GSPIN
Newsletter of
The German Shorthaired Pointer Club of Indiana

 2005:  THE YEAR OF THE GSP 

    Hello Club!  Welcome to a moment in history for our Breed.  It’s time to rejuvenate and get organized to bask in the sunshine.  If we have been somewhat lost and “pointless” the later part of the past year, let’s vow to band together and March forward as we enjoy the limelight.  For the first time in 31 years a beautiful German Shorthaired Pointer has won the coveted Best In Show at the Westminster Kennel Club, and the unofficial crown of America’s Dog for the coming year.  Public awareness of the breed will skyrocket.  The GSPC of Indiana has a role in all this as the regional stewards of the breed.  Our dogs will get more attention and we as their breeders, owners and trainers must step up and represent our breed appropriately and responsibly.  First on the agenda is to get our Club Memberships up to date.  The last page of this newsletter is the proverbial membership application.  If you have not already done so, please get your 2005 dues in to the Secretary so we can develop a final Roster for the year as quickly as possible.   Add your email address somewhere on there, because after all, it is 2005 and that is how much of the world communicates these days.  Another positive step to take is to go find our Club web site (url in on the masthead) and bookmark it so you can check periodically and stay up with what’s going on.  Lisa Stovall is doing a totally awesome job with it.

President’s Message 

    It’s Springtime again in Indiana!!  Actually it is still winter but our 2005 spring events are already underway.  We just completed our spring specialty show held in conjunction with the Hoosier Kennel Club’s show cluster at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and it was another success!!  We had a really good entry and excellent judging provided by Mr. Wayne Cavanaugh for Sweeps and Mr. Jerry Watson for the Breed judging.  We will recap the winners for you later but we were honored to have our own CH. White River Ziggy Stardust JH win our specialty, his TENTH specialty show win!!  We are very proud of the achievements of Becky Feigh and Ziggy because in addition to this win he was Best of Opposite Sex at our National Specialty this past year and he won the Canadian Nationals.

    Our NEXT event is the Boat, Sport, & Travel Show also held at the Indianapolis State Fairgrounds on February 18 through 27th.  The GSPC of Indiana will have an education booth there and the first weekend, Ron Ferris and Andy Giegold will bring their dogs down for a demonstration of birdwork for the visitors.  If anyone missed the opportunity to sign up for booth time and would like to participate, call Phil Rutar at 765-534-3002 and let him know when you can come and help out – it’s always a matter of the more the merrier!  This is a fun, well-attended event and if you have an interest in hunting, fishing, trapping or other outdoor activities, this is the place to be.

    After that is our spring hunt test April 2^nd & 3^rd  at the Glens Valley Conservation Club in Waverly, IN.  You can download entries off our club website.   I know we haven’t gotten a lot of newsletters out this year and I sincerely apologize if you missed an activity because of it but I would encourage those of you who have access to computers to bookmark our website and visit it frequently as our very persistent and diligent webmaster, Lisa Stovall, is continually updating it.  We have some excellent judges lined up.  Cassie Allen is an Irish Setter breeder from Ohio who field trials and shows her dogs in pursuit of the dual title.  Jeff Englesman, from Illinois, is a Viszla breeder who has that breed’s most recent dual.  Robert and Cheryl Smith from Michigan have both Gordon Setters and Pointers that they field trial and show also.  I hope to see you out there.

    Again, I do apologize for the lack of club communication and we will try to do a better job this coming year.  But since the club officers and leadership are all working people with families sometimes there aren’t enough hours in the day.  We welcome your help so don’t hesitate to contact me, if there is something that interests you.  There is much, much more going on but this will have to do for now in the interest of getting out a timely newsletter. 

Charlie Edwards

2005 GSPCI Specialty Show

    As Charlie just said, our annual late winter specialty was another rousing success with a total entry of over 50.  We have a reputation of putting on a good show and have enjoyed great support from our neighbors in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky.  The Combined Specialty Clubs of Central Indiana head up a huge weekend of shows which adds to the attraction for our visitors.  We even let them win sometimes – but were a little stingy this year as the Indiana dogs Kicked some butt, grabbing all but one of the major awards.  Best of Breed was CH White River’s Ziggy Stardust, JH owned by Rick & Becky Feigh and Char Rutar.    Best of Opposite Sex went to CH Springrun’s Color Me Huntabird, bred and owned by Jane Handschumacher.  We had to let her win because she brought a beautiful cake for our refreshment table.  Winners Dog/Best of Winners was White Rivers MoJo Workin’ owned by Brad and Melissa Burns, Winners Bitch Willow Run’s Violet Moon, bred and owned by Kari and Larry Sowinski.  Reserve Winners Dog was Paradice N Vonwey’s Erik owned by Dr. Giles Hoyt, and Reserve Winners Bitch was Gari Vom Ferronhaus owned by Dr. Ron Ferris.  For our Puppy Sweepstakes top honors went to Ashpt Eastbay Millers All In, Kelly L. Kastros & Autumn Miller owners, and Best of Opposite  was Bleugras BTO Listen To The Thunder owned by Marybeth Usery & Diane Engelking & Eve Parsons.  Best Veteran in Sweeps was CH Lamings Catch A Lil Dream, Kelly L. Kastros & Judith Gottges, with the Feigh’s CH White River Encore, JH Best of Opposite Sex.  Check out the website for complete results.

