3B0 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Nov. 21, 1889. 



CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB TRIALS. 



CIHATHAM, Ont. .Nov. 14.— The first annual field trials of 

 the Canadian Kennel Club closed to-day, and the meet 

 has been a success. The highly flourishing condition of the 

 club's affairs fully warranted its success in this undertaking, 

 and there is every inducement to believe that these trials 

 tnav grow into a prominent feature, with large and larger 

 attendance as their character becomes better known. It is 

 true that the largest stake showed only 10 startei-s, yet among 

 these were several good ones and a smaller number of excep- 

 tionally fine ones. It, will be noticed also that in some cases 

 several dogs were entered by the same owner, but this pau- 

 city in the attendance of actual owners is part of the history 

 of any association in its younger days, and was only to be 

 expected here. There will be more next year, and those of 

 this year were rare iu quality. At least one membex-, Mr. 

 Thomas Johnson, came all the way from Winnipeg, Mani- 

 toba, a total distance of nearly 1,500 miles. A worthy sports- 

 man he is. and he brought the winner with him for each 

 stake, Mr. Johnson's pointer bitch Ightfield Blithe, winner 

 of the Derby, is fairly a phenomenal bitch, and has been the 

 fa vorite of the field. She is imported, is of a family of win- 

 ners, and iu the field or on the bench is fit for any company. 

 Mr. Johnson has said that he intends giving Blithe to his 

 old friend Amory K Starr (Jaeobstaff), of Marshall, Texas. 

 Should he. do so, Mr. Starr may hold himself one of the 

 earth's favorites, for it is within the power of but few to 

 bestow any such gift. Blithe is one dogofathousaud.no 

 matter what be the breeding or quality, and one might pass 

 a lifetime and not get, hold of such another, no matter how 

 many he bought. Pitti Siug, winner of the All- Aged, 

 is also imported, and is a setter bitch of great field quali- 

 ties, though not exceptionally fine in looks. She also is 

 right in a family of winners in' Ireland and England, and is 

 fit to give account of herself. It should be borne in mind 

 that both of these dogs saw quail for the first time about a 

 week and a half ago, and iu view of this fact their perform- 

 ance is all the more remarkable. Mr. T. G. Davey, of Davey 

 &Eiehards, London, Ont,, had two good ones in Canadian 

 Jester and Brighton Pride, but these dogs hardly did them- 

 selves justice, for their owner had hunted them in company 

 with careless dogs the week before, and had, to put it plainly, 

 handicapped their chances in this meet to increase his 

 chances for a bag. Mr. W. B. Wells and also Dr. Kine, of 

 t his city, had good ones entered, and in fact there was hardly 

 a dog down that did not show himself a practical field 

 worker. 



Mr. John Davidson, of Monroe, Mich., acted as judge, and 

 his decisions, rendered with promptness, justice and ab- 

 solute impartiality, were received witji only about the aver- 

 age amount of kicking, which is, perhaps, all that any 

 judge could ask. Mr. Davidson's brusque and autocratic 

 ways, and his kind heart, are known in a wide portion of 

 our sporting world. In one case a certain member of the 

 club, who had accepted his defeats.with exceptionally bad 

 grace all along, openly impugned the judge and made a de- 

 plorable scene upon the grounds. This was smoothed over 

 later, and it may be best to say little about it. Such things 

 are called "unfortunate." They are worse than that, and 

 there is no excuse for them. 



The birds were found at distances of four to fourteen 

 miles from town. For the first day and a half they were so 

 scarce that moves were made to more distant aiid better 

 covers, it becoming apparent the trials would be of in- 

 definite length otherwise. In the later runnings the birds 

 were plentiful enough, and the country was elegant for the 

 work, being made up of stubble, thicket, wood and standing 

 corn in good alternation. The French Canadian farmers 

 are not the neatest cultivators in the world, but their weedy 

 little farms are good quail raisers. 



