Chuk-O-Rama – 2023 is in the books! Thanks to our membership for yet another fun event that allowed 28 members to show-off their and their-canines abilities. Starting off the day the weather looked somewhat soggy before daylight but quickly broke into a cool to warm and sunny spring day. Thanks to Pat O’Keif for organizing the event, securing the grounds, setting up fields, and keeping the event on track throughout the day. Thanks to Luke Smith for judging the Derby Stake and to John Bunn for enduring sun and rain (no wind) throughout the day while posted atop the Open Stakes Course judging each handler/canine team! Additional thanks to those members who spent time in between braces planting the fields .. namely Jim Wade, Gary Chapman, Todd Woods, and Dick Adams. Additional thanks go out to the GSPCI President, Kevin McRae, for wrangling birds and keeping the planters stocked up at all times.
Placements were as follows (See Images)
A field of seven youngsters took to the line in the 2023 GSPCI Chuk-O-Rama Derby Stake with registered entries ranging from 11 mos. to 21 mos. Gary Moen used 4 of 5 allotted shotshells to handle Kris Moen’s 11 month old GSP-F “Piper” to 3 productive point’s, all three resulting in scoring retrieves in just 9:35 (min:sec) taking the first place finish and attaining 106 of a total 107 possible event points. Second place found Piper’s male littermate “Scout” owned/handled by David Hawk where Gary Moen again used 4 of his 5 allotted shells to connect with 3 scoreable chukar all of which provided scoreable retrieves. Hawk’s final bird was worked in the final seconds of Scout’s 10 minute run resulting in a tying point-score with his littermate “Piper.” The tie was decided by a comparison of recorded times, the lesser of the two taking first. Michael Byrne’s Wirehaired Pointer “Annie” took third place with 3 productive finds with a single scoreable retrieve due to missed shots resulting in Byrne using all 5 rounds and completing his run at the 9 minute mark. Rounding out the Derby Stake was Vivian Chan’s 21 month old GSP-M “Indus.” Indus produced two scoreable pointed chukar on which only 2 rounds were fired with 1 of the two points providing a scoreable retrieves due to a second missed shot and the team working for their third scoreable point up until the 10 minute mark.
23 entrants and handlers broke-away in the 2023 running of the GSPCI Open Chuk-O-Rama Stake. In the placements there was a four way tie with all three placements garnering 107 of the 107 total possible points. David Hawk’s 4 yo. GSP-M “Baker” (sire of the 1st and 2nd Derby placements) was handled by Gary Moen and found his way into the blue with Moen using 3 rounds to bag 3 chukar to hand in 5:40 (min:sec). Moen’s 4 yo GSP-F “Jewel” (sister to first place Baker) also delivered 3 chukar to Moen’s hand but missed first place by just over two minutes. Gary Chapman’s three yo. GSP-F “Lazy” proved not to be so “lazy” at the Chuk-O-Rama when she bested 19 competitors by delivering all three chukar to Chapman’s hand in 7:46, just 8 seconds behind Moen’s 4 yo female. Rounding out the placements was Jim Wade who took his 4 yo. F-GSP Zoey to the top of the bird-field in search of his birds. His strategy was successful with Zoey delivering all three chukar to hand in 9:15.
There were many fun moments during this year’s events leading to hoots, cheers, and hollers from viewers. Those moments will live on in the memory of those who watched the events of the day transpire. See you all in the bird field in 2024 .. same place .. same time.
