2nd Annual Gun Dog Expo Fun for All
By Bill Mays
WON Field Reporter
WILLOWS - The 2nd Annual Gun Dog Expo had fun and competition for the entire family, with everything you needed two know about gun dogs from accessories, to training tips and demos from the areas top professional trainers. There was a special guest appearance on Saturday by Dez and Hank of the Award Winning TV Show "Hunting With Hank."
The event was hosted and sponsored by Melissa and Thor Oden of Thunder Hill Pheasant Club along with the additional sponsors of Blue Ridge Kennels and Wing Beat Directory.
Steve Klassen from Blue Ridge Kennels and Shawn Dustin of Dustin Retrievers are two of the areas Top Professional Trainers and both gave outstanding gun dog training demonstrations. Klassen gave pointing dog demonstrations and Dustin gave retriever dog demonstrations. These are just 2 names of some of the professional trainers giving demos at the Gun Dog Expo. The trainers were available after the demos to answer any questions for one-on-one training tips.
There were pointing and retriever puppies for sale by some of the areas top breeders. Every one loves to pick-up and play with puppies even if you weren’t ready to buy one. Sunday morning all of the puppies were sold and had their bellies marked for their new owners.
Vendors were on hand displaying everything from artwork to sporting goods. Joanne Graham’s Award Winning Dog Portraits, and Zarzana’s Wild Life Art were some of the artists at the expo. Many vendors such as California Waterfowl Association, Kittle’s Sporting Goods of Colusa, Tri-Tronics, and many gun dog kennels, Palermo Ranch kennels, G&D Kennels, Blue Ridge Kennels, The Setter Connection, Springset Kennels, Bryce Mann Gun Dogs, and many of the trainers and kennels had dogs in the competition.
In this competition you can compete if you’re a professional or a novice. There are many hunters who think they can’t compete with the professionals because they are a novice hunter who only hunts and doesn’t compete in field trials, or any other hunt tests. The top 3 places in the pointing and flushing dog divisions were not professionals, top dog trainers, or owned large kennels. All top 3 places in pointing and flushing divisions were just good novice hunters who owned good dogs.
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TRAINING DOG DEMONSTRATIONS were some of activities at the 2nd Annual Dog Expo in Willows. Pro Trainer Steve Klassen of Blue Ridge Kennels, demos one of the retrieving techniques with a young pointing dog. Photo by Bill Mays.
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The scoring in the pointing dog and flushing dog division was each hunter is given 6 shells apiece and your given 60 points for all unused shells, 6 birds are planted in your field and 100 points are given for each bird harvested, each hunting team is given 30 minutes in the field and every unused minute is 60 points.
The winners of the flushing dog division on Saturday were 1st Place, Chuck Climent and Ken Ruff with dog Rip and a score of 1860 points. 2nd Pace went to Rick Bradley and Scott Kovacevich with dog Gunner, with a score of 1760,and finishing 3rd were Doug Griffith and Mark Gervase, with dog Bailey and a score of 1442.
Winners of the Pointing Dog Division on Sunday were 1st Place, Dave Hamilton and Eric Montemazni with dog Dee Dee with a score of 1932. 2nd Place a (Son and Mother team) and last years winners in this competition, James and Linda Moore , who also I might add finished 3rd in the 2002’ Nor-Cal Pheasant Championships in Corning, finished with a score of 1915. James and Linda are not pro trainers or breeder’s just good hunters, who happen to own a great dog. 3rd place Rich Dewees and Al Shabazian with dog Hazel, with a score of 1780. Rich Dewees and Al Shabazian came very close to winning the 2002’ Nor-Cal Pheasant Championships. But a pheasant jumped wild and their dog was disqualified for not coming back in the allotted time.
What makes this competition one of the fast growing sports today is, " the rules are not as strict as the Field Trial Competitions, as an example, your not marked off if your pointing dog flushes a bird," said Steve Klassen of Blue Ridge Kennels. "Your also allowed to use an electric collar if needed, and if your dog flushes a bird into another field and goes on point, your allowed to go and bring the dog back to your field without disqualification, said Klassen."
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WINNERS of the 2nd Annual Gun Dog Expo Pointing Division are kneeling Dave Hamilton and Eric Montemazni with dog Dee Dee. Standing is Hosts Melissa Oden and Steve Klassen. Photo by Bill Mays.
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If you’re a novice hunter that can shoot and own a good bird dog, give these competitions a try and enjoy the great satisfaction and fun, and you’ll see why these competitions are growing in popularity. If you’d like more information on next years Gun Dog Expo, please contact Melissa or Thor Oden, at Thunder Hill Pheasant Club, at (530) 934-2146 or e-mail:Thunderhillranch@thegrid.net. Or you can contact Steve Klassen of Blue Ridge Kennels at (707) 678-5341.
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