Owing to the closely fenced nature of the country, it was 

 impossible to use horses in following the dogs, and the 

 judge, handlers and reporters had to walk all day, 



Chatham is a quiet old town of about 15,000 inhabitants, 

 lying on the river Thames. It has treated the club very 

 nicely. Mr. Frank Bennett, of the Grand Central Hotel, 

 has been especially clever with the boys. 



Following are the officers of the Canadian Kennel Club: 

 President. Mr. Richard Gibson, Delaware, Ont.; First Vice- 

 President. Mr. J. Lorme Campbell, Simcoe. Ont.; other 

 Vice-Presidents. Messrs. J, U, Gregory. Quebec. Thomas 

 Johnson, Winnipeg, Samuel Coulson, Montreal, and Dr J 

 W. Mills, Montreal; Secretary, Mr. C. A. Stone, London; 

 Ont ; Treasurer, Mr. S, F. Glass, London; Executive Com- 

 mittee, Messrs. C. M. Nelles, Brantford; H. Bedlington, 

 Hamilton; W.B.Wells, Chatham; H. Martin, Hamilton; 

 Dr. J. S. Niven, Loudon; ,7. L. Campbell, Simcoe; F. H, F. 

 Mercer, Ottawa; T. G. Davey. London. The Field Trials 

 Committee are Mr. W. B. Wells, of Chatham, Mr. .1. I.. 

 Campbell, of Simcoe, Mr. T. G. Daves . of London, Mr. Thos. 

 Johnson, of Winnipeg. Mr. C. A. Stone, of London, acts as 

 secretary and treasurer in this work. 



The dogs were drawn in the following order for the 

 ALL-AGED STAKES, 

 For Setteks and Pointers. 

 First Series. 



PARIS (G. E. A. Walker, London, Ont.), black and white 

 setter dog, 3yrs. (London— Queen Bess), 

 against 



Canadian Jester (Davey and Richards, Loudon, Out.), 

 blue belton setter dog, 2%yrs. (Knight of Snowden— Cham- 

 pion Liddesdale. 



Breezo (R. G. Henry, Brockville), liver pointer dog, 

 14mos. (pedigree not sent in), 



against 



Bor. (T. H. Nelson, Chatham), chestnut and white setter 

 dog, 8yrs. (pedigree unknown). 



American Beck (Davey and Richards, London, Ont.), 

 liver and white pointer bitch, 4yrs. (pedigree not sent in), 

 against 



George (J. B. Field, Detroit), black and white setter dog 

 2%yvs. (Mingo— Ban). 



Maggie B. (J. Kime, Chatham), black, white and tan set- 

 ter bitch, Syrs. (Kink— Lucy B,), 

 against 



Dinah C. (W. B. Wells, Chatham), black and white setter 

 bitch, 5yrs. (Mingo— Pausta II.). 



Mingo (W. B. Wells), black and white setter dog, llyrs. 

 (Druid— Star), nqainxt 



Pitt i Sing (Thos. Johnson, Winnipeg, Man.), liver and 

 white, setter bitch, 8}<yrs. (Baron Doveridge— Norah). 



Ightfield Blithe (Thos. Johnson, Winnipeg), pointer 

 bitcb, 20mos. (Dancer— Ightfield Bloom), 



against 



Cambbiana (W. B. Wells), black and white setter bitch, 

 -lyrs. (Cambridge— Romp). 



Brush K. (J Kime), black and white setter dog, 2yrs. 

 (Kink— Lady Thunder), J 

 against 



Gambol (Item Kennels, Bethany, Pa,), liver and white 

 pointer dog, ,>yrs (Gough— Larkspur). 



Dover ( W. B. Wells), black and white setter dog, oyrs 

 (Dashing Berwyn— Romp), ' 

 ayainst 



Manitoba Belle (Thos. Johnson), liver, ticked aud white 

 setter bitch, 4yrs. (Pride of Dundee-Jeannette). 



