field trial ˇ/%0 · degrees at the start,[ wrote brad harter in his synopsis of the brace. by the...

ReviewReviewFIELD TRIALFIELD TRIAL

115th National Championship 115th National Championship

February 10-20, 2014 February 10-20, 2014

Ames Plantation Ames Plantation

Covering the National Championship since 1986

2013 National Champion: Setter Shadow Oak Bo2013 National Champion: Setter Shadow Oak Bo(photo by Jamie Evans, Ames Plantation

2. 2014 Field Trial Review

7

2014 Field Trial Review 3.

Shadow Oak Bo, an English setter owned by Butch Houston and Dr. John Dorminy,was the winner of the 114th National Championship for Field Trialing Bird Dogs atAmes Plantation. This was the first time a setter won the coveted title since 1970. Hiswinning performance came in Brace 5 on the third morning of the Championship, Feb-ruary 13th, paired with Matt Coverdale’s and Gerry Hignite’s Rivertons Funseek’nScooter. “Overnight drizzle added to the wet terrain. [The weather was] damp and 38degrees at the start,” wrote Brad Harter in his synopsis of the brace. By the end of thebrace, Bo had tallied seven finds and had three backs, against Scooter’s five finds andan unproductive. Both dogs finished the three hours. Rumors were that Bo may havehad ten finds, but the official judges’ decision was seven.

Handler Robin Gates and his son (and scout) Hunter Gates were decidedly delightedwith the win. “After the fourth find, we really got serious,” Handler Robin Gates said.He described for the press in detail how the dog ran the course. “What impressed meabout him was his endurance,” Gates said. “He had a find off the breakaway, and thenat pick-up time, I went in there and found him pointed again. I knew we had done a re-ally good job and it would take a quality dog to beat him. This is the greatest honor that’sever happened to me!”

Bo was originally raised and trained by Buddy Smith of Collierville, TN. “Everytrainer would love to have a setter that would win the National,” Gates said. “Buddy sawit [the possibility of winning the National] at an early age. He’s got some six-week-oldpups that he’s starting now. The key is to put lots of hands on them, socialize them earlyon. They have to be able to take all that handling. Butch came out and looked at him[Bo, when he was a pup] one time and bought him.”

Gates had more good things to say about Bo: “He’s very intelligent and adapts to theterrain, anywhere you take him. When you turn him loose, he starts hunting birds. Hewants to hunt birds to make his handler happy.”

So what’s next for Bo? After his run at the National, and even before the Champi-onship had concluded, “I took him back home and worked him for his upcoming fieldtrials,” Gates said. He’s definitely not retiring the dog, but will keep on going with him.“He’s a remarkable, smart dog. You turn Bo loose and you know he’s going to give you1,000%. He loves running,” Gates said. Gates said he would like to do this again nextyear!

Next year is here, so we’ll see what the action, and weather, brings at the 2014 Na-tional Championship.

2013 National Champion Is A Setter! Shadow Oak Bo

Dr. Rick Carlyle congratulates co-owner Butch Houston. Tucker Saddlery

awarded an engraved Montreal Royal Trooper Saddle to the winning owner.

(left to right) Scout Hunter Gates with Shadow Oak Bo and his dad, Handler

Robin Gates, at the 2013 Awards Ceremony. (photos by Nancy Brannon)

(above) Buddy Smith, breeder and early developer of Shadow Oak Bo, poses

with Bo. (below) Bo gets plenty of attention and petting in all the right places at the

Awards Ceremony. (photos by Nancy Brannon)


The Field Trial Review is an annual publication of the Mid-South Horse Review, afree monthly newsmagazine published in Arlington, TN. 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 594, Arlington, TN 38002. Phone: (901) 867-1755.

P.O. Box 594 • Arlington, TN 38002-0594

901-867-1755 • 901-867-1755 (Fax)Publishers — Tommy & Nancy Brannon

Staff — Andrea Gilbert, Leigh Ballard

Email: [email protected] • [email protected]

EDITORIAL POLICY:The opinions expressed in articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policy of the Field Trial Review. Expressions of differing opinions through letters or manuscript submissions are welcome.

Equus Charta, LLC Copyright 2014

Field Trial Review

About This PublicationThis is the twenty-eighth year the Field Trial Review has been published. We appreciate

your comments about last year’s edition and hope you are pleased with this year’s issue.

Every effort is made to avoid errors. If you find some, we apologize in advance.

The Field Trial Review is a FREE publication made possible by the support of advertisers.

Be sure to tell our advertising patrons that you saw their ad in the Field Trial Review.

Special thanks to the Ames Plantation staff and to those involved in the

National Field Trial Championship Association, Inc. for their assistance.

Tommy & Nancy Brannon, Publishers & Editors

P. O. Box 594, Arlington, TN 38002 • 901-867-1755

Contents © 2014

The Field Trial Review is available online at

www.midsouthhorsereview.com

Click on the FTR ad to link to the 2014 issue.

The archived 2013 issue is also available in “past issues.”

Congratulations! to All Competing

in the 115th National ChampionshipThis is the 28th year for publishing the Field Trial Review. Started in 1986 by the late

Don Dowdle, when 34 dogs were nominated to compete in the 87th National Champi-onship, we have continued Don’s legacy in keeping the Field Trial Review going andpaying tribute to all the dogs, owners, handlers, and especially Ames Plantation, at thisprestigious event.

While every effort was made to secure photographs of all dogs, owners, and handlers,and complete information about the dogs, not all were available at press time. For nextyear’s issue, please consider sending the Field Trial Review a recent photo of yourselfand your dogs and complete information about your dogs’ lineage and winnings.

We express our sincere appreciation to all who contributed articles, photos and in-formation for this publication. Submitted articles have been edited to fit available space.

Read the Field Trial Review online at www.midsouthhorsereview.com. Click on theFTR ad to link to this year’s issue. The 2013 FTR is available in Past Issues. Contactus at the addresses below if you would like us to mail you a copy.

For the Love of Bird Dogs

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Setters in the

National

ChampionshipNational Champion

Shadow Oak Bo

Breaks 43-year Dry

Spell for Settersby Brad Harter

The first National Championship was heldin 1896 and was won by an English setternamed Count Gladstone IV. For the next 12years setters not only dominated the number ofentries, but also were awarded the titles. Point-ers were just not competitive at that time in his-tory. In 1909 the setter domination changedwhen Manitoba Rap became the first pointer towin the title. For pointer fanciers, it was a briefmoment in the spotlight, as setters won againfor the next four years. But by 1914, anotherpointer named Comanche Frank regained thetitle and began pointer domination of the Na-tional Championship.

Between 1914 and 1946 only five setters won the title.When setter Mississippi Zev captured the 1946 title, manyfelt the setters were on the road to making a strong come-back; but that was not the case. For the next 24 yearspointers once again reigned over the setters by winningevery National Championship until 1970, when W. C.Kirk brought a tough little white and orange setter dognamed Johnny Crocket from Texas and walked away withall the trophies! I did not see Johnny’s performance be-cause that was the year before I attendedmy first National. But being a birdhunter and having setters, reading aboutJohnny winning the National made mewant to come to Grand Junction.

But a repeat win with a setter was notin the books. That 1970 setter win wasthe beginning of the longest dry spell forsetters since the National began; 43years would pass before a setter onceagain captured the title. The dry spellcame to an end in 2013 when ShadowOak Bo beat 36 of the finest pointers inthe country, regaining the crown for set-ters!

Over that 43 year span there wereother setters that came close to winningeven though they were greatly outnum-bered by pointer entries. Since my goodfortune has allowed me to see everybrace and every performance in the last26 years, I will use those years to bringsome perspective to the most recent set-ter challenges. In the last 26 years, 971entries have been drawn to run over theAmes Plantation in their quest for thetitle of National Champion. This doesnot represent 971 different dogs becausemany dogs manage to requalify yearafter year. The breakdown of pointers tosetters over those 26 years is what is par-ticularly interesting. Of those 971 entriesonly 50 were setters. That is only about5%. There were two years during that

time span when there were no setter entries. There wereonly a few years where the highest number of setters com-peting was four.

Even with their very low numbers and all the oddsagainst the setter, there still were a number of years thata setter came within a heartbeat of winning. The Nationalhas no runner-up, there are no other placements and thereare no official announcements of any close contenders. Inmy humble opinion, there were some “near misses” forthe setters over the last 25 years that I think deserve to be

mentioned!There were three setter performances that

stood out, and many observers felt all threecame very close to capturing the crown overthe last 25 years. Tekoa Mountain Sunrisewould be the first of these three. Sunrise com-peted in more National Championships thanany setter in recent history, having qualifiedfive years in a row from 1988 through 1992.Coming close to this record is Highground JaxJabba who has competed in the last four re-newals.

In all of those years, Sunrise never disap-pointed his fans. His 1990 bid may have beenone of his very best when he came so veryclose to besting the winning performance ofDunn’s Fearless Bud.

Then there was the 1998 performance by IdaO Priscilla. Running as a bye dog at the veryend of the trial, Priscilla put down an outstand-ing three hours. She failed to find birds in herfinal hour, and many observers believe that wasall that separated her from the winner that yearwhich was Cedar Oak Kate. Kate’s strength atthe end and her last covey find near the end ofher three hours may well have been the decid-ing factor for these two courageous females!

Eleven years would pass,and on 20 differentoccasions setters would make a bid for the Na-

tional title. None would come close until Jetsetter turnedin his spectacular three hours in 2009. Owned by JimMichaletz and handled by Allen Vincent, Jet put down asuper strong three hours. His bird count did not quitematch that of the winner, but his effort on the ground andhis strength at the end was nothing short of amazing! Thatyear the title was awarded to Lester’s Snowatch on thebasis of an extremely strong ground race and a slightlyhigher bird score than the setter.

From 2010 through 2012, setters would make sevenmore attempts at winning the National,but none were successful at putting thetotal performance together to unseatpointers from their domination of theall-age game.

The evidence that this might changecame in 2012 when Shadow Oak Borendered an extremely strong threehours, even though his bird score fellshort of the winner. In 2013, Bo re-qual-ified and was back, once more strong onthe ground but this time with a birdscore that put him on top! His first findcame at the three minute mark on a largefeeding covey in a cut over grain field.His last find came at pickup after threegrueling hours on the ground. In be-tween, Bo had managed five additionalpieces of bird work and had shown awillingness to back his brace mate onfour occasions. It was the performancethat setter fans had been waiting forsince 1970. Five or six other dogs of-fered a strong challenge to Bo, but hewas not to be denied.

This year Bo returns to defend histitle. Will he repeat a setter win? Thathasn’t happened since 1902, but, thenagain, having one of the coldest winterson record for much of the country was-n’t supposed to happen either!

This year there’s also a female setterin the running for the Championship.Bo: you’ve got competition!

Shadow Oak Bo, Broomhill (Chris Mathan photo)

(above) A painting of six English Setters at the entry of the Bird Dog Museum.

It was donated to the museum by Meredith Light, originally commissioned for the

cover of American Field and owned by Samuel Light.

One of the dogs in the portrait, Sam L's Skyrocket, had a winning record that

achieved eight places, six of which were first, in the leading grouse trials. He won

first in the Continental Grouse Dog Championship and the U.S. Grouse Dog

Championship. He sired 79 offspring, who placed 402 times in trials, including

six champions.


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Thank You,The Directors

The Bird Dog Foundation

Dear Sporting Dog Fanciers,

We’re GROWING thanks to you!

Since its humble beginnings in 1991 in

Grand Junction, TN, the National Bird

Dog Museum has grown dramatically and is a

true destination for ALL sporting dog fans!

In the beginning, it was a dream of having a place to house a collection of horseback field

trial memorabilia and to honor members of the Pointer and Setter Field Trial Hall of Fame.

The facility has grown, diversified, and become a showcase featuring not only many pointing

dog breeds, but also flushing dogs, and retrievers. The new Sporting Dog Wing has seen much

growth with the addition of many new exhibits representing several sporting breeds.

The museum is “family friendly.”The Wildlife Heritage Center and the William F. Brown

Library offer educational opportunities for mature citizens and young folks alike. All of

this is paid for by generous donations! Please join our growing base of patrons and become a

benefactor of the Bird Dog Foundation, Inc. The cost is only $50 annually (just $10 for youths

under 18 years). With your paid membership, you receive a unique cap and a window decal

proclaiming your support for the National Bird Dog Museum.

Your membership is very important to the future of our facility – jOIN NOW!

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Never Far AwayBy Elizabeth Sterling Lenz (Britain), step-daughter of

the late Don Dowdle

The kudzu-laced,hilly, winding pathc o n n e c t i n gSomerville, Ten-nessee to LaGrange,Tennessee is La-Grange Road. Mychildhood home waslocated between thetwo on EbenezerLoop in Williston,TN. As a little girl, Iremember visiting my grandparent’s civil war home inLaGrange at Hillcrest. We always drove that road, andany time of year, we were never very far from the planta-tion – Ames Plantation, that is.

Both of my parents spent many years attending theevents of the National Championship Field Trials-- mygrandmother more than my mother, my mother more thanmy father, and my mother more than me. And, eventhough the people who visit the plantation each year maychange, the sport holds to tradition. I am always im-pressed by the multitude of people who experience thefield trials, but I am more fascinated by a history of fieldtrialing in my family.

When I think about my mother’s yearly sojourn to theNational Championship Field Trials, I realize that she’sprobably seen a great deal of people circle through andmove on, yet she still goes to honor to our family and herfather. She used to ride too, and there were times whenshe rode with my father, her father, and my sister’s father.

And, for those of you who don’t know my mom, she is agodly woman without fear. Ultimately, her life has af-fected me in such a way that I want to know about howwe became involved in this sport.

My grandfather, Barry H. Saunders, started this his-tory. Early in his life, he began running in amateur fieldtrials. In the beginning, Barry was very interested in theEnglish setter breed of bird dog, but he eventuallychanged to pointers. He wore a stormy kromer (seewww.stormykromer.com) in the winter and rode hishorses, learned to train dogs, and eventually became verysuccessful at handling in the amateur circle. Finally, Barrymade an important contact with whom, together, theywould enter and compete in the National Champion FieldTrials.

Mr. John Seawright is this man, and he and Barry spenta good deal of time working together with “Creole” andtheir horses. I remember “Coot,” as he was nicknamed,wore elbow patched dress coats and cowboy boots to for-mal events. He was the epitome of a sportsman. If he was-n’t field trailing or training, “Coot” was writing.Furthermore, most fascinatingly, he had a photographicmemory and could write so spectacularly because of hisability to recall facts. His writing became desirable be-cause of its detail, and he became the official reporter forthe The American Field. He wrote about productive finds,the nonproductive finds, and the bird dogs. He would dis-play the action of the trials, and he had a gift for it. Later,as he became more enthralled in this lifestyle, “Coot”would be asked to judge for the Nationals, and he gladlyparticipated once. He later wrote some of the officialguidelines for field trial reporting in the late 1980s.

In an interview with my father specifically about theNational Championship Field Trials, he said, “It’s anamazing part of my life that I wouldn’t have experiencedas fully without knowing “Coot” and your mother (Sissy

Dowdle). The field trials are exhilarating and unmatchedin sport. And your grandfather was one of the best of them– he knew everybody and he was so well-liked. Plus, hewas a serious sportsman; he didn’t balk at the cold ornasty weather. He loved the outdoors; he was alwayshunting or fishing. Man, he even taught you how to fish.”

