birds are scarce. I shot 17 in 3 days; found maybe 8 coveys. Nothing like last year.
Miley (Sharp Shooters Prey for Rain out of VC Sharp Shooters Spy Girl and INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Man in Black, MH) had a great first hunting trip. I limited out (8 birds) over her the second day. These birds hold very tight and tend to go up in ones and twos. Miley held tight on wing and shot which allowed me to shoot multiple singles as they lost their nerve and flew up. Couldn’t ask for more from a seasoned dog let alone a 1 ½ old pup. ~ Scott Anderson |
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Sharp Shooters Goddess of Chaos (Aeris) is a daughter of
INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Funky Diva and
INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Hot Rod, MH. She is owned by Scott and Jennifer Anderson of AZ.
What a difference a few more days in the field makes. I’m truly lucky to have enough wild birds around this year to be able to steady a dog to wing and shot during my hunts. I had a perfect view on Saturday of Aeris and a male Mearns quail 12 inches off her nose in the bunch grass but the bird wouldn’t tolerate me trying to get my camera out. I had called Aeris in to look for a bird we previously flushed and I knew it was in the area where I was standing. Aeris locked up 2 feet away from me with the bird in between us. Aeris pointed several coveys and a mess of singles and doubles on Sunday. She’s holding rock solid to wing and to shot. She nailed a big covey on a hillside Sunday after retrieving a single and stood point with the still alive bird in her mouth. The covey wasn’t more than 18 inches from her nose. I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it for myself. Kali did that once and that’s the only other time I’ve seen it. And I hunt a lot. The historical average for Mearns Quail hunters in AZ is 2.5 birds per day. To limit out (8 birds) with a 1 year old dog is somewhat unheard of.
…and they did it two weekends in a row.
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INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Lil Hottie MH
"Foxie" is a natural when
it comes to retrieving, tracking and locating game with ease as well as showing
tremendous drive in the water locating downed ducks. Briars, brush, water and
snow are no deterrents to this girl. Foxie is owned by Mark & Laura Picard of Take Aim Kennels |
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Sharp Shooters Full Torque “Diesel” pinning a woodcock in his backyard. Ralph Sobkowicz of International Falls, MN has taken Diesel on to a Prize I, 112 points in Natural Ability and hunts him every opportunity he gets. We expect big things out of this talented dog. His parents are
INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Funky Diva and
INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Hot Rod.
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| Mike Lindle of MI and his pup Sharp Shooters Hair Trigger duck hunting in North Dakota. Trigger received an NA Prize II, 108 points at four months of age and is part of a Breeder Award pairing between INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Funky Diva and INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Hot Rod, MH. |
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We went to North Dakota for 5 days of hunting to make up for lost
weekend hunts due to work. Trigger and I got to N. Dakota on Oct 9th. It was 27 deg. with 25 mile
an hr. winds on our first morning. Me and my buddy shot 11 ducks in forty minutes.
Trigger did well, but instead of waiting for the twelfth bird, I called it because trigger was done.
He had retrieved all the birds shot, but the wind plus the cold was to much. My truck was about a
200 yd. walk. He was tickled once we headed in that direction.
Just wanted to touch base and let you know Trigger hunts at every opportunity we get, and he is loved by my family and myself very much. ~ Mike Lindle |
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| Mark Whalen of Maryland and VC Sharp
Shooters Super Charged do their fair share to control the pheasant
population in the Dakotas and Kansas annually. Nitro earned a Prize
I, 112 in NA and a Prize I, 201 points in Utility and became a Versatile Champion in 2009 - the fifth pup
in his litter to do so.
