Field trials began in American in the 1870s after British hunters challenged Americans to produce a dog “broken highly enough to compete with our English celebrities.” The first National Field Trial Champion State was run at West Point, Mississippi in 1896, and eleven dogs ran the course to claim $300 is prize money. The history of that first event is told at the National Bird Dog Museum in Grand Junction, just a few miles from the Ames Plantation, which is home to the National Championship. Today, several thousand trial enthusiasts from around the world attend the February National Championship in Grand Junction.

Johnny Crockett

When Johnny Crockett won the event in 1970, Boy Dog (as he was called) was owned by H. P. “Hank’ Sheeley of Irving, Texas. The stylish English Setter was handled by W. C. Kirk of Bowie, Texas. Over 25 years ago in American Field, K. C. Kirk was quoted saying, “When ‘Boy’ captured the National Champion in 1970 - the only setter to win that glorious crown since 1946 - it was one of the greatest moments in my life.”

That year American Field Magazine writer William F. Brown’s reported on the Championship. Of Johnny Crockett, he wrote:

His followers exulted with the excellence of his bird-finding efforts, the amount of game he found when birds were hard to come by. Johnny started with an attractive, fox-like gait . . . indicative of the route-goer. He was under remarkable control throughout the three hours, a pleasing rapport between him and his devoted handler, W. C. Kirk.

Crockett Ranch still proudly carries the name of English Setter Johnny Crockett, and still, his legacy continues with selective line-breeding and outcrossing to develop an English Setter with style, grace, stamina, and disposition, with both a love and an instinct to hunt.

Bozeann’s Mosley

Known as Rocky, Bozeann’s Mosley broke the all-time Setter sire record, previously held by Hall-of-Famer Sports Peerless for over half a century. Through artificial insemination, Rocky is still going strong as a sire. Rocky has produced hundreds of winners with a total of over 900 wins at all levels of trial competition. The love of Rocky by his owners, our friends Loyd and Ruth Bozeman, was such that the threesome were only separated twice during Rocky’s life, one time being to accept an invitation by Norway’s Royal family to consult on their own dog breeding program.

Ch. Calico’s Future Force

Calico’s Future Force, called Buddy, was whelped on February 1, 1997. He placed third in the National Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship, won the 2000 Northeast Open Shooting Dog Championship, and is a two-time runner up in the field.

Crockett’s Razor

Crockett’s Razor, Joe, was whelped on January 3, 2002 from Ultimate ReIssue x Zorrina. He is a runner-up winner of the Mid-Atlantic Open Shooting Dog Championship.

Toby’s Sunrise

Toby’s Sunrise, Buddy, was whelped on January 15, 2002, from A Tarheel Sunrise x Aaron’s Lady in a repeat of the successful breeding that produced trial champion, Lady Selina.

Lady Selina

Lady Selina, or Betty, was whelped on January 3, 2001. She is the daughter of A Tarheel Sunrise x Aaron’s Lady. Betty’s wins include the Prairie Field Trial, Hale Creek Quail Trials, Clarksville Pointer Shooting Dog Championship, and the U.S. Championship at Shell Creek. Betty recent litter was nominated for the American Field Quail Futurity.