Long Gone Mittens
In 1993 we won the North American Woodcock Futurity with a tri colored setter bitch we called “ Long Gone
Giggles”.( Giggles was out of RU CH. Rorebacks Jackie
who was a full sister to Grand National Grouse Champion, CH. Stokelys Daiblo Jake) Giggles sire was out of
winner and producer male, Stokelys’ Diablo Ace. “Giggles’ went on to many more field trial wins with most
of them under the whistle of my wife, Tammy. Giggs
also became our house dog in her later years and the
young Murray children loved her dearly. She is buried
today under an apple tree in the front yard.
When looking for a male to breed her to as a first year shooting dog we were following the carear of a young setter who had won the New England Futurity with a bunch of pretty and broke work, we liked him also as he was out of our bloodline, by CH. Smoke Rise Buck (he by Grouse Ridge Leroy, CH. Bobby Joe ex a CH Long Gone Stokely bitch). His name was First Rate. “Shagger” as First Rate was called went on to a lengendary carear as a winner and producer. But at this time we were one of the first to breed to him and out of this first litter came CH. Long Gone Mittens
When looking for a male to breed her to as a first year shooting dog we were following the carear of a young setter who had won the New England Futurity with a bunch of pretty and broke work, we liked him also as he was out of our bloodline, by CH. Smoke Rise Buck (he by Grouse Ridge Leroy, CH. Bobby Joe ex a CH Long Gone Stokely bitch). His name was First Rate. “Shagger” as First Rate was called went on to a lengendary carear as a winner and producer. But at this time we were one of the first to breed to him and out of this first litter came CH. Long Gone Mittens
Mittens was worked on birds as a pup in our bird field next to the kennel on huns, chuckers, quail and pigions. That first fall she was hunted on wild birds with a LOT of birds shot over her points in the covers of
Northern New Hampshire. In the spring of 1996 we began to run Mittens in some trials, where she won a lot
including the New Hampshire Puppy Classic. In the fall of 1996 “Mitts” was run in some derby events. Mitts
placed in the Florance Harwarth Open Derby Classic, and won the “Miss Leslie” open derby classic as well as
placements in both the Grouse (Michigan) and Woodcock(New Brunswick) Futurities. Mittens had many puppy, derby and shooting dog wins, in open as well as amateur stakes on both liberated and wild birds. I placed
her in a big hour shooting dog stake on wild birds put on by the Maine Bird Dog Club and the following weekend she was named second in the Bernie Murray Memorial Oepn Shooting Dog Stake, run on liberated birds,
both of these events were in the fall of 1997. In the winter/ spring of 1998 I sold her to my friend Thom Richardson, who had just lost a good looking young prospect in NY at a trial.The biggest part of this transaction
was I get the first pick of her first litter, plus get to pick the stud dog.
In the fall of 2000 John Stoligitis ran Mittens for Thommy in the Region Two Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship at The large Flanagan holdings in Oxford, NY. Mittens scored on grouse, quail and pheasants in a brilliant hour on the ground to be named Champion. The following year Dave Hughes won Runner Up with her at the New England Open and she delivered a sterling performance in that years Grand National, where she earned many fans.
CH. Long Gone Mittens was bred to CH. Grouse Ridge Reroy in the winter of 2000. Out of that first litter came two champions, one was our pick that Thommy had promised back in 1998, 2x CH., First in the Cover Dog, Woodcock and Grouse Futurities, and Setter Award Winner, CH Long Gone Daisey.
In the fall of 2000 John Stoligitis ran Mittens for Thommy in the Region Two Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship at The large Flanagan holdings in Oxford, NY. Mittens scored on grouse, quail and pheasants in a brilliant hour on the ground to be named Champion. The following year Dave Hughes won Runner Up with her at the New England Open and she delivered a sterling performance in that years Grand National, where she earned many fans.
CH. Long Gone Mittens was bred to CH. Grouse Ridge Reroy in the winter of 2000. Out of that first litter came two champions, one was our pick that Thommy had promised back in 1998, 2x CH., First in the Cover Dog, Woodcock and Grouse Futurities, and Setter Award Winner, CH Long Gone Daisey.