Nitro's parents are INT CH, VC Shooting Starr's Sharp Shooter, MH and INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Funky Diva. |
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Peter and Marie Wade of Maine own VC Sharp Shooters
Northern Jada…or maybe I should say she owns them. From the stories we get,
she keeps them on their toes. Jade and Peter have accomplished a lot in less
than two years, a NA Prize I, 112 points; a UT Prize I, 204 points; and a
maximum score at the 2009 Invitational. Jada is the daughter of INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Man in Black, MH and VC Sharp Shooters Spy Girl. |
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Marie Wade handled this tough dog
two UT Prize I’s, with scores of 202 and 204 points, and an NA Prize II, 105 pts…a heck of a
feat for a first time handler because Grace, Sharp Shooters Northern Expo,
is a determined powerhouse of a dog. Marie and Grace and their family live in
Maine where they make themselves nuisances to the local ruffed grouse. Thanks to
Nancy Anisfield for this wonderful picture.
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Matthew Wagner of Colorado and his young pup Sharp Shooters Sorry Charlie (Lucy) on a trip to ND in her first season. She’s
a lucky little dog to visit the Dakotas and KS in her first year. Earlier in the season Lucy scored a Prize II, 102 points in Natural
Ability but she is certainly enjoying the “real” deal a whole lot more.
She is the daughter of INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Hot Rod, MH and INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Funky Diva. |
| Lucy’s first duck hunt at 8500 feet near Winter Park, CO: It was a cold ducky day, but she almost outpaced my friend’s two year old lab to a winged duck that was trying to make a get away – into the current. No hesitation going for a casual swim in the cold water either. And I can verify that it was cold since my waders have a hole in them. |
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INT CH VC Sharp Shooter's Let 'er Rip could not have been more appropriately named. From the day he walked in the door, it was clear that we were in for quite a ride.
Rip is beautifully stylish on point, an intense, natural backer, athletic, and tough as nails. He will crash cattails all day long and has been known to come back from a retrieve with four paws full of burrs--never once having dropped the bird. His honesty and cooperation are constants. Package all of that with Rip's desire to please and you've got the perfect hunting companion. Rip is from a Natural Ability Breeders Award Litter. They can be reached at ecd515@aol.com |
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Sharp Shooters Prima Donna (Star) shows here that she’s no princess when it
comes to working in tough conditions. She showed off her drive and determination
in her Natural Ability test by earning a Prize I, 112 points. Star is owned by
Carlos Hernandez of southern CA.
Star is from the second litter between INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Man in Black, MH and VC Sharp Shooters Spy Girl. |
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Just a quick report on how Donzi did in South Dakota. He hunted with purpose,
pointed with intensity, and worked for the gun. He used his nose well and ranged
appropriately for the cover he was in. I was very impressed. We still have some
more obedience work to do, but that'll come along soon. Sharp Shooters Full Throttle (Donzi) is owned by Robert and Lisa Huta of MI. He's earned a Prize II in NA with 104 points. Donzi is the son of INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Hot Rod, MH and INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Funky Diva |
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| Sharp Shooters Light My Fire (Sparky)
is Stephen Roark's first GSP. They had a great first hunting season together and started the year out right by getting a Natural Ability Prize I, 112 points.
Sparky is the son of INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Hot Rod, MH and INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Fast As You. |
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Sunday Morning Worship in the Desert
I took a quick jaunt out to the desert with Trey and Lil Bit (Sharp Shooters Hustlin’ Honey) this weekend. This area is quite harsh, but Lil Bit did fantastic! She found a few more species of cactus and especially the ones you can’t see hidden in the grass. She never stopped though. She pointed one bird extremely well and beat Trey out on a “dead bird” search. This girl has a nose! -- Owner Luis Chavez of AZ Lil Bit is from the repeat breeding between INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Man in Black, MH and VC Sharp Shooters Spy Girl. |
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Sharp Shooters Cosmic Delight gained her RD (Retrieving Dog) title at six months of age and her NAVHDA Natural Ability Prize I, 110 points just a month later. Her owner Todd Breneiser of MI recaps the story:
We were pretty proud of Cosmo today. She passed her Water Test and earned her certificate title for Retrieving Dog (RD). Even though today was her first time on real, live ducks she handled it very well – even the loud quacking one! After quickly getting the first duck, she came back, delivered to hand, and took a perfect line to the 2nd duck even though she never saw it hit the water. The test was at the Highland Recreation Area in Michigan and sponsored by the GSPC of Michigan club. I was originally going to enter her into the NRD, but one of the club officers really wanted me to run RD with her (after watching her work on Friday) and we were glad that we did. We got down there early today and bought a duck to get her going before the test and it worked. Cosmo is a daughter of INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Hot Rod, MH and INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Funky Diva. |
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INT CH, VC Wing Shot's Sharp Shooter II, MH "Deuce" is a melding of his sire and dam’s best attributes:
conformation, cooperation and style. In the field he’ll hold point until you get there - no matter how far out he is. He backs like he points, staunch and stylish. Strong, inherent traits from both Shooter & Jewel.
