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Contents : ABC Grouse and Woodcock Classic White Mountain National Forest Reported by Lloyd B. Murray Jr. On October 17 The American Brittany Club s 2003 renewal of the Grouse and Woodcock Classic was a resounding success! Seven one-hour courses were used in the White Mountain National Forest near Berlin NH in the Kilkenny Management Area and birds were plentiful. The Classic drew dogs from MI RI PA CN MA NH MN and NY. Ray Gorman again was the driving force behind this event and put together a very smooth running and enjoyable three days as the New England Open Brittany Grouse Championship ran on the heels of this Classic. The ABC Classic rotates around the country making it a national and not a regional competition. It is my understanding that next year it is in Michigan. Judges for this years event were Kevin Flanders of Gilford NH and your reporter of Stark NH. It was a pleasure judging with Kevin. I have known Kevin for about fifteen years. About ten years ago a woman stopped by to show me a setter pup she had bought. I remember it being a nice pup but she wanted help in training it for hunting. This gal worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department out of the Laconia New Hampshire office. I offered that I had a friend (Kevin) down in that area that would be glad to help especially if she showed him some good bird covers. Next time I saw Kevin at a field trial I asked him if that woman had got in touch with him O Yeah he said and thanks I married her! They are still happily married after all these years. The social highlight of the trial was the dinner at J s Corner Restaurant in Gorham NH. The side room was filled to capacity and people not even involved with the trial came to enjoy the company of these fine folks. As a fundraising game a Calcutta was done for the Derby Classic. Fifty percent would go to the person who bid the most and thus owned the winning dog while the other half went to the Kilkenny grounds fund. Les Caselberry was the auctioneer and he did a masterful job. I have never seen so much money raised so fast! Les would call off the dogs name give a little background pump the dog up and ask the owner for some history on the dog. Now those of us who are not real knowledgeable about these bloodlines' tried to rely on the information being presented to us. For example Steve Sumple (after a few bud lights) heard one dog was from Delaware and figured the dog had to be good for the owner to come all that way to run one derby and bid this dog through the roof! Another dog was said to have won two big stakes the previous two weeks. Grouse Futurity Secretary Thom Richardson bet The farm on this dog. When the bidding was over and Les had Thoms money owner Pat Carney offered the wins were in puppy stakes and the dog had never pointed a bird it its life! A good time was had by all. The Northern New England Brittany Club sponsors this event and does a lot of the summer course work along with the Northern New Hampshire Bird Dog Club. Chairman Ray Gorman would like to publicly thank Purina for their continued and much appreciated support. Purina not only helps with advertising but gives a lot of their good product to the winners which Ray had on hand and gave to the winners at the announcement. Ray handled the hot lunches by making his famous homemade chili and his wife Martha s homemade chocolate cookies are legendary in these parts. Ray had a great cast of willing helpers particularly Mr. and Mrs. David Hays doing the coffee and donut duty along with getting dogs to the line and moving vehicles. All of the participates pitched in to marshal and move cars and trucks from breakaway to pickups reminding us all that many hands make light work. THE WINNERS LOCAR S UNCHAINED MELODEE was turned loose on the Deer Mountain Course at 7:40 am. Lloyd Carney was handling this pocket rocket and had his hands full! Melodee was braced with George Habecker and his SYLVIA S BIG BIRTHDAY BASH who ran a quality hard hunting race but had no birds. As a matter of fact we did not see or hear a bird the entire hour. The night before was rainy and very windy unfortunately it was simply to early for the grouse to be down yet. But Melodee attacked this course like she was on a mission. Her opening cast took her through the big aspen stand along the first part of the course while her bell was ringing strongly at the edge of hearing. Melodee was scouted at 18 on the right but came on several minutes later on the left. She charged forward and we heard the call of up front drift back to us. Judge Flanders advised that Melodee hunted the whole big timber ridge on the left before we were all reunited as we approached Movelle s Corner. Melodee s pace range and drive were outstanding she hunted every bit of available cover on the course and finished going away. Although several dogs in the stake ran commendable races none could approach the e

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