There were withdrawn after entry in the stake four dogs, 

 Mr. C. A. Stone's Forest Fern, Mr. Thos. Montgomery's 

 Bruce M., Messrs. Davey and Richards's Locksley and Mr. 

 Thos. Johnson's Dick Bondhu. Thus there were twenty 

 original entries in the All-Aged Stakes, sixteen to start. 



Monday, Nov. h. 



The weather was cloudy and damp-feeling, and it was not 

 a bad scenting day. The grounds chosen were about four 

 miles out from town, and in a country of cleared timber, 

 slashings, thickets, stubbles and corn. The first pair or- 

 dered down were Paris and Canadian Jester. This was 

 promptly at 8:30, yet both twenty minutes and forty-five 

 minutes passed without the appearance of Paris. It was 

 learned later that his owner had missed his train at a 

 neighboring railway station. Action as to subsequent run- 

 ning of this heat was left to the committee, and at 9:35 the 

 second brace were ordered down. 



breezo and bob. 



Breezo was handled by J. R. McGregor, and Bob by his 

 owner, Mr. T. H. Nelson. This pair did hot do much. Breezo 

 ranged wider in better style, Bob keeping close to heel much 

 of the time. Bob is eight years old, and appeared stiff and 

 heavy. Bob made one false point, Breezo backing. The 

 pair ran two hours even, over good country, but no birds 

 were found. They were ordered up, to go down again later 



AMERICAN BECK AND GEORGE. 



American Beck was handled by Mr. Dacey and George by 

 J. R. McGregor. They went down at 11:40. There was no 

 great difference in the ranging qualities of these dogs, but 

 George was the more obedient and easily handled. Mr. 

 Davey bad but recently purchased Beck, and her former 

 owner, Mr. Wise, of Virginia, had not even informed him 

 of the calls and signals used in her breaking. She had been 

 hunted by Mr. Davey but a day or so, and had not yet grown 

 into a perfect rapport with him, so to speak. One. of the 

 reporters put up a good bevy, which scattered on stubble. 

 The two dogs worked this cover for ten or fifteen minutes, 

 doing singularly poor work, and not finding all the birds 

 seen to go down. Each clog scored a royal flush, and that 

 was about all, although eight birds went off the stubble. 

 Beck was unsteady once to wing, stopping to order. George 

 was steady on his flush. Both dogs were steady on a third 

 bird, flushed wild. Crossing into the woods, George was 

 seen by the judge to point a single bird in a treetop. Beck 

 chased a rabbit, giving tongue. Beck was brought up aud 

 backed George, who stood at an old footscent. Beck was a 

 busy ranger. No birds found, Ordered up at 1. OS. Shortly 

 after this Beck caught a rabbit on the fly as it sprang out of 

 a stump. Pleat given to Georgo. 



MAGGIE B. AND DINAH C. 



Maggie B. was handled by Dr. Kime, Dinah C. by Mr. 

 Wells. At first Dinah appeared a bit the better in speed 

 and range, but at the close of the heat it would be hard 

 to say this. Maggie was really the more stylish ranger, 

 and carried a better head. It is said she outclassed herself 

 in this heat. Dinah pointed a bevy at a brier fence; Maggie 

 backed, sitting on her haunches. Mr. Wells flushed and 

 killed to order, both dogs steady to wing and shot. Dinah 

 retrieved, not any too well or gently. On a stubble field 

 both dogs began some beautiful work, exchanging a half 

 dozen cautious stops, and moving on in time to save them- 

 selves from false points, Maggie pointed and three birds 

 were put up near her, Dinah not ordered up to back, but 

 both dogs steady. Going at full speed over this stubble, 

 Dinah wheeled to a beautiful point, Maggie backing nicely. 

