2016 Inductee – Strunz’s “Ginger”
Owner/Handler: Tom Strunz
592 Champion Points
Legendary Status Champion
29x Champion
3 Major Championships
Every tournament hunter comes to the game with high expectations and the hope for victory, and with the dog to do it. For Tom Strunz, that dog was his German Shorthair Pointer, Ginger.
Ginger, was Tom’s first tournament dog who had endless potential. She was a natural who had an excellent nose as well as incredible drive and desire to please Tom or anyone that was in the field with her. She had a build and strength unlike many, and Ginger was extremely consistent in the field.
With all of these great characteristics and by Tom traveling all over the country with her to compete in events, she saw thousands of birds. In her first year of competition, she was the Wisconsin Series Puppy of the Year. She won some of the toughest Major tournaments like the Quail Classic in Doubles and the Wisconsin Series Invitational. However, with those wins at the Major tournaments, it was the Super Majors that escaped this incredible team. That said, Ginger and Tom finished runner up at nearly every Super Major tournament which was an incredible accomplishment when competing against some amazing pointing dogs that played during that time like Birkenholz’s Reggie, Teune’s Rebel, Garrity’s Albert, Kusel’s Jade, or Sweeney’s Gauge. In the competition field, she would hunt her heart out and if Tom missed a bird, she would just look back at him. It was probably a good thing she couldn’t talk, but just the same, Tom knew what that look meant.
Ginger was Tom’s once in a lifetime dog. She has produced some excellent dogs. The most notable being a breeding with Gauge, producing champion dogs like his dog Hanna, Sweeney’s Baron, and Hanson’s Danno. Her legacy lives on in them.
On this day, Thursday, March 17th, 2016, Ginger enters that National Bird Dog Circuit Hall of Fame with 592 Champion points, Legendary Status, and 3 Major wins. A once in a lifetime dog who will forever be remembered.