SMOKERISE BUCK2/ SHAGTIME HOPE LITTER — AI Analysis

This male English Setter comes from a hard-driving American field pedigree built around proven bird dog families rather than purely ornamental breeding. On the top side he traces to 4X CH Smoke Rise Buck through Grouse Ridge Leroy and Smoke Rise Dixie, while the bottom side doubles down on Shagtime Hope, a female carrying Ridge Creek, Houston, Harbor City, and older Smoke Rise blood. Taken as a whole, this is the kind of pedigree a hunter notices because it is stacked with field champions, runner-up champions, and recognizable shooting dog names that have been associated with bird sense, forward pattern, and enough class on the ground to win as well as hunt.

The English Setter is one of the great bird dogs of the uplands, admired for style on point, intelligence, biddability, and a ground race that can be tailored from foot-hunting cover dogs to wider horseback shooting dog types. Good setters carry their head and tail with style, handle game with natural manners, and tend to mature into practical companions that can hunt all day without becoming hard-headed if they are brought along right. In field-bred English Setters like this one, buyers usually look for a balance of nose, range, cooperation, and mental composure. When the breeding is right, you get a dog that can reach to the edges, hunt for you instead of against you, and still show the kind of polish that makes a setter memorable after the guns are put away.

This pedigree reads like a purposeful blend of old field setter families that have been asked to produce performance first. Smoke Rise appears repeatedly and gives the page a backbone. Grouse Ridge Leroy and Smoke Rise Dixie sit close up and suggest a concentration of established setter field blood. On the dam side, Shagtime Hope is by 3XCH/R-U CH Ridge Creek Cody and out of Get Back Lola, bringing in Cant Go Wrong, Houstons Belle, Harbor City Hummer, and Mohawk Mill Cassie. That is not random paper. It is a layered, linebred field pedigree where the breeder was likely trying to hold onto bird-finding instinct, proven class, and the kind of handle that keeps a good hunting dog useful year after year. The repeated appearance of Grouse Ridge Leroy and Smoke Rise Dixie through both the sire’s ancestry and deeper maternal lines gives this dog the look of a linebred performance setter rather than a broad outcross experiment.

Based on the pedigree provided, this dog shows a meaningful degree of linebreeding, with repeated ancestors including Grouse Ridge Leroy, Smoke Rise Dixie, CH Bobby Joe, Grouse Ridge Chicane, Big Springs Spot, Smoke Rise Freckles, CH Wrong Way, Houston, CH Ravenwood Riley, CH Smoke Rise Buck, and related older setter stock behind them. A precise modern DNA-based health profile cannot be determined from pedigree alone, but the pedigree itself suggests a moderate to fairly strong concentration of shared field ancestry. A practical estimated coefficient of inbreeding from the visible pedigree is approximately 10% to 14%, with a midpoint working estimate of 12.5%. That level is high enough to indicate intentional consolidation of type and performance traits, but not so extreme as to automatically raise concern if the line has remained healthy and functional. From a breeder’s standpoint, linebreeding at this level can help set style, pattern, nose, and temperament more consistently, though it also means any hidden weaknesses in structure, temperament, fertility, or inherited disease may surface more readily if they exist in the family. For an English Setter from this kind of blood, prudent buyers would still want direct health information on hips, thyroid, hearing, and general longevity in the immediate family.

The heaviest ancestral influence appears to come from the Smoke Rise and Grouse Ridge families, with support from Ridge Creek, Harbor City, and Houston-bred dogs. Grouse Ridge Leroy is especially important because he anchors the sire side through 4X CH Smoke Rise Buck and also shows up again behind CH Smoke Rise Buck in the maternal half of the pedigree. Smoke Rise Dixie is similarly influential and helps tighten the family resemblance. Ridge Creek Cody contributes championship field class on the dam side, while Cant Go Wrong and Houstons Belle add more competitive credentials. Harbor City Hummer and CH Ravenwood Riley bring depth from older field setter stock known for application and bird dog character. In plain hunting terms, this is the sort of ancestry that usually favors a dog with natural reach, strong objectives, enough independence to find birds, and enough inherited handle to remain useful.

This is a notably titled pedigree. Close up, the sire is out of 4X CH Smoke Rise Buck, and the dam is by 3XCH/R-U CH Ridge Creek Cody. Also appearing prominently are CH-R/U CH Cant Go Wrong, 2XCH/4XR-U CH Houstons Belle, CH Bobby Joe, CH Wrong Way, CH Ravenwood Riley, CH Smoke Rise Buck, CH Dr Ray, CH Stillmeadows Jim, 2XCH/R-U CH Jetwood, CH Thumbs Up, CH Commanders Casey Jones, CH Jetsetter, CH Lilleyhills Secret Stash, 4X CH B Rannigan, and HOF CH Tekoa Mountain Sunrise. Even allowing for some duplication in the pedigree, the concentration of champion and runner-up champion titles is strong and points to generations of dogs that were proven in competition rather than merely registered.

