Derby, NAFC
Eldon Hongo-
It is an honor to judge such a prestigious event as the German Wirehaired National Championships. This is the second time I'll be judging for this important competition. I believe the culmination of all my endeavors as a bird dog professional allows me to identify and recognize your future contributors to the gene pool.
I have been a professional trainer/handler of mostly German Shorthaired Pointers for 25 years.
I have trained 17 National Champions and handled over 100 champions and or runner-ups in NGSPA championships. I have been the Purina Open Handler of the Year 7 times.
Besides judging your National Championship in the past, I have also judged the National German Pointing Dog National Championship, the American Pointer Club Nationals (3 times), the Weimaraner National Championship (twice), several NGSPA championships including the Chukar, Quail, Hun, Sharptail, Prairie Chicken and several other regional championships. And of course many AKC trials as well.
Being a working professional field trialer, I am usually too busy to judge much. But I always try to give back to the sport, dogs and livelihood that is everything I live for.
My wife Terry is usually training or trialing alongside me. She keeps everything going strong and is an inspiration of work ethics. We have a 10 year old son that compels me to set a sound standard of honor and dignity. Thank you all for considering me and good luck to all.
Aloha,
Eldon Hongo
Derby, NAFC
Laura C Miller, PhD. (IA)
My exposure to bird dogs, hunting on my family’s land in Scotland, led me to purchase my first US vizsla in 2003. With “Stella” (FC Stella Artois RN JH CGC) I tried a bit of everything from show, NAVHDA, agility, hunt test, obedience, rally, flyball but horseback field trialing became our niche. I have been involved in field trials for over 12 years. I got my feet wet scouting for several professional handlers with all pointing breeds in AKC and AF trials. I compete in every format of trial all over the country to learn more by varying grounds, competition and judging; and to push the limits of what the field-trial world thinks a vizsla can do. My goals as a breeder are to produce ideal representatives of the vizsla breed in health, temperament, companionship, and intelligent hunting.
Since January 2011 I have been training and competing my dogs solo as an amateur owner/handler. “Bull” (2 x (NVA)NACH (AFTCA)CH (AKC)NFC NGDC FC AFC Lundy’s Red Bull), has 14 National placements as well as 3x Best Vizsla NGPDA “all-breed” ASD, Region 19 AFTCA championship winner, #8 in the Purina Amateur Shooting Dog Award Points-Earners, and the first vizsla to be invited to the AFTCA National Shooting Dog Invitational Championship.
I have been a Board member of the Grand Island Kennel Club, had membership in the Nebraska Vizsla, Show-Me Vizsla, Hawkeye Vizsla, and Heart of America GSP clubs; served on the 2012, 2014 NGDC, 2014 and 2017 VCA National Field Trial committee; and the Midwest Field Advisory Committee representative since 2010.
I have been an AKC qualified FT judge since 2006, and I am well-respected within and outside of the vizsla breed, having judged AKC stakes from Georgia to Wisconsin, been invited to judge regional AF and NGSPA championships, and had the honor of judging the Gordon Setter Club of America 2014 National Championship. The AKC standard for field trialing does not differentiate between the pointing breeds therefore, as a breeder and competitor, I aim to produce a dog that can compete against all pointing breeds and hold its own. We should be breeding for an intelligent dog that instinctively knows how to use the conditions and terrain to best of its abilities. The competitive nature of our sport has aided in the refinement of our breeds, enhancing the bird finding and natural abilities, mixed with control and teamwork. The National Championship is the place where we should expect a challenge, a higher standard of competition than in regional or local club trials, and the elite should excel.
Puppy, NFC
Mark Johnson
I have always had a passion for the outdoors, bird dogs, and upland game hunting and like lots of field trailers found our sport to be a great way to extend the “season”. So for the past 35 years I’ve enjoyed the spring and fall-winter field trial seasons to the maximum of available time. Competing as an amateur I have been principally involved with the Vizsla breed in both American Field and AKC venues. I’ve served in numerous leadership roles for our AKC national breed club as well as for our American Field/AFTCA breed club. Over the past three decades it has been my privilege to judge nearly three dozen national and regional pointing dog championships, including several AKC National/National Amateur Championships, and I would guess well over 200 weekend field trials. While I try to keep my own “string” of dogs to a number I can manage (like 2 or 3) it has been my fortune to finish several AKC field champions/amateur field champions, to have won a couple of futurities and national derby classics, and two American Field National/National Amateur Championships. I reside in a rural community in northwestern Illinois with my wife Rhonda, am currently campaigning two Vizslas, and am developing three nice young pointers. I am past President of The Field Trial Clubs of Illinois, past president and director of the National Vizsla Association and served two terms on the Vizsla Club of American board. Today I am a Member at Large/Trustee for the Amateur Field Trial Clubs of America (AFTCA) board and a member of the National Purina Awards Committee for pointing breeds.
I consider it an honor to return as one of your judges at your national events and look forward to seeing your dogs.
I very much appreciate a bird dog who exhibits an unrelenting and intelligent quest for game while exhibiting class on the ground, a rapport with his handler and stylish & mannerly bird work. I also appreciate the time-effort and dedication it takes to run a national championship event and thank those of you who are doing that work. Good luck to all: dogs, handlers, owners & committee volunteers.
Puppy, NFC
Tony McGrane
Born and reared in NE Iowa. I started hunting wild birds over hunting dogs in the late ’70s. Nowadays, I do most of my bird hunting in North Dakota, but I have also hunted Chukar, Huns, and Valley Quail in Eastern Oregon; Pheasant and Bobwhite Quail in Kansas; as well as Woodcock and Ruffed Grouse in Wisconsin. I bought my first German Wirehaired Pointer in 1991 and I have owned several since. I have participated in NAVHDA, AKC Hunt Test, and AKC Pointing Dog Field Trials. I was taught the field trial game by Jerry Jordan, and Vern Grimslid helped refine my handling skills. With their help, I finished the FC/AFC/MH on two of my dogs; Sophie took Runner-up NAFC in 2005, and Digger took Runner-up NFC in 2008 and he won the NAFC and NFC in 2011. I have also had placements at the GWPCA Nationals in Field Futurity, Derby, and Puppy. I started judging AKC Pointing Dog Field Trials and Hunt Test in 2004, and have judges several stakes since, including American Field All Age and Shooting Dog stakes, the Midwest Vizsla Futurity, and the Vizsla Club of America NAFC in 2011 and 2015.
I take my judging assignments seriously, because I know how much time, effort, and money it takes to prepare a dog for this level of competition. Between handling, scouting, judging, gunning, and planting birds, I have ridden several hundred braces of field trial competition. Having seen and experienced winning, as well as losing, I strive to do my best to watch every brace from start to finish and choose the best dog of the stake.
Hunt Test
Todd and Jill Piechowski
Todd & Jill have been members of the dog community since the late 80s. They have earned titles in obedience, confirmation, field trials and hunt tests. AKC show they have combined to judge more than a couple hundred events since 1998, including 2 previousWirehair National Hunt Tests.They have operated a boarding kennel since 2002. In the fall you may find them somewhere in the upper Midwest, behind their dogs, hunting grouse and pheasants.