Field Trial Review Remembering Jim Crouse

FFIIEELLDD TTRRIIAALL RReevviieeww 120 th National Championship Ames Plantation February 11, 2019

2018 National Champion Lester’s Sunny Hill Jo with his trophies (photo by Nancy Brannon )

Covering the National Championship since 1986 2. 2019 Field Trial Review Remembering Jim Crouse

“Uncle Jim” Jim Crouse at the 2012 National Championship. ( Chris Mathan photo ) Judge Jim Crouse at the 2018 draw - (photo from Mary Schalk ) ing dinner ( photo by Nancy Brannon ) On August 9, 2018 the field trial com - Crouse, and from the beginning of his life, Jim had a distinguished carrier as an ed - ning in 1974 brothers Mike and Jim munity lost a tremendous ambassador. A bird dogs were a part of it. His dad’s fa - ucator. He received his undergraduate de - Crouse began competing in horseback lifelong resident of Dixon, Kentucky, Jim vorite bird dog Joe greeted Jim’s arrival by gree from the University of Kentucky field trials, eventually logging over 700 Crouse, 72, passed away after a tragic, sin - rearing up on the stroller to see and smell (UK) and received his Master’s degree and wins in a 42 year period. The family owns gle utility vehicle accident that occurred him. Rank 1 certification from Murray State Crouse Kennel, where over the more than on his property. Jim’s father, J.P. Crouse, was an avid University. Some would call his carrier 30 years the family has trained bird dogs Jim’s niece (daughter of brother Mike) outdoorsman and sports enthusiast – a providential. Upon graduating in 1973 on the prairie of Dixon, Kentucky. Jim was Mary Schalk was still teary-eyed when she skilled fisherman and hunter. But his from UK, he expected to be drafted into very knowledgeable about dog pedigrees shared her thoughts about “Uncle Jim.” greatest love was quail hunting and he the Army. But walking down the street one and would study scenarios of what would “My last conversation with him was on the took his sons Jim and brother Mike afield. day, he was greeted by George Wooten, occur during a quail hunt. This he would morning of his death. He had taken our The two sons hunted quail from the time Superintendent of the Providence School apply to judging field trials. dear friends Mazie and Colvin Davis to the they could walk. Father Crouse empha - System. Wooten, having known Jim since The Crouse brothers became close North 90 to show off his beautiful prop - sized to his sons routinely that dog and he was 14 years old and in 4-H, asked Jim friends with field trailer and past National erty. Remarking to me about my dress and man were a team, working together. what he planned to do and suggested that Championship Judge Freddie Epp, who heels at ten til eight, he asked me where I Jim’s lifelong interest in sports and his he take up teaching. Jim told him that he also passed away in 2018. They made was going. I replied that I am trying to get accomplishments fostered a competitive had graduated, but without the required every attempt to attend the National to work. He said, ‘Well, don’t let me stop spirit, which was tempered by reminders teaching certificate. Wooten wrote some Championships when the other was judg - you.’ And I was moved to hug his neck from both parents to practice the “Golden letters to the Kentucky State Board of Ed - ing, as a show of support. and kiss his cheek.” Rule” – to give his best while being gov - ucation and got Jim into a program that al - As his years of involvement in bird dog Schalk had many life stories to tell erned by this guiding principal. Paramount lowed him to teach in Webster County, field trials progressed, he became a highly about her Uncle Jim – “the man who res - in his parents’ teachings were: commit - nine miles south of Jim’s hometown of respected judge of field trials, the highest cued me from falling off horses more than ment, effort, honesty, hard work, manners, Dixon, provided that he met the certificate honor being a judge for the National once, enhanced my vocabulary in a color - respect, and thanksgiving to God and all requirement within a certain period of Championship at Ames Plantation. He was ful way,…and cultivated a deep passion, earthly beings for all they did to aid him. time. Jim went on to work as a teacher in an active member of the Amateur Field respect, and love for the sport of horseback Jim’s mother was a devout Christian who the Providence Independent School Sys - Trial Clubs of America Board of Trustees, field trialing. He and my dad sparked and took her boys to church every Sunday and tem and from there, progressed to a career Board of Directors for the National Bird kindled my desire to serve our home com - instilled in them the values that people ad - in school administration in Providence, as Dog Foundation, President of both the munity of Webster County, Kentucky as an mired in Jim. His mother taught him that well as other districts. Ohio Valley Field Trial Club and the Coal - educator.” Mary Schalk is Assistant Prin - character was gauged by what humans did Jim took great joy in sporting events, field Bird Dog Club. cipal at Dixon Elementary. for their fellow man without regard for but his greatest sporting love was horse - Jim was born July 18, 1946 to James what might be done in return. Jim was cer - back field trials where he participated with Parker Crouse and Mary Edith Asher tainly a person of character. his brother for a number of years. Begin -

About The Field Trial Review Field Trial Review Started by the late Don Dowdle, the Field Trial Review has been published annually Equus Charta, LLC Copyright 2019 since 1986. We have continued Don’s legacy of covering the National Championship, P.O. Box 594 • Arlington, TN 38002-0594 paying tribute to the dogs, owners, handlers, and the Ames Plantation at this prestigious 901-867-1755 • 901-867-1755 (Fax) event. We hope you are pleased with this year’s issue! Publishers & Editors — Tommy & Dr. Nancy Brannon The Field Trial Review is a free publication made possible by the support of our Staff — Andrea Gilbert advertisers. Please tell our patrons that you saw their ad in the Field Trial Review! Email: [email protected] Website: www.midsouthhorsereview.com Every effort is made to avoid errors and to secure photos of every dog and everyone involved in the National Championship. If you find errors, or if we missed you, we apolo - The Field Trial Review is an annual publication of the Mid-South Horse Review , a gize. We express our sincere appreciation to all who contributed articles, photos, and free monthly equine newsmagazine. Yearly subscriptions to the Mid-South Horse Review are available by first class mail for $35 annually. To subscribe, send payment to P.O. Box information for this publication. Articles have been edited to fit available space. 594, Arlington, TN 38002-0594. Subscribe by phone: (901) 867-1755 . The Field Trial Review is available online at: www.midsouthhorsereview.com. Past is - sues are also available at this site. Deadline for the 2020 FTR is February 5, 2020 . EDITORIAL POLICY: The opinions expressed in articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policy of Tommy & Dr. Nancy Brannon, Publishers & Editors the Field Trial Review . Expressions of differing opinions through manuscript submis- 6220 Greenlee St. • P. O. Box 594, Arlington, TN 38002 • 901-867-1755 sions are welcome. Contents © 2019 2019 Field Trial Review 3.

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Gary Lester, handler & co-owner

Jo was originally slated to run in the 12th brace on Saturday afternoon, Febru - ary 17th. But rain delays moved his run to Monday afternoon of the second week – February 19, 2018, Presidents Day. The Champion Lester’s Sunny Hill Jo poses for the photographers on the grounds weather brought partly sunny skies and a of the Ames Manor House. (all photos by Nancy Brannon ) high of 71° F. Gary’s other dog, Spec, was in the 14th brace the following afternoon, again with partly sunny skies and a high of 73° F. Having both dogs run in the sec - For the second year in a row Gary ond week of competition gave Gary the Lester stood on the green steps of the opportunity to work his dogs in South Ames Manor House to accept the National Georgia and Florida, where there are Championship award for his Champion plenty of wild birds, before competing in pointer Lester’s Sunny Hill Jo. This is one the National Championship. Jo had 42 of his favorite places to stand this time of finds in those outings before heading back year, he commented in 2017. for Tennessee. Gary analogized his work, Gary Lester, the dog’s handler and co- “There is a reason that baseball managers owner with David Thompson, was beside have their players pitching and in the bat - himself with praise for his dog and all of ters cage while the game is going on.” the people he calls “The Company,” who The warm winter holiday, shirtsleeve help him compete successfully in the sport weather, brought many people out to ride of field trailing. Lester gives first credit to on horseback in the gallery. Scent was ap - God, thanking the Almighty for all of the parently in the air because Jo had a find blessings bestowed on him. He is truly just 20 seconds after the breakaway. He grateful for the opportunities he has re - had eight more finds during the competi - ceived. Mark Hayes, who scouted in 2017 tion, plus a sidetrack on a rabbit, finishing All of the “support staff” for CH Lester’s Sunny Hill Jo at the awards ceremony. and 2018 for Jo’s wins, joined Gary, the three hours. David, and “The Company” on the porch Gary said that Jo is trained on wild of the Ames manor house for the presen - birds and, thus, he will go on point further tation by Dr. Rick Carlisle, Director of away from the birds than many dogs. “He Ames Plantation and one of the 2018 field has learned that if he gets too close to wild trial judges. Gary said that he loves to “get birds they will fly, unlike these released up on that horse and then get up on this birds. I try to take him to where I think the porch.” birds will be. I want him deep. If he would Gary described Jo as a “happy dog who go right, I would tell [scout] Mark [Hayes] is happy to do his job.” Jo definitely looks to watch the right and I would go left. He cut, fit, lean, and muscled. The five-year- will not leave; he is never lost. If I call old pointer male seems to always have his him, he will show up. He has such a super nose up checking for scent in the air. He nose!” was sired by Ransom, out of Miller’s One of the finds was flushed by scout White Wall, and was bred by Chris Mark Hayes, who knows the dog so well George. Gary had high praise for Derrick and has Gary’s complete confidence. Bonner who whelped Jo’s litter and trains When one of the judges had dismounted Gary’s dogs through puppyhood. to answer nature’s call, Gary held back. Gary’s strategy in field trails is to keep But Mark was up front in the right place at the dog looking for birds; and to do so, he the right time. Gary commented, “Mark needs to find birds. Gary spends a lot of flushes these dogs all the time.” By the time on the road and in the saddle to have time Gary arrived the flush was done. his dogs at the top of their game. For the Gary summarized, “God has blessed us 2018 National, he was competing two so much. I am a farmer and I love the land. We have had a tremendous amount of fun dogs, Jo and Miller’s Dialing In (Spec), Happy owners of CH Lester’s Sunny Hill Jo, Mr. and Mrs. David Thompson who was the 2015 National Champion. with this dog!” 2019 Field Trial Review 7. th on the morning course, scoring four finds Truck Field on the west edge at the road 119 National Championship plus a divided find. to the cut over. Find at 1:12 in the Monday afternoon of the second week Lawrence Smith Barn Field on woods By Nancy Brannon braces had to be postponed because of turned out to be a lovely spring day, with edge. Find at 1:36 north of Tyler's Test pouring rain. As Jamie Evans put it, “It has The 119th running of the National a high of 71°F, and conditions seemed to south of the Strawberry Patch. Find at 1:43 been a challenging [first] week for the be right for Lester’s Sunny Hill Jo to get north of Wolf Crossing at the agronomy Championship started February 12th and competitors with only five of the twenty finished on February 24, 2018 at Ames on a roll finding birds. In his first 20 sec - edge. Find at 1:50 in the west end of Mar - dogs running thus far completing the three onds he had a find in a feed patch at the shall Jack Harris north of Wolf Crossing. Plantation in Grand Junction, Tenn. For hours.” the second year in a row Gary Lester ac - breakaway. Then: “A Find at :31 in the Find at 2:28 at the apex of Fason Ridge in The first dog to finish the three hours Horseshoe on the west side. A Find at :44 sage grass. He finished the three hours.” cepted the National Championship award. was Mega Blackhawk’s Progeny, who This year was Lester’s fifth time winning on the east side of the Chute. A Find at :56 With an astounding nine finds, he had drew the first brace for the second year in on the northeast corner of Tyler's Test. A given Jo some tough competition. a National Championship and the second a row. He had four finds, with a fifth point in a row for his dog CH Lester’s Sunny Back at 1:14 at the entrance to the Then the rains were back on Wednes - where the flight of birds was not seen Lawrence Smith Barn Field. A Find at day of the second week, bringing a can - Hill Jo. under judgment. The 2018 edition of the National Cham - 1:44 on the south side of Tyler's Test east cellation to the Wednesday morning brace. Erin’s Redrum, in the second brace on of the shed. An Unprodcutive at 1:56 in On Thursday, temperatures were down pionship might be called the “year of the the afternoon course, had two finds, a di - water dog,” a year in which rain gear and the cut over on the north side of the Jack into the 40s with rain – typical winter vided find, two backs, and an unproduc - Harris Cabin Field. A rabbit at 2:04 in the weather for west Tennessee. Friday saw water-proofing were absolute necessities, tive. with rain coming nearly every day, creat - Jack Harris Cabin field. A Find at 2:16 on warmer temperatures, but rain still domi - Dominator’s Rebel Heir had three finds the east side of Cox's Ridge in bicolor. A nated the weather and there was wide - ing lots of mud. Even the drawing began and two unproductives in the third brace on a rainy night Saturday, February 10. Find at 2:18 on the west side of Cox's spread flooding across west Tennessee. on the morning course. Ridge at the apex of hill. A Find at 2:22 on None of the dogs running in the last days The first day of the field trail was very By the end of the first week, Coldwater cold, at 28°F, and windy, but the rest of the Cox's Ridge northeast of Carlisle Corner. of week two had much luck finding birds. Thunder seemed to have put in the best A Find at 2:33 on Cox's Ridge before de - The last two braces were run on Satur - competition took place in above freezing performance so far. The pointer female temperatures. The Wednesday afternoon scending into Fason bottom. Finished the day morning, one starting at 8:00 a.m., had run in the sixth brace, finished the three hours.” It was quite a productive af - with both dogs having no bird work and and Saturday morning braces of the first three hours and had five finds with a sixth week had been cancelled because of rain, ternoon! being brought in after only 23 minutes out. where the flight of birds was not seen On Tuesday afternoon, Oakspring Big Saturday’s “afternoon” brace started at and rainy weather all week had made a under judgment. Videographer Brad Har - very soggy course. Temperatures ranged Time Warrior was on a bird-finding roll, 9:35 a.m., again with minimal bird work ter was wondering if this might be the first too, with his first find “at :12 on the east and out for only about an hour. from 40 degrees and rain to several spring- year in 20 years when a female would win like days with temperatures in the 60s and end of Jim Miller at the entrance to Buster With the 2018 competition wrapped up the National. Graves. Find at :40 on the east side of on February 24th, it was time to go to the 70s. But rain and flooding continued to Whippoorwill Justified, the 2016 Na - dominate the weather pattern, and three Chute. Find at :49 north of Tyler's Test in Ames Manor House for the judges’ final tional Champion, ran in the eighth brace bicolor patch. Find at :58 in the Water decision.

2018 National Championship judges trudge through the mud. Gary Lester and David Thompson stride toward the Ames Manor House to ac - (photo by Vera Courtney ) cept the 2018 National Championship. (photo by Nancy Brannon )

th Championship has had a permanent home 120 National Championship on the Ames Plantation, running on the “hallowed” field trial grounds set in place by Mr. Ames. This year (2019) marks the 120th run - and tan Llewellin owned by F.R. Hitch - Read more about the history of the Na - ning of the National Championship for cock…” (Tarrant 1981) tional Championship at the sources listed Bird Dogs, with 104 of those years being Later, the competition was conducted below. run on the Ames Plantation, Grand Junc - on field trial grounds south of Grand Junc - Sources : tion, Tennessee. tion, Tennessee; near Rogers Springs, Ten - Ames Plantation website: www.ames - “The first field trial ever run in this nessee; and finally, on the Ames plantation.org/fiel-trials/ country occurred on the old Greenlaw Plantation. There were three years in Patterson, Steve. (2016) “In Praise of Plantation, now in the eastern suburbs of which the National Championship was Bird Dogs, Field Trials, & Gentlemen.” Memphis” in 1874. (Tarrant 1981) cancelled. “In 1897, it was too cold – at 17 http://nanewsweb.com/in-praise-of-bird- “The first national bird dog champi - degrees – to run the championship trial. In dogs-field-trials-gentlemen/ onship trail ever held in America was on 1898, an exceptionally poor crop of birds Tarrant, Bill. (1981) “Grand Junction: February 10-11, 1896 at West Point, Mis - cancelled the trial. And in 1899, a small - In 1902 Mr. Hobart Ames invited the Crossroads of Gun Dog History.” Field & sissippi. The winner: an English setter pox epidemic dictated that the trial be National Championship to the Ames Plan - Stream . July. named Count Gladstone IV, a white, black, scrapped.” (Patterson 2016). tation. And since 1915, the National 8. 2019 Field Trial Review Dogs Running In The 120th National Championship

Coldwater Thunder Cole Train Dominators Rebel Heir (Chris Mathan photo )

