Report form the National Championship

Jetsetter at the start of the National Championship - from the Ames Plantation website.

Jetsettter running - Photo from Jim Michaletz

OK, I am going to drop all pretense and admit that I am a huge fan of Jetsetter. 

I have been exchanging e-mail with Jet's owner, Jim Michaletz, who has been attending the National Championship. He allowed me to post some of his comments regarding Jetsetter's performance and the possibility of a 'call back' to determine the National Champion...

...Some are thinking they will need the same kind of race, with more birds. The reason for the call back would be if things were similar for another dog. It is not the dogs fault if the birds turn off. He flash pointed and corrected 4 times in the last ½. These were areas where they had been finding birds. They had probably been there earlier and moved in deep into the cover. He hunted every step of the 3 hours with birds only on his mind. He filled the country, and handled on a string. Finished well to the front. Gallery was clapping and applauding after each find. Never heard anything like it. All were cheering him on, even the Elliots (ed note: John and Jack Elliot are owners of Hytest Skyhawk, Jetsetter's bracemate, and the only other setter nominated to run at the National Championship). After Jet's 2nd find Jack Elliot said, "I quit, you win".  

After the 3rd very dug up find, he said, " I’m impressed." 

You could tell the birds were done feeding and leaving the edge and heading for deep cover. Herb Anderson was riding next to me and asked if I were handling would I let the dog dig in deep and risk losing him on point, or try and keep the dog out on the edges. I said go for broke. Allan tried to keep him on the edges but the dog was digging in whenever he could. He knew the birds were movin into cover. His 1st 2 finds the birds were runnin' for cover.

I really wish I been able to see Jet run on Saturday morning. There were dogs with more finds under different conditions (maybe lacking the race and intense ground application of Jet), but Jim said that Larry Huffman, who has scouted a lot of National Championships, told Allen Vincent (Jet's trainer/handler) to be ready for a call back. A call back happens when the judges feel that two dogs are very close in performance, and would like to see them run head to head. If no other dog has a great performance and produces more birds, say 6 or 8 finds, there might be an opportunity for Jetsetter to run in a call back and be the first setter to win the National Championship since 1970, when his great-great grandfather, Hall or Famer Johnny Crockett, won the event. And that would make field trial history.