07/01/2026
Our Rosie's sire has made quite the name for himself. Congratulations to both the breeder and his owner!
The latest heat wave felt across much of the continent reminds us that summer is here and so is the month of July. The July representative for the NAPS Pudelpointer Spotlight happens to be VC Ripsnorter’s Shoot and Miss “Noonan” who is owned by Darryl Pernat of Snohomish, WA. This is Noonan and Darryl’s Spotlight Story.
Meet Noonan-VC Ripsnorter's Shoot and Miss MHA, RDX, NSTRA Am. Champ
When I purchased Noonan nine years ago, I told his breeder, Jeff George of Ripsnorter Kennels, that I was going to push this dog to the highest levels. What I didn't know then was just how easy he would make that promise to keep.
From the very beginning, Noonan showed me something special a hunter's mind wrapped in an athlete's body, with a temperament that makes him as much a joy in the living room as he is in the field. He is, without question, a once-in-a-lifetime dog.
Noonan's trainability is unlike anything I have experienced in decades of owning and working hunting dogs. His intelligence, biddability, and drive are perfectly balanced. He wants to hunt, he wants to please, and he figures things out faster than you can teach them.
At almost exactly two years of age, he earned a NAVHDA Utility Prize I with a perfect score of 204. The very next morning, he made history as the first Pudelpointer ever to earn an AKC Master Hunter title. He later became the first Pudelpointer to earn the Master Hunter Advanced title, the AKC Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Retriever Dog Excellent (RDX) title, four breed firsts. Add a Versatile Champion designation in 2024, an NSTRA Amateur Championship, and the Northwest NSTRA Amateur High Point Dog of the Year award in 2022, and you begin to understand the full picture of what this dog has accomplished.
In the field, Noonan is simply one of the finest hunting dogs I have ever seen or hunted behind. He adjusts his range to the terrain and the game, stretching out well beyond 250 yards for chukar and Huns in open country, then pulling back to 50–80 yards in tight pheasant cover without ever being asked. His nose, drive, and natural backing instincts are something to witness. I have watched him slam on point and back another dog from more than 100 yards away.
He has been proven on nearly every upland species worth chasing: ruffed grouse, pheasant, Hungarian partridge, chukar, sharp-tailed grouse, prairie chicken, sage grouse, woodcock, and quail, as well as numerous waterfowl species. His steadiness to wing, shot, and fall, along with his manners in the blind, make him an absolute pleasure to hunt behind.
His water work is equally impressive. Noonan is a relentless crippled-bird finder who will hunt a downed bird for 30 minutes or more if that's what it takes. He handles blind retrieves at distances beyond 100 yards with the kind of precision and composure rarely seen in a pointing breed. Watching him in the water is both inspiring and a little entertaining, he simply will not quit.
What makes me equally proud, and what I think often gets overlooked in a dog with this kind of résumé, is his impact as a producer. Noonan is already among the top eight stud dogs in North American Pudelpointer history based on NAVHDA Utility Test and Versatile Champion data. He comes from the first and only Invitational Breeder's Award litter for pudelpointers and has since sired five NA Breeders Award litters and a Utility Breeder's Award litter, one of only eight such litters in NAVHDA breed history.
His pups carry his drive, intelligence, and temperament, and his progeny record continues to grow, demonstrating his ability to consistently produce outstanding dogs.
Most importantly, Noonan is a great house dog and a pleasure to live with. He is calm, affectionate, and genuinely loves people. Everyone who meets him notices it immediately. He is the kind of dog who reminds you why you fell in love with this breed in the first place.
Most of all, he is my buddy. He greets me at the door every day and demands a little attention and affection, and I happily give it to him every time.