I see so much of his sire, Shooter, in Deuce it’s a bit scary at times. From the way he walks around the house, to lying on his dog bed, to hunting pheasants. His physical looks are what grabs your eye. Confidence is something he has plenty of. From day one he walked in our house like he’d been there all along. Deuce is out of INT CH, VC Shooting Starr's Sharp Shooter, MH x Sundance Jewel Deuce is owned by Mark & Laura Picard of Take Aim Kennels |
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NA 110 pts, Prize I; UT 201 pts, Prize I AKC Master Hunter
PennHIP Lt. 0.29, Rt. 0.30 |
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| Eric Volmer of MO has initiated young Rowdy (Sharp Shooters Rough and
Ready) into the sport of duck hunting in his first season. In addition he
earned his NA Prize I, 112 points and has been busy quail and pheasant
hunting in MO and KS (obvious from his beat up eyes in the photos).
Rowdy is the son of VC Sharp Shooters Here 4TheParty, MH and INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Man in Black, MH |
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| Jessica Lieffort accomplished a major feat in handling this tough little female through her first showing at the 2002 Invitational. She is pictured here with VC Upwind's Basin (Sage) and her owner Jon Nysse of New Richmond, WI. Sage is the daughter of INT CH, VC Shooting Starr's Sharp Shooter, MH. |
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Nobelles Tejas Chili Pepper
Pepper is fondly called the "Texas Jumpin' Bean." Her vertical lift proves that White Girls Can Jump. This little Texas girl, like her father, VC Sharp Shooters Me-Oh-My-Ty, MH greets every day with the sheer joy that she's alive and exhibits it with an amazing ability to jump straight up from a standing position. She meets every task, whether at work or play, with the same level of enthusiasm. Pepper logs more miles on three species of quail each year than most dogs do in a lifetime. She routinely puts up 18-25 coveys per weekend on her owner Greg Irby's 35,000 acre lease. While her range is moderate, she moves with great agility and speed. And although Pepper is a young dog, she has the wit of a seasoned hunting dog. She is super stylish on point and backs naturally. |
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3 x UT Prize I, 204, 201 & 198 pts. NA Prize I, 110 pts. |
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VC 191 Pts, Pass (9/98) UT 202 Pts, Prize I (5/97) NA 105 Pts, Prize I (4/96) AKC Master Hunter (4/97) AKC Companion Dog (3/98) PennHIP: 0.20 Rt, 0.28 Lt. Spanky was a high desire dog with a willingness to please. He was a natural retriever and backed naturally from a puppy on. In the field or water, Spanky handled all the situations posed to him with complete confidence. Spanky completed his AKC Master Hunter title in six of nine attempts and his AKC Companion Dog title (obedience) in three of five attempts. Spanky's cooperation was apparent in all the titles he achieved by 3-1/2 years of age. Spanky was from a Utility and a Natural Ability Breeder Award litter. |
Sire: VC Shooting Starr's Sharp Shooter, MH Dam: VC Tess von Klana Spirit, MH  |
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| Chip Bonde of Maryland enjoyed an extended hunting trip from Saskatchewan through the Dakotas and to Kansas to celebrate his recent retirement. He was of course was joined by his trusty companions Sharp Shooters Chesapeake Joy and Sharp Shooters Magic C-C, both Prize I UT dogs and show stoppers on the prairies. |
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Along with being a very affectionate lap dog, Wiley's qualities include being a great duck dog, a natural. From day one, he searched like a pro with very little training. And he's a phenomenal pheasant dog. On our past hunting trips to Iowa, he has been our pheasant finding machine. Wiley is owned by Laura Picard of Take Aim Kennels |
 UT 201 & 204 Pts, Prize I NA 112 Pts, Prize I AKC Master Hunter International Show Champion PennHIP: Lt. 0.42, Rt. 0.54 26" tall, 67 lbs, Whelped 2/14/99 From a NAVHDA NA Breeder Award Litter |
