GUS- STARTED MALE SETTER - 1703022603 — AI Analysis

GUS- STARTED MALE SETTER - 1703022603 is a male English Setter bred from a strong mix of NSTRA trial blood, proven shooting-dog stock, and Southern bird-dog families that have long been valued for run, nose, and practical bird sense. On the sire side, he carries a concentrated Tomoka influence tied to multiple NSTRA champions, while the dam side brings in Shadow Oak Bo and old Carolina and Tarheel-type field blood. Taken together, this pedigree reads like a dog built first for finding birds and handling game in front of a gun, with enough competitive influence to suggest style, animation, and drive rather than a purely casual hunting background.

The English Setter is one of the classic upland bird dogs, prized for its flowing gait, soft mouth, natural range, and that eye-catching way of standing game with style. A good setter hunts with intelligence rather than just speed, and the best ones cover country with purpose, using the wind well and staying connected to the handler. In the field, they are expected to show nose, stamina, and a willing temperament. Most hunters drawn to the breed want a dog that can handle quail, grouse, woodcock, and pheasants, then come home and settle down around the house. This pedigree fits the field-bred English Setter mold more than a bench-bred one, suggesting a dog with stronger hunting application, more forward drive, and a practical bird-finding attitude.

This is a pedigree with a clear center of gravity. The top side leans heavily into Tomoka breeding, and that matters because the Tomoka dogs show up again and again around proven NSTRA winners and bird-finding setters with grit and experience. Tomoka’s Smokin Bomb comes down from 19X NSTRA CH Tomoka’s Smokin Jr, who in turn stacks 7X NSTRA CH Pay Per View, 3X NSTRA CH Tomokas Smokin Max, 8X NSTRA CH Shirleys Tomoka Peach, and the big-producing 15X NSTRA CH Tomokas Smokin Mike. That kind of repetition tells you the breeder was not guessing; the line was being held around traits that worked in the field and in competition. The bottom side is less saturated with titled names at first glance, but it brings useful field character through 2X NAT CH Shadow Oak Bo, CH Shak Ti, Ray's Sundrop Jill, Cooters Carolina Casey, CH A Tarheel Sunrise, and a collection of old practical hunting stock. The result is a pedigree that looks like it was assembled to keep bird work in the front seat while adding enough toughness and hunting sense from the dam side to avoid becoming one-dimensional.

Based on the pedigree provided, there is no obvious close inbreeding such as sire-to-daughter, mother-to-son, or full sibling repetition in the visible generations. The concentration is linebreeding rather than tight inbreeding, especially through the Tomoka family on the sire side. A reasonable pedigree-based estimate of the coefficient of inbreeding from the named generations shown would be low to moderate, likely around 3% to 6%, with the practical working estimate near 4.5%. That estimate should be treated as approximate because several ancestors are missing or unnamed in the table, especially on portions of the dam side. Genetically, the pedigree suggests consolidation of field performance traits more than cosmetic traits. Repeated NSTRA and field champion influence points toward inherited tendencies for prey drive, trainability under pressure, forward application, and competitive bird work. The strongest hereditary theme is performance selection, with emphasis on nose, application, and repeatable bird contact. No health-test data is included in the pedigree itself, so important breed-relevant screening such as BAER hearing evaluation, thyroid, hips, elbows, and DNA panels for breed-associated risk factors would still be necessary before making serious breeding decisions.

The biggest ancestral push in this pedigree comes from the Tomoka line, especially through Tomokas Smokin Mike, Tomokas Smokin Max, Tomoka’s Smokin Jr, and the surrounding family of Tomoka-bred trial dogs. Those names usually suggest a dog with hustle, useful range, and a businesslike way of going about bird work. Pay Per View and Bewitched Samantha add more NSTRA credibility and reinforce the idea of a dog bred to handle pressure and produce finds. On the dam side, 2X NAT CH Shadow Oak Bo adds real substance because national-level field influence often brings a stronger edge in independence and class on game. CH Shak Ti, Cooters Carolina Casey, CH A Tarheel Sunrise, and HOF Hicks Rising Sun deeper in the female family contribute the sort of old field-setter character hunters still respect: nose, endurance, and a little grit. If this dog turns out right, it will likely be because the Tomoka side supplied the engine and repetition, while the Shadow Oak and Carolina/Tarheel side supplied balance and real-world hunting sense.

This pedigree carries a healthy amount of titled performance stock, especially on the sire side. Notable titled dogs named in the pedigree include 1X NSTRA CH Tomoka’s Smokin Bomb, 19X NSTRA CH Tomoka’s Smokin Jr, 7X NSTRA CH Pay Per View, 3X NSTRA CH Bewitched Samantha, 3X NSTRA CH Tomokas Smokin Max, 8X NSTRA CH Shirleys Tomoka Peach, 17X NSTRA CH Petes Second Chance, 15X NSTRA CH Tomokas Smokin Mike, NSTRA CH Trails End Buck, 6X NSTRA CH Hardtmes Prenosil, 2X NAT CH Shadow Oak Bo, CH Shak Ti, CH Tricky Dick Jim, HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise, CH Master Craftsman, CH Bob Lees Star, CH Cash Masters Tornado, CH Trails End Tomoka, CH Carolina Cooter Man, CH A Tarheel Sunrise, CH Pinnacle 10-62-292, CH Smoke Rise Buck, HOF Hicks Rising Sun, and CH Amos Mosley 16-99-531. Even allowing for some variation in title systems and record depth, this is clearly a pedigree with substantial champion density and especially strong field-performance credentialing.

