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Dave Capstick

Nominated by Ray and Mary Jo Trimble

Dave has spent a lifetime dedicated to the Brittany and the sport of field trialing.

Few individuals devote more than six decades to a single pursuit without being fully committed to its preservation and growth. For Dave Capstick, that dedication has been unwavering. His lifelong passion for bird dogs, field trialing, and the Brittany breed has left an indelible mark on the sport and the many lives he has touched along the way.

Dave was introduced to field trialing as a teenager. Already familiar with hunting behind pointers and setters, it was a friend who suggested that Brittanys and pointers hunted well together. That simple conversation sparked a journey that would define the rest of his life. As fate would have it, a hunting buddy lived next door to Ray Trimble—an influential figure in the Brittany community—who helped connect Dave with a club member offering a litter of pups. Dave soon brought home his first Brittany, Dusty’s Spot, out of Miller’s Desert Dust, and joined the Greater St. Louis Brittany Club.

Under Ray Trimble’s mentorship, Dave entered his first field trial at the August A Busch Conservation Area in St. Louis, where Dusty’s Spot earned second place in a puppy stake. A first-place win in the Derby at Crab Orchard Wildlife Area soon followed. That was all it took—Dave was hooked. He sent Dusty to summer training up north with Lee Holman, sparking a lifelong friendship with the Holman family. Over the years, six more of Dave’s dogs would head north for training: Molly’s Prince Dingo and four others with Jim Holman, a seventh with Chad Holman, and an eighth with Tommy Tracy. He also recalls one summer when a dog trained with Rosco Staton.

Over the next 60 years, Dave bred, campaigned, and finished six Brittany’s to multiple open and amateur field championships. These included:

With co-owner Tim Self, Dave also co-handled GFC FC AFC Ace of Spade to win the National Purina Award in both 2013 and 2015. Notably, Farther Out Ace became a National Field Champion (handled by Chad Holman)—a milestone achievement in any breeder’s career.

The Capstick legacy also includes a poignant chapter: In the 1970s, Dave’s late brother Gary bred Crab Orchard Molly to Shenango Valley Dingo, producing Molly’s Prince Dingo, a talented dog with 9 points toward his Field Championship before being tragically stolen from their backyard.

In the early 1980s, Dave acquired Far Out Freckles from the Dierberg Far Out lineage. As an amateur handler, he successfully campaigned and finished her as FC AFC Far Out Freckles. She would become the foundation for multiple future champions. When bred to Kentucky White Lightning, she produced FC Kentucky Tug and FC Hazard County Jed; a subsequent breeding to Duke of Brittmont produced FC Slide Rule. Among these, FC Kentucky Tug stands out as one of the only Brittany’s believed to have won the prestigious 1-hour Goodwood Championship Shooting Dog Pointer-Setter Trial.

Dave’s skill as an amateur handler led to multiple Roy Quick Awards with FC AFC Far Out Freckles (1983),  FC AFC Top Contender (1995), NFC FC AFC Farther Out Ace (2001)

Beyond campaigning dogs, Dave has been a tireless advocate for the sport. He has co-chaired and helped run numerous events, including the Pheasant Classic, Quail Classic, regional Brittany championships, and club field trials. His leadership roles include serving as Vice President and Field Trial Chairman for the Greater St. Louis Brittany Club. He has also been active with the Southern Illinois Brittany Club, Illinois Brittany Club, and as President of the Illinois Championship Association.

As a field trial judge, Dave’s contributions include judging countless events:

Whether planting birds, driving the dog wagon, marshaling stakes, preparing meals, or finding judges, Dave has been the kind of volunteer every field trial community needs. He has also scouted for many of the sport’s professional handlers including Jim Holman, Loyd Budd, Rosco Staton, Chad Holman and Tommy Tracy.

Throughout his career, Dave has built lifelong friendships across the field trial world, none more influential than his mentors—the late Ray Trimble, Lee Holman, and Jim Holman. Their guidance, combined with Dave’s unwavering dedication, helped him raise and train some of his finest bird dogs.

Dave Capstick’s legacy is not only in the champions he bred, trained, and campaigned, but also in his enduring impact on the sport of field trialing and the Brittany breed. His story is a testament to passion, perseverance, and the rich tradition of sporting dogs in America.

Dave Capstick certainly belongs in our Brittany Field Trial Hall of Fame.