Barry Hill Saunders died when I was young, but I havesome very vibrant memories of him. The first time hetaught me to fish, it rained – hard! He always hadWerther’s Original candy lying around, and he’d hidepieces for me around the house when I would visit. We ateregular meals at Lewis’ Restaurant in Moscow, Ten-nessee, and I remember he ordered brains and eggs forbreakfast. I don’t remember seeing him on horseback, butI do know that he field trialed well, and that’s why there’sa trophy given in perpetuity to the winning handler everyyear at the National Championship Field Trials. The BarryH. Saunders Memorial Trophy is designed with the lasthat pin emblem that he created. Every year, I get to seesome of “Coot’s” handy-work in gleaming silver.

My own experience is somewhat limited with thissport. I don’t own bird dogs, and unfortunately, I don’tget to ride in field trials every year. I’m not a judge nor amI a scout. However, I know the sport – it’s in me. It runsthrough my veins, and the experience I have had is so sig-nificant because it portrayed to me who my grandfatherwas. And, each time the National Championship FieldTrials return, I am reminded of him and his story. Withmy experience observing, riding, and watching at the Na-tional Championship Field Trials, I learn more about my-self and my family. I’m reminded of the place from whereI came and the family I’ve been given. I am ingrainedinto the sport of field trialing, and I feel fortunate that I’mnever very far away from the plantation – Ames Planta-tion, that is.


Wishing Everyone a Successful Run at the

2014 National Championship

© FTR

2X CH/RU CH CALADEN’S RAIL HAWKCH Region IV Amateur All Age 2013-2014 | RU CH: National Pheasant Championship FAll 2013

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Performance

Nutrition for the

Sporting DogPreston R. Buff, PhD, PAS, Dipl. ACAN

Chief Natural Nutrition Officer, The Nutro Company

Whether in competition or working in the field, sport-ing dogs need to perform at their best. As owners and han-dlers, you want to ensure your dogs are getting the bestnutrition available to support peak performance. Muchnutrition research has been conducted over the past twodecades with athletic dogs. However, most of this re-search has been conducted in greyhounds and sled dogs,with some work in hunting dogs. Regardless of the typeof athletic performance, there are several basic principleswhich apply to all dogs.

One of the primary considerations is meeting the en-ergy demand of performance. Energy can be providedfrom protein, fat or carbohydrates. Depending on the typeof activity, dogs will metabolize energy differently fromeach source. In addition to energy, protein provides es-sential amino acids required to rebuild muscle from ex-ercise and to support many functions of the body. Fat notonly provides energy, but it provides essential fatty acidsto help maintain healthy skin and coat, immune systemand reproductive function. Scientific research conductedwith athletic dogs generally supports that diets high inprotein and high in fat are more beneficial, which is whymost commercial performance diets are formulated to de-liver 30% protein and 20% fat.

Another basic principle to consider with athletic dogsis water, which is the most important nutrient and is re-quired for all body functions. Maintaining proper hydra-tion is critical for performance dogs to avoidhyperthermia which can be life threatening. When in thefield, take every opportunity to offer water to your dogs,especially during warm days. Some signs of overheatingin dogs are excessive panting and exhaustion. Cold waterbaths and access to drinking water immediately will helplimit the severity of hyperthermia. Veterinary treatment,including the administration of intravenous fluids, may

be required in more severe cases.Some dog owners provide nutrient supplements in ad-

dition to a commercial dog food. However, most com-mercial performance diets are formulated to deliver aprecise balance of nutrients targeted for athletic dogs. Byfeeding additional nutrients the balance of the diet maybe altered, and there is potential risk for a nutrient defi-ciency or excess. Most commercial dog foods designedfor athletic dogs are formulated using scientific principlesof nutrition, and some pet food manufacturers conductfield research on their products.

Recently, our research team in collaboration with TheUniversity of Illinois, The University of California –Davis and The University of Tennessee, conducted a six-month performance trial with a pack of working Fox-hounds. The objective of this study was to comparechanges in blood metabolites and oxidative stress mark-ers in dogs fed a control diet (standard performance diet)or a nutrient fortified test diet (NUTRO® NATURALCHOICE® High Endurance Chicken Meal, WholeBrown Rice & Oatmeal Dog Food). Both diets were for-mulated to deliver similar levels of protein, fat and fiber,but the test diet was designed to provide greater levels ofessential amino acids and targeted vitamins, minerals andantioxidants. During the trial, dogs underwent one to twobouts of unstructured exercised weekly, traveling an av-erage distance of 13.7 miles. The results of this study in-dicated that dogs fed the test diet were able to maintainplasma levels of Vitamin E and the amino acid taurinethroughout the season. Providing these nutrients duringgreater levels of exercise may be beneficial to minimizeoxidation and maintain taurine status. The results of thisstudy were presented at the WALTHAM International Nu-tritional Science Symposium, and scientific publicationis planned for later this year.

When feeding sporting dogs, we must consider thesedogs are athletes, and they need to be fed accordingly.With any athletic performance, there is an increased de-mand for energy, and thus feeding a diet high in proteinand fat will provide the type of nutrients needed for per-formance. Beyond the basic need for protein, animal-based protein will provide the essential amino acidsworking dogs need. A high level of fat from sourceswhich provide both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids willaid in supporting endurance. Selecting diets that containfats and oils such as chicken fat, fish oil, sunflower oiland soybean oil will offer a blend of essential fatty acids.Sporting dogs, like all athletes, are under stress. Feedinga diet which delivers antioxidants will help minimize theoxidative stress from exercise. When selecting the diet foryour sporting dog, look for dog food which is designedfor athletic dogs and backed by research to support peakperformance.

Is There a Perfect

Field Trial Horse?By Ken Blackman

We moved to Col-lierville, TN, in 1995, andI rode in my first Na-tional Championship atAmes Plantation inGrand Junction, TN inFebruary 1996. I was ex-tremely lucky to havemade the acquaintance ofKerry Kimmery fromGrand Junction, TN. Heput me on one of his verybroke string of “fieldtrial” horses. His remudawas well heeled and dependable. Kerry’s been providingthe public with the experience of riding in an event that isunique and known worldwide – the National Champi-onship for Field Trialing Bird Dogs.

I’d ridden horses over my lifetime, but mostly at farmsand stables where I grew up in Pennsylvania. I wasamazed at the durability and calmness of the horses I sawat Ames Plantation that first day. A gallery filled withhorses of all sizes and colors carried riders that morningin conditions that began as cold and blustery and, afterthree hours, broke into vibrant sunshine and warmth thatturned the ground into the consistency of brown peanutbutter!

Now, 18 years later, I own three of these wonderful,smooth, intelligent, strong and biddable animals that traceback to horses used on farms and estates from Florida toVirginia, and westward into Missouri. I’ve also made thefriendship of some of the best horsemen and women inthe field trial community. Their livelihood depends uponthese steeds being ready and able to carry them throughthe field, handling the canines that seek out game and ex-hibit the style, class, and training to achieve championshipstatus.

One of the people I was most fortunate to meet is BradHarter. He is the guy who rides every brace of the Na-tional Championship, films the action, and edits the workinto the only video production in the world of this event.He’s been at this since 1988 and has received critical ac-claim for his technical and editorial work on the films.

Unlike most of the experts who teach and providevideo and web based products to the horse owning pub-lic, Brad has, since the early 1980’s, developed, organ-ized, and presented an equine-centric curriculum at theCollege level. His program at Hocking College in Ohio,which now numbers more than 50 classes, deals with sub-jects such as basic through advanced horsemanship,wilderness backpacking, colt training, draft horse driving,tack repair, equine first aid and so much more. He’s alsoorganized and led wilderness back packing trips to remoteareas of Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado. Now retiredfrom Hocking, his video production company, PleasantHills Productions, produces the National ChampionshipVideo. He offers wilderness backpacking excursions andequine products that he’s used and tested over his 50 yearsof experience in hunting, fishing, forestry. and camping.

When I decided to start writing a monthly column, Iturned to my friend and mentor for guidance. Brad haswritten for several publications, one of which was the for-mer Field Trial Magazine owned by Craig Doherty. Inthe spring 2006 issue, Brad wrote an article about thecharacteristics of the perfect field trial horse. That articleis reprinted on page 16, compliments of Brad Harter.


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Field Trialing 101: Preparation, Etiquette, & SafetyBy Ken Blackman

In the mid south region you can find abird dog field trial just about every week-end through the fall and winter months.The 115th running of the National Cham-pionship for Field Trialing Bird Dogsstarts at Ames Plantation near Grand Junc-tion, TN on February 10, 2014 and runsfor two weeks. The Champion is crownedon the steps of the Ames Manor Housesoon after the last brace of the trial is con-cluded.

It’s been said that Ames is the truesttest of the best bird dogs in the world. Thistrial is the only three-hour endurance stakefor bird dogs in the world. To qualify tocompete, a dog must have won two firstplacements in one of nearly 100 field tri-als held across North America. Once thatqualification is met, the dog must place inone of the trials to re-qualify for the cur-rent year’s National Championship.

The National Champion is the dog whohas best met the “Amesian Standard.” Mr.Hobart Ames, who owned Ames Planta-tion 1901-1945 and was a Judge of the Na-tional Championship and served as thePresident of the National ChampionshipOrganization for 43 years, developed thisjudging standard for the National Cham-pionship.

The two weeks of field trial activitiesattract a lot of folks who want to ride inthe “Gallery” (followers on horseback)and enjoy the fun and excitement. If youare new to the sport, but want to partici-pate in this this prestigious event, we’ll in-

troduce you to the sport. In the competitive field trial world, the

terms and lingo used are consistent acrossall events. A Pointing Dog Field Trial iscontested by a number of canines, and thedogs are grouped into pairs or “Braces.”Sometimes, with an odd number of en-tries, one dog won’t have a “Brace Mate”and is called a “Bye Dog.” In many trialsthere are several segments or “Stakes” thatmake up the complete event. While eachstake usually consists of 30 or 60 minuteBraces, a few (mostly championships) arerun in two hour braces.

Each Brace in the National Champi-onship runs for three hours across a spec-ified course. The National Championshipusually draws around 40 dogs. The“Brace” consists of two “Handlers” andthree judges (other field trials utilize twojudges). There are “Marshals” who ac-company the Handlers and Judges to en-sure that the Handlers and Judges arealways on the proper course. There arealso Marshals throughout the “Gallery”who ensure the riders stay together and, ifthere is an emergency, call for services(EMT’s, Veterinarians, etc.) to help.

Each handler has a “Scout” who assiststhe Handler during the course of the run-ning. When a dog is not seen for a periodof time, the Scout may be dispatched tolook for the dog, who may be on point oroff the course searching for birds. Manytimes the Scout plays a vital role in allow-ing the Handler to keep his dog “underjudgment” by the judges. The successful

Scout does his or her job normally with-out anyone noticing the work.

Usually the owners of the dogs in thebrace ride close to the judges to ensurethey get a good view of their dog’s work.The Gallery rides behind the owners. Thenumber of Gallery riders is usually de-pendent upon the popularity of the dogsbeing run and, of course, the weather. Forsure, the February weather plays a signif-icant role! At Ames, the Gallery can be aslarge as several hundred riders, so it isvery important that the gallery does notstring out. There are a number of areaswhere the Field Trial Courses turn back onthemselves, only divided by a hedge row.Dogs have been known to jump the rowand follow the stragglers. Marshals areunder orders to keep the riders together,and some riders may be asked to leave thegrounds if they lag behind.

Trials are scheduled to ensure the max-imum number of dogs can be run eachday. At Ames, the morning Brace startsprecisely at 8 a.m. The afternoon Bracestarts promptly at 1 p.m. Before eachBrace starts, instructions are read to theGallery, introducing each dog by name,the Handler and owners if they are in theGallery, along with Marshals and emer-gency personnel riding with the group. In-structions to the Gallery include any fieldconditions that might be encountered dur-ing the brace. Generally speaking in mosttrials, stallions are not permitted to be inthe Gallery; no alcoholic beverages maybe consumed; and in periods of dry

weather, no smoking is allowed on thecourses. It is also a rule that owners carrya current Coggins certificate. At some tri-als, USDA and/or state veterinary repre-sentatives check for negative Coggins onthe horses.

When the dogs are released by theScouts, or “broken away,” Gallery ridersshould always ride behind the judges. It’snever appropriate to converse with thejudges or Handlers, and no yelling or call-ing is allowed. During the Brace eachHandler calls or “sings” to his or her dog.Sometimes he/she uses a whistle to en-courage the dog to “go on.” Sometimesthe Handler blows the whistle in threeshort, but loud blasts. This alerts the Scoutthat the Handler has visual sight of the dogand for him to return to the Gallery. Thevocalization or singing is a signal to thedog, telling him/her where the Handler ison the course and when the coursechanges direction, i.e., the dog should“swing” to the front. Dogs are severelypenalized by the judges if they lag behindthe Gallery. The place for the dog to locatebirds is “to the front.”

There are certainly great vistas on thefield trial grounds. Fall is the most vibrantwith the brilliant colors of the oak, sweetgum, and hickory trees. But as winter isabout to turn to spring at Ames during theNational Championship, the dull, mutedcolors of the woodlots and edges bring asense of excitement as you watch thepointers or setters keep up a pace that ismore like a marathon than a sprint. These

judges (in orange vests) are always to the front.

(Nancy Brannon photo)

The City of Grand Junction

Good Luck To All Competitors in the

115th National Championship

Welcomes Field Trialers


canine athletes are expected to maintain aconsistent, forward race which challengesthe edges and, when appropriate, changeto an opposite edge when the windchanges direction. These dogs are search-ing for the bobwhite quail and occasion-ally a migrating woodcock. Their sense ofsmell is all they have to detect these littlebirds that normally move in coveys seek-ing the food they need to survive.

Once the dog catches scent, an instan-taneous connection with the brain takesplace, the dog stops (sometimes slams) toa motionless position with an erect tail.The Handler, upon seeing the dog point-ing, will raise his/her hat and yell,“Pooooiiiiiinnnntttt.” At this sequence ofevents, the Judges walk their horses to thearea of the dog. The pace is never to gal-lop or canter to “the find!” Marshals cau-tion the Gallery to walk their horses so asnot to interfere with the work of the Han-dler, judges and, if present, the Scout. TheHandler will dismount and start a me-thodical walk in front of the dog, kickingthe grass or brush to put the covey (orbevy) to flight. When the birds are in theair, he/she will fire a shot (normally astarter pistol loaded with blank ammo). Intoday’s field trials, no birds are killed.

In some cases, the birds have tried toescape or will “walk off” from the areaaround the dog. When the Handler can’t“produce birds,” he will stand next to thedog, gently stroke it and then tap it on thehead to “relocate.” Then, the dog will

begin a meticulous search for the covey ora single bird. Sometimes he will circle up-wind of the quarry and “pin” or stop thecovey and again hold rigid for anotherpoint. The Handler will watch the dog andthen go into the flush.

In some cases the birds may have flownoff before the Handler got on the sceneand no birds can be located. In this case,the situation is called an “UnproductiveStand” or simply a “U.P.” The UP is aminor blemish on the dog’s run. However,if the dog has too many UPs, the dog isusually “picked up” by the Handler andthe dog’s Brace is ended. When a dog is“picked up,” the dog is no longer in con-tention.

