2009 Purina Top Performance Award Winner

This year’s chase for Top Performance winner was closely contested right up to the last week of trialing.
The following 14 dogs represent the best of NSTRA.

Winner - Premier's Fancy Trail Blazer

Raising your level of performance requirswes a proper mentality and meaning from within. This gives you the ability and drive to work on the things necessary to go to a higher level. When people ask me how to raise their level of performance, the first thing I ask is, how important is it to you?
-Dan Gable

It just seems fitting to start the story with that quote from former Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling coach Dan Gable of how Adam Fellers and Premiers Fancy Trail Blazer “attacked” the Purina High Performance Award during the 2008-2009 NSTRA field trial season. It was a combination of superior genetics from Blazer and work ethic from Adam, who few of you know wrestled for Coach Gable at the University of Iowa from 2001-2006. Blazer, who few of you also know, broke his leg on January 9th 2009 while training in Georgia for The Quail Forever Championship, underwent surgery, had a steel plate and screws put in on January 12 and was not only running in trials 6 weeks later but was winning trials again 6 weeks later! Here is a rundown of his journey to the point’s championship.

Blazer started the year of the first day of June by adding a third place finish to his resume at Jordon, Minnesota. Adam told me on the trip home from Minnesota “I can win the high performance award if I have 30 points on Blazer by the end of October”. I have to be honest with all of you, I thought he was crazy! At that time Blazer had only 13 points, one first place, and wasn’t a champion yet. They traveled to Amo, IN in August in the heat and added another first. Three more points would come in August back in the Midwest region, Blazer was showing as a front runner in the points, but the year was just starting. Blazer got his first championship on September 7, 2008 at Palo, IA. He put on 11 more points in the month of September and was sitting at 18 more than half of Adam’s goal of 30 by the end of October. The first weekend in October was an unseasonably hot one and the ragweed was hindering dogs ability to smell birds at the trial grounds in Waverly, NE. Blazer added 3 firsts and a second that weekend to add 11 more points to the roster. He was definitely on a roll! Believe it or not Adam took the next weekend off from field trialing to be married to the love of his life Nikki. Good friend, Brice Morris handled Blazer to a second at Mt Ayr, IA. Blazer and Adam were sitting at 31 points and in the lead but little did they know trouble was ahead. Blazer didn’t run well the next weekend in Iowa or the following week at Dog of the Year in Amo, IN and developed a limp on his front leg. Adam rested Blazer for a week and he seemed to be back to his normal self. Adam’s good friend Jeff Keck agreed to run Blazer in Georgia and Alabama over the winter to try and add to Blazer’s point total. Jeff is no stranger to what it takes to “stack points on a dog” as many of you down south know as he and Quail Valley Trooper finished runner up in last year’s Purina High Performance Award. Blazer took a second in Alabama on November 8th to take his total to 33.

Adam and I traveled to Georgia on January 8th to take part in The Quail Forever Championship. We arrived on the 9th, picked up Blazer from Jeff and headed out to Donald Robert’s house to run the dogs and get some training in before the trial with Cory Perdue and Jerod Roberts. After working some of the other dogs we planted some birds for Blazer and turned him loose. He broke away on the track like he usually does, stopped to take a pee and pulled up howling holding his front leg in the air. Yes looking back the same front leg from the October limping episode that slowed his points totals. As you can all imagine Adam was devastated. Spending time at a national trial with a dog with a broken leg was the last thing he wanted to do. Blazer underwent surgery in Georgia and they headed home to Iowa City, IA for recovery.

