Every six months or so the German Shorthaired Pointing Club of America holds an AKC licensed hunting test and qualification for AKC pointing breeds. But if you talk to some of the participants, you'll find there's a lot more going on during those events than dog training and certification.

This past weekend a few dozen folks dedicated to their dogs and the sport of hunting upland birds with dogs gathered at a large pond surrounded by thousands of acres of grass and wheat just northwest of Three Forks. The advertised purpose of the gathering was to test pointers' ability to point birds, honor point and retrieve.

The qualifications are a source of pride for many handlers. Sometimes, it seems the dogs even know they've done well. But for some handlers and helpers, the biggest source of satisfaction is being responsible for some of the participants having the chance to be there … or anywhere.

Bo was one of the contestants that may or may not have realized how lucky he was to romp through sunshine and tall grass last weekend searching for hidden quail. Not much more than a year ago, Bo was on canine death row. The 6-year-old German shorthaired male had been labeled aggressive, beyond hope, and was scheduled to be euthanized.

According to GSPC organizer and pet rescuer Leanne Smith, Bo started life as a gift.

"It's the worst gift you can give anybody unless they specifically ask for a dog," Smith said.

She said Bo spent most of his early life permanently attached to a short chain. No human attention and freezing temperatures caused Bo to bark. Complaints came from the neighbors. Bo was taken to the animal shelter where noise and isolation drove him further into emotional debt.

"German shorthairs need attention and they don't like a lot of noise like you find in a shelter," Smith said. "He got into a kennel fight and when one of the workers tried to break up the fight, she got bit."

Because of the bite, Bo was labeled aggressive and dangerous. He was scheduled to be euthanized. It wasn't easy, but Smith and fellow rescuer Nancy Lane managed to persuade the shelter to let them try to rehabilitate Bo. After lots of loving rehab and veterinary care, Bo was ready for a permanent home.

"I was actually looking for a pup on the rescue (Web) site," said 42-year-old Mark Webb. Webb and his family moved to Montana in 2003. He works for Scientific Materials in Bozeman.

"Because of my job I don't have a lot of time so I started thinking about getting an older dog. The whole family went to Glendive where Nancy (Lane) lives in May of '04 to pick up Bo. I always wanted to start hunting birds, but we got Bo primarily as a family pet. If he turned out to be a hunter, well, that would just be a bonus."

During June of last year Mark attended his first training seminar. Last weekend was Mark's and Bo's first AKC qualification event. Bo and Mark performed well and Bo earned near perfect marks during both Saturday's and Sunday's runs.

"He just hunted his heart out," Webb said a day after the event. "He was so tired that after we got home and he got a bath, he just laid down and went to sleep."

Not all rescued dogs turn out to be the best of hunters. One dog Leanne and her husband John Kurtz rescued became a member of the family not because of prowess in the field, but because of the power of his personality.

"Usually we keep a dog a day or two but we decided to keep Fritz because, I hate to say it, he was so pathetic," Kurtz said.

Fritz was a stray from Hamilton who landed in the area's animal shelter. After six months of no adoption, Fritz was scheduled to be euthanized.

"He was so malnourished that he had rickets and his coat was long, orange and brittle, like porcupine quills," Smith said.

Fritz's abuse was severe and his rehabilitation tested Smith and Kurtz.

"It took months for Fritz to feel safe," Smith said. "If you looked into his eyes they were vacant. He was with us for about a year before he began to play."

Once Fritz felt secure, a long hidden personality surfaced. Kurtz and Smith now describe him as a dog who loves to run, jump, clown, be petted and sometimes even find birds.

"When it came his turn to hunt on Saturday, Fritz decided he would rather run along John's side and play," she said. "He did point a bird, though."

Smith and Lane don't reserve their rescue efforts for just German shorthaired pointers. One of the horses used to dogs and handlers along the test course last weekend was a 23-year-old, Icelandic horse named Ogri that had been imported from Iceland and shipped to Vermont.

"Bug bites had caused him to lose his hair, and terrible scabs formed," Lane said. "The whole mess attracted flies and before we found out about Ogri, his owner was ready to euthanize him."

Lane and Smith scraped together the $1,000 to have Ogri shipped to Montana. Once the horse arrived, his sores healed and he eventually learned he no longer had to constantly scratch himself for relief. Ogri now sports the beautiful, dark brown, flowing coat characteristic of his breed. With a lifespan of 30 years or more common for Icelandics, Ogri can look forward to several more itch-free years.

After earning the first two legs last weekend, Mark plans to attend the next Montana GSPC event in August to earn the final two legs of Bo's qualification and the title of Junior Hunter before the two hunters head to the field this fall to chase wild birds around Montana.

And, Fritz? He didn't seem to mind that he didn't earn any titles last weekend.