U.S. Shooting Dog Invitational Championship

2012 Champion Covey Rise's Oflee Amazin with handler Shawn Kinkelaar and scout Eddy Taylor

Covey Rise’s Oflee Amazin wins the 2012 US Shooting Dog Invitational Championship

The Invitational Championship is a competition of the top 12 open shooting dogs in the United States. They represent the very best 12 field trail shooting dogs in the nation as determined by a point system calculated for a one year period. The event takes three days to run and is held annually in February at the Camp Robinson Wildlife Management Area near Conway, AR.

The 2012 U.S. Shooting Dog Invitational Championship concluded on February 20, 2012 with the winner emerging in Covey Rise’s Offlee Amazin, handled by professional Shawn Kinkelaar, of Effingham, IL, and owned by Gary Hertz, of Bismarck, ND, and Drs. Thomas & Robin Morgan, of Holly Springs, MS. This year’s trial was particularly exciting due to unusually high bird scores. Professional Mike Tracy, of Glenville, PA, with Our Big Bully had nine finds in one hour which is an Invitational record and Kinkelaar had ten finds in his three days of running, which is also an Invitational record for the winning dog. Twenty seven covies were moved on the first day of this endurance event, another Invitational record. Offlee Amazin or “Braxton” gave a consistent performance with three finds the first day, four the second day, and three finds and three backs in the one and one hour finals. His ground race was strong all three days and he concluded his total performance with a powerful finish at the end of the one and one half hour finals. Kinkelaar was strongly challenged by last year’s winner Great River Ice owned by Great River Kennels (Jack, Audrey and Brian Sanchez of Central Islip, NY) and handled by Tracy. He had three spectacular finds the first day, but ran birdless the second. He was strong in the finals with four finds and a back and a powerful race, but could not overcome his second day’s performance. The other two finalists were Our Big Bully owned by Ernie and Karen Saniga, of Nottingham, PA and handled by Tracy. He set the Invitational bird score with 13 finds in three days. The Insider, handled by Kinkelaar and owned by John Fort of Rembert, SC, the only setter, had a strong three days, with eight total finds, but could not catch the winner.

2012 Participants included:

Covey Rise’s Offlee Amazin / Shawn Kinkelaar / Gary Hertz and Drs. Thomas & Robin Morgan

Our Big Bully / Mike Tracy / Ernie & Karen Saniga

The Insider / Shawn Kinkelaar / John Fort

Great River Ice / Mike Tracy / Great River Kennels – Jack, Audrey and Brian Sanchez

Heaven’s Elhew Taggert / Travis Gellhaus / David J. Gates

Klee’s Shooting Star / Mike Tracy / Andrea Clark

Merrihill’s Carolina / Shawn Kinkelaar / Ron Prewitt and Judy Merrifield

Serious Threat / Mike Tracy / Greg Strausbaugh

Tall River’s Chico / Mike Hester / Adriano Gazzola

Tall River / Mike Hester / Don Frigo

Coosawhatchie Chief / Mike Tracy / Andrea Clark