If the dog himself inherited what this pedigree suggests, the performance ceiling should be very respectable for a hunting or trial-minded English Setter. I would expect natural bird sense, good forward application, and a hunting pattern that wants to reach but still remain workable with proper development. The Smoke Rise and Grouse Ridge concentration often signals style and field savvy, while the Ridge Creek and Houston-related pieces can add grit and competitiveness. That combination usually suits a hunter who wants a dog with enough run for wild birds but not one that has to be chased over the county. In practical terms, this pedigree leans toward a dog that could make a capable shooting dog, a serious foot-hunting companion on quail, woodcock, or grouse, and potentially a field trial prospect if his individual tools came through cleanly. Mental composure and trainability should be watched in early development, because tightly bred performance dogs often show plenty of drive and need a steady hand rather than heavy pressure.

The biggest insight here is that this is a linebred field English Setter pedigree with a real center of gravity. It is not scattered. The breeder leaned heavily on Smoke Rise and related Grouse Ridge blood, then reinforced the package with Ridge Creek, Cant Go Wrong, Houston, and Harbor City stock. That usually means the goal was predictability. For buyers, that is often a good sign because predictable families tend to reproduce a recognizable kind of bird dog. Another key point is the title density. There are enough champions and runner-up champions close enough in the pedigree to support the idea that performance was tested repeatedly. The cautionary side is that linebreeding cuts both ways. When it works, it stamps bird sense and style. When it misses, it can stamp faults just as firmly. A buyer would be wise to evaluate littermates and immediate family for consistency, temperament, and soundness.

From the pedigree alone, the most notable close relatives are 4X CH Smoke Rise Buck and 3XCH/R-U CH Ridge Creek Cody, along with other prominent titled ancestors such as CH-R/U CH Cant Go Wrong and 2XCH/4XR-U CH Houstons Belle. The pedigree provided does not list verified full siblings, half-siblings, or offspring for this specific male, so no confirmed famous brothers, sisters, or progeny can be stated from the supplied data alone.

Given the amount of Smoke Rise and Grouse Ridge concentration here, sensible outcrosses would usually be sought in families that keep field class and bird sense while reducing the concentration on the same ancestors. For a breeder, good outcross ideas would often include proven modern field setter families carrying Tekoa, Shadow Oak, Miller, or other strong hunting and shooting dog lines that are not already heavily tied into the same Smoke Rise core. The best outcross would be a female with strong health, good feet and gait, natural handle, and a record of producing biddable bird dogs. With a pedigree like this, I would avoid another very close Smoke Rise-heavy cross unless the goal was deliberate line concentration and the breeder knew the family faults cold.

As breeding stock, this dog’s value would likely rest in how honestly he reproduces the old field setter virtues packed into the paper: nose, range, style, and a useful mind. Because the pedigree is already fairly concentrated, he would make the most sense bred to a female that is prepotent in soundness and temperament, with enough outcross depth to widen the genetic base without sacrificing bird dog quality. If he turned out to be strong on the ground and easy in the yard, he could help stamp a classic hunting setter type. If he were too hot, too independent, or structurally plain, I would not double down with similar blood. In short, this is the kind of male that could be valuable in a program aimed at serious gun dogs, but only if matched with discipline and a clear understanding of what the line already carries.

SMOKERISE BUCK2/ SHAGTIME HOPE LITTER is a male English Setter bred on a foundation that speaks straight to upland hunters who still value old-fashioned bird dog sense. His pedigree is rich in Smoke Rise blood and backed by Grouse Ridge, Ridge Creek, Harbor City, and Houston influences, giving him the look of a purpose-bred field setter rather than a paper-only prospect. There is real championship depth here, with dogs like 4X CH Smoke Rise Buck, 3XCH/R-U CH Ridge Creek Cody, CH-R/U CH Cant Go Wrong, and 2XCH/4XR-U CH Houstons Belle stacked through the first generations. What stands out most is the linebred structure of the pedigree. The same proven field families show up again and again, which usually means the breeder was trying to hold onto a certain kind of dog: one with nose, style, forward race, and enough handle to stay useful in the bird fields. An estimated coefficient of inbreeding around 12.5% suggests a moderate-to-strong concentration of shared ancestry. For the right breeder, that can be an asset because it improves predictability. For the careful buyer, it is also a reminder to look hard at health, temperament, and consistency in the immediate family. As a hunting prospect, this pedigree suggests strong potential for a stylish, practical English Setter with natural bird finding ability and the kind of class that can show up on wild birds or in competition. For anyone researching English Setter pedigrees on Gundog Central, this is the sort of breeding that deserves a close look because it carries a deep reservoir of traditional field blood and a clear identity from top to bottom.