There are occasions when a Brace Matecomes upon a dog on point. At the mo-ment the Brace Mate sees the other dog ina pointing stance, the Brace Mate muststop and “honor” the point of the first dog,until birds are put to flight. The judgesconsider it a severe breach of manners ifthe trailing dog fails to honor or, as it’scalled, “back” the first dog.

Another breach of manners occurswhen a dog that should have backed, in-stead rushes in and “steals point” of thefirst dog. Handlers know when these faultsoccur and will pick up the failing dog. Ifseen by the judges, and at their discretion,they may inform the Handler of the breachof manners and “order the dog up.”

Each dog wears a collar that has a blackappendage and antenna attached. This is a

Garmin GPS unit that may come into playif the dog has been gone from “judgment”for a long period of time. Each collar hasa corresponding receiver that is carried byone of the judges or Marshals. When aHandler decides that his/her dog is nolonger showing to the front, and after athorough search of the area by the Scout,the receiver is called for and is used to lo-cate the dog. Many times the dog is stand-ing on point in rough country or thickbrush and unable to be located by the Han-dler or Scout. This technology has alsobeen invaluable in locating a dog that hasrun off and may be lost and vulnerable tomotor vehicles near roads. It’s illegal formembers of the gallery or others to use theGPS in tracking the dog while under judg-ment. At the end of the three hour brace,the dogs are put in kennels to await thejudges’ decision at the end of the trial.

Most people who ride in field trials andin the National Championship usually rideone of several varieties of gaited horses:Tennessee Walkers, Missouri Fox Trotters,Paso Finos, or Mountain Horses are in ma-jority seen in the Field. Developed to carrya rider across the southern plantations,they have a smooth ride, durability, goodtemperament and sense to be with largegroups of horses. Your horse must not besensitive to gun shots and loud sounds,dogs under foot, and varied weather con-ditions. The weather may change and yourhorse should be conditioned to perform inall sorts of weather. Expect mud!

While many horses aren’t shod, it maybe advisable to shoe your horse so that thefrozen ground won’t bother it. There are anumber of road crossings on the MorningCourse, where you must not run yourhorse over the macadam (black top) roads.If your horse starts to act up and become aproblem, one of the course Marshals canassist you in getting back to the stables.For the sake of your horse’s, and yourown, condition, your horse should be ableto be ridden up to three hours. While it hasnot happened often, there have beenhorses who have tied up and even expiredon the grounds due to stress and inade-quate preparation and conditioning to takethe muddy conditions on the NationalChampionship course.

As for riders, your choice of clothingcan be summarized by “Dress for theWeather.” I’ve seen clear, sunny, warmconditions change into rain, sleet, snowand freezing temperatures.

Hearty lunches are served at Bryan Hallduring the National Championship.

One final suggestion: pick up a copy ofthe Field Trial Review. The folks at theMid-South Horse Review publish a specialedition on the National Championship thatis available the day after the drawing(Sun. Feb. 9th). They will be available atBryan Hall at Ames, at the Bird Dog Mu-seum, and at several other locations in theGrand Junction, La Grange, TN area.

Have fun, be courteous and safe onyour trip to Ames!

Congratulations to All Congratulations to All

2014 National Championship Competitors2014 National Championship Competitors

From the Mid-South Horse ReviewMid-South Horse ReviewThe mid-south equine newsmagazine since 1992

(901) 867-1755 • [email protected]

Read the Field Trial ReviewField Trial Review online at:


The Perfect Field

Trial Horse: A Combination of

ContradictionsBy: Brad Harter

Selecting that perfect field trial horse may be just as dif-ficult as finding that perfect field trial dog. This is espe-cially true when we realize “perfect” doesn’t exist, and thateveryone’s needs in a field trial horse will vary. Findingthe right horse is difficult because once we have listed allthe qualities we desire in a horse, we realize that many ofthese traits actually conflict with each other. But mostfolks agree on a few preferred characteristics in a goodfield trial horse.

We want a horse that is gentle and safe for kids to ride,but also has a great spirit and a big motor when we needto scout that big running derby. We want a horse that staysin excellent shape, has great endurance, but doesn’t requireeveryday conditioning. Taking our own comfort into con-sideration, we want a horse that has a smooth way of trav-eling on all types of surfaces. The horse must travel wellin mud, sand, rocks, uneven plowed ground or the baked,hard surface of a prairie wheat field. In short, we need areal athletic horse, with multiple personality types, and somany requirements that, in some ways, finding a good dogmight be the easier task!

GAIT: The most popular field trial horses are “gaited,”i.e., they travel somewhere above the speed of a walk witha type of “four beat” movement, each foot hitting theground separately. This gait is in contrast to horses that ei-ther trot or pace by placing two feet on the ground at thesame time. This “four beat” placement of the feet gives amore comfortable ride in the saddle and may also con-tribute to more stable footing on a variety of surfaces.

A number of breeds have been developed to naturallyproduce this movement. The most common breed in usefor field trial mounts may be the Tennessee WalkingHorse, a breed that originated in middle Tennessee manyyears ago with lineage that traces back to the Morgan,Canadian Pacer, Standardbred and the American Saddle-bred Horse. The list of the other breeds that exhibit this“four beat” gait has grown rapidly with the popularity ofpleasure trail riding. Some of the more popular breeds seenat field trials today are the Missouri Fox Trotter, the Spot-ted Saddle Horse, the Rocky Mountain Horse, the NorthAmerican Single-Footing Horse, the Mountain PleasureHorse, the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse, the PasoFino, and the Peruvian Paso. Add a few lesser known

breeds like the McCurdy or the Florida Cracker, and thereare nearly a half million gaited horses that are registeredstock to pick from. I have even seen a number of excel-lent field trial horses from crossing Quarter Horses andAppaloosas with a strong, dominantly gaited parent.

No matter what breed you prefer, most important is thatyour horse is a “natural” mover. This means that you don’thave to have him shod specially with heavy shoes or any-thing else that will alter his way of going. He should alsobe able to move smoothly on hard surfaces, in mud, or onrocky, broken ground. With these basics in mind, the qual-ities that we seek in our “perfect horse” become as mucha personal preference as they are a matter of the exact taskwe want our horse to perform. While there is plenty ofroom for opinion and preference, I will list some of thefeatures that are generally important in a good field trialhorse.

SIZE: The height of a horse is measured in hands, witheach hand being 4 inches in height. That means that ahorse 15 hands tall measures 60 inches between the with-ers and the ground. A 16 hand tall horse would be 4 inchestaller – 64 inches. Most field trial horses fall into thisheight range, which seems to be the height preferred bythe majority of people.

The best height for a horse is one that allows the riderto mount easily. (As we age we may find that height pref-erence changes somewhat. A short horse may be able tocarry a full grown adult, but if the horse is too short, wemight experience more mud on our body and find our-selves in a worse position if we are confronted with a kick-ing horse. Height can put us out of the danger zone andgive us better visibility.

GENDER: Geldings seem to be the favorite for fieldtrial mounts (these are horses that were born stallions andhave been castrated). Stallions are banned at many fieldtrials, partly because of their unpredictable behavior andconsequently their greater liability. Because of this andother factors, stallions may not be a good choice for mostfield trialers.

Many field trialers also discriminate against mares. Inmy opinion, mares get a bad rap that is not fully deserved.Some even argue that mares should be banned just likestallions, but my experience over 40 years with dozens ofmares does not support this. Many people believe thatmares are more likely to kick, and that when mares are inthe peak of their heat cycle, they will cause problems forgeldings.

During the breeding months, mares cycle and come intoheat about every 21 days. They are usually strong in heatfor 3 to 5 days. Their attitude and behavior may vary someduring that period, but their behavior is more a response totheir training and handling than to anything else.

Many horses, including geldings, try to kick at sometime during their early experiences at field trials. If anyhorse is allowed to kick without consequences, this prac-tice will continue and will likely become very dangerous.Horses of both genders that kick can be corrected andtaught not to do so. It all relates to consequences and cor-rection with the proper timing.

COLOR: This is purely a matter of preference, but ev-idence suggests that some colors come with certain prob-lems, sometimes related to environment or weather. Graysand white horses are more prone to melanoma. Light col-ored horses without dark skin pigments may sunburn moreeasily. Horses with white legs, stockings or socks, may bemore prone to leg fungus. This can result in afflictions likescratches or grease heel. These lower leg fungus infectionscan be real bothersome and even restrict usage if the con-ditions persist. This is often more of an issue on the hindlegs. However, these lower leg fungal conditions are bothpreventable and curable, but they do require extra care.

Dr. Ben K. Green, a renowned horse veterinarian fromwest Texas, wrote a great book on horse color: The Color

of Horses: A Scientific and Authoritative Identification of

the Color of the Horse (1974). In that book Ben suggested

that certain coat colors are related to more durable hides.His research indicated that blacks, duns, and bays were themost durable hides, but that these color horses had a ten-dency to sweat more and their coat colors would fade insunlight. Diluted colors like sorrels, chestnuts, and roansdid not sweat as much, but they could not stay as warm inthe winter. There is also some evidence to support thatthese colors will be more prone to skin conditions like rainrot. As you can see, there are a lot of trade-offs with coatcolor and most field trialers probably feel that other qual-ities are more important than color. They will take a goodhorse as long as he won’t take the judges attention awayfrom the dogs they are running.

FEET: The adage “no feet, no horse” certainly holdstrue for the field trial horse. Feet are the foundation of anyhorse, but may be the most overlooked quality in oursearch for a good mount. Without a sound foot, your horsewill constantly be battling some form of lameness. Astrong hoof wall and a healthy frog are the two major fac-tors you want in your horse’s feet. The size of the foot mayhave some advantages. Large, well shaped feet may be alittle better in mud with the larger foot giving more trac-tion and better stability on a slippery surface.

Some people claim that hoof color is important, think-ing that the light colored hoof is not as hard; but most far-riers do not support this theory. Hardness seems to be morerelated to climate, soil moisture, diet, and genetics than toanything else.

TEMPERMENT: Bold, kind, gentle, fearless, and in-dependent are all qualities we look for in the field trialhorse. To some extent, having all these qualities in onehorse may seem like a contradiction. How exactly can ahorse be all of these things?

We look first for kindness and gentleness. These quali-ties are more genetic but also related to how the horse washandled in early development. Most of the other qualitieswe want can be developed through a proper training pro-gram; with patience, most horses can be taught to be boldand independent.

When considering a horse’s temperament, it is to youradvantage to shy away from horses that act mean or ag-gressive. Changing their behavior may take skill and pa-tience that you aren’t willing or able to give.

ENDURANCE or HEART: A good field trial horseneeds the physical constitution to work hard, sometimesfor long hours. Fortunately, most of the gaited breeds traceback to the American Standardbred, Morgans, or even fur-ther back to the Spanish Jennet. This is where the heartsize, lung capacity, and strong muscle development origi-nate. Field trial horses often are asked to carry riders for 15miles or more in a day, and in difficult footing conditions.

Unfortunately, often field trial horses are not properlyconditioned, so riders rely on the horse’s natural strengthand athletic ability. However, these traits can only go sofar without causing the horse undue physical stress undergrueling field trial conditions. Proper conditioning of themount for field trialing is of utmost importance in main-taining your horse’s good health.

CONFORMATION: Strong sloping shoulders, wellmuscled backs, large girth areas to support a large lungand heart, large nostrils for oxygen intake, and strong solidbones to support 1200 pounds of weight (or more) aresome of the essential conformation qualities of a field trialhorse. Problems usually arise when there is a serious de-viation from conformation standards that could lead to un-soundness.

Once we realize that our “perfect horse” can come inall sizes and colors, we also come to the conclusion thattemperament and soundness are really the most criticalfactors. When that horse looks at you with a soft and kindeye, and he or she has the physical characteristics to carryyou for the next 20 years, put him/her in the trailer. Andenjoy your field trialing experiences!


Brad Harter, 2013 National Championship

(Chris Mathan photo)


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© FTR 2012

Bama: A Great

Field Trial HorseFor all of the emphasis on the dogs at the national

championships, it is easy to forget our other four leggedfriends that make this sport possible: the original off roadvehicles, the horses. On any given field trialing day, theytote folks around for miles and miles through heavy mud,frozen ground, snow, or dry dusty trails, enabling theirriders to watch the action. It would be impossible to keepup with the dogs on foot, and motorized transport is tooenclosed, loud, and disruptive to the dogs.

Some horses are better than others at field trialing, buta few individuals stand out. One in particular was Bama,a veteran field trial horse owned by Garland Priddy ofRaymond, Mississippi. Bama lived to be 38 years old, areal rarity for a full sized horse, and it speaks well forGarland’s horse care. Bama was quite recognizable tomany field trailers by his one flopped ear, the result of abite (long since healed) that became infected, destroyingthe cartilage. The Field Trial Review asked Garland forsome comments about Bama, and his strong affection forthe horse is quite apparent in his response.

Garland wrote: Bama was purchased from Billy “Scope” Renfroe in

March of 1979 at the Dixie All-Age in Union Springs,Ala. He was four years old, without much experience, butwith a lot of sense and a gentle disposition. Buz Marshall,who worked with me at the time, named him Bama be-cause we got him in Alabama.

I took Bama north that summer and, after that, I neverwent to another field trial, or north for the summer, with-out him, until he was over 30 years old. He was as de-pendable, strong and sure footed as a horse could be. Inever asked for anything out of him that I didn’t get. I

rode him for 30 years, and not once did he fall. I wouldnot attempt to guess how many miles I rode him. He wasa great guest and gallery horse, but when you were readyto run a dog off him, he was ready to go!

Bama was used in many trials, from Florida to Al-berta, Canada. He followed many champions, includingthree Hall of Fame Champions: Additions Go Boy, GoBoy’s Shadow, and Mac’s Reelfoot Chief. He always gotme where I needed to go, never tiring or having to bepushed, and he never required being ridden with a spur.I used him to judge the Continental Championship whenhe was 32. He never took a deep breath or tired.

His temperament was perfect for field trials, pleasureriding, or just being a companion. My oldest grand-daughter, Darby Tipton, started riding on the front of mysaddle when she was 15 months old. She would nap

sometimes while riding, but never wanted to get off. Heryounger sister, Molly Tipton, also rode there when shewas young. This gave them a love for horses that theystill enjoy. My son-in-law’s sister, Nikki Kelty, kept himand rode him for several years and my wife Kathy rodehim a lot

During the period of time that I did not attend manyfield trials, Bama was taken care of by Nikki TiptonKelty. He was ridden, bathed, loved, and spoiled duringthese years. His apples, carrots and treats were majoritems on the grocery list!

It had been several years since Bama had been to atrial, when I was asked to judge the Quail Futurity inOklahoma. My wife Kathy was riding him. Bama hadalways been ready to handle a dog, but was calm in thegallery. This time was an exception. It didn’t take himlong to figure out he was at a field trial, and he was readyto handle a dog! He was full of energy and a rather hardto handle, which was out of character for him. In the finalbrace, point was called. Kathy let him go and they passedeveryone going up one of those rocky hills. He stoppedwhen he saw the dog pointed, knowing he was at a find.

I have been asked many times to what I attributed hislongevity. I have to say heredity played a part, but regu-lar de-worming, vaccinations, keeping his teeth floated,and good hay all played an important part. I believe put-ting him on Purina Senior, when he was 20, also playeda major part.

I used Bama until he was 34; then I felt he had earneda rest. The next four years, he enjoyed a life of leisureand treats, combined with lots of loving. I saddled himup once more for pictures about a month before he died,but I did not ride him. Bama is buried behind our barn,and we had a headstone made for him. I know he is in thegreat beyond, following the dogs he knew.