Dunn's Tried 'N True (Chris Mathan photo ) Erin’s Full Throttle Erin’s Longmire

out finding birds. Cole has re-qualified with a second John Criswell's Swingalong bitch and back further up this 2019 National place at the Kentucky Lake OAA, and he has three pre - line is John S Gate's Sugarplum. Reb's sire, Riverton's vious championship wins on his record: the Missouri, the Funseekin Scooter was a contestant here for four years Kentucky, and the International Pheasant championships. (2011 to 2014) and was a son of the 2007 National Cham - Championship This white, black, and ticked son of Lance's Last Knight pion Funseeker's Rebel. was bred by Ray Hamilton out of his Quinton's Pretty Dunn's Tried N True Contestant Baby. Cole is owned by Dr. Fred Corder and his handler Jack returns this year with re-qualifying wins at two this year will be Randy Downs. championships, the Southwestern and the National Free Cole's sire, Lance's Last Knight, is a son of Erin's Bad For All Championships (his ninth and tenth championship Profiles River and there are numerous other relatives from this line wins), a runner-up at the International Pheasant Champi - by Stephen “Steeple” Bell and Amy Spencer competing this year. His half-brother, Touch's White onship, three first placements at the Kentucky Quail Clas - Knight, will join him with three nephews (all sons of sic, the Bill Andrews OAA (Central Carolina), and the Coldwater Thunder House's Ring of Fire) Touch's Gallatin Fire, Touch's Sunshine FTC (Florida) OAA, and a second place at the This white, liver, and ticked pointer bitch has re-qual - Spaceman, and Touch's Mega Mike. Cole's dam, Quintin's Dixie Classic. It may seem that he's been busy, but this is ified for this year with a runner-up at the Unites States Pretty Baby was the product of a half-brother/sister mat - the norm for Jack, one of the most consistent winners on Open Quail Championship, a third place at the Hobart ing, both sharing the same dam, Quintin's Rambling Kate, the circuit. This will be his fifth year to run for the Na - Ames Memorial OAA, and was the winner of the recent who was a mother-daughter descendant of Nell's Ram - tional Championship and he has finished the three hours Alabama Championship. Lulu will turn five years old at bling On. twice before. Jack is a six year old, white, orange, and the first of the trial. This will be the third year for Lulu to Dominator's Rebel Heir ticked pointer male who was bred by Chris George. He is run here and on her past two runs she performed ad - This will be the fourth year for Reb to qualify, but only by the 2015 National Champion Miller's Dialing In out mirably, completing the three hours each time. Her sire is the third year for him to run since the first year he quali - of White Royal Pain. Jack is owned by Will and Rita Coldwater Warrior, and her dam, Thunder Bess, is a sis - fied as a derby and was held back. In his two previous Dunn and is handled by Luke Eisenhart. ter of Thunder Snowy who was a previous contestant here runs, he has finished the three hours with three or more For several past years, Jack has been the youngest of a for Lulu's co-owner Doug Arthur (with Rachel Blackwell finds. He has four placements this year that will re-qual - three generation trio to compete here, but he will run solo as the other co-owner). She was bred by Gary McKibben. ify him: seconds at the Blackbelt (Ala) Classic, the Lynn this year to carry the banner of these Miller's... blue Lulu will be handled again this year by Steve Hurdle. Taylor (Carroll County) Classic, and the Kentucky Quail bloods. His grandfather Miller's Happy Jack has now re - Coldwater Thunder's sire, Coldwater Warrior competed Classic, and a third at the Dixie Classic. Jim Hamilton's tired, and his father Miller's Dialing In will not compete here six times. His sire Whippoorwill War Dance com - Dominator's Rebel Heir is a white, liver, and ticked five again this year. Miller's Dialing In's dam, Phillips Silver peted here three times, and War Dance's sire National year old pointer. He was bred by his handler, Jamie Star (and her sister L G White Lily) is by White Powder Champion Whippoorwill Wild Agin competed five times, Daniels, and is by Riverton's Funseekin Scooter out of Pete out of Hawk's Silver Sue. Jack's dam, White Royal winning in his third year. Lulu's dam, Thunder Bess was Pearl Again. Reb has an impressive five championships Pain was by South's Late Night (a son of Miller's White by National Champion Lester's Snowatch. on his past scorecard: the Continental, the Florida, the Powder) out of Henley's Becky Lynn (a daughter of the Cole Train Missouri, and the Masters Quail Championship twice. 2004 National Champion Miller's On Line). Both Miller's Cole will be just shy of seven years old for his fourth Reb's dam, Pearl Again was a daughter of Elhew Sin - On Line and Miller's Happy Jack were contestants here visit to the Ames Plantation's renewal. He is still yet to bad out of Cuirve River Daisy. Daisy was a daughter of for a near record nine years. finish a three hour run here, but he has never gone with - Double Rebel Sonny and Swingabout, she goes back to 2019 Field Trial Review 9. Dogs Running In The 120th National Championship

Erin’s Wild Justice (Chris Mathan photo ) Game Bo Game Wardon

Hendrix’s Signature Lester’s Georgia Time (Chris Mathan photo ) Lester’s Jazz Man

Erin's Full Throttle been a contestant in the previous two years, and though he kennels. Bo was just a pup then but he still has the scars Erin's Full Throttle has re-qualified for this year with was re-qualified, he was not nominated this year. Her if you look closely. This liver and white pointer male is two championship wins, the Kentucky Open and the third contestant, Erin's Braveheart, was produced when owned and was bred by Dr. Fred Corder. He will be run - North Carolina Quail Championships, and a runner-up at she was bred to Erin's Bad River, and Braveheart is the ning for his second year having recently re-qualified with the Tarheel Open Championship. Dan will turn eight sire of another contestant this year, Westfall's True Grit. a third place at the Prairie OAA. Last year he was picked years old during the competition. This is his third year to Chip's sire, Erin's Whiskey River was a notable veteran up at 1:45 with only one find. This seven year old was run here and returns after an absence of two years. He was contestant of recent years past. He ran here eight times. sired by Rockacre Rambo out of Regret C. Bo wil be han - picked up early on his previous, juvenile runs. Dan was Erin's Whiskey River was a son of Erin's Bad River, so dled by Weldon Bennett. bred by Sean Derrig and is by Erin's Stoney River out of refer to the profile for Erin's Full Throttle for information Bo's sire, Rockacre Rambo, was one of Dr. Corder's Erin's Pretty Penny. Lefty Henry will be the handler for about him. dogs who died in the tragic fire that also took Dr. Corder's owners John and Susan Ivester. Erin's Wild Justice Hall of Fame dog Game Maker. Rockacre Rambo was by Erin's Full Throttle is one of five grandsons of Erin's Dan has re-qualified with three championship wins this Rockacre Playmaker out of Miss Elhew Chillpill (by Bad River that are contestants this year, and there are season: the United States Open Quail Championship, the Rockacre Blackhawk out of Elhew Katie Lee). Bo's dam, three further great-grandsons competing, too. Hall of Tarheel Open Championship, and the Quail Champi - Regret C was also bred by Dr. Corder. She was by Fame member Erin's Bad River was the product of a onship Invitational. And if you have been counting, that Amarige (another of Dr. Corder's past contestants who brother/sister mating, by Erin's Southern Pride out of makes his tally of nine championships so far. He will be ran for three years here) out of Silver Susie. Erin's Rockin Robin, and their sire was the Hall of Fame running for the elusive National Championship for the Game Wardon member Erin's Southern Justice. Dan's dam, Erin's Pretty fourth year after a year's absence and has yet to finish Dr. Fred Corder's newest home-bred contestant quali - Penny has a pedigree full of grand, and great-grand chil - three hours in any of his previous years. Erin's Wild Jus - fied as a derby winning the All-American and Continen - dren of Erin's Southern Justice, too. tice is a seven year old, white, liver, and ticked pointer tal Derby Championships. This white, liver, and ticked Erin's Longmire dog. He was bred by MIke Moses and is by Whippoorwill pointer dog is just shy of three years old. He is by Chip returns this year with a second place at the Wild Agin out of Sparrowhawk. Dan is owned by Allen Caladen's Rail Hawk out of Game Creek. Bill will be han - Broomhill OAA (Iron Nation) trial to re-qualify. This will Linder and will be handled again by Luke Eisenhart. dled by Luke Eisenhart. be his second year to run. Last year he was picked up Erin's Wild Justice has several close cousins in this Caladen's Rail Hawk is a son of Rockacre Blackhawk early after a little more than an hour's run with not enough year's competition, but those cousins don't have Erin's... and was a four time contestant here for Dr. Corder. Game birds. Chip is a six year old, white, orange, and ticked names. So in addition to all the relatives on his father's Creek is by Decision Maker out of String and Lace (a pointer male who was bred by Sean Derrig. He is by (Whippoorwill Wild Agin's) side, Dan's dam, Spar - daughter of Touch's Hardtack). Decision Maker is a son of Erin's Whiskey River out of Erin's Wild Rose. Chip is rowhawk is from the famous knick of Rockacre Black - Dr. Corder's other notable past contestant, Game Maker, owned by Brad Calkins and will be handled by Robin hawk and Elhew Katie Lee that produced so many who ran here seven years. Gates. He has one championship win, the Manitoba shooting dog champions (including Westfall's Black Ice Hendrix's Signature Championship, and one runner-up, the Dominion Chicken who is the sire of three of this years contestants yet to be Born and bred, raised and handled by amateur Burke Championship to his credits. discussed: Westfall's Black Ace, Westfall's Black Thun - Hendrix, Bud will be making his rookie year appearance. Chip's dam, Erin's Wild Rose was a daughter of Elhew der, and Westfall's River Ice). First appearing on the major circuit radar back in 2015 Sinbad out of Wiggin's River Deuce. Erin's Wild Rose has Game Bo with a runner-up at the National Pheasant Championship achieved the rare status as the dam of three national cham - Like a phoenix rising from the ashes,Game Bo is one as a derby, he got his first qualifying win at the South - pionship contestants. Chip's littermate, Erin's Redrum has of the survivor dogs from the tragic fire at Randy Downs western Championship in 2016. Bud's second qualifying 10 . 2019 Field Trial Review Dogs Running In The 120th National Championship

Lester’s Sunny Hill Jo (Jamie Evans photo ) Miller’s Speed Dial Quickmarksman's Tom Tekoa

Shadow's Next Exit (Chris Mathan photo ) Sleepless in Sacramento Stardust Chaz win was a first place at this past fall's Tootsie Hurdle bred by W M Harkins and is by National Champion Wallace Sessions. He is by Miller's Dialing In out of Old OAA. He is now five years old. This white, liver, and Lester's Snowatch out of High Point Jesse. Sam will be Road Lou. Joe has qualified by winning the American ticked pointer dog was sired by Game Strut out of Hen - handled by Randy Anderson. Derby Invitational and the Kentucky Lake OAA. He will drix's Outlier. Sam's sire, Lester's Snowatch was the 2009 National be handled by his owner. Both of Bud's parents have been previous contestants Champion. There are eight contestants this year who are Miller's Dialing In's breeding was discussed under the of the National Championship. Game Strut was by Strut sons of former National Champions. There are four by the profile for Dunn's Tried N True. Old Road Lou is by Old out of Pineknoll's Pepper, he ran here two years. Hendrix's 2008 National Champion Whippoorwill Wild Agin (in - Road Cody (a son of Easy Button) out of Joe Shadow's Outlier ran just one year here, she was by Whippoorwill cluding National Champion Whippoorwill Justified), one Dixie (by Joe Shadow out of Clardy's Suzanne). This War Dance out of Hendrix's Sassy Tide. Bud is the fifth by the 2009 National Champion Lester's Snowatch, one mother-daughter line is a branch of the same line which dog that the Hendrix's have qualified to run at the Na - by the 2011 National Champion Touch's Whiteout (who produced Lester's Leeza, the dam of National Champion tional Championship. was by Lester's Snowatch), and two by the 2015 National Lester's Snowatch. Lester's Georgia Time Champion Miller's Dialing In. Sam's dam, High Point Quickmarksman's Tom Tekoa Joe will be making his rookie year appearance.This Jesse is by Miller's White Powder out of Native Missy, Tom will return for his second run this year. Last year four year old pointer male is the most recently qualified who was a daughter of Miller's Silver Bullet. he was lost at the breakaway taking the right edge of the contestant for veteran handler Robin Gates. He has qual - Lester's Sunny Hill Jo morning course which is always a tricky proposition. He ified by winning last year's Florida Championship and Jo's past performances here should be familiar, he has has re-qualified for this year with a second place at the this past summer's Manitoba Championship. Joe is white, run twice and won twice. He has also won the Southeast - North Carolina OAA. He was campaigned sparingly, only orange, and ticked, and is by Ransom out of Ronnie ern, Alabama, and National Free For All championships. running in about a half a dozen trials this season. Tom was Beane's Beane's Line Dancer. Joe is owned by Baker Jo is a six year old, white, orange, and ticked pointer bred by his owner, Larry Earls, and is by Quickmarks - Hubbard and Jim Clark. male. He is by Ransom out of Miller's White Wall and man's Tekoa out of Quickmarksman's Sue. Tom is a stout, Joe's sire Ransom, was from the first litter of the Whip - was bred by Chris George. Gary Lester will handle Jo, little, white, orange, and ticked setter dog who is seven poorwill Wild Agin-Sparkles knick. Beane's Line Dancer and he co-owns him with David Thompson. years old. He will be handled by Mike Hester who was is a daughter of House's Line Up out of Burrow's Sinbad No other three-time winner of the National Champi - instrumental in his training and field trial career. lady (by Elhew Sinbad out of Waubeek Rose). Joe is a onship has won in three consecutive years, so we will all Tom Tekoa was a home-bred dog, as were his parents. half-brother of two time National Champion Lester's hold our collective breath for such a new record this year. Larry told an interesting story about the beginning of his Sunny Hill Jo, and a nephew to National Champion Jo's sire Ransom was the sire of another contestant this kennel which bears repeating again this year. The dog that Whippoorwill Justified. year, Lester's Georgia Time and so far is the most notable started it all for him was a son of Tekoa Mountain Sunrise Lester's Jazzman stud to come from the Whippoorwill Wild Agin-Sparkles who didn't have a tail. A vet had mistaken the litter of pup - Returning for his fifth year, Lester's Jazzman has a knick. Jo's dam, Miller's White Wall is by National Cham - pies for a litter of brittanys and had docked their tails. credible record at the Ames Plantation. He has completed pion Lester's Snowatch out of L G White Lily (a sister of Larry was offered one of these pups for a hunting dog the three hours twice, has run more than two hours the Phillips Silver Star, the dam of another National Cham - back then, and now Tom is his hunting dog several gen - other years, and has never gone birdless. Perhaps his best pion, Miller's Dialing In). erations later. past performance was in 2017 with eight finds. Sam has Miller's Speed Dial Shadow's Next Exit re-qualified this year with a runner-up at the All-America Gary Lester's rookie contestant is also called Joe, but Shadow's Next Exit has re-qualified with two runner- Quail Championship. This seven year old, white, orange, this time spelled with an "e". Miller's Speed Dial is a three ups at the Masters Open Quail and the Saskatchewan and ticked pointer male is owned by Dan Hensley. He was year old, white and orange pointer dog who was bred by Open Chicken Championships. All of Pat's qualifying 2019 Field Trial Review 11 . Dogs Running In The 120th National Championship