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INT CH VC Sharp Shooters F-Five, MH Twister is all that his name implies - a whirlwind of excitement. Always searching like there's no tomorrow. He'll get carried away and make a 300 yard cast forgetting that we are not "right behind him" and then with a quick glance over his shoulder, he will join up with us without hesitation. Like his parents, INT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Prairie Dancer, MH and VC Sharp Shooters Annie Oakley, MH, Twister's backing came naturally and are as intense as his points. In the field, style and grace are his forte. Twister's water search is equally as energetic as his field. In the blind, he patiently waits and watches the sky and has been known to exit the blind a bit too quickly knocking over whatever or whomever is in his path. His determination is quite evident. Twister made quick work of his short show career, achieving an International Champion title in three shows. Clyde handled Twister in his Utility test to achieve a Prize I, 204 points, and a maximum score of 200 points at the 2004 Invitational. Twister is owned by Mark & Laura Picard of Take Aim Kennels. |
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Versatile Champion, 200 Pts. NA 112 Pts, Prize I; UT 204 Pts, Prize I PennHIP: Lt. 0.40, Rt. 0.40 25" tall, 54 lbs, Whelped 1/21/01 From a NAVHDA NA and UT Breeder Award Litter |
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2x UT Prize I, 201 pts and 204 pts NA Prize II, 107 pts PennHIP .19 Lt .15 Rt Luke shows great promise at a young age. In his first year hunting he enjoyed two trips to South Dakota and one trip to North Dakota doing exceptionally well on wild birds. He handles like a dream and shows the same grace and style as his fatherINT CH, VC Sharp Shooters Prairie Dancer, MH "Tango." If we had to narrow down his best attributes, it would be his drive, nose and cooperation. Around the house he is a lover who loves to cuddle. Luke scored a 107 in his NA test at 11 months, and 201 points for a Prize I Utility at just over two years of age. His great looks, stellar bloodline, and great disposition have made him a very biddable male. Luke is from a NAVHDA NA and UT Breeder Award litter. He is owned by Dan Ellenbecker of Stillwater, MN. |
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VC Sharp Shooters Smoking Gun Jesse's
balance
of drive and cooperation make training 3 x Utility Prize I, Natural Ability Prize II |
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VC Nobelle’s Sunland Budy Madrid,
was owned by Jon
and James Nysse of New Richmond, Wisconsin. In life Budy applied the hunting
skills he learned during his Utility and Invitational training in the field
and water. Budy was successfully handled to a maximum score performance at the 2005 Invitational, by Jessica Lieffort. |
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Mandy of Thistlepatch |
Mandy was our first GSP and the reason we got hooked on the breed and NAVHDA. She had more heart than she had sense as she often pushed herself past normal limits. She broke ice to retrieve Canada geese, pursued a wounded Tundra swan for more than an hour in frigid water, and worked tirelessly on pheasants and sharptail grouse. Mandy was the matriarch of our home and tolerated the raising of a dozen puppies over her nearly 15 years of life. Her wise ways helped all of them develop into better companions and if they all learned just a tenth of what she knew about the crafty pheasant, she made them better hunting dogs too. Mandy's tired old bones limited the hours she was able to spend afield in her final years but she never lost her love for life. Mandy accepted all our moods, even the bad ones, and found a way to brighten each day. As our dear friend Brian Casteleyn said upon her death, "never before has a dog been able to look so deeply into my soul." Mandy was one special "Old Lady" and we miss her dearly. We can only hope she is with her life-long pal and hunting partner Tess, who preceded her in death by just 13 days. |
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