July 27, 2019 we accepted the national runner-up amateur shooting dog jc@f handler of the year award and the national runner-up amateur shooting dog jc@f dog of the year.
Reflecting back on Kenney's Aces Wild (Chip), it has been a remarkable journey. As a pup, he was the very last pick out of a large litter. The pup no one wanted, we needed a prospect for the up and coming season and we were left with this rambunctious pup.
As a young pup he matured quickly and begun to show his competitiveness. At 4 months old he had his first time on the podium, taking home second place in Missouri. During the spring of his puppy year, he had started to come into his own. Spring he had placed 2nd in Moline at only 9 months old in the open derby stake.
His derby year, he was tough to beat. He amassed multiple placements across Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas. If he finished his run, he was going to be awarded a placement!
One of his best races was held at Talbot under Jim and James Ogle. He was braced with a nice setter female from Texas. Two competitive dogs breaking away is always a site to see. Away they went, hard charging to the front, feeding off each other's drive. He always hated to be behind another dog, he had to be out front no matter what. Those two dogs put on a seminar of what a fall derby should be! After that event, multiple people stated, that was the best race between 2 dogs of all the stakes that weekend.
Chip would continue to place his derby season accumulating 9 derby placements in both walking and horseback stakes. Earning him runner up setter of the year in Kansas, runner up open derby of the year in Kansas and winning derby of the year for Missouri.
This season proved to be another exciting go! Chip would continue to show his toughness, digging up birds in the heat of the summer and pushing through the competition to lock in this years award. His nemesis, Bugs-n-Dirt (Floyd). When chip and Floyd were entered in a stake. Everyone else was fighting for 3rd. Those 2 dogs would continue to go back and forth on the podium!
I would like to thank Jason Patty of Skyview Setters for being a mentor and guide during all these years! Without him I never would have considered entering a dog in a trial!
Also I would like to thank the late Bob Raymond. He would always answer any questions I ever had and give me an opinion whether I wanted it or not!
And lastly I'd like to thank my wife Audrey. Without her, I would not be able to get away and campaign dogs! She keeps the kennel clean and dogs fed!