Our lives were richer because of Bama. He was morethan a horse; he was our friend.

Bama and Garland Priddy


National Bird Dog

Museum NewsBy Leigh Ballard

Technology is booming at the Bird Dog Museum(BDM)! Touch-screen interactive TV monitors have re-cently been installed by several sporting dog groups.Using a wireless internet system installed in the museumthrough a grant from Purina, the National Red Setter FieldTrial Club and the North American Hunting Dog Associ-ation have enhanced their visitor experience with inter-active monitors in their displays. The touch screenmonitors allow visitors to access various sites of interest.The Retriever Field Trial Hall of Fame first used this tech-nology two years ago, and it continues to be an excitingexpansion for other venues throughout the museum.

Another technological improvement has changed theway visitors may tour the museum. A new cell phone ap-plication allows visitors to dial a number keyed to variousexhibits in the museum and hear recorded messages aboutwhat they are seeing. Since most people now carry cellphones, the app gives flexibility to listen and learn aboutthe dogs, people, art and more as visitors meanderthrough the 30,000 square foot museum.

The new Brittany Spaniel venue continues to grow,with a new showcase installed just in time for the Hall ofFame festivities on Saturday night, February 8, 2014.Other Spaniel venues continue to be developed, includingthe English Cocker Spaniel Hall of Fame. EnglishSpringer Spaniel enthusiasts have hosted a successfulfield trial near LaGrange, TN. It is an event that seems togrow each year. The trial has been dubbed the “Hall ofFame Classic” and includes four divisions. Last year’sSpaniel trial drew more than 165 dogs and puppy en-

trants. This year’s trial ran the week prior to the NationalChampionship.

A new informative display, educating the visitor abouta field trial, the judges’ role, regulations, and vintage pho-tos, is an attractive addition. The display gives a lengthydescription of the “Amesian Standard” of bird dog per-formance, including: “He must use his brain, eyes, andnose to the fullest advantage and hunt the likely placeson the course. He must possess speed, style, range, char-acter, courage and stamina, and good manners, always.”The beautifully described ideal ends, “He must be regu-larly and habitually pleasingly governable (tractable), andmust keep uppermost in his mind the finding and point-ing of birds for his handler.”

Outdoors on the grounds of the BDM, the Walk ofChampions continues to grow. The walk memorializes fa-vorite dogs, including retrievers, spaniels, and pointers,and begins at the entrance of the museum.

The Field Trial Hall of Fame, where the greatest of thegreats are enshrined – both people and dogs, who have

made their marks in the field trial sport, inducted nine de-serving dogs and ten distinguished people on SaturdayFebruary 8, 2014. Honorees were selected from the Brit-tany, Pointer/Setter, Retriever, English Springer Spaniel,English Cocker Spaniel, and German Shorthair arenas.

The biggest news at the National Bird Dog Museum isthat Bird Dog Foundation (BDF) Executive Director,David Smith, will retire in March. He came to the BirdDog Foundation in 2002, and since that time has spear-headed dramatic growth and development, while manag-ing a myriad of functions. He says, “This has been achallenging and enjoyable place to work. We have growndramatically and are now more diversified than ever. TheBDF has more affiliated breed groups, field trial organi-zations, more patrons, and more visitors than ever before.When I came onboard here, I didn’t even have a computer- no email and there was no website. We operated 40%less building and equipment than today. People may notrealize that we have 5.2 acres of grounds, 30,000 sq. ft. ofbuilding, and more bells and whistles to monitor thanever. Plus, we’re open six days per week, which oftenmorphs into seven days.” Smith adds, “I have also beenprivileged to meet so many interesting folks from acrossthe country. The true dog people that have come throughhere have always had some of the most intriguing storiesto tell. I am richer for having met them all.” After twelveyears at the helm, he looks forward to spending time withhis family, writing and traveling, and being outdoorsfarming, hunting, and fishing. A decision for David’s suc-cessor was made on Sunday, February 9, 2014 at the BirdDog Foundation Board Meeting.

The Bird Dog Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit charitydedicated to preserving the past and protecting the futurefor over 40 breeds collectively referred to as bird dogs. ItsNational Bird Dog Museum is open six days per week.To learn more, visit www.birddogfoundation.com or call731-764-2058.

Mary Stadelman of Dallas, TX, adds finishing

touches to the German Shorthair Pointer display in

the new Sporting Dog Wing.

Bob Bertram ArtBy Nancy Brannon, Ph.D.

Missouri artist Bob Bertram is the featured artist at theNational Bird Dog Museum in conjunction with the 2014National Championship at Ames Plantation. A portfolioof Bertram’s works is on exhibition only for the weekendprior to the National, Saturday – Monday. Of special in-terest to field trialers are his dog and quail paintings.

Bertram has always had an artistic bent, but when hefirst got out of school, his practical side sent him towardadvertising and commercial art. He had a successful ca-reer doing freelance work as an illustrator and designer,then worked for himself for about 40 years. Finally,Bertram decided what he was really meant to do – paint.But he still had to pay the bills, so devoting his talent topainting was a gradual process. Now he does it full time.

To augment his natural talent, he was fortunate to findtwo very helpful mentors. “Don Kueker is talented, but

unknown beyond the region. He is one of the greatest il-lustrators in the nation,” Bertram said. “I learned morefrom him in 20 minutes than in four years of college. Hehas been a great teacher and helper to me!”

Kueker introduced him to Bob (Robert K.) Abbett,“One of the greatest sporting dog artists around,” Bertramsaid. “He’s a rock star with sporting art!” Both mentors,“through their patience and honesty, helped me get whereI am,” said Bertram. “When I was first learning, I waspainting everything with no real direction.” These men-tors helped him find direction.

Since he was a child, he has always loved sportingdogs. “It was my wife who suggested I paint sportingdogs,” he said, so she sparked combining his two loves –painting and sporting dogs.

He got his first dog, a setter, when he was a teenager,

and he’s had six since then. He has two dogs now: a Gor-don Setter and a Boykin Spaniel, which is a small flush-ing and retrieving dog.

Bertram says he finds painting very interesting andmentally challenging, but he doesn’t want to get pigeon-holed. “I don’t want to do the same thing every day.”

Currently a majority of his work is commission work,portraits of people’s dogs. He usually works with photos,so he wants really good quality photos of dogs. Beforepainting them, he likes to meet the dog, spend time withthe dog and get to know the dog’s personality. “I have hadgreat experiences that never would have happened had Inot been painting,” Bertram said. For example, at oneclient’s weekend place, he had access to 6,000 acres ofbeautiful land to enjoy, and the owner generously sharedan expensive bottle of wine with him.

Bertram is a jovial, friendly artist whom you’ll be gladto meet at the Bird Dog Museum.


The Old Man

and The Dog

by Carroll

Seabrook

LeathermanBook Review by Leigh Ballard

The story of John Gardner and MissOne Dot, the 1979 National Champion, isas moving a dog story as I have heard. Itfalls right in the category of movie mate-rial. It’s a good read for adults, but I thinkit also has real merit as an older child’sbook, for reading aloud to a classroom, orfor encouraging a reluctant reader to be-come engrossed in reading.

The veteran trainer, John Gardner,trained dogs for many years before hefound “the one,” the very special dog that,after much perseverance and determina-tion, won them the National Champi-onship. At the time of their win, they werethe oldest handler and the oldest dog everto win the National. Their relationship wasextraordinary, and Dot seems almosthuman in the tale.

The story begins with Dot’s birth. Shewas the runt of the litter and might nothave survived without intervention by her

wise mother. She soon is handed over toRichard Leatherman, owner of several finebird dogs. He sends her as a pup to thewell respected trainer, and her life as abudding champion begins. Right away Mr.John sees great potential in her attitudeand abilities. She is curious, willing, at-tentive, and loves to hunt. She is what hecalls a “merry dog.”

The tale carries the reader through someunlucky field trial runs and several veryclose calls, including theft, snakebite, anda plane crash, all of which might havedashed Dot’s chances to be recognized asa great dog. There is great wisdom in thestory, and there is much to be learnedabout relationships between humans andanimals. Mr. John is portrayed as a keenly

intuitive animal handler and trainer, aswell as a compassionate man towards peo-ple. He takes on a troubled boy who be-comes his assistant and scout, changingthe boy’s future. The close teamwork Mr.John has with his fine horse, Sun, is alsoquite touching.

The book, while based on a true story, isa fictionalized account of Mr. John’s andDot’s journey. Dot has “thoughts” andfeelings as well as memories. Her per-sonality is part of her championshipcharm, and Mr. John’s love and pride forthe dog are touching. The story of Mr.John Gardner and Miss One Dot is a finelesson for all who work with animals. Iloved this book!

The book is available in the Bird DogMuseum gift shop.

About the author: The Memphis Com-

mercial Appeal (Feb. 2011) described Car-roll Leatherman as “a genuine steelmagnolia.” She was “not a typical Deltablueblood” although she spent her child-hood days on her grandmother’s 5,000-acre plantation in Tunica County, MS. Shewrote two books, this one and GoodbyeOle Miss, which told the story of the rap-idly disappearing lifestyle of 20th centuryDelta gentry. Her friend, author ShelbyFoote, called her book “not just a slice oflife, but nearly the whole loaf. . . .” In aculture where women quietly deferred tomen, Leatherman, a beauty with a bitingwit, was outspoken and a gifted raconteur.

(above) Sculpture of Gardner by

Tommy Lynn of Williston, TN

(below) Gardner and Miss One Dot


CongratuLations and Best of LuCkto aLL CoMpetitors in the

115th nationaL ChaMpionship

House’s River Fever

Touch’s Game Point

Thank you for all the hard work put into the development and training of Little Mae and Buster. Thank you for the undivided attention of the judges and reporters who were part of this field trial season.

Handler: Billy Wayne Morton

Owner: Eddie Sholar

Handler: Mark McLean

Owner: Eddie Sholar© FTR


StrideawayBy Chris Mathan, with Mazie Davis

Strideaway

is an onlinepubl icat iondevoted en-tirely topointing dogfield trialswith an em-phasis onF D S Bpointer/settertrials. Started in 2008 by Mazie Davis andChris Mathan, Strideaway has presentedhundreds of written articles and fiction byand about esteemed and enthusiastic par-ticipants in our sport — trainers, handlers,breeders, judges, reporters, veterinarians,writers and artists. We have informationin several types of media — podcast in-terviews, photography, and video.

In 2010 we published our first book,Bill Allen’s The Unforgettables and Other

True Fables, soon to be in its third printingand available as an e-book. We arepresently working on redesigning andpublishing Ed Mack Farrior’s now out-of-print book Reflections On Bird Dogs and

the Men Who Handled Them. With the help of the field trial commu-

nity, Strideaway has accumulated a largeamount of archived information about thesport, its participants and bird dogs, which

is easily accessed onthe website orthrough an internetsearch. We thank allwho continue to helpus make the websitea success!

Strideaway cele-brates the 115th run-ning of the NationalChampionship at theAmes Plantation inGrand Junction bypresenting the com-pleted NationalChampionship Time-line on our website.(Just mouse-over“Resources” in thetop menu bar to ac-cess Championship Timelines in the drop-down menu)

The National Championship Timelineallows viewers to horizontally scrollthrough the National Championship Win-ners from 1896 to 2013. Each year showsa painting or photograph of the dog and alltheir pertinent information — sire, dam,breed, sex, color, breeder, owner, and han-dler as well as the particulars from eachyear’s running — location, date, judgesand number of starters — pointers and set-ters. Below this information is a smallerscrollbar that shows the year and dog’sname in thumbnail form. The viewer canalso use this scrollbar to navigate the

Timeline. The information was gleanedfrom the two volumes entitled National

Field Trial Champions by William F.Brown and Nash Buckingham andWilliam F. Brown respectively. Informa-tion for the following years, 1967 to thepresent, was found in the National Cham-pionship reports published in the Ameri-

can Field. We rely on our viewers toreport any errors. We hope the informa-tion, compiled in this accessible manner,will prove useful to those who share an in-terest in the history of this sport.

A Timeline has also been compiled forthe Florida Open All-Age Championship.More Timelines will be created for addi-tional major championships. Help from

the field trial community with this projectwould be much appreciated!

In time for this year’s National Cham-pionship, we will be presenting podcastinterviews conducted with trainers/han-dlers Larry Huffman, Rich Robertson,Randy Anderson and Robin Gates on thetopic of preparing dogs to compete in thisgrueling three-hour endurance stake. Ifpossible, we will also have an interviewready with former long-time judge of theNational, Dr. D. E. Hawthorne. We thankeach of these people for sharing theirthoughts and expertise. We plan to inter-view other willing participants in the fu-ture! Please let us know if you have anysuggestions for other podcast interviews.

Following last year’s historic win by anEnglish setter, Shadow Oak Bo, Stride-

away created commemorative t-shirts andcaps called “Setter Revenge.” There arestill a few available in the Bird Dog Mu-seum Gift Shop as well as in the newly de-signed Strideaway online store. We offerthem at a discount during the NationalChampionship.

Please visit us at: strideaway.com. Joinour mailing list to receive our monthlynewsletter and show your support by join-ing the almost 1,800 people who like uson Facebook! Mazie and I wish all thehandlers, scouts, and owners good luck atthis year’s National. May the weather besplendid for finding birds and your dogsbe strong and swift!

Chris Mathan (left) and Mazie

Davis . (Jamie Evans photo)


By Nancy Brannon, Ph.D.

Ames Projects

Director Dr. Rick Carlisle has thechoice position of overseeing one of theUniversity of Tennessee AgResearch andEducation’s most historic landmark facil-ities. The centerpiece is a historic homebuilt originally in 1847 and 18,400 acresof land, as well as a number of other func-tioning buildings. Ames is like Public Tel-evision or Radio, dependent upondonations from interested citizens andcontributors to keep the expensive main-tenance and repairs of all the historicbuildings going. Each year brings phasesof projects and a checklist of things to bedone.

Last year, Ames checked off the “to do”list the restoration of the kennels, and thework was completed before the start of theNational Championship. Carlisle de-scribed the work: “We put new siding out-side – yellow poplar; a new roof, andrefurbished the inside siding. There arenew latches, new windows, new doors,new wiring, more lights, and we addeddoggie doors.”

The barn restoration is complete andthe house remains as it was. “We have ren-ovations for the house planned this year,which will begin after the National Cham-pionship,” Carlisle said.

Field Trials

January is the month for the HobartAmes Memorial, but the weather is not al-ways perfect for field trialing in Januaryin the mid-south. “On Monday, it rainedall day, but we pointed more birds that daythan any other time during the trial. Wepointed eleven coveys of quail. On Tues-day, with the weather overcast and in the40s, we pointed six coveys. On Wednes-day with sunny weather in the 50s, wepointed two coveys. On Thursday it wascloudy and in the mid 40’s and we pointed2 coveys of birds all day. And on Friday,when it was cold and sunny, we pointedthree coveys.” Go figure.

