2X CH T’S NICKELBACK — AI Analysis

2X CH T’S NICKELBACK is a male English Setter bred from CH Rapidan and T’S Skyline Angel, and this pedigree reads like a strong blend of proven horseback field-trial setter blood with a heavy dose of Tekoa Mountain Sunrise influence. On paper, he carries the kind of lineage a hunter notices right away: repeat champion producers, Hall of Fame names, and several families known for range, bird sense, animation on point, and the kind of forward race that plays in both trials and big country hunting. This is not a soft, random pedigree. It is concentrated, intentionally linebred field blood built around performance dogs that have left a mark.

The English Setter, when it is bred right, is one of the prettiest bird dogs alive and one of the most useful a man can unsnap in front of a gun. A good setter brings reach, style, nose, and a natural way with birds that makes hard hunting feel graceful. They tend to handle with more flow than fuss, and the best ones can cover country with a light, floating gait, then lock up with class when scent gets serious. In the field-bred English Setter world, especially in pedigrees like this one, you are looking for a dog that can run to the front, show brains under pressure, and still stay honest around birds. That balance of class and practical bird finding is what keeps hunters and trial folks coming back to the breed.

Nickelback’s pedigree is built on old, recognizable field-trial English Setter stock, and the story starts with concentration. On the top side, CH Rapidan comes down from CH Stone Tavern Matrix and Made In America, with older influence from Clarks Black Copper, Blue Bell Jackie, Mister Buffett, Rise N Shine, Havelock, Grouse Ridge, and PaceSetters blood. That side suggests competitive class, range, and enough style to catch a judge’s eye. The bottom side tightens things even more. T’S Skyline Angel is by CH Tekoa Mountain Outrage and out of T’S Tango, and that bottom half is saturated with HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise, CH Hicks Rising Sun, Barn Owl Wind, Miss Tekoa Hope, and related Sunrise descendants. When you stack that many proven field names together, you get a pedigree that was clearly shaped to reproduce bird dog ability rather than just fill paper.

Based on the pedigree provided, this dog appears to be linebred around the Tekoa Mountain Sunrise and Hicks Rising Sun families, with repeated crosses to Barn Owl Wind, Miss Tekoa Hope, Sandhill Sheba, Evita, and associated Tekoa descendants. The estimated coefficient of inbreeding over the visible pedigree is moderate to moderately high for a performance-bred field dog, approximately in the 10% to 16% range, with a practical midpoint estimate around 12.5%. That figure should be treated as an informed pedigree estimate rather than a formally calculated registry COI, because some ancestor data in the extended table is incomplete and a few repeated individuals appear under slightly varied naming formats. Even so, the concentration is obvious. Genetically, that kind of linebreeding tends to increase consistency in type and working style. In this case, it likely reinforces forward application, style on game, intensity, and a high likelihood of inherited bird drive. The upside is predictability. The caution is that concentrated pedigrees demand attention to health, structural soundness, temperament stability, thyroid status, hearing, and the usual English Setter concerns when selecting mates. No specific DNA test results are provided here, so no claim should be made about direct health clearances without separate testing.

The biggest ancestral thumbprint on this pedigree is HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise. He shows up repeatedly, both directly and through sons and daughters, and that usually means a breeder was trying to lock in a certain kind of field setter: strong race, eye appeal, a classy way of going, and enough bird sense to make all that motion mean something. CH Hicks Rising Sun adds more of that same competitive edge and has long been tied to setter families that could carry both style and ambition. Barn Owl Wind and Miss Tekoa Hope appear often enough to matter in a real way, not just as names on a chart. Those dogs helped anchor the Tekoa branch and likely contributed consistency, bottom, and the kind of inherited field instincts that tend to keep showing up generation after generation. On the sire side, Rapidan’s background adds Stone Tavern, Havelock, Grouse Ridge, and Blue Bell influence, which gives this pedigree a little more breadth and keeps it from being one-dimensional.