Water tread milling is something that hardly any of us know about and if we have heard of it, it was on TV. Adam found a veterinarian in the Iowa City area who had one. He and Blazer were there three times a week for the next 6 weeks! Adam told me “I think I can have him running again by April 1st” and yes, I thought he was crazy again! When he entered the trial in Overbrook, KS on February 28th the whole country thought he was crazy. We all thought he would ruin the dog forever, he and Blazer showed us. On Blazer’s first run of the weekend he went off the line with a little limp. He had five birds on the card in about ten minutes and took first place in that field for the day. He followed it up the next day with a second in the same field. Five more points just six weeks after breaking his leg. I knew on the ride home from Kansas that Adam was definitely crazy and Blazer had the heart and talent of a true champion. Blazer scored placements the next nine out of ten weekends, thank god for Easter or it probably would have been ten for ten! By the end of April Blazer had 68 points towards the Purina High Performance Award. He had locked up the Midwest Region point’s championship and had a pretty commanding lead with only one month to go. Blazer added on five more points and five forth place finishes in the month of May with Chad Calicott and myself helping Adam with handling duties as he was preparing for “little Fellers number two” Blazer finished the month of May and the year with 73 points.

Those 73 points consisted of 16- 1st’s, 10- 2nd’s, 5 -3rd’s and 7- 4th place finishes for the year. Blazer racked up 4 championships for the year! He ran against weekly competition like Black Magic Buzz, Resa’s Trouble Mace, Black Magic Blaze and Hesklaws Lady Lucy; yes four of the top five dogs in the country running head to head almost every weekend! Not to mention his every week competition Rawhide’s Blazin Thunder, Boomer’s Boy Tricky, Mark’s Dakota Cash, Moniteau’s Main Man, Premier’s Outstanding Otis and Moonshines Poison Ivy.
Premier’s Fancy Trail Blazer was sired by Fancy’s White Ice X Cedar Hill Katie. Ice’s back ground is filled with some of the best if not the best shorthair blood in the game. 2X General Norman, 2X Whiskey’s Run Dolamite, 7X Hailey Von Firethorn, 3X Magnum PI IV and 21X Fancy White Trash. Katie’s pedigree includes one of the best producing shorthair females in the country 4X Double K’s Mistress. Blazer is also an AKC Master Hunter.

None of us in the NSTRA world of trialing can argue that Blazer and Adam had an awesome year of field trialing that ended with them being on the top of the “heap”. What it makes it seem so much more of an accomplishment is that Adam’s year was not only filled with field trialing but a few other things also, like…since Adam’s wife Nikki works at the University of Iowa Hospital every other weekend that means his one year old son Nolan, who many of you already know gets to go trialing. That’s a job all by its self! Adam and Nikki got married in October. Adam lost his job with Royal Canin in the fall. Nikki became pregnant during all of Adam’s time off! Adam spent many hours flying around the country interviewing for a new job. Of course the trauma of Blazer breaking his leg. Adam getting a new job. Evan Fellers being added to big brother Nolan so we now have two little Fellers at the trials! And last but not least record profits for Adam’s cell phone provider! Whew! What a year!
Congratulations Adam and Blazer! You set a goal and reached it! You had an awesome year!

-Shaun Rydl

2nd Place – Blaze’s Black Magic
Chad Calicott’s 8x NSTRA champion Blaze’s Black Magic earned 59 points (10-1sts, 11-2nds, 7-3rds, and 2-4ths) to finish the year in second place. Placing 2nd in the 2008 Grand National on the last day of the 2007-08 Top Performance year was an incredible jumping off point to start the 08-09 Top Performance race. “Jo” is no stranger to Top Performance placements as he occupied the ninth place slot in 2007. This 5 year old English Pointer has 149 lifetime points which also include highlights such as 3rd place in the Missouri-Show-Me Regional Finals in 2008, 1st place in the 2008 Dog of the Year qualifications and earning one of his championships in 8 trials finishing 1st in 5 of those.

3rd Place – Hesklaw’s Lady Lucy
Last year’s winner, Hesklaw’s Lady Lucy continued her winning ways and finished in 3rd place this year with 56 points (12-1sts, 6-2nds, 8-3rds, and 6-4ths). With 165 lifetime points, this lovely English pointer, owned and handled by John Heskett of the Oklahoma region, completed her 9th championship this year and placed first in the Oklahoma region qualifications.

4th Place – Tomoka’s Smokin J.R.
Also with 56 points and in a closely contested race to the end, Tomoka’s Smokin J.R., owned and handled by Wesley Barr of the West Texas region, placed 4th in this year’s Top Performance. Ending last year with a placement in the Grand National qualifying round and starting this year with a 2nd place at the Endurance Trail. J.R. gave it his all with 15-1sts, 3-2nds, 5-3rds and 4-4ths. This 7x English Setter completed the 2009 Top Performance year with a lifetime total of 130 points.

