SHAGTIME EARL — AI Analysis

SHAGTIME EARL is a male English Setter carrying a pedigree that reads like a practical gun dog family tree, blending proven field blood from Harbor City, Tekoa Mountain, Mohawk Mill, Smoke Rise, Grouse Ridge, Skydancer, and Shamrock-related stock. On paper, this is the kind of breeding that suggests a dog shaped by bird work first, with enough champion influence behind him to give the pedigree depth and credibility. The sire side leans hard into classic performance English Setter blood, with repeated appearances from Tekoa Mountain Sunrise, Barn Owl Wind, Grouse Ridge Leroy, and Smoke Rise Buck. The dam side brings in CH Erins Hidden Shamrock, Ridge Creek Cody, Barbaro, Grid Iron, and more Tekoa and Mohawk Mill influence, creating a pedigree that appears to favor range, intelligence, bird sense, and a stylish field presence.

The English Setter is one of the prettiest gun dogs ever turned loose in bird country, but the good ones are far more than looks. A well-bred setter should carry a light, efficient gait, enough nose to sort out running birds, and the kind of biddable temperament that makes them a pleasure in camp and in the house. In the field, they are known for grace, reach, and the ability to handle upland cover with style rather than brute force. In practical hunting terms, English Setters often shine on quail, grouse, woodcock, and prairie birds because they can adapt from foot-hunter range to bigger country, depending on the family behind them. This pedigree suggests a field-oriented setter with old proven shooting dog character rather than a dog bred only for appearance.

There is a lot of old field intelligence stacked into SHAGTIME EARL. The top side goes through HOT BLOODED to Harbor City Hummer and Hoyles Mohawk Abby, and that branch is packed with names tied to competitive and practical bird dog breeding. Ravenwood, Harbor City, Tekoa Mountain, Mohawk Mill, Smoke Rise, and Grouse Ridge all show up in ways that matter, not just as decoration deep in the pedigree. The bottom side through SHAMROCKS MISS GRACE carries CH Erins Hidden Shamrock over Southern Grace, and that part of the pedigree ties in Ridge Creek Cody, Erins Skydancer, Barbaro, Trachaven Gracie, Grid Iron, and another shot of Mohawk Mill and Tekoa blood. What stands out is not just the number of recognizable dogs, but how often the same influential families reappear. That usually tells you a breeder was trying to hold onto certain working traits instead of breeding at random.

Based on the pedigree provided, SHAGTIME EARL shows meaningful linebreeding around several influential English Setter ancestors, especially HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise, Barn Owl Wind, Miss Tekoa Hope, Lookout Mona, Mohawk Mill Cassie, CH Smoke Rise Buck, Grouse Ridge Leroy, and the Brannigan/Salina cross. This is not an extreme close inbreeding pattern, but it is a purposeful concentration of old field stock. Using the visible six-generation pedigree and accounting for repeated ancestors where they are clearly identified, the estimated coefficient of inbreeding is approximately 7% to 11%, with a reasonable midpoint estimate near 9%. Because some entries are incomplete and a few dogs appear with slight naming variations, this should be treated as an informed pedigree estimate rather than a laboratory calculation. Genetically, that level suggests moderate linebreeding intended to lock in type, bird sense, and consistency without necessarily pushing into the danger zone of very tight inbreeding. The repeated use of high-value field ancestors often increases predictability for hunting instinct, style, and trainability, but it can also preserve weaknesses if they were present in the family, so health and individual phenotype still matter.

The deepest influence in this pedigree comes from the old Tekoa Mountain and associated field families. HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise is a major anchor, appearing multiple times and helping stamp classic setter field qualities like drive, nose, and animation on point. Barn Owl Wind and Miss Tekoa Hope show up repeatedly as well, reinforcing that branch. Mohawk Mill Cassie appears on both sides of the pedigree, which matters because doubling a female of that kind often helps hold family consistency in bird application and temperament. CH Smoke Rise Buck is another strong recurring force and likely contributes intensity, field grit, and the kind of practical edge hunters like to see when the weather turns rough or birds get spooky. Grouse Ridge Leroy and related Grouse Ridge blood add more substance to the pedigree, while the Shamrock, Ridge Creek, and Skydancer side likely contributes style, balance, and additional class in movement and handling. Taken together, the pedigree points toward a dog bred to find birds honestly, carry himself with some eye appeal, and stay useful to a serious upland hunter.

This pedigree carries a healthy amount of titled influence, especially for a hunting-bred English Setter. Notable champions and titled dogs visible in the pedigree include CH Ravenwood Riley, CH Thumbs Up, 11X CH Tekoa Mountain Patriot, CH Smoke Rise Buck, 4X CH B Rannigan, HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise, CH Grouse Ridge Leroy, CH Commanders Casey Jones, CH Erins Hidden Shamrock, CH Ridge Creek Cody, CH Barbaro, CH Cant Go Wrong, CH Grid Iron, CH Wrong Way, CH Havelock Blacksmith, CH Ragged Hill Nip, CH Dr Ray, CH Stillmeadows Jim, CH Hamilton's Blue Diamond, CH Crescent City Dexter, CH Pinekone Max Jr, CH Destinare, CH Havelock Ike, CH Blue Grass, and CH Bobby Joe. Depending on how one counts duplicate appearances of the same dogs, there are roughly 20 or more distinct champion-designated ancestors in the six-generation view, with several repeated multiple times. That is a strong sign of concentrated quality and selective breeding.