Quail

Dr. Carlisle starts in the fall planningfor having sufficient quail for the NationalChampionship in February. “On Septem-ber 25, 2013 we put out 2500 birds: 125coveys of 20 birds/covey. On October 22,we put out 750 birds: 38 coveys with 20birds/covey. We try to put them out in oldcovey locations – areas where wild birds

like to hang around. We supplemented thebirds on December 3, 2013 with 400 birds:40 coveys of 10 birds/covey. We addedanother 400 birds, 40 coveys of 10/birdsbefore the Hobart Ames trials on January9, 2014. Both of those times, we justadded to coveys that had dwindled in sizedue to predators. We supplemented againbefore the National Championship on Jan-uary 30, 2014. We’ll put out 600 birds: 60coveys with 10/birds/covey. We will sup-plement the established coveys, where theolder birds teach the incoming birds howto survive.” So, hopefully, conditions forsurvival for the quail will hold and therewill be plenty of quail for the dogs to findat the National Championship.

Historical Research

Heritage Festival

Last year’s 16th annual Ames Planta-tion Heritage Festival, October 12, 2013,drew about 4,600 visitors to browse thehistoric buildings and the works of over150 folk artists, musicians, and demon-strators. There were 25 new folk artisans,and Cultural Resource Manager JamieEvans is already adding new ones for thisyear. The music went on all day at twostages, the Mule Barn and the Front Porch,with a variety of performers from blue-grass to dulcimers.

The event takes visitors back in time, asfolk artists demonstrate traditional skillspracticed during the 1800s, and visitorscan stroll through the historic log cabinsand buildings of the Heritage Village.Some of the educational programs in-cluded:

(1) Hog killing; “One of the few placeswhere people can observe the process ofbutchering a hog,” Evans said. “Childrenlearn where their food comes from. It’simportant for children to understand,” hebelieves.

(2) Cotton; “Attendees learned theprocesses, from growing the crop to pick-ing the cotton; from having it ginned togetting the lint and then taking it to thespinning wheel. They got the yarn, andthen learned how to make clothing fromit,” Evans explained.

(3) Storytelling: in the early 20th/late19th century school house, two ladies heldmock classes as they would have been “inthe day.”

(4) Stenciling: children could maketheir own stencils, and also see how they

were applied to decorate walls in the Sten-cil House.

There were also chickens, designsmade on fabric with leaf pounding, horseshoeing by farrier Harold Elder, brickmaking, and Civil War re-enactors. “In ad-dition to firing the cannon, people por-trayed particular characters from the CivilWar era,” Evans explained.

Evans invites everyone to attend thisyear’s festival on October 11, 2014. “It’san event that allows everyone to celebratea shared cultural heritage and cultural ex-periences.”

Evans said maintenance and upkeep ofthe houses in the farmstead are on theproject list for this year. Ames is still seek-ing funding for restoration of the StencilHouse.

To view photos from the festival, visitthe amesplantation.zenfolio.com website.Field Schools

Research into two historical eras con-tinues at Ames Plantation, with collegestudents who come for three weeks eachsummer to do the work under the tutelageof their mentors. Dr. Andrew Michelsonof the University of Memphis leads thepre-historic research, and Dr. MiltonMoreland of Rhodes College leads the his-torical archeological site.

“At the pre-historic site, it is nowknown that the village associated with themounds was occupied for about 250years,” Evans reported. “The countrysidearound this Native American ceremonialcenter was like a town with a ‘cathedral’or ‘state capitol’ (mounds) as a prominentfeature. There was a government in placeand a hierarchy of leaders in charge. Theyhad buildings on mounds that were part ofthe recognition of their power. It was a re-ligious center, and a permanent settlementwas associated with it. The influence ofthe town extended far beyond the area ofthe mounds – far throughout the country-side. The plans are to expand the researchto examine hamlets and multi-family set-tlements out in the country. They werefarming crops, and there are many of theselittle sites around Ames. These show thatthe population was dispersed around thelandscape. The research will study howthe rural settlements interacted with thetown. What services did the town provide?And what power did the town hold overthe rural people? Research will examine

the relationship between the town centerand the outlying rural settlements.”

At the historic site, plantation life is theresearch subject, particularly the effects ofslavery and the differences between thelives of the slaves on small farms andthose on the large plantations. “The prob-lem is finding the slave houses,” Evanssaid, so that they can excavate them, ex-amine the artifacts, and ascertain the livingconditions. “These houses are hard tocome by. We found some information onland deeds about the presence of slavehouses and where they were located. Wewent to the locations of three known slavehouses on the Fannie Dickens property.Last year, we sampled the houses to seewhat was left and determined whether theartifacts found were of the proper age. Theartifacts were, indeed, of the correct timeperiod and in the right spot. This year weexpect to recover tens or hundreds of thou-sands of artifacts from these three slavehouses.” Artifacts include glassware, nails,and brick fragments. The number of nailsdetermines a lot about house construction.“We hope to find piers to determine thesize of the house,” Evans said. They havealso found charred animal bone; “heatingbone in fire preserves it,” Evans ex-plained. “The buildings may have had rootcellars, so we’ll look for that. We’ll domajor excavations this year.”Ames Historical Society

The Ames Historical Society is very ac-tive. The Saturday before the NationalChampionship drawing was the annualmembership dinner and program, with 120members attending. The Society now hasabout 200 members and is still recruiting.Some members are taking all the historicaldocuments collected and putting them onthe Ames website to share with the public.The documents hold information about thefamilies who lived on the plantation, backto the 1820s, and include land deeds, cen-sus records, court records, slave censusrecords, and agricultural census (whatcrops were grown).

Developments at Ames Plantation

Andy Daugherty


Randy Anderson Weldon Bennett

Tommy Davis

Handlers Competing In The 2014 National Championship

Rick Furney

jamie Daniels

Sean Derrig

Robin Gates

Luke Eisenhart

Dr. Fred Corder

Larry Huffman Steve Hurdle

© FTR

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The Road to QDM

at AmesBy Dr. Allan Houston

Twelve years ago we instituted a Quality Deer Man-agement (QDM) and research program at Ames Planta-tion. The program was relatively unique, dedicated to acertain kind of herd and with hunters operating under aspecific set of goals. Dr. Craig Harper, from the Univer-sity of Tennessee, became architect for a large portion ofthe plan; then, off we went into the wild brown yonder.

Basic QDM goals are: 1) create and sustain a healthydeer population; 2) generate sufficient income to helpAmes; 3) support deer habitat and protect habitats neededby other species; and 4) increase hunting excitement.

What is an extraordinary experience? Surely, it in-cludes more than just the kill. We wanted QDM to pro-vide conditions for an extra-special set of sustainedexperiences and potential for life-long-remembered ex-hilaration.

Prior to QDM we collected information about the herdby allowing free harvest of any deer. During the 2002 and2003 seasons B&C scoring data were taken from allbucks killed. Average score for 2-year-old bucks was 96;average score for 3-year-old bucks 123. Even with over200 bucks taken, only one 4-year-old animal was repre-sented!

To create a healthy, more natural herd, we had two ob-jectives: 1) even the sex ratio and 2) balance the age struc-ture in the buck population.

Evening the sex ratio and maintaining its balancemeant taking additional does on a yearly basis. This re-quired changing a “protect the does” mind-set. Educationwas a key. Some of the best experts, scientists, and man-agers in the country have come to our Annual Deer Sea-son Kick-off supper to explain the realities of deerbiology and management. Members began to understandthe true “economy” of a herd’s existence as it balancedits “debts” with the habitat’s “tight fisted banker.”

To create an age hierarchy among bucks, we installeda 125-inch B&C score as a minimum requirement for har-vest. This protected all yearlings and 95% of all 2-year-old bucks. A byproduct of the program is that older buckstend to carry larger antlers, and this adds excitement!

With young bucks protected and “groceries” limited,the doe population must be lowered. Education paid off,and during the QDM years Members have taken morethan 2,000 does off the range.

In a balanced sex ratio, does tend to be bred earlier andfawns hit the ground sooner the next summer, allowingthem a better chance to get ready for winter. Early-bornfawns are more likely to produce better antlers. Researchat Mississippi State University revealed that early-bornbuck fawns always had forked antlers their first year andlate born fawns always had spikes. The best “genetics”on the property might be a late-born spike, but he neverhad opportunity to express full potential because of a

rough start in life.If fawns are born in a short period of time, it creates a

“prey saturation” effect where predators (primarily thecoyote) cannot operate efficiently enough to “get themall.” Stringing fawn production across the summer opensup a “smorgasbord” with does like waiters, running in andout of the kitchen. Also, early summer is when the coy-ote’s alternative food sources are abundant, and he doesnot spend as much time foraging. Therefore he is lesslikely to find a fawn.

The buck to doe ratio on Ames is between 1:1 and 1:2,a good balance. We establish a “doe goal” and Memberswork hard to attain the goal. Yearly, we have a “3-doeclub” and these Members receive an Ames hat to ac-knowledge their contribution.

We call a 3-year-old buck “mature,” not because he isphysically mature, but because he has a fair portion ofphysical expression, along with added degrees of behav-ioral maturity. He is definitely not a 2-year-old-buck: toosneaky, too big. Nor is he a 6-year-old buck: not sneakyenough, not muscle-bound.

Three-year-old bucks have adequate time to participatein breeding and pass along their genes. The older, moreheavily built bucks generally exclude first and secondyear bucks from the rigors of the rut, allowing them timeto more fully develop.

Older bucks in the herd give it opportunity to expressthe behavioral fires that attend a natural herd. There areinteractions and huge rubs and warfare that mature bucksadd. Our hunters have a front-row, balcony seat to wit-ness the heat - adding much to the hunting experience.

Older bucks demand high woodsmanship. Increasedability is required of a hunter matching wits with the cal-culations of a mature white-tail. They demand the hunterbring his A-game to the playing field.

Hunter satisfaction is an important goal in the program.Satisfaction is bound up in good fellowship, big timber,and native warm season grasses. And, the reasonable ex-pectation of seeing a mature buck makes every unseenrattle in the leaves a chance for a lifetime memory stand-ing in the tracks.

Hunters become more than just visitors. They becomemanagers who create and sustain a herd, meeting the ex-pectations they hold closest to heart.

The QDM program is part of ongoing research. ThePlantation is divided into 100-acre grids. Hunter obser-vations of deer sightings and harvest data (e.g., age,weight, age, sex, lactation, antler score) are recorded bygrid, a long-term and growing dataset giving insight to specific habitats.

Tick Research

Every deer is inspected for ticks.Blood and tissue samples are taken,providing evidence of disease occur-rence, tick loads, species, and time ofyear and life stages that infest deer, all related to specifichabitat types.

Tick collections are done nearly year-round at Amesby several graduate students under the direction of Dr.Becky Trout-Fryxell at the University of Tennessee. Weare collecting small mammals with Dr. Mike Kennedy ofthe University of Memphis. Mice are often the reservoirfor tick-borne diseases. Understanding the entire ecologyis vital to assess risk and create avoidance strategies.

During the past two years, more than 25,000 ticks havebeen caught. Several scientific publications and presen-tations have resulted. Ames is becoming a significantplace for tick research.

The research program at Ames is truly a story of miceand men, ticks and deer … and trees too, illustrating theintegration of a large array of species, habitats and op-portunities. Ames is the largest of the University of Ten-nessee’s Research and Education Centers and one of thebest natural resource laboratories in the Nation.

photo taken with remote camera

The (w)Right

CombinationKeith Wright and Ike Todd starting working together in

the spring 2010, and the next year, Touch’s White Out wasthe 2011 National Champion at Ames – owned by Keithand handled by Ike. Touch’s White Out was bred by GaryLester and trained by Ike Todd. “I got him the day afterthe Iron Bowl, in November,” Keith said. “And Ike hadqualified him the spring before when he was owned byLester.” Touch’s White Out was a just three-year-oldwhen he won the National Championship.

Unfortunately, the dog died the next year at a youngage. But folks like Blake Kukar believe he left quite alegacy in the bird dog world. Keith agreed.

“He wasn’t bred very much, but for the females that hewas bred to, his offspring look very good and are doingvery well,” Keith said. Some of his male offspring arewinners and excellent dogs, Keith notes.

Keith says he has found an ideal partnership with Ike.Of Ike’s work he said, “I can’t get a better hand withdogs.” But it is a team effort, Keith explained. “You haveto have the funds, the leadership, and everybody has topull in the same direction. Ike and I have done that fromthe start. We’re links in the same chain, going the same di-rection. We work really well together. It’s been a goodpartnership.” Indeed! That partnership that won the Na-tional Championship in 2011, continues to the 2014 com-petition with two entries: House’s Ring of Fire andTouch’s Knight Rider.

“Ike is very dedicated, hard working, and he cares –that’s why he’s so good,” Keith continued. “If you care,you’ll be good at something – anything you try. Ike’s thebest at what he does: working a dog. He works hard andcares the most. But Ike could be good at whatever he sethis mind to do.”

Keith’s main goal is to have good dogs, and Ike is hischoice to develop those dogs. “We’re looking forward tocoming to Ames. All the dogs [nominated] are good dogs.But luck plays a lot in it. You have to draw a good day,have a good brace mate, the birds must be moving – allthe conditions have to be right. Ames is a good place to gowith good people. We’re looking forward to it!”

When he’s not field trialing, Keith Wright owns JohnDeere dealerships, a trucking business, and farms about15,000 acres in Indiana and Illinois, growing corn, soy-beans, and wheat.

(left to right) Ike Todd, Keith Wright, and Nick

Thompson with Touch’s White Out at the 2011 ceremony.


Gary Lester Mark McLean Rich Robertson

Handlers Competing In The 2014 National Championship

Ray Warrern

Ike Todd

Allen Vincent

Steve Hurdle:

All-Age

Handler

LeaderAt the end of December,

2013, Steve Hurdle was theclear leader in the Purina All-Age Handler Award standings.He led the top five with 1104points, followed by RobinGates with 1011 points,Randy Anderson with 977points, Luke Eisenhart with752 points. “But that couldchange,” Steve humbly stated,since the point season endsApril 30.

Steve has been on a roll thisyear; for example, winningthe Hobart Ames MemorialAll-Age with L. J. Confiden-tial, and placing second in theDerby with Dazzling. He won the GeorgiaChampionship Derby with Dazzling andwas runner-up with her littermate andbrother Skyfall. And the list goes on…“We’ve had an exceptional year so far,”said his wife and field trialing partnerKaren Hurdle. “We’ve been blessed.”

On Monday at the Hobart Ames Me-morial, it rained all day, and Steve ran hisentry, Mega Blackhawk’s Progeny, in therain. House’s Yellow Jacket was the nextto take the field trial course across AmesPlantation. Hurdle ran L. J. Confidentialon Tuesday in the second brace of the af-ternoon. He had one find and “had a reallyfront forward race. It was a really goodrace,” Steve proudly said. Next stops werethe Continental Derby and Dixie Planta-tion.

The handler of the 2012 National

Champion Connor’s E Z Button, Hurdlehas qualified five dogs for the Nationalthis year: L.J. Confidential, House’s Yel-low Jacket, Connor’s E Z Button, Cas-sique’s Boss, and Mega Blackhawk’sProgeny, a first year dog. In addition, threeof the dogs he has been running half qual-ified for this year’s national: Ransom,Stardust Chaz, and Dazzling.

L. J. Confidential is one of his specialdogs. “L. J. qualified as a derby in NorthCarolina and it’s pretty special to get aderby qualified,” Karen explained. “Theonly other dog who qualified as a derbywas Riggins White Knight back in the1960s,” she said.

What’s the secret to Hurdle’s success?“Just a lot of work, putting in the time,”Steve explained. “Having good places towork the dogs; having good owners, andgood dog food [Sportsman’s Pride is hissponsor]. It’s a team effort. Karen is a bigpart of the success. It’s a team effort,” heemphasized.

