2005 Inductee – Three Spot

THREE  SPOT
(1988-1999)
252 THCP
GOLD STATUS CHAMPION
3x NATHA US OPEN CHAMPION
3x NATHA TOP DOG

Very few dogs ever win the U.S. Open and even fewer ever win three. Three Spot is in that rare group of three-time winners.  When this English Pointer came to play… He played to win.   Born in Denton, Nebraska in 1988, Three Spot met Larry Miller when the pup was only five months old. “I guess it was love at first sight,” Larry says.  “There was something special about him right away.  I could see he was eager to please me and that’s one of the most important things in any bird dog.”

And what hunter wouldn’t be pleased with a dog like Three Spot.  A wall full of plaques and a shelf full of trophies mark the legacy of this great canine.  Among Three Spot’s accomplishments: NATHA High Point Pointer three years in a row, State Pheasant Championship wins in Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska, three U.S. Open wins and an impressive array of top-three showings all around the Midwest.

Ask Larry about Three Spot’s best qualities as a hunter and you can get one of several answers.  “He had the best nose of any dog I’ve seen. Other dogs would walk right by hens on a nest without catching a scent, but old Three Spot would point ‘em up. If there were birds in a field, he’d find’em.”

“Did he retrieve?  Right to hand-every time.  He was so eager to get the bird back to me that he’d dang near knock me down if I wasn’t ready to take it from him.”

“Weak points?  Well, he was a bit of a one-man dog. Tim Brewster and I were hunting partners for years. Three Spot would work great for him when we hunted Doubles, but if Tim took him out on a Top Gun run, I had to
leave or he’d retrieve to me every time. Once I was out of sight he would hunt for Tim with all the heart he showed working for me.”

“Most memorable moment?  That would have to be the time we had a great run in our first time out at the U.S.  Open and the score held up all weekend long. Or maybe it was taking home a 4th place trophy from the U.S.  Open in Three Spot’s very first tournament. With all those great hunts, it’s hard to pick any one moment.”
“Special training?  Heck, no.  We just went hunting. His great nose and that willingness to do anything to please me made him a great hunting dog and a good buddy, too.” When the years took their toll on Three Spot and his hunting days were behind him, he remained Larry’s companion, learning how to let himself in and out of the house and basically ruling the roost at home.

Three Spot has been gone for several years, but Larry and Tim still speak of this dog like he is right around the corner.  In their hearts and in the memories of those who competed (often in vain) against this valiant hunter, Three Spot has attained a measure of immortality.

Owner/Handlers: Larry Miller and Tim Brewster