Strut Nation (Chris Mathan photo ) T’s Nickleback Touch’s Adams County

Touch’s Blackout Touch’s Gallatin Fire Touch’s Mega Mike placements have been at championships and he is now a press William was a former contestant here, and his line - Shooting Dog Championship, and he will run in both if three time champion, three time runner-up. Pat gets his age comes down from Elhew Mr McGoo. Amazon Ex - the drawing's schedule permits. Jake has re-qualified by "Shadow's" name from his home, owner Butch Houston's press Bullett was by Miller’s Silver Bullet out of Super winning the recent Georgia Quail Championship and this Shadow Oak Plantation. This five year old, white, orange, Express Samantha, who was a great-grand daughter of will be his third year to run at Ames Plantation. He is a and ticked pointer dog will be making his third appear - Gwinn’s Little Gal. This mother-daughter line tracks back white and orange pointer dog who is just a few days shy ance at the National Championship. Pat is by Exit Lane to the immortal Brenda Breeze. of five years old. He is by Game Strut out of High Value out of Weber's Little Snowball, and was bred by Jason Stardust Chaz Special, and was bred by Tommy Davis. Jake will be han - Loper - Osceola Kennels. Robin Gates will handle Pat. Stardust Chaz re-qualified this year with a first place at dled by his amateur owner Scott Jordan. Pat's sire, Exit Lane is by Exit Wound (a son of the the Sunflower OAA Classic. He is the most senior setter Strut Nation's records show him as a versatile com - 2005 National Champion Cypress Gunpowder) out of contestant and is returning for his fifth year. He has com - petitor. He has won on the prairies at the United States Time Line Lane who was by Miller's Dateline out of True pleted a three hour run here in the past but was lost last Chicken - Northern States Championship and has won the Freedom Lane (a daughter of Miller's White Powder). year. Chaz is a white, orange, and ticked setter dog who sister Northern States Amateur Chicken Championship Pat's dam, Weber's Little Snowball is by Weber's Little is now nine years old. He was bred by one of his owners, twice. He has won both the Georgia Derby Championship Bullet out of Bentley's Snowy Bess who was a daughter Scott Kermicle, and is by Wildwing Warrior out of Star - and the Georgia Quail Championship. of National Champion Lester's Snowatch. dust Coco. His other owners are John Sayre and Bob and Touch's Adams County Sleepless In Sacramento Sarina Craig. Steve Hurdle will be handling Chaz. Bo is this year's most veteran contestant. He returns for Meg has re-qualified this year winning three champi - When looking at the pedigrees of Chaz and Quick - the seventh time having re-qualified with a runner-up at onships, the California Pheasant, the California Chukar, marksman's Tom Tekoa there is a remarkable similarity the Manitoba Championship. Bo has completed the three and the California Bird Dog Championships. This will be to be found even though they have no shared parents or hours twice before. This white, lemon, and ticked pointer her fourth year to qualify, but only her third year to run grand-parents. Both ultimately go back to Tekoa Moun - dog will be a few days short of ten years old when he runs (she qualified as a derby and deferred that year). She is tain Sunrise, but they do so from his lesser known de - this year. Bo was sired by House's Line Up and is out of only five years old and now has six championship wins. scendants who were essentially bred to be hunting dogs. Line Of Beck. He was bred by T Mason Ashburn, is This white and orange pointer bitch is owned by her Chaz's sire, Wildwing Warrior is by Coveyrise King (by owned by Ric Peterson, and will be handled by Randy breeders Jim and Cami Wolthius. She is by I B Ironhorse Panovski's Billy Boy, a 2xgreat-grandson of Tekoa Moun - Anderson. out of Super Express Nash Begone. Meg will be handled tain Sunrise ex Stardust Baby, a daughter of Havelock Bo's sire, House's Line up is a son of Miller's Dateline, by Sheldon Twer. Blacksmith) out of Nicky Stardust (by Long Ridge Dusty a grandson of Miller's White Powder, and a great-grand - Meg is one of the two contestants who have won three ex Wendy Stardust, both sired by Stardust Nick who was son of Miller's Silver Bullet, which is the anointed lineage championships in this past season, the other is Erin's Wild a grandson of Tekoa Mountain Sunrise). Chaz's dam, Star - of the Miller's... blue bloods. Bo's dam, Line of Beck is a Justice. Meg’s sire, I B Ironhorse is by Wells Fargo First dust Coco is by Angie's Dogwood Doc (by Diamond's daughter of Cherokee Gunfire out of a grand-daughter of Dude (by Kelly’s Laser Eye ex Cache Creek Julia) out of Tricky Dick, a great-grandson of Tekoa Mountain Sun - Cherokee Gunfire. Bo's record now stands at five cham - Wells Fargo Mollie (by Pinehill Doc’s Trouble ex I B Ab - rise ex Tricky Dick Beauty) out of Grouse Point Sport (by pionship wins with four runner-ups. bigale). Kelly’s Laser Eye is by Yastremski out of I B Mountain Sundrop, a grandson of Tekoa Mountain Sun - Touch's Blackout Bean, and this sireline traces back to Paladin’s Royal rise ex Grouse Star Patches). Touch's Blackout had six placements in the qualifying Flush. Pinehill Doc’s Trouble traces back to Tiny Wahoo. Strut Nation trials this season including a win at the Mid-America Meg’s dam, Super Express Nash Begone is by Super Ex - Jake is the only dog to have qualified for both the all- Championship. This will be his first year to run for this press William out of Amazon Express Bullett. Super Ex - age National Championship and the National Open title. Duke is a six year old, white, orange, and ticked 12 . 2019 Field Trial Review Dogs Running In The 120th National Championship

Touch’s Spaceman Touch’s White Knight True Confidence (Chris Mathan photo )

Westfall's Black Ace Westfall’s Black Thunder Westfall's River Ice pointer dog. He was sired by the 2011 National Cham - he had to run in abysmal weather and was picked up early. Touch's Whippoorwill Road and she is a sister of Touch's pion Touch's Whiteout out of B C Angelina, and was bred Mike is a four year old, white, orange, and ticked pointer Blaylock Bess the dam of Touch's Mega Mike. Touch's by Gary Baird. Duke is owned by Ric Peterson and will dog owned by Eddie Sholar and Ted Dennard. He was Spaceman was named for a song by the Dave Matthews be handled by Randy Anderson. bred by Keith Wright. Mike is by House's Ring Of Fire Band, a favorite of Keith Wright and Ike Todd who were Duke's sire National Champion Touch's Whiteout (a out of Touch's Blaylock Bess. He will be handled by Mark responsible for his upbringing. son of National Champion Lester's Snowatch) died young McLean. Touch's White Knight and produced very few litters. Touch's Blackout is the first Touch's Mega Mike was last year's winner of the Joe Bo is a white, orange, and ticked seven year old pointer of his offspring to run here, and may perhaps be the only Hurdle Award and the Purina Top All Age Award. He is dog who has re-qualified for his fourth year's run with a one to do so. Duke's dam, B C Angelina was also a daugh - one of the few dogs to have ever won that Purina award first place at last spring's Dixie OAA Classic. His 2017 ter of Lester's Snowatch out of Beaucoup's Daisy. Duke is without having won any of the bonus points trials. Mike's performance here was a memorable heartbreak when they closely related to two other contestants, the littermates sire, House's Ring Of Fire ran two years at the national asked for the tracker at 2:58 after he had six finds. Bo is Touch's Spaceman and Touch's Gallatin Fire whose dam championship prior to an injury which retired him to by Lance's Last Knight out of Prairieland Lucy and was was a daughter of Touch's Whiteout. Keith Wright's kitchen floor. House's Ring Of Fire's sire, bred by Dwight Grace. He is owned by Eddie and Carole Touch's Gallatin Fire Lance's Last Knight has so far been the most successful Sholar and will be handled by Mark McLean. Bo is a four Bob qualified as a derby winning the Georgia Derby sire of any of the sons of Erin's Bad River as he has sired time champion and three time runner-up champion. Championship and the American Derby Invitational with five contestants here (including Cole Train and Touch's Bo is a half-brother to Cole Train sharing the same sire, Ike Todd handling him. In this season, his first as an all White Knight who are contestants this year). Mike's dam, Lance's Last Knight, and more about him can be found age dog, he took a first place at the North Dakota OAA Touch's Blaylock Bess is a daughter of Whippoorwill War under the profiles for Touch's Mega Mike and Cole Train. Classic and recently was runner-up at the Georgia Quail Dance out of Whippoorwill GMA, who was a daughter Bo's dam, Prairieland Lucy was a daughter of the 2001 Championship. He is a three year old, white, orange, and of Game Maker. This mother-daughter line goes back to National Champion Law's High Noon out of Shelly Rae ticked pointer dog who was bred by Keith Wright. He is Bar Lane Dot. who was a daughter of Black Crude. by House's Ring Of Fire out of Touch's Sandy. Duke is Touch's Spaceman True Confidence owned by Alex Rickert and is handled by Mark McLean. Touch's Spaceman qualified to run by winning the first True Confidence has re-qualified to run for his fourth Since Touch's Gallatin Fire and Touch's Spaceman are two trials which he ran in as a first year all age dog this year and he has finished a three hour run once before. Bob littermates, their breeding details will be given under past summer, the Broomhill (Iron Nation) OAA and the was the winner of the US Chicken - Northern States Touch's Spaceman's profile. A sideline here would be to Border International Chicken Championship. He recently Championship this past summer and has since garnered point out the remarkable success that Ike Todd has had in added a runner-up at the Alabama Championship. Patch is two runner-ups, at the Southwestern Championship and his puppy/derby program. This year he has qualified two a three year old, white, orange, and ticked pointer dog the Quail Championship Invitational. Bob is a nine year for the National Championship, Game Wardon and who is owned by Matt Griffith and will be handled by old, white and orange pointer dog who was bred by Touch's Gallatin Fire, and last year's Purina Top All Age Randy Anderson. Patch is by House's Ring Of Fire out of Robert J Saari. He is by Two Acre Bulldog out of Bar P Award winner, Touch's Mega Mike was qualified by Ike Touch's Sandy and was bred by Keith Wright. Annex. He will be handled by Luke Eisenhart for his as a derby, too. House's Ring Of Fire, the sire of the littermates, owners Frank and Jean LaNasa. Touch's Mega Mike Touch's Spaceman and Touch's Gallatin Fire, was dis - Bob's sire, Two Acre Bulldog, was by the 2007 Na - Mike returns for his second year by winning the Black - cussed above in the profile of their half-brother Touch's tional Champion Funseeker's Rebel out of Rester's Tiny belt (Ala) OAA Classic and the Masters Open Quail Mega Mike. Perhaps Mike is a little more than a half- Dancer. Bob's dam Bar P Annex was by Bar P Shadow (a Championship. His first year here was disappointing as brother. Touch's Sandy is by Touch's Whiteout out of son of Shadow's Mark) out of Bar P Xena (a daughter of 2019 Field Trial Review 13 . Dogs Running In The 120th National Championship

Westfall’s True Grit Whippoorwill Justified Whippoorwill Mayhem 2016 at the Kansas Prairie OAA. Westfall's Black Thun - Whippoorwill Justified der is from the first breeding of Westfall's Black Ice and Patch is the 2016 National Champion who will be re - Westfall's Quick Gold made by his owner Bill Westfall. turning for his fourth run. He won in his first year's run Andy Daugherty will be handling this six year old, white, and finished the three hours last year with five finds. black, and ticked pointer dog. Patch has six placements this past season; four are first Westfall's Black Ice was from the Rockacre Blackhawk places in the Lynn Taylor (Carroll County) OAA Classic, - Elhew Katie Lee knick that produced so many shooting the Buck Tuck OAA, the Benton County (Miss) OAA, dog champions, and so far he has proven to be the best and the Hobart Ames Memorial OAA; two were runner- stud of that lot. Westfall's Quick Gold is from a combi - ups at the Missouri and Mississippi Championships. Patch nation of Elhew and Fiddler ancestors. She is by Mount is a six year old, white, liver, and ticked pointer dog from Nebo's Lefty (by Rock N Roller out of Absolute Charm) the Whippoorwill Wild Agin-Sparkles knick bred by Bob and out of I B Fancy (by Highview Buddy out of I B Lon - Walthall. He is owned by Ronnie Spears and will be han - estar). A little further look at this pedigree shows that dled by Larry Huffman. Rock N Roller was a son of Elhew Damascus, Highview The knick between Sparkles and Whippoorwill Wild Buddy was a son of Fiddling Rocky Boy, and I B Lones - Aginis one for the record books, but there are many tar was by I B Fiddler out of My Judy's Damascus (a records involved here. Let’s start with this knick has pro - Whippoorwill Wild Assault daughter of Elhew Damascus). This makes her breeding duced eight all-age champions, and no other dam has somewhat close to the Fiddler ancestors of Rockacre come close to that. They are: Whippoorwill Blue Blood, Front N Center). Bob is now a three time champion and Blackhawk. Whippoorwill Red Rage, Texas Wild Agin, and Ransom six time runner-up. Westfall's River Ice from the first litter; Skyfall and Dazzling from the sec - T's Nickleback Bud has re-qualified for his second year's run with a ond litter; Whippoorwill Justified from the third litter; and Nick has qualified for his rookie year here by twice first place at the Alberta Classic (Stoughton, Sask.) and Whippoorwill Mayhem from the fourth litter. winning the Northwest Chukar Championship under his second places at the Stillwater OAA and the Inola OAA. Six of them have been contestants here and that breaks previous owner Talmage Smedley. He now resides in He was picked up early in his first run here last year. Bud the top dam's record set by Wiggins Miss Sammie. And Texas with new owners Bruce Sooter and Steve Burns. is from the repeat breeding of Westfall's Black Ice and there may yet be more from the youngest litter of the re - Nick is a six year old, white, orange, and ticked setter dog Westfall's Quick Gold which was made by his owner Bill peat breedings, as Matt Cochran's Whippoorwill Forever who was bred by Richard Robertson. He is by Rapidan Westfall. This four year old, white, black, and ticked Wild won his first qualifying first place this year. out of T's Skyline Angel. He will be handled by Allen Vin - pointer dog will be handled by Andy Daugherty. Whippoorwill Wild Agin and Whippoorwill Justified cent. It is interesting that the younger of these brothers are the most recent father-son national champions. It was - Nick's sire, Rapidan ran as a contestant here back in (Westfall's River Ice) was the first to qualify for the Na - n’t that long ago that Lester’s Snowatch and Touch’s 2015. Rapidan is by Stone Tavern Matrix out of Made In tional Championship. Though the older sibling (Westfall's Whiteout had shared that distinction, but now neither are America. Nick's dam, T's Skyline Angel is by Tekoa Black Thunder) has a better scorecard, showing showing living. Mountain Outrage out of T's Tango who was a daughter two championships and three runner-ups. Westfall's River And all that is just for the first generation, in the sec - of T's Gunrunner. T's Gunrunner was another former con - Ice's record shows just one championship, the Southland ond generation we find a second National Champion, testant and a son of Tekoa Mountain Sunrise. Open Championship last year. Lester’s Sunny Hill Jo, who is a son of Ransom. Westfall's Black Ace Westfall's True Grit For the record, Whippoorwill Wild Agin is by Whip - Westfall's Black Ace had four placements in the qual - Jack was last year's youngest contestant and he was poorwill Wild Jack (by National Champion Whippoorwill ifying trials this past season. His second qualifying win picked up early in his rookie year run. This year he has re- Wild Card ex Bitter Delight) out of Whippoorwill Girl came at the Heartland OAA, a trial which he had also won qualified by winning, back to back, the Missouri Open (by Bly Spy Master ex Silver Belle H); and Sparkles is the year before. Ace is an eight year old, white, black, and Championship and the Missouri Open All-Age last spring, by Rockacre Blackhawk (by Rockacre Buckwheat ex ticked pointer dog who was bred by his owner Bill West - and he also took a runner-up at this past summer's Border Santo) out of Southern Sunflower (by Erin’s Southern fall. Ace is by Westfall's Black Ice out of Black Bama. He International Chicken Championship. Jack is by Erin's Justice ex Elhew Sunflower). Elhew Sunflower was one will be handled by Andy Daugherty. Braveheart out of Westfall's Irish Bell, and was bred by of the three Hall Of Fame shooting dog daughters of the It is interesting that Ace's sire, Westfall's Black Ice, and his owner Ryan Westfall. Andy Daugherty will be han - famous blue hen Hanna’s Elhew Lou. his grand-sire, Rockacre Blackhawk were both champi - dling this three time champion, three year old, white liver, Whippoorwill Mayhem ons in the shooting dog circuit. Ace will be joined in this and ticked pointer dog. Mike has recently qualified with a first place at the So- year's competition by two of his half siblings, Westfall's You may be excused if you don't remember that Jack's La-Tex Cajun Classic. His previous first place was back Black Thunder and Westfall's River Ice. Ace's dam, Black sire, Erin's Braveheart, was mentioned in the profile for in 2016 winning the American Derby Invitational. Mike Bama is by Easy Button out of Super Skirt. Erin's Longmire, that was after all twenty-five or so pro - is a five year old, white, orange, and ticked pointer dog Westfall's Black Thunder files ago. Westfall's Irish Bell is by Wiggins C C (by Wig - who is owned by Ric Peterson. He is another who is by Hawk is a rookie contestant who has qualified with two gins River Crossing out of Wiggins Miss Maggie) out of Whippoorwill Wild Agin out of Sparkles, and bred by championship wins this season, at the Saskatchewan River Ranch Bell (by Caladen's Rail Hawk out of Bob Walthall. Larry Huffamn handles Whippoorwill Open Chicken Championship and the Southland Open Caladen's White Powder Rail). How she got an "Irish" Mayhem. Championship. He had his first qualifying win back in name is a mystery. (continued on page 18 ) 14 . 2019 Field Trial Review