From a breeder's and hunter's point of view, SHAGTIME EARL's pedigree suggests very solid performance potential as an upland gun dog. The repeated Tekoa, Smoke Rise, Grouse Ridge, and Mohawk Mill blood points toward a dog likely to carry good nose, natural bird finding ability, and the kind of point style that catches your eye across a field edge or in cutover cover. This sort of breeding often produces dogs with enough motor to hunt all day but enough sense to stay workable if properly started. The dam side adds some balance and probably improves style and handle, which can matter a lot for a hunter who wants a classy dog that still checks back and uses the wind with intelligence. I would expect the best expression of this pedigree to be a medium-to-forward running bird dog, likely best suited for quail, grouse, woodcock, and pheasant work, with enough quality to appeal to field trial or hunt test people if the individual has the right mind and application.

The biggest insight here is that SHAGTIME EARL is not built on one fashionable cross but on layered, recurring field families that have been respected for generations. That usually makes a pedigree more trustworthy than one filled with random big names. Another important point is the concentration of Tekoa Mountain Sunrise blood and related dogs, which gives the pedigree a real center of gravity. The repeated Mohawk Mill Cassie and CH Smoke Rise Buck influence also suggests an effort to preserve useful field traits rather than simply stack titles. For buyers, this is the sort of pedigree that hints at natural ability and consistency if the dog himself matches the paper. For breeders, it offers several clear linebred channels that can be tightened or opened depending on the mating plan. For hunters, it reads like a dog that should be bred to hunt birds with style and honesty.

Within the pedigree, the most notable relatives are the repeated champion and hall-of-fame ancestors rather than identified littermates or direct offspring of SHAGTIME EARL. Famous or highly influential relatives in the background include HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise, 11X CH Tekoa Mountain Patriot, CH Smoke Rise Buck, CH Erins Hidden Shamrock, CH Ridge Creek Cody, CH Cant Go Wrong, CH Grid Iron, and CH Ravenwood Riley. No confirmed brothers, sisters, or offspring for SHAGTIME EARL were provided in the source pedigree, so those details remain unknown.

Given the concentration of Tekoa Mountain, Mohawk Mill, Smoke Rise, and Grouse Ridge blood, a sensible outcross would usually come from a strong, health-tested English Setter family that is less saturated with those same ancestors but still proven on wild birds. In practical breeding terms, this pedigree would likely cross well on an unrelated or lightly related field setter carrying strong natural handle, foot-hunter range, and cooperative temperament, especially if the mate brings proven health, good feet, and a strong bottom in bird contact. A Havelock-heavy outcross with less Tekoa concentration, a modern grouse/woodcock field line with demonstrated biddability, or an outcross to a hard-hunting but mentally steady Southern quail line could all make sense depending on what traits a breeder wants to emphasize. The best outcross would be one that preserves nose and point while reducing pedigree concentration around Tekoa Sunrise, Barn Owl Wind, and Mohawk Mill Cassie.

If I were studying this pedigree as breeding stock, I would say the value lies in its consistency and recognizable field families. This is the kind of dog you would use when you want to hold onto old setter character, bird sense, and style. Because the pedigree is already moderately linebred, I would be careful about doubling too hard again on the same Tekoa and Mohawk anchors unless the individual dog is exceptionally sound in health, structure, temperament, and bird application. A wise breeding plan would look for a complementary female with strong wild-bird credentials, good genetic diversity, and a steady mind. If SHAGTIME EARL himself showed the natural nose, point, and run that this paper suggests, he could be useful for preserving classic hunting setter traits without losing enough independence to become dull in the field.

SHAGTIME EARL is a male English Setter bred the way a lot of hunters still like to see one bred, with old field blood stacked behind him and very little wasted space in the pedigree. By HOT BLOODED and out of SHAMROCKS MISS GRACE, he carries a blend of Harbor City, Tekoa Mountain, Mohawk Mill, Smoke Rise, Grouse Ridge, Ridge Creek, and Shamrock breeding that points toward a practical bird dog with class. The names behind him are not there by accident. HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise shows up more than once, and so do dogs like Barn Owl Wind, Mohawk Mill Cassie, CH Smoke Rise Buck, and Grouse Ridge Leroy. That kind of repetition usually means somebody was trying to keep the best parts of a setter family together. For the hunter researching English Setter pedigrees, this is the sort of paper that suggests nose, style, and natural bird finding ability. The English Setter has long been prized for a smooth gait, a good mind, and the kind of point that can stop you in your tracks, and this pedigree fits that tradition. SHAGTIME EARL looks like he comes from stock that should handle upland birds the right way, with enough drive to cover ground and enough sense to stay useful to the gun. If the dog himself matches the blood behind him, this is a pedigree with real appeal for anyone wanting a classic hunting setter, a breeding prospect with old-line field influence, or simply a better understanding of where proven English Setter performance comes from.