ABC National Yearbook | Page 73

less than in 1985. However, a quality stake prevailed. Bird contact exceeded all expectations. The winner, Bernie V, CD, owned and handled by Ben Zamora, pointed birds eleven times with good manners and his retrieve was awless. The 1986 Board of Directors approved the Championship committee’s suggestion that the rotation plan previously set forth be implemented. The ensuing years found the Gun Dog Nationals being held in Michigan, Kentucky, Nevada, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. At the 1995 Board of Directors meeting, it was voted to amend the By-Laws to create a 4th Vice President to be responsible for the ABC Gun Dog Nationals. At the same time the Board voted to approach the Michigan group for the purpose of making the Ionia site the permanent home of this event. Both the amendment and request were approved and in 1996 the Gun Dog Nationals returned to Ionia under the direction of the new 4th Vice President. The 2000 event was the largest ever held with a record entry of 104. At the 2000 Board of Directors meeting, it was voted to split the Gun Dog Nationals to an Open Gun Dog Championship which would be horseback handled, and an Amateur Gun Dog Championship which would be foot handled. New quali cations for the stakes were submitted and approved by AKC. Also approved was the provision that if a dog was entered in the National Open or Amateur All Age Championship, they would not be able to compete in either Open or Amateur Gun Dog Championship, and vice versa. The inaugural running of the National Amateur Gun Dog Championship occurred the end of April, beginning of May, 2002 with 46 entries in the Open and 36 Purchase 22 dogs copy on both ABC web site: entries in the Amateur. your were entered inthe the Open & the Amateur stake. There have been four two-time winners of the National Gun Dog Championship: clubs.akc.org/brit/ABCItemsForSale.htm FC/AFC Jessen’s Lit’l Dab of Dude, FC/AFC Magnum’s Masked Man, DC/AFC Winchester of Hanging Jaze and FC/AFC JDZ Roc’s Ardent Boomer. In the Amateur, since its inception in 2002, there is one two-time winner of this event, DC/AFC Calistar del Prado. A new record was set in 2009 when FC/AFC Peter Gunn won both the National Open and Amateur Gun Dog Championships. The Open Championship was moved to October in 2004, and the Amateur followed in 2006 so that both stakes were again run together, and have been since. Thank you for your interest in the ABC National Y earbook! TrialDogShots.com 71