Good Luck to 3 x CH “PAT” in the 120 th National Championship

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Owners: Guy and Burke Hendrix HCP 250 Hwy 51 N Hendrix Company Partners Hernando, MS 38632 Farming | Land | Commodities 18 . 2019 Field Trial Review Contestant Profiles (cont. from p. 13 ) Tennessee. But what I love most is the Mike will be running against his brother Where The people I know. Those people who are Patchand more about this remarkable readers, teachers, friends, and family have breeding was given under Patch’s (Whip - left their impressions in my heart and poorwill Justified’s) profile. Heart is head. Whippoorwill Wild Assault By Britain Lenz I like to think that I was/am a country Salt has qualified for his fourth year girl – used to baling hay, cooking, canning with two second places, at the Heartland “Home is not just a place, but also peas and tomatoes, making biscuits and OAA and the Tootsie Hurdle OAA, and a the people within it.” gravy, and driving down to the bottoms runner-up at the Southern Field Trial In biology we learn the stages of life, where the big trees line the creeks. Visit - Championship. He has yet to complete a mainly by studying amphibians such as ing with friends at the Hut, swimming in three hour run here. Whippoorwill Wild frogs. Their life cycle takes them from the Wolf River, learning how to ride a Assault is by National Champion Whip - eggs to tadpoles with tails; then as they horse at Pinecrest in LaGrange are all part poorwill Wild Agin out of Boxwood Bang. lose their tails, legs emerge, lungs de - of my country girl experience. Now, I am Jim and Stephanie Bickers are the owners velop; and they grow into full grown frogs a city girl, living three feet away from my of this white, orange, and ticked, eight – to air breathers from water breathers. I grew up in Williston, Tennessee, and neighbor in a brick house in the city. year old pointer dog. Larry Huffman is Butterflies also go through an amazing I think of that small plot of land, the things Before this, I lived in the mountains, Salt's handler. transformation. A butterfly starts life as a I witnessed there, and the childhood I ex - exploring the Alpine and sampling pow - Salt's dam, Boxwood Bang is a daugh - very small round egg laid on the leaves of perienced. As we move through the world der snow on a backcountry downhill slope ter of Miller's White Powder out of Holly a plant. When the caterpillar has its full in leaps and bounds, our worldview ex - called Lone Tree at Togwotee Mountain Hunter who was by The Texas Air (aka length and weight, it forms itself into a pands. My limited Williston view ex - Resort in Wyoming. Thus, I was a moun - Whippoorwill Pleasure) out of Good As pupa (chrysalis). Within the chrysalis the panded to Moscow, Somerville, tain girl. And then, in Requegua, Chile, I Gold. A final word about Salt's sire, Whip - body parts of the caterpillar undergo a re - LaGrange, Macon, Yum Yum Road, and was immersed in learning a new culture, poorwill Wild Agin, with this year's field markable transformation, called metamor - Memphis, Tennessee; then to Jackson speaking a language far removed from the of contestants Whippoorwill Wild Agin phosis, to become the beautiful parts of Hole, Wyoming; Requegua, Chile; and twang of the south, and listening in order moves up on the list of sires of the most the butterfly that will emerge. It becomes Saint Louis, Missouri. to learn about other people. Finally, I national championship contestants. Whip - a whole new creature! This last year, I wit - All through these moves, I have main - moved to St. Louis, Missouri, the place poorwill Wild Agin is now on record as the nessed the entire cycle of a butterfly, and tained a strong connection to Fayette where turmoil and the greatest emotional sire of twelve contestants which places was awed by its miraculous metamorpho - County, Tennessee. This is the place where and spiritual growth of my life took place. him in a tie for fifth place with Riggins sis! people know each other, and we’re kin - Reading over my notes, it sounds like White Knight. This got me to seriously thinking about dred simply because we grew up here. I do I’m an old lady, but I’m only 34, although Forty-four dogs qualified this year, but the stages of human lives: how we change, not live in Fayette County any more, but an “old soul,” I admit. For someone so only these thirty-four were nominated. experience miracles and devastations, and I’m known and remembered, and I always young, how do I reconcile the experience The entire roster of forty-four was pub - learn new things. Our emotions are in - feel connected. I love so many things of hardship and disappointment, fear and lished in the February 9 th issue of the voked by what happens around us – both about this little county in the great state of fun, and the atrocious and beautiful things American Field , and portions of this arti - the beauty and its erosion. that happen to us on this journey called cle appeared therein. Field Trial Supplier FILSON chaps, hats, clothing & more DRY SHOD boots for the muck

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BARN STORMER HAYMAKER 201 9 Field Trial Review 19 . life? I have come up with a simple, but eyes of the Lord. God is near to the bro - www.haggissaddles.com powerful answer. I believe that the people kenhearted, my strength and my refuge. 519-289-5544 who come into our lives, with their own He is my strong fortress, and my friend. [email protected] stories, are given by God’s grace and prov - But, it’s also you. You bear His image as idence and are here to help us through our well, and you have been used as the hands makers of Quality stages of life. We’re never alone in expe - of His work. Above all – God is love, and Saddles and Tack rience or in life. The more I experience, we are all vessels of that love. for over 35 years the more I see that we all have so much The last few years, I’ve shared many of more in common than not. my memories of the National Field Trial A few days ago I was thinking about a Championship. They come in a quick flash particular memory when I was very of my family and how they helped shape young, probably two years old. This was some integral part of my character. I have my first Christmas memory. We lived on been cared for and loved so well over my Ebenezer Loop on a farm with a large entire life by many of you who have be - number of acres. It was a Christmas when come like my home: a safety net of those we had snow. (I think it around was 1986, who love well and remember me and help but snow at Christmas doesn’t happen by words or action. My home is those of very often anymore.) Our family had a you who know my family – mom and dad, Beta Max, and “Tarzan” was our one and grandmother and grandfather – and those only feature film. My pops took me into who just know me. The miracles that I’ve the woods to cut a Christmas tree. I re - been blessed to witness and the struggles cently read Truman Capote’s A Christmas which I’ve been able to take into account Memory, and in his short story, his mem - have bound us. It’s in this context of life ory becomes as clear as any that you or I that I see how big and small the field trial have experienced. The memory becomes is. When we see each other, it’s a reminder a part of you because it’s so familiar. It’s of our eternal family, the one that we will the image of family and friends, baking, become when reconciled with the Lord. I and sledding and snow. And that’s what call you all my family because you have home does for me. It reconciles what was loved me well. This meeting place of the and what is. field trial is a reminder of those who came Revisiting the idea that we are trans - before and shared their lives and struggles formed and renewed, we go through so on the course. We can share in winning © FTR many things in life. How are we trans - and losing. And in each stage of life, we formed? The gospel tells us. We are all can be good to each other. I’m blessed to Proud supporter of the national championship for over 25 years! image-bearers of the One Creator. It is know some of you. I’m even more blessed --donating a haggis Trooper saddle to the 2019 Winning handler-- phenomenal that each of us is made in the to know that we’re family. haggis saddleRy 4733 scoTchmeRe dRive , glencoe , on , canada n0l 1mo

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© FTR 22 . 2019 Field Trial Review Rope Breaking Your Field Trial Horse By: Brad Harter A world renowned horse clinician once said: “If you find yourself on the ground, maybe you didn’t do enough ground Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 work!” This holds true regardless of how long you have had your horse or how much ground work you have already done. It also isn’t important how much you might think your horse trusts you or that you believe your horse would never do anything to hurt you! If you ever plan to use this horse to road dogs, and this is especially important if you will ever be introducing young dogs to roading, then taking the short time to “rope break” your horse’s tail may save you a trip to the hospital. This training may be the most important 15 to 30 min - utes you can spend with your horse! This is important even if you have already suc - Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 cessfully roaded dogs off the horse, but if you are on the horse’s back. somehow always managed to avoid get - I always encourage everyone to start ting the rope wrapped around the back of out the same way and don’t take shortcuts. your horse’s rear end – or worse: have that I know people will say they will just put rope pulled up under the tail! their horse in crossties or tie him to a Even if roading dogs isn’t part of your sturdy post, but that could result in the program, you might someday be riding horse flipping over or breaking loose. alongside someone who is roading a dog, For this and many other reasons, my ad - and suddenly you and your horse end up vice is to start with your horse in the round entangled and that rope he is using comes pen. The next step involves pulling up one under your horse’s tail. In another situa - leg using the simple figure eight strap to tion, you might someday be asked to lead make the horse three legged, as seen in fig - or pony someone’s else’s horse while rid - ure 1. Once the horse accepts the fact that ing yours.This same scenario can happen he cannot flee and he turns his head to - in a heartbeat when that lead rope sud - wards you, drops his head and licks and or denly ends up under your horse’s tail. I chews, he is asking for your help. Go to have seen this first hand with people lead - him, reassure him, and take the strap off, Figure 7 Figure 8 ing pack horses. It often ends up in a big lowering his leg. Next, and very impor - horse’s butt, gently pulling it back and vary with each horse but usually, you will wreck! tant, is to rub the lower leg even if only for forth much like what the horse would ex - find your horse relaxing and getting very Anytime you get a rope under a horse’s a few seconds. The reason for this is pretty perience if a dog were attached to the rope comfortable within 10 to 15 minutes or tail, the result can be disastrous. Plenty of basic. Horses tend to remember how any - and running around behind the horse, as less. dog trainers and field trialers have wit - thing ends and rubbing that leg will allow seen in figure 3. If all goes well the first day, you should nessed what can easily go wrong in this you to put the figure 8 strap back on again. The next few steps are relatively sim - repeat this for a few days after the initial situation. This time, when you walk away with your ple. Start out just lifting the tail with your desensitizing. No need to go to the steps While you may think you are handy back to the horse and turn around, you will hand or using the rope about 6 inches of taking the leg away. You just need to re - enough with your horse to prevent this notice the horse is most likely looking for away from the base of the tail, as seen in inforce this whole process with a rope from ever happening, is it worth the risk you to come help him with the mess that figures 4 and 5. Hold the tail up until the around the butt and under the tail. not to take the time to prevent this? The he has found himself in once again. Nor - horse relaxes his tail muscles. You might Will this lesson stick with the horse? In training will probably take you much less mally, you will not have to do this more not believe there are muscles on the un - almost every case where I have done this, than 30 minutes. than two or three times. Once you see the derside of the tail, but I promise you, the I find the horse retains the lesson easily. If No matter how long you have had this horse focused on you to aid him, then you horse can lock down on that rope like a you happen to have a horse that does not horse or how much you think he would have created that first and most important vice and you will not be strong enough to take to this easily, you might want to spend never intentionally hurt you, there are a mindset that will be the foundation to this pull it away. a few more sessions with him in the round couple things you need to understand. simple lesson. After a few times lifting the tail with pen, but this is rarely the case. With a few First, that area right around the tail is one Depending on the horse, I might leave your hand or using the rope and seeing the breeds like Arabs or high-strung Thor - of the true blind spots in the horse’s field this strap on during the next steps, or at a horse relax, you are ready to move the oughbreds or with horses who have al - of vision. Second, anytime something minimum, place the horse in two legged rope a little closer to the base of the tail, ready blown up in a roading wreck, I have quickly encounters the underside of the hobbles, shown in the figure 2. In any as seen in figures 6, 7 and 8. You can use had to repeat this whole process a few tail, that is a red flag alert to the horse that case, I also attach a long lead rope to the a short rope, or the end of the longer lead times. But for the majority of field trial this could be a predator attacking! Until a horse, so, if necessary, I can control his rope that you have attached to your horse. horses, this simple 15 to 30 minute lesson horse has been desensitized to this experi - head. How quickly the horse relaxes will tell you may be the best time you have ever spent ence, you can expect several things to hap - This is also the best time to take the how much he is ready to accept a little avoiding the emergency room! pen and none of them are good, especially longer rope and start to put it behind your more pressure. The time that this takes will 2019 Field Trial Review 23 . 24 . 2019 Field Trial Review memorable Performances at the National Championship By Brad Harter Plantation. The actual count of bird con - tacts for Jack varied depending on where I have thought about writing this piece you were and what you might have wit - for years. Maybe the time has come to nessed. Many observers placed that count share a few of the many wonderful per - around 16 or 17. There was a certain level formances which I have had the great for - of confusion surrounding some of these tune to witness in the last 31 years of contacts as to whether birds were officially covering and videotaping the National seen or not. Calling the flight of birds and Championship. firing the gun by the handler does not al - First and most important, the reader ways transfer to a reported find in the needs to understand that I have witnessed judges’ books. For someone trying des - more than a thousand individual dogs perately to capture this entire event on compete for this coveted title. It would be videotape for the first time, witnessing this impossible and would require more pages kind of three-hour, bird finding exhibition that this publication contains if I were to was a real thrill indeed! recount all of those more memorable per - Some people will describe a field trial Bisco Big Jack Bisco Buck formances. In this piece I will only cover performance as a show. Some people will being placed on the ground under identi - the last straw, prompting the three judges a few of those great performances that fell view this show as more of the dog show; cal conditions to, in effect, “battle it out.” to call an end to the second series. Later short of winning the title, which I wit - others see it as a handler’s show. Still oth - What was rather unusual about this that day, on the big steps of the Ames nessed in my first 5 years of videotaping ers view it as a combined performance by “second series” was that the handlers were Manor House, Navajo Dude was pro - this event. both the dog and the handler. There is lit - approached by the panel of three judges claimed the new 1988 National Champion. It is also important for readers to un - tle question that on this day, for those in before the dogs were turned loose, and Tekoa Mountain Sunrise – Jack derstand a few other things that could be attendance, this was indeed a performance were given very detailed and clear in - The next more memorable performance easily misunderstood. First, sharing some by both Jack and Pete! To say that both structions as to just exactly how their dogs was one that setter fans had been waiting of these performances is in no way ques - performers enjoyed every minute of this were to be handled and what would not be for since Johnny Crocket won the title tioning the decisions made by the highly show would be an understatement! This tolerated. If you knew anything at all about back in 1970. Tekoa Mountain Sunrise qualified men who have judged this cham - could also be said for much of the large Pete Hicks, as I would learn over the next came to Grand Junction in 1989 to com - pionship. Second, what any spectator sees gallery that followed this performance. I 25 years of my association with Pete, pete in his first National Championship. I and what the judges might see in any per - can’t ever remember witnessing a field those types of instructions were “a line in was fortunate enough that year to film him formance can be two very different things. trial where clapping, cheering, and shout - the sand” to which Pete was not accus - in a workout/hunt with his owner Dr. Third, what impresses any one person in a ing were so evident during any brace as tomed. Asher and his handler Rich Robertson be - dog’s performance can vary greatly.That the one I witnessed with Pete and Jack. Handlers were instructed to ride the fore the trial began. Even as a young dog, is just one reason that judges must often When the dust had settled and the initial course at a comfortable pace, staying di - you could see that Sunrise had all the right compromise with each other when it three-hour braces all came to an end, to the rectly in front of the judges. These two qualities to make an impressive showing comes to selecting a winner. shock of many in attendance, no winner dogs were turned loose on the afternoon at this championship. With those things said, my goal with was named. Instead, a second series of course. Big Jack made a very bold move to Sunrise, or Jack as he was called, this piece is to share just a few of those braces was announced between Jack and the far front of the course. Pete, knowing gained a host of admirers that first year performances that have left me in total ad - another dog, Navajo Dude, who had ren - Jack like a book, knew exactly where his when he finished the three hours with ease miration of just how talented and how spe - dered a 7-find performance during the first big, leggy pointer was headed. Only days and scored 6 perfectly handled pieces of cial these bird dogs really are that come to week of the trial. before, Jack had pointed his first covey bird work. While not enough to win and compete for this most coveted title. H. O. Price was the reporter of the trial during his first three-hour brace in a small unseat the 14-find performance of Whip - While there have been many dogs who that year. Mr. Price’s view of what tran - patch of woods just before crossing Ames poorwill Rebel, Jack and Rich had shown exhibited great performances that fell spired, which resulted in this second series Road. Pete suspected Jack remembered everyone that they had the all-important short of finishing the three hours, I will decision, might be well served at this that contact. In complete defiance to the connection to work together to win on the focus only on a few of those performances point. Quoted in a piece that Mr. Price judge’s instructions, Pete put his horse in time-tested grounds of the Ames Planta - that completed the three hours, but fell wrote was this explanation: “That Jack had high gear, riding completely out of sight tion. short of being named the National Cham - found a lot of birds was indisputable, but in the direction his dog had taken. The Jack was back in 1990, having re-qual - pion. how or why he had found them was not as judges rode at their customary pace and ified to run in his second National Cham - Bisco Big Jack clearly settled in the minds of the judici - when they eventually arrived near that pionship. While the title was won that year The first of these memorable perform - ary who suspected that handler Hicks had patch of woods, there was Pete, his hat with the championship performance by ances came in my very first year of filming played too important a role in the quest. high in the air signaling point for Big Jack! Dunn’s Fearless Bud, Jack proved once during the second week in 1988. The dog Pete was known to be free spirited with a Pete and Jack were on the score board, but again that he had all the qualities to be a was named Bisco Big Jack, who was being genius for bird dog training and a flair for every order, every instruction from the true National Championship contender. handled by Pete Hicks. Jack was owned by showmanship. On this occasion Pete was judges had been completely ignored. Prob - Braced with Hamilton’s Big O, Jack Barry Carpenter, but Pete had been Jack’s performing flamboyantly, showing his su - ably not the best way to have started a sec - and his brace mate racked up the record trainer from the very beginning. Jack, perbly trained pointer to his best ability. ond series. bird finding brace for the 1990 event. Jack Barry and Pete had their host of followers The cries of admiration from the gallery Mark Roper and Navajo Dude had re - ran an impressive three hours scoring on 8 and admirers. In 1988 wild birds were were in contrast to the more staid tradi - mained directly in front of the judges, fol - perfectly handled finds, while adding a plentiful on the Ames Plantation. That year tions of the greatest field trial in the world, lowing the judge’s instructions to the beautiful back of his brace mate. Big O and in the first week, especially on the an event in which protocol and proper letter. Dude would score on two coveys scored 7 times during that same three opening first day, many dogs had multiple decorum are practiced with all the solem - and Jack would also add to his bird score. hours. Had either dog had the benefit of contacts on game. If memory serves me nity of a day in court.” But the second series would end an hour performing without a brace mate, who correctly, more than 50 wild coveys were What we had was two very different and eighteen minutes after it had started knows what their individual covey count contacted by the dogs or ridden upon by kinds of performances, by two very dif - when Pete, once more, vanished from might have been? the gallery on that first day. ferent dogs, being handled by very differ - view in what appeared to be an attempt to Setter fans finally had the contender But it was in the second week, on the ent handlers on two different days. The old direct his dog to a known covey location. they had been waiting for. Over the next afternoon course, that Bisco Big Jack and way, and a very accepted way, to resolve Appearing to be a flagrant violation of the several years Jack returned to perform Pete put on a show, the likes of which had this type of conflict is to call for a second judges’ instructions, this may have been over these time-honored grounds. Al - not been witnessed in years on the Ames series. This results in the two contenders 2019 Field Trial Review 25 . Birds had been out feeding the previous afternoon when The Hitch Hiker had run, and it ap - peared that on the next morning T E K O A when Buck ran, these birds had re - treated to heavy cover and were not moving. Buck started out rim - ming and working the edges, but Mountain Kennels when this was not paying divi - God Bless the dogs in the field, dends, Buck’s tactics changed. Buck was also braced with an - for those that run with Heart and Purpose shall run Forever! other very good dog known for his bird finding ability but, on this day, that dog could not make the necessary adjustments and failed to find even a single covey. Buck’s four finds were all the “dug-up” kind, with birds in thick cover where many dogs will not venture. In all four cases, Buck Rich and Sunrise had his birds perfectly located and though Jack never managed to capture the displayed excellent manners and crown, never once did he disappoint his le - arresting style. While not a performance gion of fans! of quantity, it was definitely one of qual - Chinquapin Bisco Buck ity! Buck’s four finds came scattered Pete Hicks was back in 1992 with Chin - throughout his three hours, with the last quapin Bisco Buck to, once again, treat piece of bird work coming with only one spectators to a memorable performance minute remaining in the brace.This was that would put Pete and Buck into a sec - further proof that Buck’s desire and ability ond series with Randy Downs and The to find game had never wavered during the Hitch Hiker. This time, it appeared that three-hour, marathon grind. 5x cH TEKOA Mountaiin Pattriiott -- JAcK Pete may have learned a lesson that his When two fine performances on two handling style might have cost him the different days by to very different dogs Intelligence, Birdy with Style, Stamina, and a Strong title in the 1988 second series. occur, the judges often decide the best way front-running “partner” in the outdoor field & home. Running in the second brace of the first to sort this out is to call for a second se - series, Randy Downs and the Hitch Hiker ries. This puts both dogs on the same Patriot “stamps” his puppies with a future course at the same time to “slug it out” racked up the highest number of bird con - of strength and life-long success! tacts for a single dog in the entire stake. In with the best performance being named that initial three hours, Ike, as he is called, the winner. But there are risks to a second Frozen semen available on this past sire. had contact with 9 coveys of birds. On six series. Both dogs can become lost or both of these coveys, birds lifted early as Randy can mess up handling their game; but in was riding to his dog. But in every case, this case the judges felt the risks were Office/Mardelle • 503-663-4044 these birds were either seen by the judges worth taking. or by Rick Carlisle, who was serving as Very much like 1988, the judges con - Eric Mauck • 503-780-4969 the head marshal. Ike also scored three ferred with both handlers before the dogs non-productive stands where it could be were turned loose on the afternoon course. www.tekoamountainsetters.com assumed that birds may have lifted unde - The handlers were given clear instructions tected, because this was a day when birds as to what was expected in their handling © FTR seemed especially jumpy. The biggest dis - techniques. They would be expected to traction to Ike’s performance may not have ride at a moderate pace and stay directly been the fact the birds were not holding in front of the judges. If needed, scouts well, but more related to the fact that were to be used to find the dogs pointed. Randy was often seen riding hard to the Turned loose on the afternoon course front and often out of sight of the judges in shortly after 1:00 p.m. and with the tem - order to stay in contact with his dog. That perature at 70 degrees, both handlers com - type of handling has always been frowned plied with the judge’s instructions, riding upon in the National Championship. It was directly in front of the judges at a moder - that type of handling that had put Pete in a ate pace. Pete’s dog Buck seemed to re - second series in 1988 and may have cost member what had worked for him during him the championship that year. his three-hour brace. When rimming the While Pete and Bisco Buck had only first two big fields was not paying divi - contacted game four times in the three dends, Buck changed his tactics, digging hours, two things were memorable about deeper into cover in search of his birds. that performance. First, and most impor - At the 23-minute mark, Charlie Ward, tant, was the fact that Buck handled so eas - scouting for Buck, called point. When the ily. Pete was able to ride at a comfortable judge arrived, Charlie offered that the pace staying right in front of the judges for birds had departed. Pete tried flushing, the entire three hours. The second, and hoping a sleeper remained, but without success. An effort to point were the singles even more memorable to me, was Buck’s TEKOA Mountain Sunrise, Jr - FRAnK ability to adjust his efforts to locate the had set down also came up empty. elusive quail. These were the days of all Just past the one-hour mark, The Hitch Son of cH TEKOA Mountain Sunrise wild quail on the Ames Plantation. The Hiker pointed directly out front. Three pre-releasing program had not yet started. birds lifted, Randy fired his gun and Ike Stud Fee $1,200 was on board with ( continued on p. 27 ) 26 . 2019 Field Trial Review The Ruffed grouse and the Cow Patty By: Brad Harter much been taken over by Honeysuckle. The land owner was still running a few The two things I regret most about shar - cattle, figuring that rather than starve, the ing this true story is that four of the six cattle might graze on some of the Honey - people who were there to witness this suckle that was taking over his land. event have passed away. The second un - The temperature stood just a few de - fortunate thing is that I did not have a cam - grees above zero that morning and the era with me that day to take a picture, to ground was frozen rock solid. After about prove that this really did happen! thirty minutes, my young male setter was Tom and I had a friend at that time who evidence would be the live grouse stuck to This event took place in the early nine - spotted on point near a thick mass of this was trying to raise grouse in captivity. He the frozen cow patty. We were to meet at teen-seventies in southeast Ohio near the Honeysuckle. Tom and our Kentucky had a male and female and had been able noon in the town of Gallipolis for lunch. Ohio River, sometime in early February. friend positioned themselves to get a good to get them to lay eggs, but using Bantam It was about a 30-minute drive in warm - Four good friends from Kentucky had shot, while I went in front of my dog to hens to sit those eggs had not worked very ing temperatures. come to Athens, Ohio to hunt grouse with flush out the grouse. When nothing hap - well. His female had died, and he was hop - When we arrived at the restaurant our my hunting partner Tom Perry and me. pened, I tapped my dog on the head to get ing to get another female to continue with buddies were already there waiting. Be - Three of them had their own bird dogs, but him to relocate. He took a few tentative his experiment. Not knowing the sex of fore going in we shared the story of cap - and hunting grouse with more than two steps, freezing again in a solid point. I this grouse, I thought if I could catch it, it turing the ruffed grouse frozen to the cow dogs at a time and with six shooters has kicked at the Honeysuckle more vigor - was worth a try! I crawled in close and patty! You can imagine their reaction and never proved very productive. For that ously and still nothing happened. was successful at grabbing this grouse it was just what we had expected. I knew reason, we decided to split into two groups Tom suggested I get down on my hands with my bare hands while the bird re - proof would be needed and so I went to and hunt two different areas a few miles and knees in a position to see what my dog mained frozen to the cow patty. my truck to retrieve my vest, the grouse, apart, and then to meet up at noon at a might be seeing. When I did this, looking With help, the bird and the cow patty and the cow patty. local restaurant for lunch. under a thick mass of Honeysuckle, I saw were placed in the back of my hunting When I lifted the vest from alongside Tom and I took the one Kentuckian who a grouse sitting calmly about 15 feet away. vest, where the grouse rode quietly for the the dog box, it did seem a little lighter, but did not have a bird dog with us, and the The grouse appeared to be sitting on a cow next couple hours as we were hunting. still, I carried it over to our friends and other three we put in a favorite spot that patty. I told the gunners to get ready; the When we got to my truck, I carefully re - carefully started to unroll the vest to dis - always produced a good number of birds. grouse would soon be boiling out of there! moved my vest and rolled up the bird in it, play the grouse. To my surprise, the grouse It was a cold winter day with a few inches I threw a little snow towards the grouse placing the vest, grouse, and cow patty in was gone! The cow patty, now partially of snow on the ground that had been there only to see him try to lift off the ground, the back of my truck next to the dog box. thawed, remained in the vest and there for a few weeks. The area Tom suggested but unable to do so because his feathers We knew our buddies would never be - were still some grouse feathers stuck to the we try first was an old farm that had pretty were frozen to the cow patty! lieve our story without evidence and that patty. Good luck to all contenders in the 2019 National Championship from CH Stardust Chaz Mega Kennels Our 22 nd Entry in the National Championship