Steve does a lot of roading to conditionhis dogs and to build muscle. “We takespecial care of the dogs; we keep them re-ally healthy and in good condition,” Hur-dle said. “Having good owners, good

dogs, and working as a team – it’s all partof it,” Karen added, although Steve getsmost of the credit.

Karen scouts for him sometimes, alongwith Nick Thompson, his main scout. Infact, Karen scouted L. J. Confidential inthe Hobart Ames Memorial.

The Hurdles do a lot of traveling, espe-cially in January and early February before

the Nationals. The rest of theyear is busy, too. They have apuppy program in SouthGeorgia in the spring, aroundthe end of March and first ofApril. They take young dogsto train for 3-4 weeks, thencome back home the first partof May. The first of July,they’re off to summer campin Columbus, ND, on theCanadian border. “We had areally good summer trainingyoung and all age dogs,”Karen said. “Our dogs didwell in Canada. In four trials,we had 15 placements andbrought home eight wins. Weran five derbies and ten all-

age dogs in Canada.”As the season goes on, some dogs don’t

make the cut. If Hurdle has a dog in hisstring with whom he feels like he can’tbeat the others, he’ll suggest that theowner do something else with the dog orget another dog. It’s a hard message to de-liver, but one that must be said.

“We’ve got some of the best owners inthe business,who have stuck with usthrough thick and thin,” Hurdle said. “Theowners and the land owners are very im-portant to field trialing.”

Right after the Hobart Ames Memorial,the Hurdles were off to Sunny Hill Planta-tion in Florida and to Dixie Plantation forthe Continental Derby Championship. TheHurdles are, of course, hoping for anotherNational Champion in 2014.

Steve and Karen Hurdle at the Hobart Ames Memorial Field

Trial, january 2014.

Handler InterviewsInterviews with four handlers who are

competing in the National Championshipwill be posted on the Strideaway websiteas podcasts for downloading.

Interviews with these handlers will beavailable soon:Larry Huffman, Randy An-derson, Rich Robertson, and Robin Gates.Visit: http://strideaway.com>media>pod-casts

(above) Larry Huffman. (below) Rich

Robertson. (Chris Mathan photos)

(above) Randy Anderson. (below)

Robin Gates. (Chris Mathan photos)


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By Nancy Brannon, Ph.D.

This year, as every year, judges of theNational Championship have the difficultjob of choosing just one dog out of 40 asthe best of the best. This year’s judges areBobby McAlexander of Holly Springs,MS; Jim Crouse of Dixon, KY; and Dr.Rick Carlisle of Ames Plantation – all sea-soned veterans of the National Champi-onship.

Dr. Carlisle explained that even thoughthe judging is subjective, as is judging inother competitions, there is a basic stan-dard that applies: the Amesian Standard.“This standard can be used for other tri-als, too: shooting dogs, all-age dogs, andmore,” Carlisle said. “One thing judgeslook for is a big running dog, one thatranges from half mile to a mile from thehorse. They’re looking for speed, range,style, and character, all of which equals‘class.’ If a dog lacks a little in class, buthas a bang up piece of bird work, he canmake up for the lack of class with supe-rior bird work.

“The judge is looking for a bold dogwith a lot of stamina – a dog that com-pletes the three hours with the same en-thusiasm, stamina and energy that hestarted with.

“It’s his ground race, how well he huntsthe likely places on the course where birdswould be found, not necessarily the num-ber of birds found.

“The judges want to see a dog thathunts by himself, not the handler huntingthe dog. They want to see the dog castinghimself in the most likely places. Theywant to see a ‘thinking’ dog that hascourage. The dog must hunt on his ownthe likely places where quail will be.”

Carlisle believes that competing fieldtrailers generally trust the judges’ deci-sion. At the end of the stake, handlers canask the judges what they didn’t like aboutthe dog or what the dog did that was un-acceptable. “The judges are glad to an-swer those questions and giveconstructive criticism,” Carlisle said, andthis advice can help handlers improvetheir game at the next field trial.

“You’ve got four perspectives on the

ground race: the handler’s, the marshal’s,the judges’, and the gallery’s. But it’s thejudges’ point of view that counts!

“The scout who is off to the side does-n’t see everything because he’s off in thewoods looking for the dog. A good scoutis one you never see. A scout has to askpermission to leave the gallery. Once thedog is found, the scout returns to thegallery until needed again.

“The winner of the National Champi-onship is usually the dog who hunts on hisown, and finds birds with the least amountof scouting.” So there you have it – whatit takes to win the National Champi-onship.

The Amesian Standard is the standardand/or rule developed by Mr. HobartAmes for the National Championship. Mr.Ames judged the National for over 20years and the same standard has been ap-plied throughout time. The Judges todaycontinue to use this measure for selectingthe "National Champion" each year. Itreads:

“The dog under consideration musthave and display great bird sense. Hemust show perfect work on both coveysand singles. He must be able to quickly todetermine between foot and body scent.He must use his brain, eyes, and nose tothe fullest advantage and hunt the likelyplaces on the course. He must possessspeed, range, style, character, courage andstamina — and good manners, always. Hemust hunt the birds and not the handlerhunt the dog. No line or path runner is ac-ceptable. He must be well broken, and thebetter his manners, the more clearly heproves his sound training. Should he losea little in class, as expressed in speed andrange, he can make up for this, under fairjudgment, in a single piece of superiorbird work, or in sustained demonstrationof general behavior. He must be bold,snappy, and spirited. His range must be tothe front or to either side, but never be-hind. He must be regularly and habituallypleasingly governable and must knowwhen to turn and keep his handler's coursein view, and at all times keep uppermostin his mind the finding and pointing ofbirds for his handler.”

The 2014 National Championship Judges: (left to right) Dr. Rick Carlisle, GrandJunction, TN (Nancy Brannon photo); Bobby McAlexander, Holly Springs, MS; andJim Crouse, Dixon, KY (photos by Jamie Evans, Ames Plantation)

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Artist Jack

DawsonBy Nancy Brannon, Ph.D.

One of the most unlikely places you’llfind a bird dog artist is at a bank. But atThe Bank of Fayette County inSomerville, TN, Jack Dawson, Loan Offi-cer and Vice President, is one such artist.You’ll find his paintings of NationalChampion bird dogs gracing the Bank’scalendar.

So how did a bank officer start paintingNational Champion bird dogs? Dawsoncame to Fayette County in the 1970s andstarted working at First State Bank. At thetime, Dr. Frank McKnight was a directorat that bank, and Dawson started going outto Ames Plantation to the field trials withhim, around 1974. Dawson had horses androde in the field trials until about 7 or 8years ago, when he gave up his horses.

Dawson loves painting wildlife and an-imals. One day about three years ago hewas talking to Dr. Rick Carlisle, and heasked Rick to send him some photos of theChampion dog. “I thought I would like topaint the Champion and maybe give it tothe winner or have it hang at Ames for ayear and then give it to the winner. What-ever Rick thought best to do with it,”Dawson explained. That started a traditionof painting the National Champion birddog that he has continued, and ShadowOak Bo is the third of those Champions hehas painted.

At the branch at Grand Junction, RexBrotherton has a bird dog museum on thesecond floor. The portrait of Shadow OakBo was housed there for a while, and thensent to Ames Plantation. Bird dog enthusi-asts and Civil War buffs might want tovisit that museum. Rex is the historian ofthe branch and collects information onbird dogs, field trials, and the Civil Warmemorabilia.

Dawson has done drawings since hewas a child. His best friend in grammarschool, Dale Deverell, was also an artist.Dale’s mom sent the two boys to artschool. “We did that all through grammarschool,” Dawson said. “We grew up to-gether and he’s still my best friend.”

In college, Dawson minored in art. “Ialways enjoyed painting wildlife,” he said.“And when I started at the Bank [of

Fayette County] I started painting the em-ployees’ new babies.” But there are far toomany employees at the Bank now forDawson to keep up with that task.

“I still enjoy painting. I’ll be 65 inMarch, but I’m not really retiring. I’ll

work four days aweek rather than five,so that may give memore time to dopainting.” He hasphotos of deer andducks that peoplehave asked him topaint, and several onthe waiting list. “Itdoesn’t take me longto paint,” he said. Theportrait of Bo tookhim about a week.

“I watched BobRoss paint on PBS and learned his tech-niques. He uses a ‘wet on wet’ technique,which I just love! I paint the landscapefirst, then decide what would look bestthere. I paint in the animals after I’vepainted the landscape. The picture ofShadow Oak Bo is in oil. Before that, Iwas painting in acrylic,” he explained.

Dawson has had requests from folks topaint their pets. “People’s pets mean a lotto them,” he said, and they like to have aportrait of their favorite, whether still liv-ing or in remembrance of a deceased pet.“Sometimes I do a pencil drawing andsometimes I paint them. I’ve only doneone portrait of a person, and that was mywife. I haven’t done another. If I do a por-trait of a person, I usually do a pencildrawing, and it’s usually a person at thebank. What I really like to paint are ani-mals.”

Dawson lives about seven miles out ofSomerville, TN on a farm with his wifeCarla. His work at the Bank and on thefarm takes a lot of his time, but he hopes tosoon have more to devote to painting. Healso teaches karate three nights a week andhas done so for 30 years.

You can see his paintings at the AmesPlantation office and on The Bank ofFayette County 2014 calendar.


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Room CateringBy Nancy Brannon, Ph.D.

As you savor the delicious food served at the AmesPlantation Manor House during the National Champi-onship, you may not realize that the creative chef trav-els all over the world gathering recipes, yet started hercareer decorating cakes at the Big Star in Somerville,TN.

Catherine Bowling-Dean has always loved to cook,and “I like to cook weird things,” she boasts. As a lit-tle girl, her grandmother Maggie allowed her to makeall kinds of foods in her kitchen. She found cookierecipes from all over the world, and her grandmotherencouraged her baking. “I made every one of thecookie recipes,” she said.

She’s still collecting recipes from all over theworld. “I went to Vietnam two years ago, where Ilearned to make beef pho soup and Vietnamese springrolls,” among other dishes, she said. When she wentto Peru on vacation, she learned about the local foods

there, too. “I look at the foods wherever I travel andlearn how to make the local cuisine.” Then she bringsthose recipes home to add to her increasing storehouseof gourmet delights.

She’s fascinated with the eating styles overseas.“They eat a lot of soups, some places they even eatsoup for breakfast. They eat a lot of natural cheeses.The English eat beans and baked tomatoes for break-fast – after they’ve had their soup,” she said. But don’tworry if you’re not into exotics. “I can cook downhome country, too, with the best of them,” she added.

Key to the good taste is using all fresh ingredients– fresh vegetables and fresh herbs – whenever possi-ble. She absolutely eschews dried herbs! She grows asmuch of her own as she can and has plans to start an-other garden on some property across the street fromher business in Dancyville, TN.

Catherine said she got started in this business whenmarried to her first husband. Her aunt by marriage,Gayle Bowling, was a caterer in Somerville, TN andasked Catherine to help her out. Gayle also taught acake decorating class, a skill at which Catherine ex-celled. So Gayle convinced her to quit her job in Mem-phis and go to work at the Big Star in Somerville, TN.It was a done deal!

When Gayle was ready to retire from the cateringbusiness, Catherine started her own catering businessin 1993, first working out of her home. In 1997, sheopened Me and My Pastries and ran her pastry busi-ness out of a gas station in Somerville, TN for a shortwhile. Soon she opened a Tea Room and both evolvedinto Me and My Tea Room Catering.

Her first year catering at Ames, 1996, she was in“training,” but it didn’t take long to learn the ropesand she has been catering the National Championshipdinners ever since.

Some of her favorites are Dijon chicken, fresh greenbean parmesan, carrots au gratin with crystallized gin-ger, and a ham sandwich with slaw debris and spicyAioli (“Like from Mama’s in New Orleans”). “I’moriginally from Louisiana, so I make a lot of gumbo –seafood, chicken, sausage – and crawfish etouffee aswell as other Louisiana dishes,” she said. Another fa-vorite is chicken salad with smoked almonds and rose-mary. She’s catering a convention in Denver this year,and one of the treats she’ll make is key lime donutsstuffed with turkey, provolone cheese and chutney.

Catherine gives a lot of credit to her husband, Den-nis Dean – “He helps me tremendously!” and to herstaff. “I have absolutely the best crew working for me!I couldn’t do it without them!”

Hungry yet? Me and My Tea Room Catering is lo-cated at 21 Dancyville-Eurekaton Road in Dancyville,TN, although their mailing address is Stanton, TN.

(left to right) Catherine’s son Daniel, her daughter

Maggie, Catherine, and her daughter-by-heart Holly.

Scrumptious feasts are a tradition at the Ames

Manor House. (Nancy Brannon photo)


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Congratulations To All Competitors in the 115th National Championship

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Owners Of Dogs Running In The 115th National Championship

Sarina & Bob CraigMatt Coverdale

Herb Anderson

Maeve Derrig (Jamie Evans photo) Sean Derrig

Dr. Fred Corder

Dr. Ron Dealjim Crawford (left) & Gary McKibben (Jamie Evans photo) Dr. Davey Deal

Earl Connolly

Mary Devos

Auddie BrownEmily Allen

Vick EtheridgeDr. john Dorminy

2014Field Trial Review 37.

Owners Of 2014 NC Dogs

Gerald Hignite (Jamie Evans photo)

Bruce Hawkins & Mike Stevens

Scott Griffin

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Owners Of Dogs Running In The 115th National Championship

Eddie Sholar

Rick Stallings

Betty Shearouse

Keith Wright

john Sayre

Preston Trimble

Steve Scott

Raines jordan

Charles & Raegan Williamson

Dr. B.j. Kelley

Franz &Karen Rowland

Whitley Stevenson

The Field Trial Review regrets that photos of all owners and dogs were not available to us at press time. When you find out that your dog has qualified for the 2015 NationalChampionship, please consider sending us a photo of yourself, your dog(s), and your handler, if available.

We request high resolution (300 dpi), large photos. You may e-mail them to our field trial address: [email protected]. Thank you very much!

David O’ConnorGary Lester (Jamie Evans Photo)

Dr. j. D. HuffmanButch Houston

Richard Peterson


Video-taping the

National

ChampionshipBy Brad Harter

It was only through a unique set of circumstances thatI became involved with videotaping the National Cham-pionship. A close friend and one of my early mentors inthe bird dog game was S. R. “Tate” Cline. Tate livednearby in the small town of McArthur, Ohio. Al-though Tate was my senior by more than 30 years,we often spent time working bird dogs together.Tate's lifelong dream was to win the National, andin 1987 he qualified his dog, Whippoorwill Rebel.Just days before “Jake” was to run, Tate was injuredin a horse accident while riding at the West Ten-nessee trials. He ended up in the hospital in Mem-phis and was unable to see Jake perform. Worse yet,he was unable to be there when the announcementwas made that Jake had won the Championship!

Now, as Paul Harvey said...the rest of the story.A few years before this I had been teaching at alocal college and had taken my Wildlife Manage-ment class to work on a geese restoration projectwith the Ohio Division of Wildlife. We were herd-ing geese, using helicopters, into snow fence pensto age, sex and band them. The Division had hireda camera crew from Columbus, Ohio to film the op-eration, part to be filmed from a helicopter. Whenthe camera man found out that he was supposed tobe strapped to the “chopper” and handle the big,bulky camera, he refused! That left the TV crewwith a camera and no one to run it. Being young,and thinking I was invincible, I volunteered. I hadworked a little with camera crews at the college andknew how to turn the camera on, so I was delegatedto shoot the day's footage. The next thing I knew, Iwas in a harness and strapped to the outside of thechopper! My footage was good enough to be used,and they gave this daring young kid credit for thefootage once the show aired on TV. Tate saw thatfootage on TV and thought I was some kind of cam-era man – a fact that stuck in his mind.

