Adequate grounds are a necessity when trying to run a trial on wild birds, but paramount to a successful championship is championship caliber performances. Only four times have the judges withheld the title of Grand National Grouse Champion and three of those times were before the changing of the running rules to eliminate the second series. In the other fifty runnings of the Grand National, some great champions have been named and six dogs have truly distinguished themselves by winning it twice. Grouse Ridge Will who ran at Pharsalia, New York in the 1970 renewal with owner Dr. Tom Flanagan handling. Will also won on quail, woodcock, and pheasants showing great intelligence and adaptability as he went on to garner 84 placements in his career.
Trials are about dogs competing.
They are also about the men and women who blow the whistles behind them. The grouse woods have their own luminaries, some of whom are in the Hall of Fame, others who should or will be. Hall of Fame member Luther Smith handled the winner in the Grand National five times between 1955 and 1963. Dave Hughes handled the winner seven times starting in 1977 with Teaberry, a son of Grouse Ridge Will owned by Dr. R. L. Hughes and his most recent win was with Grouse Ridge Storm in 1994. Jim Tande was the winning handler four times in the 80's.