 Dr. Kime wounded the bird when put up. A moment later 

 Maggie duplicated this point by one really more brilliant, 

 wheeling to a point when on full gallop, and nearly falling 

 to the ground as she tried to stop. Maggie dropped. Dinah 

 did not back, but appeared to flush. At a thicket, Maggie 

 roaded slightly and Dinah dropped to a point. Dinah left 

 her point and came out of the thicket. Maggie, who had 

 backed, remained pointing, sitting on her haunches. The 

 bird was discovered sitting on a bush. Dinah swung back, 

 and, according to the judge, pointed a bevy near by, which 

 was flushed by handlers. On the stubble Maggie showed 

 great caution, but did not false-point. Over the fence she 

 pointed Dr. Kime's crippled bird. Dinah backed nicely at 

 20yds., She being brought up, Maggie grew a bit jealous 

 and moved forward a step, the bird taking wing. In the 

 grass near a ditch Dinah made and held three minutes an 

 unmistakable false point. The pair were ordered up at 2:11, 

 and the heat was given to Dinah C, at which some little 

 mild surprise was expressed. The judge said that, barring 

 Dinah's false point, neither bitch had made an error, and 

 that Dinah had five points to Maggie's three, and was a bet- 

 ter ranger. At all events, this was a wonderfully showy 

 heat, full of work, and the owners of this merry aud clever 

 pair were congratulated on having shown as good a heat as 

 any two dogs could be asked to do. 



MINGO AND PITTI SING. 



Mr. Wells handled Mingo and Mr. Johnson Pitti Sing. 

 The pair was put down at 2:45, directly after lunch. Pitti 

 Sing showed iairly phenomenal ranging qualities, ami was 

 eager and stylish throughout the heat, which lasted two 

 hours and a quarter. Both dogs roaded running birds in a 

 thicket. Mingo pointed a single, Pitti backing, Mingo 

 then flushed the bird; crowding iu, Mingo pointed again, 

 Pitti backing elegantly 15yds. distant. Both dogs were 

 steady to Mr. Wells's shot, the bird going on wounded. On 

 the stubble, Mingo flushed twice unmistakably. Pitti 

 pointed on ahead in the wood, the bird flying on what was 

 probably not her flush. Mingo flushed again in grass near 

 a fence. Pitti pointed in briers, Mingo failing to back. 

 Mingo made a good point on stubble, and Pitti made a 

 grand back at fully 50yds. Mr. Wells passed her, forgetful 

 altogether of field etiquette, and ran to Mingo; Pitti moved 

 on a step or so, but Wells flushed and killed, the bird falling 

 at 80yds,, Mingo retrieving creditably; both dogs steady. 

 After some roading on old trails, Pitti pointed at a fence in 

 another field. Mingo seemed not to notice her well, but 

 crowded ahead and pointed also. A bird went out, both 

 dogs steady. Up at 4:59, and the heat given to Pitti Sing, 

 rightly by every means. She showed exceptional quality. 

 Mingo is 11 years old and deaf, but a remarkable performer 

 for his age. 



It was now nearly dark, aud on calling for the dogs of the 

 undecided heat, they were found absent. Ightfield Blithe 

 and Cambriana were put down at 5:12, but beyond learning 

 that this was a corking good pair of rangers, nothing was 

 done in their fifteen minutes of daylight. The day closed 

 with no great satisfaction, because the birds seemed so 

 scarce that the work threatened to be greatly prolonged. 

 They were not plentiful enough to warrant' runnings on 

 the ground covered to-day. 



Tuesday, Nov. 12. 



The weather was clearer and warmer. The first brace 

 were cast off at 8:30 sharp. The committee had concluded 

 not to disqualify Paris for his absence yesterday, and accord- 

 ingly the first pair down were 



PARIS AND CANADIAN JESTER. 



Paris w T as handled by his owner. Mi-. Allen, and Jester by 

 his owner, Mr. Davey. Paris at first showed a trifle better 

 in range. He had a choppier gait, however, and later on 

 Jester's steadier swing fully equalized the question of speed. 

