Billy Cole was in his second season as a for-the-public over-the-road pointing dog handler on the all-age circuit. Based at Leesburg, Georgia, he trained in summers in North Dakota, then after competing in prairie trials drifted South week by week, arriving at home in time for the piney woods country’s opener, the Lee County Trial. He was holding his own, if barely, with two of the eight dogs in his string consistent threats whenever put down, a statistic common to those plying his trade.
Those two were Georgia Peach, a first-year pointer that had won a first in a qualifying all-age at Columbus, North Dakota in September, and Special Man, a five year old already qualified for the National by a placement in Ohio in late September that renewed his eligibility earned by two firsts in his second all-age season. If Billy could put another first on Peach before February he would have two dogs eligible for the National.
More important to Billy, Peach’s owner was obsessed with having her compete in the Grand Junction Classic. He was new to trials and Billy feared that without success in getting Peach qualified he might lose his enthusiasm. He had plenty of money for the game, but based on his history of adopting and abandoning sporting pursuits Billy’s concerns were reasonable (he had so far embraced then abandoned quarter horse racing, steeple chasing and deep sea tournament fishing).
The Lee County Open All-Age stake drew forty-six entries. Peach drew the first brace, Man the last. Peach ran a marvelous race and scored four finds. As the stake progressed she remained the gallery favorite for first place. Only the final brace remained to be run tomorrow. Due to a scratch, Man would go down as a bye. Billy wanted to scratch Man for he was convinced the judges were carrying Peach for first.
Ben Reach was riding as reporter. He saw puzzlement and concern on Billy’s face and thought he knew why. As the gallery rode for the barn after the day’s last brace finished, Billy sought out Ben and asked for a private conversation (they had known one another all Billy’s life, for Billy’s father had before his death been dog trainer on a major quail plantation outside Albany and an old friend of Ben’s).
“Mr. Ben, I think Peach has this stake won, and I want to scratch Man. The win will qualify Peach for the National. But as you know Man is a threat whenever he runs, and the first morning course is the best here. I’m afraid if I scratch Man, Mr. Gill (Man’s owner) will consider it disloyal and take Man from me. But if I don’t scratch him, and he wins, I am afraid I’ll lose Mr. Brame (Peach’s owner) or he’ll quit bird dogs. What should I do Mr. Ben?”
Ben had been thinking about Billy’s dilemma before Billy approached him. He knew from the judges they were carrying Peach for first, though he didn’t tell Billy.
“Billy, you think about what you should do between here and the barn, then I’ll talk to you about it.”
They rode the rest of the way in in silence, only the rattle of bit chains, the breathing of their mounts and the soft clomp of their hooves filling the silence. When they reached the barn, Billy said as he took the saddle off, “I need to call Mr. Gill.”
Ben smiled. Billy had come up with the right answer to his dilemma.
Billy called Mr. Gill, and as Ben knew he would, he gave Billy permission to scratch Man. He was an old hand in field trials and understood what it would mean to Billy, at this stage of his career, to have two entries qualified for the National Championship.
So Billy ran his two entries in the National. Neither finished the three hours. Billy lifted each after he believed it had no realistic chance to win. But Billy would be back, perhaps with Peach, perhaps with Man, perhaps with another .