This is a champion-heavy pedigree. The dog himself is titled as a 2X CH. His sire is CH Rapidan. In the immediate and second generations you find CH Stone Tavern Matrix, CH Clarks Black Copper, CH Blue Bell Jackie, CH Mister Buffett, CH Pacesetters Equinox, HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise, CH Tekoa Mountain Outrage, CH Hicks Rising Sun, and CH T’S Gunrunner. Deeper in the pedigree are multiple additional champion references, including 9X CH Hicks Rising Sun, 11X CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise, CH Barn Owl High, CH Mr Motion, 4X CH Brannigan, CH Tyoneon Barney, CH Tekoa Mountain Hope, CH Commanders Casey Jones, and CH Bozeanns Mosley. Taken together, the pedigree is thick with trial winners and Hall of Fame influence, especially through the Tekoa and Hicks branches. That much titled blood usually points to selection for competitive field performance rather than casual hunting alone.

If this dog follows his paper, he ought to be a strong prospect for a hunter who likes a forward English Setter with class and reach. The genetic makeup suggests a dog that should carry a good motor, show plenty of desire, and handle birds with intensity. I would expect a stylish pointing dog with a natural high head carriage, a fluid ground gait, and enough nose to work objectives with confidence. Because of the concentration of field-trial blood, the likely sweet spot is a dog that can hunt hard in open country, hold a nice race, and still adapt to the gun if given the right early handling. He may not be the sort for someone wanting a slow, boot-top, always-checking-in dog. This pedigree points more toward ambition and competitive drive. For the right owner, that is a real asset.

The first thing that stands out is how tightly this pedigree leans into proven English Setter field blood, especially Tekoa Mountain Sunrise. That gives buyers a better-than-average chance of seeing repeatable traits instead of surprises. The second insight is that this is not just champion paper for vanity. Many of these dogs are known because they produced working descendants, not because they had one good weekend. Third, the pedigree blends a heavily linebred maternal side with a sire side that adds complementary field-trial depth through Rapidan and the Stone Tavern-Havelock-Grouse Ridge strands. For hunters, the practical takeaway is simple: this is the kind of blood that often throws bird dogs with range, style, and enough inherited instinct to come on early if they are started correctly. For breeders, the takeaway is equally clear: this dog likely offers prepotency, especially for the Sunrise-Hicks type.

Within the pedigree, the most famous relatives are the repeated Hall of Fame and multi-champion ancestors rather than clearly identified littermates. HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise and HOF CH Hicks Rising Sun are the standout names and are the kind of dogs people still study because of the generations they influenced. CH T’S Gunrunner is another notable close relative on the dam side and suggests that Nickelback comes from a family where performance titles were not a one-off event. No verified brothers, sisters, or offspring for 2X CH T’S Nickelback were provided in the pedigree data, so those details remain unknown from this source alone.

On paper, a dog bred this tightly around Tekoa and Sunrise blood often benefits from an outcross that keeps bird drive and class but brings in a little more genetic distance, fresh maternal strength, and structural insurance. Good practical outcross candidates would usually come from proven English Setter field lines that are not heavily saturated with the same Sunrise-Hicks-Tekoa concentration. Rapidan-type blood was itself a useful balancing influence here, so similar outcrosses that preserve reach and style without doubling hard on the same close crosses can make sense. In breeding terms, I would look for a mate with documented health clearances, strong wild-bird application, good temperament, and enough bottom to stand pressure, preferably from a family known for producing biddable gun dogs rather than only all-age trial animals.

Breeding a male like this should be done with purpose. Because the pedigree is already concentrated, the smartest matings would usually avoid piling even more close Sunrise blood on top unless a breeder is deliberately linebreeding and is willing to accept the added risk that comes with that decision. This dog looks like the kind that could stamp style, run, and bird drive if he proves himself in the field and reproduces honestly. I would favor females with strong health records, sensible minds, and enough cooperation to keep the offspring practical for foot hunters. If a breeder wants to preserve the classic field-trial English Setter look and keep the front-running edge, Nickelback’s blood has value. If the goal is a closer, softer dog for every novice owner, then selection on the female side becomes especially important.

2X CH T’S Nickelback is the kind of English Setter pedigree that catches a bird hunter’s eye for good reason. Sired by CH Rapidan and out of T’S Skyline Angel, he carries a deep stack of proven field blood with Hall of Fame influence and multiple champions packed through both sides. The strongest current in the pedigree is Tekoa Mountain Sunrise, and that matters. Dogs built around that family are often known for range, style, and the kind of intensity on birds that makes a setter memorable. Nickelback’s paper suggests a forward, classy dog with plenty of motor and a real chance to pass along the traits serious hunters and field-trial folks value most. For someone researching English Setter pedigrees with performance in mind, this is a meaningful lineage with substance behind the names.