 After a birdless long walk, the dogs were called to a scat- 

 tered bevy put up by an assistant. Near a ditch in the 

 woods each dog got a probable flush on rather wild birds to 

 no great discredit. Allen killing two birds and Paris retriev- 

 ing nicely to order. Both dogs steady to shot. Paris backed 



Jester's roading stop, a bird flushing ahead. Paris false- 

 pointed beautifully, and Allen struck him with his hand, 

 driving him away, the judge not seeing this. Paris made 

 a false point later on in another cover. Jester backed. 

 Allan, ordered to flush, found nothing. An hour later Jester 

 Hushed a single in the woods, and on stubble roaded, flushed 

 and broke in, stopping to order. The dogs were taken up at 

 12:30, the whole morning having been taken up with not 

 enough actual work on birds to amount to anything. Heat- 

 undecided, 



After lunch the party drove a mile and a half further out, 

 hoping to find more birds. The undecided of yesterday 

 came up, 



BREEZO AND BOB. 



A bevy was found in an old field near the road, Breeze 

 flushing. Considerable prancing around and mighty little 

 work was done in the woods and on the stubble where the 

 birds scattered. Bob refused to work. Breezo won. Down 

 at 1:17, up at 2:37. 



This stubble was very pooi-ly hunted, and a number of 

 birds were left on it. The next pair went down at 2:46. 



IGHTFIELD BLITHE AND CAMBRIANA. 



Each dog was handled by its owner. This was a good 

 pair, both obedient and good' workers. Blithe showed alto- 

 gether the better ranger, and was really an exceptional 

 bitch, of great style, dash and staying qualities. After a 

 long walk an assistant flushed a bevy, the dogs getting no 

 work. On these scattered birds a little unsatisfactory work 

 was done. Cambriana appeared to flush in a thicket; she 

 did not drop to word. Blithe, going at pace, whirled sud- 

 denly, just as a bird rose, and dropped just as her handler 

 called to her. She was credited with a point, and certainly 

 earned no demerit. The judge also gave her a point on 

 three birds in a treetop. This was not seen by the reporters. 

 Blithe won, and this was all right in everyway. She showed 

 herself a good one. Up at 3:07. Not much work on birds. 



BRUSH K. AND GAMBOL. 

 Brush K. was handled by Dr. Kime, Gambol by Mr. C. A. 

 Stone. Gambol was a little better in range, though neither 

 had much style, and both ran with low head. Both fairly 

 obedient to ranging signals. Brush flushed a big bevy in k 

 weedy cornfield, and later flushed a lingering single. Both 

 dogs steady to wing. Brush made a bad false point in the 

 woods. Gambol was brought up, backed, and then ran in 

 ahead. Gambol later on flushed a bird, first pausing slightly, 

 but was steady to wing. Gambol made a good, sharp point 

 on a bevy in a weedy field; Brash backed. Stone missed, 

 both dogs steady to wing and shot. Gambol did not drop to 

 order; Brush only a little better. Brush poiuted, none too 

 steadily, in the woods. Kime flushed aud did not shoot, 

 both dogs steady to wing. Brush flushed at edge of thicket, 

 Gambol close behind, both dogs steady. Gambol flushed a 

 wild bird a little later. On a stubble Brush roaded. Gam- 

 bol came up, took up trail better, went ahead and pointed 

 elegantly, Brush backing. Kime killed to order, both dogs 

 breaking in rather badly and not stopping so well. Down 

 at 3:25; up at 4:37. Gambol won. 



DOVER AND MANITOBA BELLE. 

 At 4*5(5 the two friends, Mr. Johnson, of Winnipeg, aud Mr. 

 Wells of Chatham, came against each other again, each again 

 handling his own dog, the former Manitoba Belle and the 

 latter Dover. So far the Winnipeg dog had come out ahead, 

 much to Mr. Wells's expressed disgust. It became apparent 

 that Manitoba Bell was also a hard one to beat, she having 

 very good ranging qualities. A farmer called the party to a 

 bevy he had seen, but by careful bad management these were 

 not found. At dusk Dover pointed old footscent at a thicket, 

 Belle backing. The birds had been seen to fly some mo- 

 ments before, and Dover went on none too soon, certainly. 