In the summer of 1987,Tate called me and in-vited me to lunch in the little cafe he owned, located nextto his hardware store. It was too hot to work dogs and Ihad no idea what he wanted, but he hinted at proposingsome kind of business venture. I was completely in thedark when I showed up for lunch that day, but Tate wasnot one to beat around the bush. He had recently seen arerun of the geese show and must have thought I wassome kind of professional camera man. So before we evenordered, he starting asking me about cameras and men-tioned that he had seen advertisements about new smaller,lighter video cameras. He brought up the National Cham-pionship and how hard it had been for him to miss notonly Jake’s three hour performance, but also the an-nouncement on the steps of the Ames Manor House. Nextthing I knew, Tate handed me a video that some guy hadshot that year at Ames. The entire video was shot fromthe road and did not show anything much of the dogs; butit had given Tate a brainstorm. His idea was to shoot theentire trial from horseback, with every dog and every findrecorded. That way, if anyone ever had to miss their dog’swinning performance, all would not be lost!

Tate offered to call Dr. Anderson, who was the super-intendent of the Ames Plantation at that time. He pre-dicted there would be some resistance to the idea ofsomeone following the action and capturing it on video-

tape. He was right, but Tate was persuasive, and after afew phone calls, we had a tentative go ahead to video-tape the 1988 National.

I started shopping for the most rugged, smallest videocamera on the market. I finally found one that was about3 to 4 times the size of the camera I now use. The nextchallenge was to find a way to carry this camera whileprotecting it from the elements. That fall I started prac-ticing with the camera and quickly learned there wouldbe a multitude of problems to overcome. Battery life wasshort, especially in cold weather, but the biggest problemwas moisture. The least amount of moisture would lockup the camera and you couldn’t do a thing until it dried

out. To practice, I videotaped a few small field trials thatI attended in our area and my own dogs in workouts. Thefirst ten hours of footage that I shot was so bad you could-n’t stand to watch it. It was shaky, and the movement fromhorseback just made you motion sick. At this point I wasready to give up. The idea of trying to film an entire trialand capture every dog in every brace seemed impossible.

I called Tate and told him it just couldn’t be done. Hisresponse was to keep practicing! If I could film geeseherding from a helicopter, I could certainly figure out howto film a bird dog from a horse. So, over the next monthI practiced video-taping from horseback and finally had asmall amount of watchable footage. February was rapidlyapproaching, and I made plans to haul my horses down toAmes and give this task my best shot (pun intended).

When I arrived, I knew few people there except forTate and a few of the trainers who came to Ohio for thepheasant trials. I hadn’t been in town an hour when I mettwo men who would later become my best supporters:Wilson Dunn, who operated a store in Grand Junction,TN and Troy Newman, who was from Missouri andstayed with Wilson and his wife Polly. Both of these menhad dogs competing in the National. I knew nothing aboutany of the social events, but I was quickly informed byWilson and Troy that I would accompany them to all theevents and they would introduce me to everyone. Both of

these men became my unofficial, and unpaid, agents. Inthe two days before the field trial started, I met nearly 200people, and almost everyone was supportive of what I wasgoing to attempt.

I thought I was prepared for that first day, but I waswrong. I’ll never forget that day as long as I live! At thattime it was all wild birds on the courses. That first day wemoved over 50 coveys of quail! They were not allpointed; some were not handled well by the dogs; butthere I was trying to capture every find on tape. Much ofthe time both dogs would be pointed at the same time ondifferent coveys in different places! Add to that the factthat I didn’t know the courses, and just trying to stay up

front to be in the right place to capture the actionwas a real challenge. In those days we had verylarge galleries, sometimes numbering well over a1,000 riders. If you were covering a find and fellbehind, you might have to work your way througha few hundred riders to regain the front.

On top of all these challenges, we had somerough weather: rain, cold, mud, and frozen ground.Somehow I managed to make it through the entiretrial, never missing a single dog, although I did misssome of the finds since I couldn’t be in two placesat once. When the trial came to a close after a sec-ond series, I was totally worn out. But I had man-aged to shoot over 20 hours of footage! Then camethe task of sorting through all this footage and ed-iting it.

I spent hundreds of hours sorting through theseseemingly endless hours of footage. To edit, I hadto rent a studio and use large one-inch dual tapedecks that have A & B rolls so dissolves could bemade. I had to hire an editing technician to help meand a narrator to read the text once I had it all writ-ten with the proper scenes selected. When it was allfinished and my year’s sales were tallied, I had lostabout $500 on that job.

Whatever made me come back a second year isstill a mystery! But the second year went a little bet-ter and the best part was that my friend Tate had thewinning dog. It was the same dog who had won twoyears earlier when he was unable to witness the per-formance. This time Tate was there – and I had cap-tured it on film. Editing the second year went a littleeasier, and I started to get sponsors to help offsetthe cost. Sales improved and I was able to just breakeven.

I also realized I was capturing history, a subject whichhas always interested me. In 1989, I attended the firstmeeting about starting a Bird Dog Museum. I realized thatmy efforts to capture these great dogs, and the stories ofthe old time trainers, was an important contribution that Icould make to this sport, one that has become a very im-portant part of my life.

The rest of the story is simple. I have somehow man-aged to maintain good health and to avoid injury over thelast 26 years. I have had the good fortune to film everybrace and every single dog at the National – all 971 en-tries! Some of those were bye dogs and three times therewas a second series; still that computes to more than 490braces. Each year I have spent an average of two weeksin Tennessee, which totals one full year in Tennessee.Does that make me an official resident? If you figure theaverage brace usually last over two hours, that computesto nearly a thousand hours on horseback. At an average of4 to 5 miles per hour, that puts me at close to 5,000 mileson horseback on the Ames Plantation. I’m adding thesestats to point out how fortunate I have been to have thiswonderful experience. If my luck holds out, this year willput me over one thousand dogs and more than 500 braces.

I wouldn’t trade it for anything! See you on the fieldtrial course this year!

Brad, in the early days of filming the National


Northern

Bobwhite

Quail

The Mississippi Business Journal

(MBJ) reported last May on the decliningstatus of Bobwhite Quail in Mississippiand the mid-south. “Once a staple of thecountryside, the birds’ onomatopoetic“bob-bob-WHITE” call is relatively raretoday as the quail’s numbers have plum-meted in the Magnolia State and else-where in the U.S. Researchers havenumerous identified factors for the declinein quail coveys, the most significant beinghabitat loss,” according to the MBJ.

“The Northern Bobwhite is [the area’s]only native quail species. It is a non-mi-gratory, ground-dwelling bird whose rangestretches from the Caribbean and Mexiconorth to the Great Lakes, and from theEastern Seaboard as far west as New Mex-ico and Colorado with a small pocket inthe Pacific Northwest.

“The Bobwhite, a bird of open, weedyfields, actually benefitted from earlyAmerican settlers’ cultivation of the land.They have long been a favorite of hunters,offering a challenging target as they eruptwith a whir of wings from ground cover aswell as providing a tasty dish.

“But, their numbers began dropping inthe 1800s, with a drastic decline beginningin the South in the mid-1940s. While suchfactors as hard winters can threaten bob-white numbers, the principal challenge tothe birds is habitat loss.

“As land-use practices changed, thenorthern bobwhite went into serious de-cline. According to the conservation or-

ganization Quail Forever, Bobwhite num-bers have plummeted 65 percent over thepast 20 years alone. The Cornell Univer-sity Lab of Ornithology has them listed as‘near threatened.’

“However, while the Northern Bob-white population has thinned drastically,

they are not extinct,and there is somegood news. In 1995,the Southeast QuailStudy Group (nowthe National Bob-white TechnicalCommittee) wasformed, and wascharged with devel-oping a recoveryplan. This, in turn,led in 1998 to the es-tablishment of theNational BobwhiteConservation Initia-tive, which set theambitious goal of re-turning the NorthernBobwhite populationto what it was in the1980s.

“Research hasshown that tech-niques such as theuse of prescribedfires help create thegrass land /weedyhabitat Bobwhitesneed to thrive, andthrough the efforts of

wildlife agencies and others, landownershave received information and support inadopting new land usage practices.

“There is some optimism that these ef-forts are paying off. According to figuresfrom the Mississippi Department ofWildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP),the number of calling birds identified hasrisen across the state since 2009. The num-ber of birds heard in South Mississippimore than tripled from 2009 to 2012 whilenearly doubling in North Mississippi overthe same time frame. The number of birdshas increased every year in all three re-gions since 2009, with the exception of adip in numbers in Central Mississippi in2011.”

The National Bobwhite ConservationInitiative list State Quail Coordinators:Rick Hamrick with the MS Dept. ofWildlife, Fisheries, & Parks; Roger Ap-plegate with the TN Wildlife ResourcesAgency; and more at their website:http://bringbackbobwhites.org/about-us/state-quail-coordinators

The USDA Farm Service Agency has aConservation Reserve Program for North-ern Bobwhite Quail Habitat. More infor-mation at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov

Quail Unlimited is another resource forinformation about quail habitat. Quail For-ever has a number of articles about habitatand nesting conditions.

Gentleman BobWhite Quail, by Bob Bertram

Meet FRANK! 3 months old!

TEKOA MOUNTAIN SUNRISE JR

© FTR

TekoaMountainSetters.com503-780-4969

Sire:Tekoa Mountain Sunrise Dam:Tekoa Mountain Attitude

Eric Mauck

Best Wishes and Good Luck

to ALL the Competitors

Congratulations!Ray Warren for Qualifying

QuesterOwner: Fornear Family

and

Prodigy’s BonfireOwner: Betty Shearouse

Betty Shearouse • Chattanooga, TN (423)667-0702

© FTR

first female setter to run at the National since Ida O’Priscilla, 1998-2001


Tennessee General Assembly Honors Grand Junction as

The Bird Dog and Field Trial Capital of the WorldBy Captain Gary Lockee

There is no place in the world of bird dogs and field tri-als like Grand Junction, Tennessee. Bird dogs come inthree major groups – Pointing, Retrieving and Flushing.All three groups have special relationships with the areasin and around Grand Junction.

The founders of the Bird Dog Foundation, Inc. choseGrand Junction as the most prominent place to locate itsSporting Dog Center, which includes the National BirdDog Museum, the Field Trial Hall of Fame, the NationalRetriever Museum, the Wildlife Heritage Center (its edu-cation arm) and the Continental Breeds Center. The BirdDog Foundation highlights the recognition of some 40breeds of bird dogs including the Pointing, Retrievers andFlushing Breeds.

Some of the most outstanding dogs in the pointing grouphave significantly enhanced their reputation as they com-peted in the prestigious National Championship Field Trialheld on the famed Ames Plantation. Many have performedso successfully that they have been honored by election tothe Field Trial Hall of Fame, and their portraits hang on thewalls in the Bird Dog Foundation’s Sporting Dog Center inGrand Junction.

The Retrieving and Flushing groups have campaignedin the Grand Junction area, too, and outstanding dogs fromthese groups have been elected to the Field Trial Hall ofFame.

It is thought by many that the running of the NationalChampionship, and the fact that the founders of the BirdDog Foundation, Inc. chose Grand Junction as the site forbuilding its Sporting Dog Center, might be the most im-portant items that give Grand Junction its bird dog and fieldtrial notoriety. However, all the timeline events, shownbelow, are noteworthy because they highlight considerablymore bird dog and field trial activity that give more credi-bility to Grand Junction being recognized as The Bird DogAnd Field Trial Capital Of The World.

The National Championship Field Trial has been “thegranddaddy” of field trials for 115 years. It is the dog trialto which owners and handlers aspire to enter their dogs.One need only to refer to Bill Brown’s and Nash Bucking-ham’s book that reports on the National Championship toobserve the stalwart persons, dogs and patrons who annu-ally come to Grand Junction to participate in the “SuperBowl” of Bird Dog field trials.

This Sporting Dog Center brings thousands of bird dogenthusiasts from many parts of the world to Grand Junctionannually to observe and to witness a collection of bird doghistory, bird dog art, museum displays, and a wide varietyof bird dog memorabilia that is unparalleled any place else.

Following is the timeline of some of the importantevents leading to Grand Junction becoming The Bird Dog

And Field Trial Capital Of The World:1874 First field trial held in America west of Grand

Junction, Tennessee 1879 Count Noble was whelped in Wales.1880 Count Noble brought to the United States to par-

ticipate in field trials near Grand Junction.1891 Champion Count Noble died.1896 National Championship organized and first run

West Point, Mississippi (Won by Count Gladstone IV - sonof Count Noble. Handled by James M. Avent from nearbyHickory Valley, TN.

1900 + 1901 National Championship held south ofGrand Junction, Tennessee.

1902 National Championship held on the Ames Plan-tation, Grand Junction, Tennessee for the first time.

1909 First Pointer (Manitoba Rap) to win the NationalChampionship.

1915 National Championship finds a permanent homeon the Ames Plantation.

1920 Mary Montrose wins National Championship forthe third time.

1925 Becky Broomhill wins National Championshipfor third time.

1930 Feagan’s Mohawk Pal wins National Champi-onship for the third time. The only setter to win the Na-tional Championship three times.

1936 Jim Avent died - Interred in Grand Junction, Ten-nessee. Born in 1860. Elected to Field Trial Hall of Fame

in 1956.1945 Mr. Hobart Ames died. He was born in 1865. He

was elected to Field Trial Hall of Fame 1954.1946 Ariel wins The National Championship for the

third time - (In 125 years, there are only four bird dogs towin the National Championship for three times.)

1954 The Field Trial Hall of Fame was established.Five of the greatest dogs and five distinguished field tri-alers were elected.

1959 Count Noble was elected to the Field Trial Hall ofFame.

1988 The Bird Dog Foundation, Inc. was establishedand received Section 501 (c) (3) status. The Bird DogFoundation provides the corporate umbrella under whichthe National Bird Dog Museum, the Field Trial Hall ofFame, the Wildlife Heritage Center, the National RetrieverMuseum, and the Continental Bird Dog Breeds Wing op-erate. Combined, these entities embrace a grand NationalSporting Dog Center. In addition, the Sporting Dog Cen-ter is the scene of a wide variety of bird dog related activ-ity and events as well as numerous community social andbusiness activity.

1991 The National Bird Dog Museum was dedicated.1994 The Field Trial Hall of Fame building was dedi-

cated.1996 The Wildlife Heritage Center was dedicated.1999 The taxidermied body of Count Noble finds a per-

manent home in the Bird Dog Foundation’s Sporting DogCenter in Grand Junction, Tennessee.

2004 The National Retriever Museum was dedicated.2012 The Continental Breeds Wing was dedicated.2012 A section of Tennessee State Highway 18 running

by Grand Junction was proclaimed as the National BirdDog Highway by the Representatives of the TennesseeGeneral Assembly.

2013 State of Tennessee – House of Representatives-House Joint Resolution No.142 honors Grand Junction as“The Bird Dog Capital Of The World.” This resolution issigned by the Governor, the Speakers of the TennesseeHouse and Senate and the local State Representative.

