Blackheart Abby Lane, UT 204 Prize 1

Maddie is a Pudelpointer which is a German breed from the early 1880's. It's a cross of the Poodle (Pudel in German) and the English Pointer. We found her shortly after losing Parshal. She was the only female in a litter of three. At seven weeks old she would hold point as long as the bird held. I tested her in Natural Ability at seven months old where she received 90 points and a prize 3. As a new handler I took the word "natural" to mean no training. Big mistake!

At 2 1/2 years old she ran her first Utility test and received a maximum score of 204 points and a prize 1. Two summers later we ran the Invitational which we failed due to backing. During the hour in the field our brace found 18 birds of which Maddie found 11. We actually heeled her away from pointed birds once we realized we had no chance of passing. I had never seen the competitive streak in Maddie that showed that day. Neither dog backed but had a lot of fun pointing and retrieving birds! Maddie has since run in a few NSTRA trials where she finished with respectable showings. She also competed in NBDCA trials when she was seven months old.

Maddie had some great late season pheasant hunts during the 2007/2008 season. In one Kansas field, she pointed seven roosters that two of us were able to bring to bag. She managed to pin another four roosters that flushed before we could get in range. This will remain one of two hunts etched into memory.

February 2008 had two of my most memorable quail hunts with Maddie. The first trip to New Mexico for scaled quail included a one hour walk where she produced 14 pointed singles and doubles from a covey that broke up on the ground. The second trip included a one and half hour walk that brought 15 birds to bag, 11 of which were shot over solid points (including a true double). But, the most important part of her work that day was the recovery of three cripples which she tracked more than 50 yards over bare dirt in 60 degree temperatures. If you've ever hunted scaled quail you know how tough they can be if you don't do your part (ie - shooting).

Maddie gets hunted over 30 days a year on wild pheasants, quail and six species of grouse. She has hunted all the upland birds of the west and is especially good with quail. She is quick and independent in the field with a moderate range and a bold, independent dog in the water.