22/06/2025
REGION 1 AMATEUR WALKING SHOOTING DOG CHAMMPIONSHIIP
by Deb Kennedy
Winning his third title and his second within the year was a tri-color setter, Paucek's Little Tommy Tucker, pictured below, owned, handled, and trained by his proud owner, Kellie Short. The Runner-Up title went to Neo, an orange and white male handled by owner Dave Theroux, who has guided his prized champion through a challenging year of rehab to this stunning comeback.
Judges Jamie Leitch and John Malone had a day’s worth of judging for the host club, Maine Bird Dog Club, on the Brownfield, Maine, Game Management Area. The experienced judges oversaw a field of fine dogs and eager—at times perhaps over-eager—amateur handlers and named the winners quickly after the last brace. Judges’ jackets, handsome plaques, and dog food for the winners were provided through AFTCA’s Purina sponsorship program.
The judges reported that Tucker was in all the right places for his hour, scouring the grounds and carding five, perfect, high-headed finds and a mannerly back. Tucker comes from a long line of famous champions. His sire, Ch Long Gone Wallace, was the son of the legendary Ch Stillmeadow’s Jim. Tucker’s dam, Paucek’s Hickory Roxy, is backed by a line of Paucek-bred champions, including Ch Paucek’s Ruby, Ch Paucek’s Tommyknocker, and Ch Paucek’s Fauntleroy.
Tucker ran in the fifth brace and had the course to himself after his bracemate’s forced error early in the hour. (Insert handler’s swearing here.) By the afternoon, there were many quail on the course and beyond, especially since there had been three quail events within two weeks on the grounds. The bird numbers challenged the composure of both dogs and handlers.
Tucker’s race was big and forward, and his finds had the handler and both judges scouting through the heavy spring cover. Tucker didn’t care who found him as long as Kellie was there to flush the bird. While this was an amateur championship, Tucker behaved like a seasoned pro. His trial history tells why. He was New England’s Open Puppy of the Year in 2018, placed third in the Woodcock Futurity, won the Jean Sanderson Memorial Open Derby on woodcock, was named Champion in the New England Open Woodcock in 2021, and won Runner-Up Champion in the same event in 2024. He’s had more than twenty placements during his career. On top of it all, Kellie reports, he’s just a nice guy, a perfect gentleman in the house.
Runner-Up Champion Neo was purchased as a puppy by Dave Prince and Dave Theroux from Robert Ecker in 2019, who kept him through his derby season, placing him several times. In June of 2021, Dave brought Neo to his camp in northern New Hampshire. The young, eager setter took what amounted to a college course in grouse and woodcock, with Dave chauffeuring him to remote covers loaded with wild birds. All that woods experience did the job. A year later, at just three years old, Neo was named Runner-Up Champion in the New England Open Woodcock Championship. Two days later, in the rugged terrain of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Neo won the New England Open Grouse Championship under pro handler Adam Dubriske. Last year, Neo had ACL surgery for a blown knee and then needed to have a detached retina repair. After an intense rehab, the orange and white setter was finally cleared to run. Dave got him back in shape and into the birds Neo loves, all of the pain and effort paying off with this latest title.
Neo is the son of Ch Sterlingworth Jack, the son of Shadow Oak Bo, two-time winner of the National Championship. Neo’s dam, Sandland Miracle, is from the Commander line of foundational modern field setters. As laid back as he is in the house, Neo is all business in the woods with a solid forward race and perfect manners.
The heartbreak dog had to have been Gregor McCluskey’s rugged red setter, Braeval’s Rory. Blisteringly fast and powerful, he was braced with Bob Arkley’s equally impressive English setter, Lightning Flash Dude. Toward the end of the brace, Rory’s bell went silent. After a search, Gregor sent out Kellie Short as his scout, but not long after, he decided the dog had been gone too long and asked the judge for his tracker. Seconds later, just around the bend, the gallery was treated to Rory on a stiff point, the bird crouched only inches from his nose. Kellie Short popped out of the woods just a minute too late. Equally disappointed and amazed that the dog was so incredibly staunch, Gregor asked for permission to flush for his dog, and when the forward party was far enough ahead, Gregor flew the bird for his dog, who never moved a whisker.
Not quite as dramatic was the quail that escaped from under a log and leapt into a deep pool in front of Kellie Short’s other entry, Paucek’s Dormin. The quail did a passable breaststroke, but Dormin took one step too many when she went to take a look for herself.