5th Place – Black Magic Buzz
In memory of beloved Oklahoma Region member Bob Earley who passed away at the beginning of the trialing season, John Heskett handled Black Magic Buzz to a 5th place finish. After finishing last year winning the Oklahoma regional finals and placing in the Trial of Champions qualification round, the 53 points earned this season ( 10-1sts, 8-2nds, 7-3rds, and 2-4ths) earned Buzz his 6th championship and gives him a lifetime total of 118 points. In addition to the weekend trials, he also placed in the Oklahoma region and Trial of Champions qualifications.

6th Place – Resa’s Trouble Mace
15 x champion Resa’s Trouble Mace is no stranger to Top Performance finals winning in 2005 and placing 9th in 2006, and 8th in 2008. With 44 points ( 8-1sts, 7-2nds, 6-3rds and 6-4ths) this season Mace also won the Missouri Show Me Region Final and placed in the Dog of the Year qualifications with his owner/handle John Resa.

7th Place – Ruck’s Brockway Mad Dash
Ruck’s Brockway Mad Dash earned 38 points (6-1sts, 5-2nds, 10-3rds and 1-4th) this year to finish solidly in 7th place. Dash is a 3 year old male German Shorthair owned by Tom Rotundo of the Northern Illinois Region. This year’s highlights include 2nd place in the Northern Illinois Region finals and a placement in a Trial of Champions qualification round. As a previous top 10 Top Performance dog, look for this young dog to continue adding wins and be featured in magazine articles in the future.

8th Place – Boomer’s X Rated
Johnny ended the season with 35 points (6-1sts, 5-2nds, 7-3rds, and 4-4ths) and a three way tie for 8th place. A son of former 2003 Top Performance winner Boomer’s Super X, Johnny had an incredible year winning both the Quail Forever National Trial and the Trial of Champions and placing second in the Quail Invitational. This 10x champion is owned and handled by Scott Boomershine of the Indiana region.

Kickapoo Molly’s Revenge
Also tied for 8th place with 35 points (6-1sts, 7-2nds, 3-3rds and 3-4ths) was another Indiana region dog, 10x CH Kickapoo Molly’s Revenge owned by Roger Parient, Jr. A former 2007 Top Performance winner, Molly’s year was highlighted by her win at the Quail Invitational Championship Trial.

High Flyin Fancy
Another 8th place finisher with 35 points (7-1sts, 5-2nds, 4-3rds, and 1-4th) was High Flyin Fancy owned by Alan Shick of the MoKan Region. This 7x CH English Pointer female was 1st runner up in Top Performance in 2007 and her lifetime total points are 137.

9th Place – McCandless Titlest Driver
34 points (8-1sts, 3-2nds, 4-3rds and 5-4ths) put Ty in the 9th spot. Owned by Wm. Ashley McCandless, this 7 year old male Brittany’s highlights for this year include placements in two Trial of Champions qualifying rounds and a placement in the Kentucky regional qualifications.

10th Place – Stephen’s Bright Copper
Rounding out the top 10 in a 2 way tie is 24xCH Stephen’s Bright Copper. The 32 points (5-1sts, 7-2nds, 3-3rds and 6-4ths) earned this year gives him a total of 435 lifetime points. This 10 year old pointer has been a Top Performance regular, winning in 2004 & 2006 and placing 4th in 2005, 3rd in 2008 among his many career accomplishments. Owned by Lee Stephens and William Markham of the Lone Star region, Copper is an exemplary NSTRA dog.

Miss Impressive Benelli
9xCH German Shorthair Miss Impressive Benelli also earned 32 points (7-1sts, 3-2nds, 5-3rds & 4-4ths) this year. Owned by Scott Thomas of the Gulf Coast region her career includes placing 7thin the 2008 Top Performance and winning the Gulf Coast regional twice (2004, 2006).

11th-20th Placements (.xls)