Billy (Wilhelm Von Geldie)
In November 2001 I got into an internet argument with some field triallers about which types of GSPs made the best hunting dogs - trial or traditional. The argument resulted in a challenge, the owner of one of the most titled GSPs in the SW would come over from New Mexico and we would spend a day hunting to see whose dog found and retrieved more birds. We met and spent the day hunting. The trial dog, a 9 time field trial champion, ran off twice. At the end of the day, in tough conditions, he found and pointed one bird, which his owner shot. In the same time and same conditions, Billy found and pointed 11 birds and I shot 5. The trialler then claimed we must have cheated because no "hunting" dog could have beaten his trial champ. The reality was, against Billy the trial dog didn't have a chance.