    As ever, there are many people to thank and I will most likely forget someone, but chalk that up to my hurry to get this out to you and general senility!  Rick and Becky Feigh, Dawn and Allison Moos, Anna Barile, Denise Anderson, Char Rutar for a great spread of munchies, Sarah Barker for handing out trophies, Claire Slagle for donating the beautiful Best of Breed piece, Dale Suhre for chairing, judge shuttleing, and ring stewarding, and Becky for the myriad of organizational details.

Happenings And Brags

    Here’s a Happening:  I’ll be most happy to run this section of every Newsletter I manage to get out, but I cannot chase down the news – there just are not enough hours in the day.  If you want your dogs/kids/accomplishments recognized then tell me about it.  My phone and email are on the masthead, and if you want to use snail mail the address is 15405 E 211^th St., Noblesville, IN  46060. 

    Proud Papa Tim Conley does want to crow about what his clan has been up to lately; this is what he has to report:

“Just thought that I would check in with you, about some of the things Casie & our dogs have done since the September Newsletter  .

  *Argosy took best of Opposite @ Illinois Sweepstakes  in October 

 * Both Argosy & Rosy earned their AKC JH titles in 4 consecutive events @ just 10 months old

 * Argosy earned a NAVHDA  NA Prize 1 - 112 (perfect score)  in Tennessee @ 11 months old

 * Argosy took Reserve Winners Dog @ Michigan Specialty Show

 * Casie won BEST JUNIOR HANDLER  in the B-Match @ Michigan

 * Argosy got Best of Winners for his first MAJOR  in Michigan

 *Casie won OPEN JUNIOR SHOWMANSHIP in Michigan

 * Casie handled "Gari Vom Ferronhaus"  to Reserve Winners Bitch , her first time in the ring  @ 7 months old  @ Indy Specialty Show

  * Casie won Open Junior Showmanship in Indy  with Molly  ,, Molly's first time in the ring since she severed her Achilles' tendon into in July !   (DR Lee is going to be sent a copy of her winning photo ! ) “

    I do know that Johnny Johnston finished both of his dogs’ (Sonny and Jane) Master Hunter titles this past fall, and will congratulate him and the proud breeders; Scott & Denise Anderson and Charlie & Amy Edwards.

    Now I know most of us don’t have the energy to match that of the Conley family, but we can’t all be asleep in the couch all the time.  Little or big, funny or sad, your happenings and brags belong here too.  How was the fall hunting season?  Who has exciting new puppies?  Has anybody tried Rally yet? 

2005 GSPCA Shotgun Raffle    By Charlie Edwards

    I have been asked to help run the gun raffle for the GSPCA National Specialty show this year.  It is a package deal and a heck of a nice one at that!!  The gun is a Beretta 391 Ringneck -1 of 1000 12 gauge semi-auto shotgun. 28" vent rib, Optima bore barrel is chambered for 3" shells and threaded for Optima chokes. Blued action features gold Pheasants on both sides and the Pheasants Forever logo in gold on right side. Checkered walnut pistol grip stock and fore end have a rich oil finish. The shotgun comes with a hard case and 5 extended choke tubes. A one year membership to Pheasants Forever also included.  Tickets are 1 for $5 or 6 for $25.  This is incredible deal.  I know since I won the gun at last year’s National.  For $50 worth of tickets, we won a $1,500 shotgun.  I’ll take that arrangement anytime.   Tickets will be available very soon and will be sold until the national specialty show, the second week of May where the drawing will be held.  If you are interested in purchasing any tickets, contact me at pntsttr@wcrtc.net or call my home (812) 967-3444 or cell phone (502) 645-0129.

    Ed Note:  There is lots more info on the 2005 National Specialty at www.gspca.org.  This is the central region year, so it’s an easy trip to Collinsville, IL west of St. Louis.  You’ll see it will be a big year for performance dogs with Agility, Obedience, and the brand new sport of Rally.  We also have a Health and Education Day scheduled Tuesday May 10 crowned by a Seminar presentation by Dr. Robert Gillette, a top Sports Medicine Vet.

More Editor’s Babblings

    Though we win no prizes for organization and communication in 2004, we have accomplished much in spite of ourselves.  Thanks to Lisa Stovall we have a very attractive and up to date Club website which will serve us well as long as we have Lisa.  Thank her and help her!  Some of you enjoyed a fun field day at Glenns Valley last July, and there are plans in the works to do this again and maybe add some formal field training help from Andy Giegold and even try some water work with an eye toward eventually hosting a GSPCA Water Test.   Our Officers and Board have graciously agreed to repeat for 2005 and want and need everyone’s help and suggestions for this upcoming year.  I may sound like a broken record to those of you who have heard this plenty of time before – but a Club is only as strong as its members.  If you are not satisfied with what the Club is or is not doing, you are not satisfied with yourself.  Roll up your sleeves and jump in with your ideas and your efforts.  Your Board is comprised of Dan Allen, Jason Barile, Ron Ferris, Andy Giegold, Larry Harris and Kari Sowinski.  I’ll ask Lisa to get their contact information up on the website, and we will have a good membership roster out with the next newsletter, which hopefully will appear right after the Hunt Tests.

    Speaking of the Hunt Tests, these events are one of our most important activities.  They are also quite labor intensive.  We need members with skill in fieldcraft, clerical talent and culinary ability.  Contact Jason Barile at 317-882-8862 or Char Rutar at 765-534-3002 to find out what you can contribute, because I just know you are now so fired up to make the 2005 a great year for the GSPCI.

Who Needs Spring?