From a hunter’s standpoint, this dog reads like he should have the tools to be a serious upland prospect. The strongest prediction would be a medium to forward-going English Setter with enough desire to hunt hard, enough nose to produce birds when scenting gets thin, and enough inherited class to show point naturally. The NSTRA concentration suggests a dog that may learn quickly under repetition and respond well to structured work, while the bottom side gives hope for steadiness and practical bird sense in wild-bird country. He may not be the softest, shortest-ranging foot-hunting setter in the world, and that is not a criticism. This pedigree suggests more motor than that. For a buyer wanting a dog to cover ground for quail, preserve birds, and likely transition to wild birds with proper exposure, the genetic makeup is promising. If developed correctly, his ceiling looks strongest as a hard-hunting gun dog with trial-style flair rather than as a slow, close-working kennel pet that only hunts on weekends.

The first big takeaway is that this is not a random-bred setter pedigree. The sire side shows purposeful linebreeding around Tomoka and NSTRA success, which usually means generations were selected for field utility. The second is that the dam side, while less packed with repeated titles in the visible first layers, brings in a different kind of value through national champion and old field families that can steady a pedigree and keep hunting instinct from getting too stylized. The third is that this dog likely carries more drive than many average English Setters sold as started dogs. For hunters, that can be a real advantage if they want range, animation, and bird-finding ambition. For breeders, the key question is not whether the pedigree has quality, because it does. The question is whether to preserve the Tomoka concentration or to outcross to a setter line known for biddability, wild-bird sense, and documented health testing.

Within the pedigree itself, the most notable close relatives are tied to the sire line rather than listed as littermates or direct offspring of Gus. Prominent relatives include 19X NSTRA CH Tomoka’s Smokin Jr, 7X NSTRA CH Pay Per View, 3X NSTRA CH Bewitched Samantha, 3X NSTRA CH Tomokas Smokin Max, 8X NSTRA CH Shirleys Tomoka Peach, and 15X NSTRA CH Tomokas Smokin Mike. On the dam side, 2X NAT CH Shadow Oak Bo stands out as the most recognizable performance ancestor. No confirmed brothers, sisters, or offspring for Gus are provided in the supplied pedigree data, so those details remain unknown.

For a dog carrying this much Tomoka and NSTRA-style setter influence, good outcross options would typically be proven field English Setter families known for wild-bird application, strong natural backing, and health transparency rather than more of the same tight concentration. In practical breeding terms, a sensible outcross would be to an unrelated field setter line with documented hips, hearing, and thyroid results, especially one known for grouse and woodcock sense or all-age stamina without losing cooperation. Tekoa-descending families, Blue Mountain-type field setter branches, or other well-established wild-bird setter lines can make sense if they are genuinely unrelated in the first several generations. The goal would be to preserve bird drive and style while opening the pedigree, moderating excess concentration, and improving predictability for health and temperament.

If I were looking at this dog from a breeder’s perspective, I would say the pedigree offers real value, especially if the dog himself proves birds, handles pressure well, and shows a clean, sensible temperament. The top side is concentrated enough that I would hesitate to double down on similar Tomoka-heavy stock unless I had a very specific reason and strong health data behind both sides. A cleaner move would be an outcross to a quality field setter bitch from an unrelated performance family with strong maternal consistency. That approach could keep the drive, point, and competitive edge while broadening the gene pool and reducing the chance of getting too narrow in type. As always, the pedigree gives you a roadmap, but the final decision should rest on the dog in front of you: nose, gait, point style, trainability, durability, and how he handles real birds over time.

GUS- STARTED MALE SETTER - 1703022603 is a male English Setter with a pedigree that should catch the eye of hunters who appreciate proven field blood. Sired by 1X NSTRA CH Tomoka’s Smokin Bomb and out of Next On Stage, he carries a blend of heavy Tomoka breeding on the top side and practical national-champion field influence on the bottom. This is the kind of pedigree that suggests a bird dog with purpose, not just papers. The sire line is stacked with NSTRA champions, including 19X NSTRA CH Tomoka’s Smokin Jr, 7X NSTRA CH Pay Per View, 3X NSTRA CH Tomokas Smokin Max, 8X NSTRA CH Shirleys Tomoka Peach, and 15X NSTRA CH Tomokas Smokin Mike, giving the pedigree a strong foundation of competitive bird work, repeatable performance, and linebred consistency. On the dam side, the influence of 2X NAT CH Shadow Oak Bo adds another layer of credibility, backed by CH Shak Ti, Cooters Carolina Casey, CH A Tarheel Sunrise, and other old field families that speak to hunting instinct and useful range. The overall picture is of an English Setter likely bred for nose, drive, and honest bird sense, with enough style in the background to satisfy folks who like a dog that looks right on point. The pedigree-based coefficient of inbreeding appears low to moderate, estimated around 4.5%, which suggests linebreeding without an obvious close cross in the visible generations. For hunters researching English Setter pedigrees, this one reads as a practical field pedigree with real upside. If the dog matches his breeding, he should have the makings of a forward, hardworking upland dog suited for quail, pheasant, and mixed wild-bird hunting. From a breeding standpoint, he offers meaningful performance blood and would likely cross best on an unrelated, health-tested field setter line that brings balance and keeps the gene pool open. This is a pedigree with bird-dog depth, champion influence, and enough substance behind it to deserve a serious look.