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© FTR 2019 Field Trial Review 27 . Memorable (continued from p. 25 ) his first find in the second series. Buck had vanished and many believed he may have been pointed and ridden past. Charlie, who was scouting Buck, scoured the country, but was unable to find Buck. When Buck failed to return and Randy and Ike reached the big bottoms past the old dairy unit, the judges made the announcement that the second series had come to an end. Within the next two hours on the big steps in front of the Manor House, The Hitch Hiker was named the 1992 National Champion. Tekoa Mountain Sunrise feeD yOur hOrSeS The BeST ...

Grouse (continued from p. 26 ) freSh TOP QualiTy feeD aT affOrDaBle PriCeS You can imagine the response from our friends! Immediately one of those guys, Louie Vaughan, walked over to his truck to retrieve an antler taken from one side of a nice 8-point buck. Carrying the antler to TRi-CounTy FeedS us, Louie shared his own story. He related that while hunting, his dog had pointed this buck bedded down in a thicket. When the startled buck came charging out, he ran aRveST eedS right past Louie, who reached out grab - Ruffed Grouse ( photo courtesy H F bing the antler and swinging up on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology ) deer’s back! With one hand holding on the antler Louie reached for his belt knife with All he had as proof of his morning’s ad - Proud Supporters the intent to cut the deer’s throat. In the at - venture with the buck was half an antler tempt to bring this deer down, the antler rack. Louie’s only comment was that his of field trials in the mid-south broke loose and Louie hit the ground. proof was just as good as my partially Since this was near the time that many thawed cow patty. But at least he was car - and the 120th bucks start shedding their antlers, it was rying around something he could display Louie’s belief that this explained why his on his mantle, instead of the pile of poop I National Championship! plan had failed. had thawing in my hunting vest!