 It grew dark, and at 5:30 the dogs were ordered up. The 

 party was nearly ten miles from town and a mile and a half 

 from the vehicles, after a steady day's walking. The man 

 agement during the day has not been exceptionally efficient, 

 but much of this is chargeable to the fact that this is the 

 first field meet of the club. A better knowledge of the coun- 

 try and of the birds, and a smoother working of details, 

 would have saved some time. Thus, at the end of the sec- 

 ond day only six heats had been decided. 



Wednesday, Nov. 13. 

 The weather was cloudy, light rain falling nearly all day. 

 The party was taken out to the Big Point Club preserve 

 near the lake, whei*e birds were far more plentiful. This 

 was thirteen miles from Chatham, and it was 10:15 by the 

 time the grounds were reached. The first pair were put 

 down at 10:25, this being the undecided heat of the night 

 before 



DOVER AM) MANITOBA BELLE. 



Mr. Wells handled Dover, Mr. Johnson handled Belle. 

 There was little difference in range at first, but for some 

 reason Belle seemed not, to be hunting as eagerly as on the 

 previous evening. Dover roaded, pointed and retrieved the 

 bird killed by Mr. Wells out of a bevy. Belle not called to 

 back. Both made game, and Dover flushed a bevy in briers 

 at a log pile. Dover now ranged the better. Dover pointed 

 in brush, Mr. Wells missed; Belle dropped at order; both 

 dogs steady. But little more actual work was done. Up at 

 11. Dover won. Mr. Wells, his handler, might take lessons 

 in the theory aud practice of field handling and field eti- 

 quette. In this he could fiud no better model than his oppo- 

 nent, who accepted his defeat good-humoredly. Iu handling, 

 Mr. Johnson was never noisy or petulant, but quiet andcour- 

 teous always, never passing in front of his opponent's dog 

 when on game and never rushing up to his own dog when 

 on a point. 



Paris being absent, the undecided heat of the day before 

 was given to Canadian Jester. 



Second Series. 



CANADIAN JESTER AND BREEZO. 



Mr. Davey handled Jester, J. McGregor handled Breezo. 

 Dowm at 11:05. Breezo was hard to handle, and could not 

 well be got down to close work in heavy cover. Jester 

 showed himself a handy one in close work, pointing, back- 

 ing and retrieving, his chief fault being a disposition to 

 break in and chase, he however dropping at command. 

 Breezo failed to back once, and although a very likely one 

 and ambitious, his work was not extra. Up at 11:50. Jester 

 won, 



GEORGE AND DINAH C. 

 J. McGregor handled George, Mr. Wells handled Dinah C. 

 Down at 11:55. In range Dinah surpassed, but each dog 

 seemed as cheerful and obedient as the other. Dinah ap- 

 peared to flush near a brush pile. Several good covers were 

 drawn blank, A bevy flushed wild in the woods. George 

 pointed foot scent and Dinah backed. A hundred yards fur- 

 ther on, Dinah pointed false at a fence, and again at a brush 

 pile, with ample time to discover. George failed to back in 

 the latter case, and drew up and nointed also for a moment. 

 Ordered up at 12:40 and the heat given to Binah C, the rea- 

 son for which, it must be confessed, was not very apparent. 

 They needed more work. The. decision, however, placed the 

 dogs properly on merit. 



PITTI SING AND GAMBOL. 



Mr. Wells handled Pitti Sing for Mr. Johnson, Mr. Stone 

 handled Gambol. Down at 12:45, and ordered up at 1:58, 

 after lunch, and the heat given to Pitti Sing. In the walk 

 no practical work was done, but Gambol did not range out, 

 and failing to go out and hunt on a stubble where Pitti Sing 

 was ranging beautifully, he lost his chance. 



