The Buzz at Ames

Every February it seems the bird dog world lights up with interest from pointer and setter folks as it nears time for the National Championship (All Age) at the Ames Plantation. Since the inception of the internet and message boards the fervor from setter enthustiast over the prospect of a setter winning this event goes out of control. It has been almost 40 years since a setter won this championship and I guess the tension is too much for some. In recent times there are only a few setters that annually qualify (a tough feat in itself) and have run. This year there were two. And one, Jetsetter, perhaps came closer than anyone has since 1970 to winning the title. Jetsetter is co-owned by his breeder Jim and Sheri Michaletz with Dr. Berry Win. Jet finished his three hours with a great ground effort and 3 good finds but fell short of the eventual winner pointer Lester’s Snowatch who had 4 finds. Jetsetter was sired by High Definition who is also the sire of our Montera’s Rock. So we felt a little connection to his efforts and would have been happeir than most to see him succeed. But with all this hoopla and our own little connection to the dog we also received the timely photo attached here from Tom Davis. Tom’s year old setter pup out of Chips’ Torquato and Keystone’s Red Ryder has been a terrific wild bird dog for him already and he reports she is a pretty, fluid moving animal as well. Tom travels a great deal and this past February he was in TX bird hunting and doing some research. While there Tom snapped this picture of W.C. Kirk on the tailgate with Tina. W.C. Kirk is of course the last man to walk the steps of the Ames Plantation at the conclusion of the National Championship with a setter, that being Johnny Crockett.