The DiffereNCe BeTweeN Our CuSTOm milleD feeDS & N aTiONal BraNDS : (1) f reShNeSS 2018 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DVD (2) C ONSiSTeNT QualiTy GuaraNTeeD (3) m Ore Value fOr yOur mONey We Offer Bulk feed A Wide Variety of Available Horse & Cattle Feeds MondAy-FRidAy HOrse Hay (Call for pricing & delivery schedule) Round & Square bales open 7 am - 5 pm ~ Mon - Fri 7 am - 12 pm ~ Saturday 662.564.2920 DVD only $45, priority shipping included 3107 S. Red Banks Rd. Order from: Pleasant Hill Productions Red Banks, MS. 4842 Pleasant Hill Road • Athens, OH 45701 by phone: (740) 591-6456 662.526.9100 online: www.pleasanthillproductions.com 206 Hwy 51 South Previous National Championships and 16-year Collector Series also available Como, MS © MSHR 28 . 2019 Field Trial Review Jay McKennzie, who came to Ames to see his dog run. The Derby began on Wednesday after - noon, January 16, with Caladen’s Yukon Cornelius, handled by Ike Todd and owned by Carl Owens, taking the win. Second was Ransom’s Jack Flash, handled by Steve Hurdle and owned by Billy Blackwell. Third went to Touch’s Grey Street, handled by Ike Todd for owner Keith Wright. Carlisle said that “all the Derby dogs had two finds and put in a good race. The A University of Memphis graduate Derbies outshined the All-Age dogs this student conducts a remote sensing sur - time.” vey on the Cedar Grove Plantation slave No Heritage Festival quarters site. (Jamie Evans photos ) For the first time in 20 years there was (below) Silver locket and blue bead no Ames Heritage Festival on the second found at the Fannie Dickins Plantation. Happening at Ames Plantation Saturday of October 2018. Missing were By Nancy Brannon the folk artists, demonstrators, musicians and the crowds of people who have Quail Release flocked to Ames for the past two decades In preparation for the 120th running of to enjoy and celebrate the area’s agricul - the National Championship, the first quail tural and folk heritage. In fact, there will of the season were released on September be no more Heritage Festivals at the Ames 6, 2018. A total of 3,000 quail were set free Plantation in the future. The decision was on the courses, 1,500 each on the morning made with great reluctance because Ames and afternoon venues. Groups of 20 quail outgrew the ability to maintain the high were placed in 150 locations within pre - quality experience that people expect. pared feed patches. Two hundred sixty- Horse Management Field Day two patches totaling 217 acres were On September 27, 2018, Ames Planta - seeded last spring with a mix of grain tion was one of three venues across Ten - sorghum, teosinte maize and millex to pro - New quail arrival at Ames. nessee to host a University of Tennessee vide excellent cover and food for the quail. (photo by Jamie Evans) Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) Horse slaved at Cedar Grove. Oral tradition, sup - Between September 2018 and February mowing schedule produces a dilemna: Management Field Day. Dr. Jennie Ivey ported by a map drawn by the Union Army 2019 their natural food source was sup - mowing later allows the birds greater pro - and Dr. Amy Weatherly held an informa - in 1864, places one of Cedar Grove’s slave plemented as needed by spreading grain tection and food, therefore greater surviv - tive, hands-on session about equine teeth, quarters in what is now the barn lot located sorghum within the feed patches and other ability and more game available for the Body Condition Scoring (BCS), the behind the Mule Barn, near the Ames areas which provide vegetative cover. field trials. Carlisle said, “We’ve found equine digestive system, and equine para - Plantation headquarters. Based in part on The second release of 3,000 quail took birds in places that we haven’t seen them sites and the Fecal Egg Count test. Several Dr. Mickelson’s findings, the area will be place on September 17, 2018, bringing the since the 1980s.” But mowing later makes of the Ames Plantation field trial horses the subject of further investigation this total number of birds released on the Field it more difficult for the handlers to see served as “demonstration” horses for folks spring by archaeologists from Rhodes Trial Course last fall to 6,000. These birds their dogs at work, and they must consider to learn about teeth and BCS. Full cover - College under the direction of Dr. Kim - would have five months to acclimate to the field trials that happen at Ames in De - age of this field day was reported in the berly Kasper. their new surroundings and hone their sur - cember and January, prior to the National October 2018 issue of the Mid-South The remote sending continues around vival skills. Ames personnel helped them Championship Horse Review . The Horse Management Ames, finding artifacts in the fields. They along by providing supplemental feed Field Trials Field Day returns to Ames on September take the strongest signatures to determine each 10 to 14 days beginning in Novem - The AFTCA National Amateur All-Age 19, 2019. where to dig. They are focusing on house ber. The 12 week-old birds were obtained Invitational was held at Ames Plantation, Historic Research styles, with square houses found at the from Quail Valley in Albany, Georgia. starting December 3, 2018 with Keith Dr. Andrew Mickelson and students mounds and oval houses found in the Dr. Carlisle says Ames has had “the Wright’s Touch’s Firedancer taking the from the University of Memphis held their fields. Dr. Mickelson’s work has found best survival of birds this year than in the Championship and Runner-Up was Jim annual Archaeology Field School at the two new ceramic scatters in the last two last several years.” He attributes this to the Pendergest’s Dialed In. Plantation in mid-May. This is the 12th months. There are at least 30 places on unplanned delay in mowing the field trial The Ames Amateur was held starting year for the Field School, said Jamie Ames where they have found ceramic course. Ames has two tractors that are spe - January 1, 2019 with Misty Morn Masked Evans, and the professors and their stu - scatters. cially equipped and dedicated for use on Man, owned by Joey McAlexander, win - dents are still working at two sites on For the fifth year historic research at the the field trial course. Due to unfortunate ning the Ames Amateur Stake. Second was Ames: one historic and one prehistoric. Fannie Dickens plantation continued, but accidents with both tractors this year [both Rebel Dreamer, owned by David The University of Memphis research demarcation of the house boundaries con - tractors will have to be replaced] mowing Williams; and Nosam’s Full Ride, owned focuses on the Native American mounds tinues to evade description. The houses ap - of the course didn’t get finished until Jan - by Mason Ashburn, was third. and the village adjacent to the mounds. pear to have been built directly on the uary 12, although it is usually completed The 66th annual Hobart Ames Memo - For the last four years they have expanded ground, leaving no piers and no marks on by Thanksgiving. Carlisle says that be - rial Field Trial started on January 14 with their research sites to outlying areas asso - the ground – other than darkened areas in - cause of the delay in mowing the birds had 30 All-Age dogs in the competition. Dr. ciated with the mounds, looking for social, dicating organics in the soil. more cover for a longer period of time Carlisle reported that 15 out of the 30 dogs civic, and religious connections. Interesting artifact finds this year were and, thus had protection from the avian got lost and the handler had to ask for the On May 11, graduate students con - a 170-year-old curry comb, a leg bone raptors as well as the small mammalian tracker. There were 15 dogs that com - ducted remote sensing on slave quarters from a hog, a number of lead bullets predators on them. Carlisle said they’re pleted the hour’s course. Champion was associated with the 1820s - 1860s Cedar (balls) and buckshot, and a piece of silver seeing more birds in the feed patches, Whippoorwill Justified, handled by Larry Grove Plantation. Cedar Grove was started jewelry – a locket. which include 262 patches planted last Huffman and owned by Ronnie Spears, by John Walker Jones in 1826 and became In the 2019 Field School, students will spring totaling about 217 acres. In the fall “who had two finds and ran a really good one of the largest cotton plantations in the tie up the loose ends at the Dickins Plan - when the harvest the crops, they leave feed ground race,” Carlisle said. “He was by far region by 1860. Today’s Ames Manor tation and start work at the new site: the strips of soybeans, grain sorghum, and better than any other dog out there. He did House is the original home of the Jones slave quarters of Cedar Grove Plantation corn. This fall they left 187 feed strips, or a great job!” Runner up was Valient, han - family. Records indicate that in 1850 as that lie behind what is now the Mule Barn. about 33 acres. Carlisle realizes that this dled by Randy Anderson and owned by many as 250 African-Americans were en - 2019 Field Trial Review 29 . Ames Historical Society By Nancy Brannon, Ph.D. The Stencil House is once again in the news. It is the recipient of a $50,000 grant The 18th annual meeting of the Ames from the State of Tennessee for restoration Historical Society on Saturday January 26, and preservation of the invaluable stencil - 2019,organized by Jamie Evans, featured ing in the house. This particular project Associate Professor of Anthropology and will focus on the breezeway, where the Southern Studies at the University of Mis - best preserved examples of the stenciling sissippi – Dr. Jodi Skipper.Dr. Skipper was currently exist. Thomas Moore Studios of welcomed by one of the largest crowds to Baltimore, which has been restoring his - attend a historical society meeting: 115 toric interiors since 1988, will do the people, which included fifty who were work. Their combined team of fine artists, new members of the historical society or scholars, preservation experts, and archi - guests of members. tectural historians make it one of the pre - Dr. Skipper is an applied anthropologist mier sources for a project of this scale. who explores the representation of African Evans showed photos of the dilapidated Jamie Evans and Dr. Jodi Skipper (photo by Nancy Brannon ) American lives through material cultural. state the house was in originally, and the Her research dovetails perfectly with the meticulous, time-consuming process of field school research at Ames that exam - moving the house to Ames from Clifton, found lead shot bullets: some flattened, in - extant – the stories of the people who lived ines the slave housing structures at the lo - Tennessee. Once getting it to Ames, the dicating they were shot, and some still and used these buildings were largely cations of prior plantations on what is now circa 1830s house had to be stabilized and round, indicating they were never fired. being forgotten.” McGill consulted Carter the Ames property. Dr. Skipper investi - repaired. They found the intact leg bone of a hog, and Eggleston on program planning and gates how African American historic sites Its preservation is of enormous impor - and an important find this year was a sil - has served as an interpreter since 2012. and heritage interact with modern-day tance – so important that the Smithsonian ver pendant. David Person also offered the slave tourism. She has collaborated on two proj - Institution tried to obtain it in 1974. The Then it was time for Dr. Skipper. Her dwelling on his Burton Place for the tour. ects: the Behind the Big House program house contains the most complete exam - presentation on Slavery and Memory in Other homes and slave dwellings on the in Marshall County, Mississippi and the ple in the southernU.S. of the folk style of Mississippi detailed the establishment of tour include The Magnolias and McCar - Promiseland Historic Preservation project stenciling by Moses Eaton, Jr. Moses the Behind the Big House project. She re - roll Place. in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana. Through Eaton and his son Moses Eaton, Jr. iterated the vast increase in cotton pro - Another important “ingredient” on her ongoing research on African diaspora weretwo of the best documented stencil - duction in Marshall County and its telling this part of southern history is the anthropology, historic sites management, ers of New England. At a time when af - concomitant increase in slaves in the mid- work of afro-culinary historian Michael historical archaeology, museum and her - fluent families were able to afford 1800s, which also brought an enormous Twitty. Twitty recently published The itage studies, Dr. Skipper explores how fashionable imported wallpaper, for those amount of wealth to the cotton plantation Cooking Gene: A Journey through Afti - African American history is represented in who could not, wall stenciling of the owners. She drew the connection between can-American Culinary History in the Old the present.With her collaboration, Behind Moses Eaton type was in evidence as early the plantations and town homes in places South . He traces his ancestry, both black the Big House, managed by Preserve Mar - as 1778. New England wall stenciling be - such as Holly Springs and Natchez,Mis - and white, through food from Africa to shall County and Holly Springs, Inc., re - came an art form in its own right. The sissippi. This rapidly accumulating wealth America and slavery to freedom. He traces ceived an Award of Merit from the stencils brought color and artistry to rural of the plantation owners allowed them to the larger story of African American food - Mississippi Humanities Council. It has people eager for their plain walls to be construct elaborate homes in these towns ways through his ancestors and their per - also been touted by the National Humani - transformed. and, thus, “frontier society developed sonal stories, visiting plantations, ties Alliance Foundation as a model for Following the Ames historical research quickly,” she explained. Using the exam - gravesites, cotton gins, tobacco barns, collaborative, and publicly-engaged work. update, Evans related their work to Dr. ple of Burton House, a site on the pro - churches, and more. He uses food as the Skipper was awarded one of eight Whit - Skipper’s work. Evans characterized gram, she noted the increase from 8 to 87 medium of communication and discourse ing Foundation Public Humanities fellow - African American slavery as the “unmen - slaves in a very short time span. in his interviews, looking at the develop - ships for the 2017-18 year, to help expand tioned part of our history.” He shared data She explained how “pilgrimage tours” ment of African American foodways from the program model to other parts of the about the great expansion of cotton pro - such as the one in Holly Springs started in Africa to America, from the antebellum to state of Mississippi. duction from 1840-1860, which required 1938, mostly focused on the town man - postbellum South. He documents the food Evans said: “There are many parallels a parallel increase in slave populations. sions and not the stories of enslaved peo - producing efforts of Black farmers and between Dr. Skipper’s interest in bringing Evans reported that in 1860, 68% of the ple. But in 1860, 70% of the population fishermen; seeks out heirloom seeds and the story of slavery in North Mississippi population of Fayette County was slaves. were black slaves, some of whom lived in medicinal lore – all with honor and rever - to the forefront in today’s society and our Plantations ruled the landscape and there dwellings adjacent to these mansions. ence to the ancestors of each historic site. own here at Ames, as we seek to under - were over 1,250 slaves in 1850 on land To correct such omissions, Joseph He has worked with Behind the Big House stand and share the life stories of the thou - that is today Ames Plantation. At Ames, McGill Jr. started The Slave Dwelling since 2015. sands of African Americans who were researchers have studied 23 farms, which Project in South Carolina in 2010, with the Also part of bringing slave history to enslaved here.” included 674 slaves, and they have looked help of Prinny Anderson, a descendant of life are Dale Deberry and Wayne Jones, In his introductory remarks, Evans de - at variables such as age, gender, and race. Thomas Jefferson, and others. McGill, a who demonstrate the brickmaking skills of scribed the ongoing historical research at Interestingly, they have found that 49% of descendant of slaves, had as his quest to the slaves that were integral to house Ames and last summer’s newest discover - the slaves were female and 51% were visit every former slave dwelling in the building. ies. For at least 80 years, European-de - male. At least seven of the slave cemeter - U.S. and to ensure preservation of these The next Behind the Big House tour scendant settlers lived on the land before ies at Ames have been discovered, but historic sites. will take place April 4-6, 2019. These Ames was established in 1901. Evans there are probably more. The next focus of By 2012, the first Behind the Big slave quarters, “hidden in plain sight,” showed a map of the various plantation lo - research will be the slave quarters of House tour began in Holly Springs, in Skipper describes, coupled with archaeo - cations that once existed in this area. And Cedar Grove Plantation, which is now the conjunction with tours of the mansions on logical research and partnership with the even further back in history by thousands area behind the Mule Barn. the Spring Pilgrimage. Property owners University of Mississippi, will influence of years, Native American settlements At the 12th annual Field School, May Chelius Carter and his wife Jenifer Eggle - “how we think about the past. This place dominated the landscape. Each year pro - 2018, the students and their professors ston started the program, interpreting a matters; people matter.” fessors and students from Rhodes College have continued to find beads, tobacco slave dwelling on their property, the Hugh Find more information about Dr. Skip - and the University of Memphis in the pipes (that were used for smoking wild Craft House. Said Eggleston, “It was clear per at: socanth.olemiss.edu and at south - Field School work to “unpack” as much plants), and ceramics. Nothing that post that a significant part of the historic nar - ernstudies.olemiss.edu Find more about history of the area as they can within the dates 1860 has been found so far. This rative was missing. While a number of the the Behind the Big House tour at: be - limited time period of their research at year they found pieces of window glass, silent witnesses –the structures directly re - hindthebighouse.org and preservemar - Ames. and a 170-year-old curry comb. They have lated to the slaves’ accommodations were shallcounty.org. 30 . 2019 Field Trial Review likely came in at 70 mph down the inter - Chronic states as infected animals or body parts, such as bone, spine and head (i.e. whole animals or meat with bones) where trans - Wasting ported from parts of the country where CWD is established. Disease TWRA has a CWD plan that snapped into place and was immediately imple - By Dr. Allan Houston mented once the cases were identified in When Chronic Wasting Disease was north Mississippi. As a result, the disease discovered in north Mississippi in late was detected and containment procedures 2018, a murmur of unease swept through were put in place. TWRA’s work and ded - west Tennessee, as hunters hoped that ication have been completely impressive, would be it: just isolated cases and the as personnel from all over the state have deadly condition had not spread. It came come here to get a handle on this thing. as a shock, and best described as a "gut Ames began collecting samples from punch," when TWRA reported 13 deer the beginning, before mandatory collec - tested positive in late December and an - tions were imposed. During that time I other 11 were announced on January 7, pulled a sample from a woefully under - 2019. Since that time, the news has gotten sized buck that later proved positive. worse. More animals have tested positive Ames is now serving as an official collec - tion station. Our hunters responded to an and the range has spread across several This deer is showing the early signs of the CWD; note the drooling. counties. “all hands on deck” call for them to par - Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a drooling, and has a braced up stance like a this generation of deer is apt to be, the next ticipate in a hunt where our QDM regula - neurological disease caused by a mis - sawhorse. As dreadful as that is, the real generation is likely to show up as well. As tions were suspended to allow the harvest shaped protein. tragedy lays with the prion itself. a result, deer cannot escape the prion. In of older-aged bucks. They brought in Proteins are essential to bodily function. It is nearly indestructible, at least their world, the prion is increasingly eleven bucks and, as expected with more Each of us has millions of proteins inside through any normally, practicable means “everywhere” and they cannot get away mature animals, i.e., those having been each of our millions of cells, and each pro - available that we or nature can impose. from it. “out there” and having longer exposure, tein is strung just right with amino acids This particular prion is specifically infec - Once a deer is infected, the prion is also several of these were positive. and shaped just right to do its job. Any tious to the cervid, or deer family, with elk, in the meat. Even though there has not yet Due to our intense QDM program, the protein folded into a shape that makes it mule deer and moose included alongside been a recorded case of human illness Ames deer herd is at a much lower density infectious is referred to as a “prion.” our whitetail. from this prion, the CDC has recom - than the local herd, probably about half as Once CWD prions are inside the deer’s Deer are exposed primarily through in - mended against eating the meat of infected many deer per square mile. That should body, they migrate into the lymph systems, gestion or trading of bodily fluids, such as animals. help, somewhat, but where near indestruc - into neurological systems, and finally to nose touching or grooming. They can pick Unfortunately, simply cooking the meat tible contagions and free agents are in - the brain. The resulting condition is tech - it up in any number of other ways. For ex - “well done,” unless the chef decides to in - volved, there is little to be done in the long nically referred to as spongiform en - ample, deer are sloppy eaters with little cinerate at 1,800 degrees, does nothing to run that can prevent a “new normal.” cephalopathy, or to simplify that term: giblets of acorns or corn, e.g., corn found a prion. Conventional means of heat and CWD will almost certainly, eventually re - sponge-brain. These misfolded proteins around bait piles, exposed to saliva and cleaning are ineffectual. It is very difficult sult in a lowered herd density and a hijack normal processes, replicate them - falling out the edges of their mouths. to dismantle (denature) this little folded up younger herd. It will be increasingly hard selves, aggregate in the brain, and eventu - Other deer take the pieces up, or can sim - piece of protein. for a deer to escape an unseen, deadly ally create little voids, or sponge-brain. ply be exposed when taking up tiny One reason for caution is there are prion agent that is capable of living unavoidably Once the prion is established in the body, amounts of soil as they eat, and where the diseases that do affect humans, one being in the soils. the condition is inevitable, irreversible, prion lays waiting. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease caused by an - There is no cure. There is no vaccine. and 100% fatal. Prions are not alive. They are just other prion, but having the same general However, west Tennessee’s productivity Infected deer can live, typically, about deadly little pieces of protein and perhaps impact on humans as it does on deer, es - and habitat quality are innately high. In - 12 to 18 months after exposure, and during might best be envisioned as acting like a sentially manifested as a very rapidly de - side this new paradigm of disease, deer, much of that time, appear to be just fine, species-specific poison. They can lay in veloping Alzheimer condition. and the adjustments a new breed of hunter i.e., asymptomatic, although it can be pre - the environment for many years and be Mad cow disease is another prion- will need to adopt, there is much to be disposed to other diseases or mishap. In just as infectious as they were when first caused disease. seen. As the prion becomes “environmen - the final stages, about the last 6-to-8 deposited. How did it get here? So far, we do not tal,” it will be difficult to watch a deer and weeks, the animal begins to cease feeding, Once a deer is infected, it “sheds” the know exactly. However, most likely it not wonder whether it is infected and eventually becomes gaunt, unaware, prion everywhere it goes via urine and came in just as TWRA warned us it might doomed. As the herd changes, it will be feces; and as every hunter knows, where and had regulations in place to prevent. It more likely to be able to see it.

©FTR

BesT BaR-B-Q aRouND! But stay for dessert & enjoy our homemade pies!

phoNe: 901-294-3400 342 hwy. 70 | Mason, TN 38049 2019 Field Trial Review 31 . The Armadillo Armada

By Dr. Allan Houston ping in the dark and apparently with no re - gard, combined with the fact that I had left In the dark, with deer gun in hand, I the house very scantily clad, in fact nearly suddenly lost perspective with the good unclad, and with light-colored armadillos earth, as the ground was sucked from built much alike on both ends, there was a under me. One leg disappeared and the unanimous anatomical agreement to leave other was running around in panic-stricken the field of battle, although with no par - circles. As I continued to sink, my free leg ticular accord on which way. I turned, and became even more frantic, apparently try - with the grace of moonshined ballet ing to run away. dancer, did a face plant. As the war surged If this continued I realized there was a over me, I heard a sudden, massive distinct possibility of my stepping on my crunching sound. Something told me that own head. I did not know everything there was to My chin hit the edge of the hole about know about my gentle ole dog. the time my missing leg found bottom. As I entered the house, I caught a However, weighed down with a vest that glimpse of my reflection in the door: half had accumulated enough stuff to begin a mud, half white, like the old movies where thrift store, I wondered if I would be able the actor’s face is split in light and dark to to heave and ho enough to rise and walk. illustrate good and evil. Yep. No doubt Once back among the terrestrial living, I about it. The grinning side had enjoyed wondered why there might be a single rea - this! The other side said there had to be son armadillos should inhabit our planet. another way. Then, I remembered something. And, there was. First, armadillos are An armadillo armada had been me - drawn to moist ground, easy digging, and thodically and nocturnally turning my yard good eats, especially when things have into a greasy mud puddle. I sat up guard - been hot and dry. I believe they locate it ing the grass. They did not come. I slept by smell. So, in dry weather, watering a and they came. I left the dogs out and they spot – and it does not have to be a big spot did not come. I let the dogs in and they – 50-to-100 square feet can provide “bait.” came. New mulch is a good bet, too. Second, ar - If I got up during the night with a bath - madillos like to travel along vertical struc - room necessity, I stopped to peer through tures, e.g., along foundation walls. Third, the windows with my flashlight, like some they do not attend Harvard. long lost soul hoping to see land through a Where I live, the garage is separated port hole. And then one night, sure from the house by about 25 feet. Access to enough, the enemy was afoot! I hollered open ground between the two is open both forTimber, my big Golden Retriever, and ways. I watered the ground between 100 pounds of enthusiasm arrived all garage and house and placed a plank roused up by the mix of excitement and “wall,” made of 2x8’s stood on edge, be - desperation in my voice. tween the two. I completed the wall on ei - As we burst through the door and I ther side with a live trap, one against the yelled, “Get’m!” Now, the word “get’m” garage facing north, the other against the is a holy word among retrievers and Tim - house facing south. The entrance to each ber went electric. trap was flush with my wall. Armadillos The armadillo, recognizing a day of could travel one way and the other along reckoning if ever there was one, took off my little wall until they found an “open - for the fence. They arrived simultaneously ing” (the trap) and voilà, I caught five on and the armadillo leaped about three feet five consecutive nights. Then I caught two straight up and into Timber’s snout, more over the next ten days. knocking him off balance and sideways The wall’s geometry can be as clever as into the mud. It was right there, in that mi - the situation is unique, but providing the crosecond, my big dog took up hating ar - midnight excavation crew with no alterna - madillos as a way of life. tive but to travel along your wall and I skated into the fray like a string-pup - through your “opening” can work. Some - pet mud wrestler with a small stick, but times. But don’t touch them. They can mainly contributing maniacal shouts of en - carry human leprosy. couragement and Gregorian chants curs - Or, you can just chase them with your ing all armadillos. As the battle reached a dog. fever pitch, Timber’s snapping jaws, snap - 32 . 2019 Field Trial Review handlers Competing In The 2019 National Championship

Randy Anderson Weldon Bennett Jamie Daniels (Chris Mathan photo ) Andy Daugherty

Randy Downs Luke Eisenhart Robin Gates (Chris Mathan photo ) Burke Hendrix

Robert Henry Mike Hester Larry Huffman Steve Hurdle (Tommy Brannon photo )

Scott Jordan Mark McLean Sheldon Twer (Tommy Brannon photo ) Allen Vincent Please note: some of the owners are also handlers, so their photos may not appear in both sections.

