2022 Top Field Dogs

#1 Lure Coursing Dog – Wirtu Cipher of Andare FCHX2 ACX

Call Name: Cipher Whippet Owners: Ed & Ivy Molloy Breeder: Janet Milam Date of Birth: June 3, 2019   Interview with Ed and Ivy Molloy We are so very proud of our little spitfire Cipher. In 2022, she finished as #1 Hound in CKC Lure Coursing Field Trials, earning 406 points with an average of 25 points per event against some of the strongest coursing hounds in Canada. We met Cipher’s aunt at an Open Field Coursing event in 2018 and were impressed by her talent and tenacity. When we learned that the aunt’s sister, FC Wirtu’s Star Spangled Girl SC BCAT, was being bred to FC Crestfield Captain Courageous MC BCAT, we decided to add a Whippet to the household. Always busy and endlessly curious, Cipher is the clown and fun police of our pack. Her yodels and silly ‘duck quack’ voice provide much comic relief! We are grateful that Janet Milam allowed Cipher to come to Alberta. On the field, Cipher has brilliant speed and outstanding agility. After two and a half seasons, she still plays the game honestly and with grit and determination. We value her heart and consistency. As breeders, we recognize the ultimate test of a hound is hunting in the open field. In November we allowed Cipher to test her mettle against hares in the high desert in Open Field Trials. Hunting with experienced hounds, Cipher pointed and earned the required placements for her Open Field title. 2022 was a ‘once in a lifetime’ year for Andare Hounds. In addition to Cipher’s #1 All Breed Top Ten accomplishment, Greyhound kennel mates Trout and Gala finished as #2 and #8. We are grateful and indebted to the Lure Coursing community in Western Canada. Breeders’ focus on performance, and clubs’ continued efforts to provide venues for competition, have created a supportive, exciting environment. Thank you!   #1 Amateur Shooting Dog & #1 Open Shooting Dog – AFTCH Trax Fresh Pony RM CD FD TD

Call Name: Esme Weimaraner Owners: Megan Bastien & Shirley Nilsson Handler: Megan Bastien Breeder: Roberta Snow Date of Birth: August 14, 2018   Cute, sweet, spunky, and extremely eager to please, Esme showed oodles of natural field ability from the start. As a baby pup, she would point anything and everything, butterflies, grasshoppers, songbirds, cats, funny-shaped rocks, you name it. With maturity and experience on wild birds, her focus was honed on just game birds. Being smart as a whip and impressively biddable, Esme was so easy to steady for senior level stakes. Her hallmarks afield are great bird-finding ability, high style and intensity on point and consistently honest and mannerly bird work.   There is a lot of luck in field trials, and Esme was fortunate to have a banner year in 2022 where her talent, experience, training and opportunity to travel combined to produce a perfect storm of success. A versatile and very trainable gal, Esme also competes with great success in obedience, rally, tracking, tricks, field dog tests and water dog tests. Also attaining the #1 Weimaraner in Rally Obedience ranking in 2022.   If you know Weimaraners, then you know how influential, supportive, selfless and talented Esme's co-owner and mentor Shirley Nilsson is in the breeding, training, handling and mentoring of our breed in field, obedience, tracking and show; Deep gratitude, endless thanks and credit to Shirley, the foundation of Esme's team. Hearty thanks also to Esme's breeder Roberta Snow, training partner Terry Meek, Esme's field trial horses for doing their part so well, the many others that helped us get this done with transport, scouting and accommodation assistance and all of the club volunteers involved in hosting trials including the judges for volunteering time in the saddle watching our dogs do what they love to do above all else. (Photo credit: Megan Bastien)

#1 Field Beagle – FTCH Bionic Tikka

Hunting Spaniels are skilled at locating, flushing, and retrieving fowl on both land and water. The Canadian Kennel Club's Top Field Spaniels of 2022 list includes events from October 2021 to the end of 2022, including National results. Starting in 2023, the results will be tabulated by calendar year, as are all our other events.

#1 Open All-Age Field Spaniel – FTCH AFTCH NOSC Bushbuster's Colt Forty Five MH 

Call Name: Colt English Springer Spaniel Owner: Stan Pappas Handler: Stan Pappas Breeder: Wade Chipman Date of Birth: May 25, 2015   Stan Pappas: Colt is a "once in a lifetime" hunting dog and I am honored to have him!  Colt showed his intelligence at a very early date. He started by winning the first six events he was entered in and was named "High Point Canadian Puppy". I was so impressed, that while he was still a puppy, I entered him in an Open Event, and he did not disappoint. He won first place in his second attempt as an Open Dog and championed out before his second birth date.   Colt just keeps on winning: 2017 High Point Canadian Puppy 2018 High Point Canadian Open Dog CKC # 1 Dog for the Year 2022 National Field Trial Champion and CKC #1 Dog for the Year!    He has also won his "Master Hunter" title in the minimum required attempts skipping all the preliminary events. He is still competing and winning, at the age of eight and shows no effects of age.    As a sire: his pups show his intelligence and have countless achievements! The saying is: "Great dogs start early, stay long, and reproduce themselves".  Colt has certainly met all the criteria and filled all the boxes! He is a great dog and a greater family member!  A great deal of thanks goes to my training partners and friends, Gary Shantz, Tom & Myra Bratrud, Greg Royer, and Casey Butz who helped along the way. Thanks to my wife Myra who has supported me and my dogs for over fifty years.                 Facts speak for themselves. I'll say no more!

#1 Amateur All-Age Field Spaniel – TIE – AFTCH Jaegercourt Ruffles

#1 Amateur All-Age Field Spaniel – TIE – AFTCH Starbury Superspeed

Call Name: Nitro English Springer Spaniel Owner: Bonnie J O’Grady Handler: Frank J O’Grady Breeder: Shane Cresswell Date of Birth:  September 29, 2016