About the Author: Captain Lockee has been an avid birddog advocate as a hunter, field trialer and sports promoterfor over 85 years. He and one of his dogs have beenelected to the Field Trial Hall of Fame. He was elected tothe Robeson County, North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.He is a principal founder of the Bird Dog Foundation andserved as its President for ten years. He has authored manyarticles on bird dog and field trial activity. He is a survivorof nine major campaigns of WW II in the Pacific Theater.He is a veteran of the Vietnam War as well as the Nation’sCold War. During his Naval career he commanded threeMajor War Ships.

"Except for a Kansas farm where

I once lived, Grand junction,

Tennessee has spurred me to

write more stories than any other

place on earth."

--from Bill Tarrant's column, "Grand

junction: Bird Dog Capital of the World"

(reprinted from Field and Stream)


Do You Provide Equine Do You Provide Equine

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Field Trial Review

BULLETIN BOARDBULLETIN BOARD

Field Trial Review PICTURE CLASSIFIEDS & EVENTS PICTURE CLASSIFIEDS & EVENTS

Phone:

901-294-3400

P.O. Box 475342 Hwy. 70

Mason, TN 38049

Charles Mercer, DVM • Chara Short, DVMAshley Phelps, DVM • Megan Dorris Hunt, DVM

Phone: 662•893•25466740 CENTER HILL RD • OLIVE BRaNCH, MS 38654

Clinic Open: Monday - Friday • 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Brown Shop Road FarmLeon Oliver

1475 Brown Shop Road • Cornersville, TN

931-293-4156specializing in:

Pleasure Tennessee WalkingHorses -Field Trial ready!

Mammoth Jack Stock • Nervous Goats

www.twhheritagesociety.com

Welcome Field Trialers!Check out Grand Junction’s New Store

We have New & Used Treasures

253 Hwy. 57 • Grand Junction, TNOpen 9-5, Mon - Sat • 731-732-4232 © FTR

National Field Trial Championship

Anheuser-Busch Social &

Luke Meatte Memorial Fish Fry

Thursday, February 13 • 5:30 pmat the National Bird Dog Museum

505 Highway 57 W • Grand Junction, TN

Field Trial Fans

Welcome!Sponsored by: Nestle Purina • Anheuser-Busch • Garmin

and other co-sponsors

Meet FRaNk! 3 months old!

TEkOa MOuNTaIN SuNRISE JR

www.tekoamountainsetters.com

© FTR

WELCOME TO AMES PLANTATION

Rules to remember while you are at the Ames Plantation:

1. Park off the road in areas designated for parking for those not officially involvedwith the competition. Do not unload on the shoulder of the road. Do not blockpublic roads!

2. All horses must be accompanied by acceptable proof of their current negativeCoggins test.

3. Ames Plantation assumes no responsibility for injury or loss of property. Ride atyour own risk.

4. Ride on blacktop roads only when absolutely necessary. It is easy for a shodhorse to slip on these surfaces, thus increasing the likelihood of injury to animaland rider.

5. During the competition you must not interfere with the judges. It is essential thatyou stay with the main body of the gallery. Those lagging back will be escortedoff the property.

6. Running horses by members of the gallery is not permitted. Boisterous behaviorbetween riders increases the chance of injury and is not acceptable.

7. Alcoholic beverages, regardless of container, are not permitted on the grounds orin the parking areas. Failure to observe this rule will result in your being askedto leave Plantation property.

8. Take your trash with you. Do not litter the grounds.9. No cooking of any type is permitted on the Plantation.10. Children under 12 years of age will not be permitted to ride in the gallery unless

accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and no more than one rider to ahorse will be allowed.

11. No stallions allowed in the gallery.12. SPECIAL NOTE: Road traffic will be regulated along Turner road and National

Championship Drive from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and along Ames Road-Planta-tion Road from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

13. Sheriff’s Deputies are present to enforce these and other appropriate restrictionsto maintain a safe environment and to enhance the conditions for the main ob-jective, field trial competition. If you do not understand these rules, contact adeputy for a more detailed explanation.


2014 Field Trial Hall of Fame

InducteesPointer and Setter Field Trial Hall of Fame

People: Tony GibsonDr. Aubrey F. Morgan

Dogs: House’s Snake Bite (Tom Faller)

Brittany Field Trial Hall of FamePeople: Rick Smith

Louis ThebaudDogs: Shambo’s Dark Shadow (Bernie Crain)

Retriever Field Trial Hall of FamePeople:Donald S. Driggers

Raymond GoodrichDogs:Cashman’s Fat Lady Zingin (J. McNeeley & Lynn Dubose)

J.J.’s Jessie (Mitch & Linda Patterson)

Spaniel Field Trial Hall of FamePeople: Jeffrey W. MillerDogs: G and D Prince Edward (Don & Joanne Mock)

German Shorthaired Pointer FTH0FPeople: Ray C. Bauspies

Bob DeiteringDogs:Leipchen Buddendorff (Mary Finley)

Ammertal’s Kitt v Shinback (Gary & Carolyn Stevens)

Red Setter FTHOFNone nominated this year

Cocker Spaniel Hall of FamePeople: Keith Erlandson

Lawrence R. MacQueenDogs:Parkbreck Elm of Bishwell (Tom Ness)

Shawfield Glenfire (Andrew Porter/Louise & Dean Bedford)(handler Larry MacQueen)

Contribution Form

2014 National ChampionshipMy gift as designated below signals my support to the field trial, wildlife research,

education, and public service programs at Ames Plantation which benefit sportsmenand citizens throughout the United States.

My desired participation level is as follows:

( ) $1,000 ( ) $250 ( ) $50( ) $500 ( ) $100 ( ) $25

( ) Other ________

I desire that my contribution be allocated as indicated (make check to appropriate organization):

( ) Hobart Ames Foundation - Funds to be used to enhance physical facilities, field trial venue, and quail habitat.

( ) The University of Tennessee for Ames Plantation Development Fund -Monies to be used to support wildlife research on Ames Plantation with special emphasis on quail management.

Name:____________________________________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________________________ State: _______

Zip:_______________

RETURN ALL DONATIONS TO:

Ames PlantationP. O. Box 389

Grand Junction, Tennessee 38039-0389

CONTRIBUTIONS TO EITHER OF THE ABOVE ORGANIZATIONS QUALIFYAS CHARITABLE DEDUCTIONS UNDER CURRENT FEDERAL INCOME

TAX LAWS.

February 10, 2014

Field Trialers2014 National Championship

Dear Friends: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 interested in field trialing and other parts of our operation an opportunity to be a part of thischaritable giving program.

We are striving for charitable donations to strengthen our goals of providing superior conditions for the conduct of all-age field trial competition while increasing basic understand-ings of wildlife, especially bobwhite quail and related predator species. We have enlisted thesupport of several commercial sponsors for the National Championship but still need yourhelp to continue this important work. Not only will your contributions help support much-needed research but it will also help support the maintenance of the field trial courses for thishistoric trial.

Funding received to date has resulted in several intensive scientific investigations by research scientists and graduate students from The University of Tennessee, Mississippi StateUniversity, Tall Timbers Research Station, the Albany Area Quail Management Project, theTennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries andParks, and the University of Memphis. Results of these studies are being prepared for scientific publications and also in a bulletin for field trialers.

We urge you to complete and return the contribution form with your donation, and/or callme at the above phone number to discuss the research underway on Ames Plantation.

Sincerely,

R. J. Carlisle

TN State Representative Delores Gresham (center) presents the Proclamation

from the TN General Assembly to Gary Lockee (left) and Curtis Lane (right)

Mayor of Grand junction, honoring Grand junction, TN as the Bird Dog and Field

Trial Capital of the World. (see article, p. 42)

(left to right) Matt Linch, Kristin Linch, Max and Madeline, Kay Davis, and

Rick Smith, who was inducted into the Brittany Hall of Fame.


Pictorial Snapshots of the 2013 National Championship


First Week of Running • February 10-15, 2014

Brace Dog Owner(s) Handler

3

2/11/14

4

2/11/14

5

2/12/14

6

2/12/14

7

2/13/14

8

2/13/14

9

2/14/14

10

2/14/14

11

2/15/14

12

2/15/14

1

2/10/14

2

2/10/14

Note: S indicates Setter. P indicates Pointer. Dates may change, depending on the weather and other factors.

B S

ChampionPrairielandPride2004-2014

Champion Prairieland Pride passedaway Saturday, February 8, 2014 nearGrand Junction, Tennessee, at the age of10 years old. Prairieland Pride is byChampion Millers Date Line X Mo-hawk Mill Corky, and was bred byJames Willard of North Carolina. “Ted,”as he was known to most people, wasowned by Paul and Tracey Falkowskyof Alberta, Canada, and was handled byRandy Anderson of Crosscountry Ken-nels.

It was Ted who re-introduced his han-dler, Randy Anderson, back into thesport in 2005. Ted was purchased as aderby, and it didn’t take long for Ander-son to figure out he had something spe-cial in his string, as his second careerplacement was winning the ContinentalDerby Championship. Ted also won theAll American Derby Championship thefollowing spring, qualifying him for theNational Championship during hisderby year. Ted has re-qualified for theNational Championship every yearsince, until 2014. Ted’s Championshiptitles range from the prairies of Canada,to the piney woods of Florida, andeverywhere in between.

Photo By: Tiffany Genre

“Ted” at the 2012 National

Championship (Jamie Evans photo)

Mega Blackhawk's Progeny P M Bob & Sarina Craig, John Sayre & Raines Jordan Steve Hurdle

Browntown Johnny Reb P M Auddie Brown Luke Eisenhart

Three Rivers P M N. G. "Butch" Houston Robin Gates

White Dollar P M Scott Griffin Randy Anderson

Raelyn's Sky P M Brad Calkins Andy Daugherty

Coldwater Warrior P M Gary McKibben & Jim Crawford Weldon Bennett

Touch's Adams County P M Richard Peterson Randy Anderson

Raelyn's High Cotton P M Charles & Raegan Williamson & David O'Connor Allen Vincent

L. J. Confidential P M Bruce Hawkins & Mike Stephens Steve Hurdle

Whippoorwill Blue Blood P M J. D. Huffman & Keith Wright Larry Huffman

Erin's Foolish Pride P M Whitley Stephenson Luke Eisenhart

House's Ring of Fire P M Keith A. Wright Ike Todd

Cassique's Boss P M Rick & Sam Stallings Steve Hurdle

Touch's Game Point P M Eddie & Carole Sholar Mark McLean

Erin's Brave Heart P M Sean Derrig Sean Derrig

Capital's Market Maker P M Richard Peterson Randy Anderson

Miller's Dialing In P M Gary Lester Gary Lester

Caladen's Rail Hawk P M Dr. Fred Corder Fred Corder

Big Sky Pete P M Dr. Everett Crouch & Dr. B. J. Kelly Robin Gates

Lester's Bodacious P M Franz & Karen Rowland & Gary & Becky Futch Ricky Furney

Lester's Tom Cruise P M Brad Calkins Andy Daugherty

Touch's Knight Rider P M Keith A. Wright Ike Todd

Shadow Oak Bo S M Butch Houston & Dr. John Dorminy Robin Gates

Miller's Happy Jack P M Scott Griffin Randy Anderson

While the drawing for the order of go

in the braces of the National Champi-

onship is serious business, the 2014

drawing on Saturday night, February 8,

did have some moments of jocularity.

Shown here are (left to right) Dr. Rick

Carlisle, Marilyn Taylor, and Charlie

Bryan.


Second Week of Running • February 17-20, 2014

Brace Dog Owner(s) Handler

15

2/18/14

16

2/18/14

17

2/19/14

18

2/19/14

13

2/17/14

14

2/17/14

B S

19

2/20/14

20

2/20/14

In MemoriamMrs. Pearl Dodge, 89, wife of the late

Waldo E. Dodge, former Trustee Emeritusof the Hobart Ames Foundation, passedaway Thursday, October 24, 2013 at DukeMedical Center in Raleigh, N. C.

While Waldo was stationed in the Armyat Carlsbad, N. M., during World War II,Pearl repaired airplanes to help with thewar effort. After the war, they returned toBeverly, Mass., where she was active incivic activities.

Mrs. Dodge loved the Ames Plantationand the National Championship. She wasan “Honorary Director” in the NationalField Trial Champion Association, Inc.She accompanied her husband to the Plan-tation each February for the annual event,pulling hard for every setter that ran. Shewas a “die-hard” setter enthusiast!

She last attended the National in 2011when Touch’s White Out won. She wasgenuinely pleased for Keith Wright andIke Todd. The Plantation staff called her inFebruary, 2013, when Shadow Oak Bo,the first setter to win in 43 years, won thecoveted title. She was elated for ButchHouston, Dr. John Dorminy and RobinGates. Her only regret was that she wasnot there to witness that extraordinary feat.She was truly a setter fan to the end!

Pearl established a fund to take care ofthe “little things” at Ames, such as repair-ing or replacing furniture, appliances, pho-tographs, paintings, etc., in the AmesManor House. She and Waldo would al-ways leave a monetary contribution afterthe conclusion of the National each yearfor those efforts.

Mrs. Eileen Huffman, wife of Dr.Huffman, National Field Trial ChampionAssociation Board of Directors, passed

away in July 2013. She had married herhigh school sweetheart, Dr. John D. Huff-man and they had been married for 55years. They have two sons, Larry Huffman(Piper) and Matthew Huffman (Amanda)and three daughters, Dana Huffman Driver(Philip), Cheryl Huffman Walker (John)and Christina Huffman.

Dr. Douglas Guthrie of Waco, TXpassed away in December 2013. Dr.Guthrie and Ray Black have been provid-ing the saddle for the winning Scout at theNational Championship. Dr. Guthrie wasa podiatrist, unretired, practicing for over60 years. This year, Mr. Black, an attorney,will singly have the honor of giving thesaddle to the winning scout.

Stallion P M Dr. Ron Deal & Dr. Davey Deal Tommy Davis

Just Irresistible P M Mary Devos Jamie Daniels

Youngstown's Thrillseeker P F Neil Mason Rich Robertson

Whippoorwill Wild Speck P F Earl Connoly & Fred Corder Larry Huffman

Erin's Whiskey River P M Sean Derrig Sean Derrig

Erin's Dog Soldier P M Bill & Daretta Bruchey Luke Eisenhart

Prodigy's Bonfire S F Betty Shearouse Ray Warren

Connor's EZ Button P M David O'Connor Steve Hurdle

Scooby Doo P M Emily allan & Preston Trimble Allen Vincent

Game Strut P M Vick Etheridge & Steve T. Scott Tommy Davis

Quester P M Fornear Family Ray Warren

Rivertons Funseek'n Scooter P M Matt Coverdale & Gerald Hignite Rich Robertson

Erin's Kentucky Gambler P M Sean & Deb Hauser Luke Eisenhart

House's Yellow Jacket P M Rick Stallings Steve Hurdle

Utah's RedRock Express P M Herb Anderson Rich Robertson

Bye Dog

The 2014 joe Hurdle Top Dog Award went to Touch’s Adams County. Receiving the award are (left) handler Randy An-

derson and (not pictured) owner Richard Peterson. The award was presented by joey McAlexander, grandson of joe Hur-

dle, accompanied by his son, “Little Bobby.”


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field trial ˇ/%0 · degrees at the start,[ wrote brad harter in his synopsis of the brace. by the...

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