The City of Grand Junction Welcomes Field Trialers

Good Luck To All Competitors in the th ©FTR 120 National Championship 2019 Field Trial Review 33 . Successful Field Trial Woman: Amy Spencer

Amy takes Colton for a ride across the plains Amy’s gaited mule

By Nancy Brannon original K-9 handlers for the program, which began in 2005. In her new role, Amy Spencer is one of those talented Amy leads information and outreach ef - field trial competitors who can handle a forts for the West Tennessee region, which dog or scout a dog. She alternates with her covers 25 counties. Needless to say, this husband Bubba – sometimes he handles new job is taking a lot of Amy’s time these and she scouts and vice versa. And both days. So Amy says she’s done more scout - have worked security at Ames during the ing this year with her new job and Bubba National Championship. She and Bubba has done more handling. live on a 56-acre farm in the Hickory Val - Amy primarily participates in Amateur ley/Bolivar, Tenn. area, which they call field trials, although she does go to a few Cocklebur Farms, where they raise bird Open trials. She usually goes to all the Re - dogs, horses – and a very special son gion 6 trials, and may go to a champi - named Colton. onship trial in Missouri. However, she Amy knows dogs very well: she grew knows these dogs very well! Every year up in a family that hunted dogs. Amy she and Stephen “Steeple” Bell compile talked about how she got into field trials: the profiles of all the dogs who have been “I got started when my sister Denise was nominated to run in the National Champi - running Chesapeake Bay Retrievers in onship. It’s a service that the Field Trial AKC hunt tests. I was probably in middle Review greatly appreciates! Readers prob - Colton walks out the puppies school and she would take me to help her ably don’t know how much time such an work the dogs.” In college Amy ran labs endeavor takes; it’s a year-long process. on the AKC circuit. Both Amy and Bubba are amateur dog After college she was a canine officer trainers, and they use military standards in with Tennessee Wildlife Resources their training program. Amy likes to do a Agency (TWRA) for 15 years, and her lot of yard work and puppy training. Her main job was training the working dogs bird dogs are all born in the house and for TWRA. In fact, both Bubba and Amy Amy assists with whelping the pups. The have worked as game wardens for the young pups get a lot of handling and care TWRA. from the day they are born. As soon as Around 2009-2010 Sean Derrick gave they can walk, Amy starts them on walk - them a pointer, and that got them started ing tours, getting them used to going with in bird dog field trials. In 2013 their her, responding to her calls, and them in - pointer, Cocklebur Treasure Quest, troducing them to birds. She even has her “Ellie,” was the Purina Region 6 All-Age 4-year-old son Colton walking pups now dog. And the 5-year-old white-and-orange [Colton turns 5 in March]. She says, female pointer also won the title of 2013- “Early contact is so important. You want 2014 Purina Amateur Top Field Trial Bird them to come to you, turn with you, and Dog. This first bird dog for owners Bubba go with you.” Once she gets the pups and Amy Spencer earned an impressive going well on foot, then she does some 1,274 points to win the seventh annual Pu - work with them from horseback. rina Award. Usually the family travels to North Amy and Bubba Spencer - a true field trialing team. Amy handled Ellie during the 2012- Dakota in the summer for dog training. 2013 season and then Bubba handled the They used to go in September, but with with her on her horse. Perhaps next year Currently, the Spencers have ten horses dog during the 2013-2014 season while Colton getting older and preparing for he can ride his own horse and his mom can and one on the way. They have fifteen Amy was pregnant. school, they will start training July 15 this “pony” him in the gallery. But Amy is very dogs, which includes a Labrador, a retired Last fall (2018) Amy was selected to year. protective and makes sure Colton is safe work dog, a Chesapeake Bay retriever, serve as the Information and Education Colton “is obsessed with animals,” at the field trials. Amy has a gaited mule Belgian Malonois, and 12 pointers and a Coordinator in TWRA Region I. Amy Amy says. He goes with his parents wher - that she rides whom she describes as “a litter on the way. As one might expect, moved to the position after having served ever they go and he really enjoys the dogs. dog working machine. He’s got the best March and May are very busy months for as a TWRA wildlife officer in Madison He is also riding, but only goes in the short lope I’ve ever ridden!” Amy, with pups to whelp and foals to be County since 2000. She was one of the gallery when his mom is riding; he rides born. 34 . 2019 Field Trial Review owners of Dogs Running In The 120th National Championship

Doug Arthur & Rachel Blackwell Jim Bickers Steve Burns Dr. Fred Corder

Bob & Sarina Craig Ted Dennard Will & Rita Dunn Larry Earls

Matt Griffith Jim Hamilton Burke Hendrix (owner& handler ) Guy Hendrix

Dan Hensley Butch Houston (Chris Mathan photo ) (left) Baker Hubbard & Jim Clark John Ivester (Vera Courtney photo )

Scott Jordan (Chris Mathan photo ) Scott Kermicle Frank LaNasa (right) Gary Lester (owner& handler ) 2019 Field Trial Review 35 . owners of Dogs Running In The 120th National Championship

Allen Linder Thorpe McKenzie Richard Peterson Alex Rickert

John Sayre Eddie & Carole Sholar Ronnie Spears (Vera Courtney photo ) Bruce Sooter

M/M David Thompson with Jo Bob Walthall Bill Westfall Ryan Westfall

A large gallery with owners and spectators turned out to watch the dogs peform. Jim Wolthuis Brad Calkins (Nancy Brannon photo ) Photos of You and Your Dog We want to make sure that we have photos of all the owners and dogs for each issue. Please send us your photo - and your dog’s photo - for the 2020 Field Trial Review . If you do not like the photo we have published, please send us another that you prefer. Deadline for the 2020 Field Trial Review is February 5, 2020 . 36 . 2019 Field Trial Review

Freddie Epp at his induction to the Field Trial Hall of Fame at the Bird Dog Museum 91st birthday. Farewell to After pausing to reflect on so many thoughts, I continued to work dogs, en - joying the derbies whose lineage con - the Cap’n tained a full measure of Epp/Crouse or By Mike Crouse Crouse/Epp bird dogs. One of the fine things about my family’s relationship with I was working dogs at home the morn - the Epp family was that we never kept ing of November the second when I got a score of who did what for whom. We were call from my friend B.J. Wright. When I friends, extended family, closer than many answered he simply said, “The Cap’n is “blood kin,” and we enjoyed one another dead.” Born in 1927, Freddie Leroy Epp in many ways. departed this earth on Friday November 2, (Continued on next page ) 2018, at the age of 90, weeks before his

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By Meredith Mays to 80 head of gaited horses, including 5 brave, forward horse with a bit more “go stallions, 20 brood mares, and a crop of than whoa.” A judge’s horse needs to be In 2008 I received a phone call that foals in two years. I went from 80 lessons smooth with quite a bit of stamina. A would take my equine career to a totally a week to wrangling and giving clinics on gallery horse should have a lot more different level. When my phone rang, I did riding instead. “whoa than go” and should be kid-safe, as not recognize the number, but I answered At the same time, my education about should the bird-planter’s horse. A scout’s it anyway. It was Gary Sheets, who had bird dog field trials began, with Gary start - horse needs to be ready to go at all times, been referred to me to find him a horse. ing with the basics. A field trial is a com - be swift, and sure-footed. Gary was looking for a field trial horse, petition for bird dogs. And in bird dog When people come to me in hopes of specifically a Tennessee walking horse. He field trials, horses are the primary mode of finding their new mount, I try to match said that they are hard to find and he was transportation. Many field trials are held them with the most appropriate horse for given my number and told I might be able at state wildlife management areas where them. All too often, I find that what people to find a prospect. At the time I was train - motorized vehicles aren’t permitted. think they want, and what I know they ing American Saddlebreds and Arabians, In the competition, called a stake, the need, are two different types of horses. and I had never had the opportunity to dogs run in a timed event in pairs, called This is why a forgiving horse is priceless. work with a Tennessee walker. In addition, braces. For each dog there is a handler, a Providing new horse owners with depend - I had never heard of field trialing – but he judge, and often a scout. There may also able and suitable mounts is my top prior - was willing to introduce me to the sport. be other people riding along watching the ity and I pride myself on my ability to Gary explained how field trial horses action, who are referred to as the “gallery,” determine their needs. I ride each prospect need to be smooth in their gaits, be able to and riders in the gallery must always stay quite a bit at a field trial before I allow Sportdog Rep and trainer Josh neck rein, canter, be unscathed by gunfire, behind the judges. anyone else to ride them. That allows me Miller from Wisconsin with Big Man, a ground tie (stay still once the rider dis - The handler is the person who is in con - to know what they will or won’t do. 4 yo horse he bought from Meredith mounts and not leave the spot where it is trol of the dog. He or she may use whis - It can be difficult to find a horse that left), and stake-out (be tethered to a stake tles or voice commands to guide the dogs is flushing the birds. A “squirrelly” horse can adapt to all these roles. Since I have driven into the ground). through the set course that everyone in that become a provider of field trial horses and That seemed to be a tall order! Scratch - makes it difficult to see the birds. stake has to follow. The handler’s horse The scout is a person chosen by the a wrangler in the northeast, I prefer to pro - ing my head, trying to wrap my brain must be a confident, easy to ride individ - vide horses that are easy to ride. In the around the type of horse he was looking handler to help find the dog. This is my fa - ual, since the handler needs to focus on the vorite job at a field trial! Sometimes a dog past ten years, I have learned that it is not for, I told him I would call him if I found dog and not be worrying about the horse. just the Tennessee Walking Horses that one. Still skeptical of finding such a horse, may have turned left instead of right, so The handler’s horse should obediently the scout’s job is to get the dog’s attention can be useful at field trials. Other breeds I questioned the characteristics he re - ground tie. When the dog scents a bird including, but not limited to, Rocky quired. Unscathed by gunfire – seriously? and bring it to the front. A scout’s horse (quail, chukar, or pheasant), the dog stops should be fast and sure-footed, and a very Mountain, Kentucky Mountain, Spotted Follow a dog? At that time, I was quite un - and points (freezes in place, tail up, some - Saddle Horse, Standardbreds, Missouri sure I would find the perfect match for confident animal. A whinnying horse, call - times a foot up) to alert the handler that ing out to the other horses, is not preferred Foxtrotters and even the little horse that him. But time changes everything. there is a bird or a covey of birds nearby. goes really fast nowhere – the Paso Fino – I made some calls and found a black, because it is important that the scout not The handler dismounts and proceeds to interfere with the dog’s work. will paint the landscape of a field trial. stocky built, 15.1 hands, 10 year-old geld - walk in the direction the dog is pointing. From 17 hands to 13.3 hands, you’ll see a ing who trail rode, had pulled a cart, and Over the past ten years I have not only His horse should stay in place, as if tied to learned a lot about how to train a field trial variety of gaited horses, mares and geld - was kind. So I hooked up my horse trailer, the ground. ings alike. went and bought him. horse, but also how to find the right tem - A judge’s horse should also be smooth perament of horse. Choosing a proper field Every horse is an individual. So even Louie was a real sweetie! He showed gaited, with the horse’s footfalls placed though a horse is primarily a conveyance me what made the Tennessee Walking trial mount is not an easy task. I look for such that the rider isn’t bounced at all. a kind, sure-footed, smooth horse, who for a field trailer, take a moment to marvel Horse so special. I came to realize that this This is why gaited horses, rather than trot - at how well those that you sit on perform, is probably to most forgiving breed in the can adapt to the starting, stopping, and ting horses, are preferred. Since a judge standing that field trialing demands. It is rather than taking them for granted. You horse world. The fact that they are so for - will be on the same horse for a few hours, may come to appreciate them in a different giving may be the reason why more peo - not an easy job for a horse. the judge should be somewhat comfort - When asked the type of horse makes a light. Here’s to the field trial horse! ple aren’t hurt while field trialing. able to be able to concentrate on judging About the author : Meredith Mays is the Louie’s new job was a success and my good field trial horse, I first ask for which the dogs. It is also important that the aspect of the game the individual wants owner and trainer at Double M Gaited new equine endeavor took off. I went from judge’s horse stand still while the handler Horses in Butler, Pennsylvania. 30 head of Saddlebreds standing in tailsets the horse. A handler’s horse must be a 2019 Field Trial Review 41 . 42 . 2019 Field Trial Review Springer Spaniels) and Mary Jo Trimble, Visitors to Living Harold Ray, Marshall Loftin, Delmar Smith, Gary Lockee, Ray Trimble (repre - senting the Brittany breed), Diane Chris - the Bird Dog Legends tensen, Buddy Smith, Bill Hunt, Linda Hunt, Bud Walters, and John Rex Gates. museum Luncheon Many of these legends are still going strong. Ray Trimble is still competing in Director The Bird Dog Museum hosted the sec - field trials at 92 years old. Collier Smith is Tonya Broth - ond annual Living Legends Luncheon on still working on Coushatta Plantation in erton writes, June 2, 2018. These living legends of the Alabama. Delmar Smith, Harold Ray, and “We here at field trial world are celebrated for their Buddy Smith are still training dogs. the museum achievements, talents, and admiration for Catherine Bowling Dean and her staff have started each other, along with the respect others of Me and My Tea Room catered the out the year have for them. Their stories of field trial event, with Ken Blackman filming the sto - Rich Robertson and Steeplebell with a bang!” experiences live on for years among bird ries and Vera Courtney taking the still Early in Janu - bird dogs came to the museum: Top & dog enthusiasts. Over the years many of shots. ary 2019 a Harley with their owner Steve Rankin. these legends have com - “living leg - Then there were Gracie and her owner peted against each other end” stopped Scott Henslee; Jaxx from Texas; and Wil - and have had the occa - by the mu - low headed to Texas. There were also sional disagreement, but seum: Mr. Steel & Copper with their owners Mr. & they all have shared expe - Rich Robert - Jaxx Mrs. Chris Mikolaj from Pennsylvania; riences and a passion for son and wife Bee, the National Field Champion Cocker bird hunting and field trial - Penny. And Steeple Bell from Texas Spaniel in 2017 with her owner Tawney ing. Hearing these legends’ stopped by. “Love it when old friends like Crawford; and Pen and Doll, also owned colorful stories showed the Rich and Penny stop by for a surprise. We by Bob & Tawney Crawford. special camaraderie and always look forward to Steeple’s visits.” lifelong friendships that But people aren’t the only visitors to the they share, often support - BDM. Dogs are welcome; people toler - ing one another through ated! In late December 2018, a couple of life’s highs and lows. Among those legends sharing stories were Collier Smith, Garland Priddy, Delmar Smith (right) shared his stories at the Living Alex Kerr (representing Legends Luncheon

Bee, 2017 National Field Champion Cocker Spaniel with Tawney Crawford Gracie and Scott Henslee

to the museum are well worth it! We are Bird Dog excited to share these enhancements with our visitors!” In Memoriam museum The National Bird Dog Museum family suffered many losses in 2018. We have Projects lost two of our board members, Jim Crouse and Don Driggers. We also lost a As 2018 came to a close, Tonya Broth - former board member, Charlie Hays, who erton looked back at all the projects and was very supportive of both the museum Field Trial Finds improvements that were made to the Bird and the field trial sport. All three will be & Dog Museum (BDM) – all made possible missed greatly. by contributions from BDM friends and Annual Youth Art Contest Bird Dog Specials supporters. The Bird Dog Foundation hosts an an - In 2018 new carpet was installed in the nual Youth Art Contest for grades K-12. PoiNT to our ad in the Field Trial Review and get Hall of Fame and the William F. Brown The program is available for students of 10% oﬀ your purchase Memorial Library. The old carpet in the schools or home schools that are within a Banquet Hall was replaced with a new tile 75 mile radius of the National Bird Dog 253 HWY 57 | Grand Junction, TN | 731-732-4232 floor. New lighting was added to the Hall Museum in Grand Junction, Tennessee. PEN of Fame, and 129 more memorial bricks The deadline for submissions is January O Tuesday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. were laid in the “Paving Memory Lane” 15th of each year. The Annual Art Contest facebook.com/SecondChancesLlc walkway. Brotherton wrote: “All of this Award Ceremony is announced after win - Just down the road from the Bird Dog Museum was a lot of work, but the improvements ners are chosen each year. 2019 Field Trial Review 43 . 2019 Field Trial Hall of Fame The Bird Dog Foundation congratulates the following new inductees into the Field Trial Hall of Fame. The Induction Ceremony was held at the National Bird Dog Mu - seum, Grand Junction, Tennessee on February 9, 2019: Pointer and Setter Hall of Fame : PEOPLE : John Ivester, Jr. and Dean Lord DOGS : Arrival (Owners Mickey Cundari, George Wold, and Louise Searle) Covey Rise’s Offlee Amazin (Owners Gary Hertz, Dr. Thomas Morgan, and Dr. Robin Morgan) Brittany Hall of Fame : PEOPLE: Margaret Horstmeyer, Lyle Johnson, and Tom White DOG: Ru-Jem's A Touch of Bourbon (Owner Jerry McGee) Retriever Hall of Fame : PEOPLE: Joe Boatright, Lynne DuBose, and Dave Rorem John Ivester, Jr. is surrounded by his family after being inducted into the Pointer DOGS: Hall of Fame. FC-AFC Great Bunns of Fire (Owners Mac and Lynne DuBose) NFC-AFC Seaside's Pelican Pete (Owner Robert Zylla) Springer Spaniel Hall of Fame : PEOPLE: Donald and Patricia Bramwell, Russell Smith DOGS: NFC-FC-CFC-CAFC Salmy's Masterpiece "Cliff" (Owner Frank Wiseman) NAFC-FC-CFC Orion's Arch Rival "Archie" (Owner Gene Falkowski) German Shorthaired Pointer Hall of Fame : PEOPLE: Tom Davis and Don Kidd DOGS: Outbak's Josey (Owners Rich Barber and Elizabeth Moore) Wildfire's Angel (Owner Joe Vicari) Cocker Spaniel Hall of Fame : PEOPLE: Peter Garvan and Vicky Thomas DOG: NFC-FC Greatford Meadowcourt Pin Red Setter Hall of Fame : PEOPLE: Dr. Roger Boser and Dale Bruns DOG : Restless Wind (Owners Bob and Katherine Gove) John Ivester, Jr. with (left) Bermie Matthys, American Field editor, at the Field Trial Hall of Fame Induction ceremony.

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The National Bird Dog Museum is located in Grand Junction, Tennessee – the Bird Dog Capital of the World! For over 25 years the museum has been preserving sporting dog and field trial heritage. The Museum contains an extensive library for those wanting Bernie Matthys with Linda Crouse, widow of Jim Crouse, is presented with a to explore the wealth of information on bird dog and field trial history. Growing from a small collection to a modern 30,000 square foot facility, the museum plaque honoring her late husband. Painting of Freddie Epp is in the background. showcases the history of pointing dog breeds, flushing dogs, and retrievers. The Sport - ing Dog Wing showcases the stories of the Brittany, English Cocker Spaniel, German Shorthair Pointer, English Springer Spaniel, Weimaraner, Red Setter, and Vizsla breeds. The Wildlife Heritage Center contains a vast array of wildlife exhibits, appealing to adults and children of all ages. The Gift Shop has a great selection of unique bird-dog themed items and gifts for the dog and outdoor enthusiast. Find more information and latest news about the National Bird Dog Museum at: www.birddogfoundation.com. Be invested in the museum’s work by becoming a mem - ber and helping preserve this heritage for future generations. Paving Memory Lane is another opportunity to immortalize your dog or an impor - tant person with an engraved brick on the memorial walk. Visit us online at: www.birddogfoundation.com

The National Bird Dog Museum and Hall of Fame 505 W. H WY . 57, GRAND JUNCTION , TN. Hours: Tuesday - Friday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. | Closed Mondays Dean Lord with his wife Cora after his induction into the Field Trial HoF. Phone: (731) 764-2058 | Tonya Brotherton--Executive Director 44 . 2019 Field Trial Review Tennessee Walking Horses Filming the National Reflections make the best Field Trial horses The long- Championship awaited re - publication of As most “veterans” of the National bilities and duties, have agreed to each Ed Mack Far - Championship know, Brad Harter has carry a camera on horseback. This is done rior’s book, been on horseback for the last 31 years with the understanding that, while none of chronicling filming every brace of every National them would be able to be present for all his life-time Championship. But not too long ago, the finds, in most cases, at least one of involvement Brad’s hip was crushed when a huge limb those three would be present for the ma - as a profes - from a dead tree fell on him, and he now jority of the bird work.” The three people sional trainer/ has a “bionic hip and leg.” He is in the equipped with cameras on horseback will handler on process of making a complete recovery, be Dr. Rick Carlisle, Chris Weatherly, and the major All- but his doctors will not release him to ride Ryan Braddock. Age circuit, on horseback this month. As a result, his Ken Blackman and Brad will man a is now avail - accident makes it impossible for him to fourth camera to capture from roadside able. carry a camera on horseback this year. But much of the action from a distance, and being determined and organized, Brad has road crossings, of course. “We are also Chris Mathan wrote: “Ed Mack, a come up with a plan for filming the 120th planning more interviews with handlers trainer from Alabama, wrote and self-pub - National Championship – from horseback. and owners to weave into the production,” lished his memoirs in 1998. Ed Mack is in Brad wrote, “As you are aware, I had Brad said. “The end result is that for the the Hall of Fame, as is his father Edward only one job to do and that was to focus first time in 32 years, there will actually Farrior. Ed Mack judged the National 100% of my energy on capturing as much be four cameras available to, hopefully, Championship in 1974. The book soon action footage as possible from horseback. capture most of the action. sold out and was out of circulation. Mazie Most important was to always make cer - “For me, this will involve more work in and I felt it was an important book chron - tain that capturing footage in no way in - taking the footage from four cameras icling a significant era in field trials. We terfered with the handlers, the dogs, or the every evening and, somehow, keeping it were given permission by Ed Mack’s judges. For this reason, I was worried that organized to know how to piece it all to - daughter to republish it. This new hard putting someone new out there empow - gether later,” Brad added. cover edition contains many more photo - ered with a camera could easily create “How well will this work?” Brad was graphs than the original.” Read about a very special problems.” asked. “I have no idea, but right now it is Hardcover, 194 pages, richly illustrated Tennessee Walking Horse in Still not discouraged, Brad has put to - the only way I have come up with to cap - with many additional photographs than in Cindy McCauley’s book gether a plan to continue filming the Na - ture as much of the action as possible.” the original edition. Available in the Order at Amazon.com tional from horseback. “Three plantation Who knows? We might just have a A portion of the sales of this book will be Strideaway online store and in the Bird employees, who have also other responsi - movie in the making! donated to: Animal Response Foundation Dog Museum Gift Shop.

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(901) 867-1755 We cover horseback field trials, too! Email: editor@ Check out our February 2019 issue and see our march 2019 issue midsouthhorsereview.com th or for results and photos from the 120 national Championship midsouthhorsereview@ -- Print issues available free at over 300 locations in the mid-south -- yahoo.com Subscriptions also available 2019 Field Trial Review 45 . Field Trial Review BULLETIN BOARD 1017 N. Main St. Bolivar, TN 38008 OLD HATCHIE WelComes VETERINARY Office & Emergency No. CLINIC, PLLC 731-658-3555

The 116Th NaTioNal ChampioNship paRTiCipaNTs Business Hours We suppoRT The Field TRials Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m saturday 8 a.m. - noon 916 West market st. • Bolivar, TN 38008 J.V. Wilhite, DVM F.L. Wilhite, DVM 731-658-7888 K.D. Pulse, DVM ©FTr New Hope Saddles & Tack National Championship

750 New Hope Road EVENTS FEB. 9 : Grand Junction, TN. Bird Dog Museum. Field Ripley, TN 38063 Trial Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. 9 am Cell: 731-697-3356 FEB. 9 : Grand Junction, TN. Ames Plantation. Bryan Hall. 2017 National Championship Drawing. 7 pm Emaiil: [email protected] FEB. 10 : Grand Junction, TN. Bird Dog Museum. Kick- Saddles & Tack <> Saddle Repair Off Party for National Championship. 6 pm Custom Leather Work FEB. 14 : Grand Junction, TN. Bird Dog Museum. Luke Meatte Fish Fry for Field Trial participants. 5:30 pm FOR SALE: Registered TWH mare FEB. 18 : Grand Junction, TN. Ames Plantation. Bryan 9 years old, black with blaze & 4 stockings + some streaks. Hall. Brunswick Stew. 4:30-6:30 pm. Everyone Invited! No bad habits: has never bitten, kicked, or bucked. Good walking gait. Has 2 WGCs in pedigree: Carbon Copy and Rogers' Perfection. Gentile but spirited. Asking $1000. Serious inquiries call 662-512-8606 National Championship CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS Contribution Form 2019 National Championship My gift as designated below signals my support to the field trial, wildlife research, education, and public service programs at Ames Plantation which benefit sportsmen and citizens throughout the United States. My desired participation level is as follows: February 9, 2019 ( ) $1,000 ( ) $100 ( ) $500 ( ) $50 Field Trialers ( ) $250 ( ) $25 2019 National Championship ( ) Other ______I desire that my contribution be allocated as indicated (make check to appropriate Dear Friends: organization): Mrs. Julia Colony Ames established the framework for our giving program by creating the Hobart Ames Foundation in 1950. Many years ago we offered persons and organizations ( ) Hobart Ames Foundation - Funds to be used to enhance physical interested in field trialing and other parts of our operation an opportunity to be a part of this facilities, field trial venue, and quail habitat. charitable giving program. We are striving for charitable donations to strengthen our goals of providing superior ( ) The University of Tennessee for Ames Plantation Development Fund - conditions for the conduct of all-age field trial competition, while increasing basic understand - Monies to be used to support wildlife research on Ames Plantation with special ings of wildlife, especially bobwhite quail and related predator species. We have enlisted the emphasis on quail management. support of several commercial sponsors for the National Championship, but still need your help to continue this important work. Not only will your contributions help support much- Name: needed research, but they will also help support the maintenance of the field trial courses for ______this historic trial. Funding received to date has resulted in several intensive scientific investigations by Address: research scientists and graduate students from The University of Tennessee, Mississippi State ______University, Tall Timbers Research Station, the Albany Area Quail Management Project, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and City: ______State: ______Parks, Rhodes College, and the University of Memphis. Results of these studies are being prepared for scientific publications and also in a bulletin for field trialers. Zip:______We urge you to complete and return the contribution form with your donation, and/or call RETURN ALL DONATIONS TO: me at the above phone number to discuss the research underway on Ames Plantation. Ames Plantation P. O. Box 389 Sincerely, Grand Junction, Tennessee 38039-0389

CONTRIBUTIONS TO EITHER OF THE ABOVE ORGANIZATIONS QUALIFY AS CHARITABLE DEDUCTIONS UNDER CURRENT FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS. R. J. Carlisle 46 . 2019 Field Trial Review Top Honors First Week of Running • February 11-16, 2019 Brace Dog BS Owner(s) Handler Dr. Fred Corder & Game Bo P M Weldon Bennett 1 W. O. “Bill” Fitch 2/11/19 Dominators Rebel Heir P M Jim Hamilton Jamie Daniels

2 Touch's Mega Mike P M Eddie Sholar & Ted Dennard Mark McLean 2/11/19 Hendrix's Signature P M Guy & Burke Hendrix Burke Hendrix

3 Westfall's Black Ace P M Bill Westfall Andy Daugherty 2/12/19 Erin's Longmire P M Brad Calkins Robin Gates

Mark McLean, from Doerun, Georgia, Touch's Gallatin Fire P M Alex Rickert Mark McLean has won two of the highest awards given 4 by Purina for the 2017-2018 field trial sea - 2/12/19 Touch's Adams County P M Richard Peterson Randy Anderson son. He the winner of the Purina award for Top All-Age Handler, which was awarded T's Nickleback S M Bruce Sooter & Steve Burns Allen Vincent last June in St. Louis at the 2018 Purina 5 Awards. 2/13/19 Miller's Speed Dial P M Gary Lester Gary Lester In addition, the dog he has handled, Touch’s Mega Mike, an English pointer Westfall's Black Thunder P M Bill Westfall Andy Daugherty owned by Eddie Sholar of Leesburg, Ga., 6 and Ted Dennard of Haddock, Ga., won 2/13/19 the Purina 2017-2018 All-Age Dog of the Touch's Blackout P M Richard Peterson Randy Anderson Year. Mark will handle Touch’s Mega Mike in the 2019 National Championship. 7 Erin's Wild Justice P M Allen R. Linder Luke Eisenhart 2/14/19 Lester's Jazz Man P M Dan Hensley Randy Anderson

8 Touch's Spaceman P M Matt Griffith Randy Anderson 2/14/19 Whippoorwill Wild Assault P M Jim & Stephanie Bickers Larry Huffman

9 Whippoorwill Mayhem P M Ric Peterson Larry Huffman 2/15/19 Game Wardon P M Dr. Fred Corder Luke Eisenhart

10 Sleepless in Sacramento P F Jim & Cami Wolthuis Sheldon Twer 2/15/19 Coldwater Thunder P F Doug Arthur & Rachel Blackwell Steve Hurdle

11 Quick Marksman's Tom Tekoa S M L. S. Earls Mike Hester 2/16/19 Touch's White Knight P M Eddie Sholar Mark McLean

Brad Harter may not be filming from 12 Westfall's River Ice P M Brad Calkins Andy Daugherty horseback this year, but you can bet 2/16/19 he’ll get the job done from new places. Lester's Georgia Time P M Baker Hubbard & Jim Clark Robin Gates

Sally and Gary Lockee check out the Me & My Tearoom Catering provided a delicious feast at Artist Jack Dawson’s 2019 painting of Lester’s Sunny Hill Jo program and dogs entered in the N.C. the Ames Manor House before the drawing, February 9, 2019. graces the Bank of Fayette County 2019 calendar. 2019 Field Trial Review 47 . Second Week of Running • February 18-22, 2019 2019 officials Brace Dog BS Owner(s) Handler udging this year’s National Champi - Jonship are Jadie Rayfield of Mount Bob & Sarina Craig, Pleasant, South Carolina, Dr. Stan Wint of Stardust Chaz S M Steve Hurdle 13 Scott Kermicle & John Sayre Gardner, Kansas, and Charlie Frank Bryan 2/18/19 of Moscow, Tennessee. William Smith of Dunn's Tried N True P M Will & Rita Dunn Luke Eisenhart Moscow, Tennessee is this year's reporter.

14 Westfall's True Grit P M Ryan Westfall Andy Daugherty 2/18/19 Strut Nation P M Scott & Julie Jordan Scott Jordan

15 Erin's Full Throttle P M John & Susan Ivester Robert Henry 2/19/19 True Confidence P M Frank & Jean LaNasa Luke Eisenhart

16 Shadow's Next Exit P M Butch Houston Robin Gates 2/19/19 Cole Train P M Dr. Fred Corder Randy Downs Jamie Evans photo 17 Whippoorwill Justified P M Ronnie Spears Larry Huffman 2/20/19 Lester's Sunny Hill Jo P M David Thompson Gary Lester note: S indicates Setter. P indicates Pointer. For more information and updates, visit www.amesplantation.org. Crouse, with a slide show of memorable The Drawing photos - nearly all with Jim in the middle! He was certainly surrounded by friends! The drawing for the order of go for the Carlisle also took a few moments to re - National Championship was held on Sat - member Freddie Epp, who was mentor to urday February 9, 2019 at Bryan Hall, pre - Jim Crouse. Epp’s daughter Ruthann Epp ceded by dinner at the Ames Manor House was chosen assist with drawing the dogs for owners and special guests, which was for the 120th running of the National catered by Me and My Tearoom Catering. Championship. Dr. Carlisle gave his traditional intro - The Joe Hurdle Top Dog award was ductions and thanks to all the sponsors and earned by Lester’s Sunny Hill Jo, who ac - contributors to the National Champi - cumulated 1800 points. Owner David onship. But before the drawing began, he Thompson accepted the handcrafted lapel took a few moments to remember Jim pin, created by David Kelly Jewelers.

Jeff Haggis (right), maker of the Haggis Trooper saddle, and his son Matt attended the drawing. This saddle will be presented to the winning handler of the 2019 National Championship.

Ruthann Epp assists at the drawing David Thompson (right) accepts the Joe Hurdle award from Bobby McAlexander WELCOME TO AMES PLANTATION Jamie Evans photo Rules to remember while you are at the Ames Plantation: 7. Alcoholic beverages, regardless of container, are not permitted on the grounds or 1. Park off the road in areas designated for parking for those not officially involved in the parking areas. Failure to observe this rule will result in your being asked with the competition. Do not unload on the shoulder of the road. Do not block to leave Plantation property. public roads! 8. Take your trash with you. Do not litter the grounds. 2. All horses must be accompanied by acceptable proof of their current negative 9. No cooking of any type is permitted on the Plantation. Coggins test. 10. Children under 12 years of age will not be permitted to ride in the gallery unless 3. Ames Plantation assumes no responsibility for injury or loss of property. Ride at accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and no more than one rider to a your own risk. horse will be allowed. 4. Ride on blacktop roads only when absolutely necessary. It is easy for a shod 11. No stallions allowed in the gallery. horse to slip on these surfaces, thus increasing the likelihood of injury to animal 12. SPECIAL NOTE: Road traffic will be regulated along Turner Road and National and rider. Championship Drive from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and along Ames Road- 5. During the competition you must not interfere with the judges. It is essential that Plantation Road from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. you stay with the main body of the gallery. Those lagging back will be escorted 13. Sheriff’s Deputies are present to enforce these and other appropriate restrictions off the property. to maintain a safe environment and to enhance the conditions for the main 6. Running horses by members of the gallery is not permitted. Boisterous behavior objective, field trial competition. If you do not understand these rules, contact a between riders increases the chance of injury and is not acceptable. deputy for a more detailed explanation. 48 . 2019 Field Trial Review