The Invitational Champions
By John P. Russell
(Lu Lu Publishing 500 pages)
John Russell has given the field trial sport a precious gift: a comprehensive history of the Quail Championship Invitational, the dream trial for the twelve best of the best held each Thanksgiving weekend, and its Champions.
First held in 1941 and 1942 at Albany, Georgia and suspended for the War years, it was revived in 1964 by the West Kentucky Field Trial Club at the West Kentucky Wildlife Area grounds at Paducah which has since stewarded it through innumerable hardships despite having no wealthy patron members. It has survived on the love of a few dedicated individuals for a class all-age bird dog. For twenty of those years it was led by the author, whose dedication to its cause this reviewer observed for eleven of those years, while serving as reporter.
The Invitational’s format is ideal, showcasing the twelve best open all-age dogs based on their Purina Points in head-to-head competition. The first two days each dog is drawn for a morning or afternoon brace with a different bracemate for an hour heat, then on Monday those selected by the three judges (including a professional handler) go for two hours. All four hours are judged as one heat, thus minimizing the luck of the draw. Consistency and stamina are essential for a win, and the standard demands a polished true all-age, reaching, forward, bold and independent, the sort discerning breeders seek. Runner-Up honors are optional.
The author’s chosen format, consistently followed, gives the reader a world of useful information, including the trial reporter’s full write up of the Champion’s braces, its pedigree and top sire line (with wins, winners produced and total wins of progeny) back to Rip-Rap plus its dam’s top sire line from when its pedigree ceases to contain the top-line sire. Also given in chart form are each year’s contestants and their handlers and owners, the weather conditions prevailing, the judges and the championships won and produced record of the winner. The Runner-Up and a brief account of its performance and that of each finalist is also included. Finally, a photo of the winner heads the chapter.
For the cover, the author chose four outstanding Invitational Champions: The Texas Ranger, the first and from Bill Brown’s account a sensational one, Barshoe Buzzsaw, winner in 1982 and 1983 and a six-time contestant, called back each year, Rebel Wrangler, winner in 1987 and 1992 and a seven-time contestant, no Runner-Up named in 1992, and Miller’s Silver Bullett, winner in 1991 and 1993 (no Runner-Up) and a sire of three Invitational Champions including the only three-time winner, House’s Rain Cloud.
The Invitational owes its birth and life to a handful of dedicated visionaries, Raymond Hoagland for the first in 1941, and Henry Weil, Arthur Curtis and J. D. Boss, successive Chairmen at Paducah. Starting in 1994, John Russell began to take on more and more of J. D.’s duties, and in 1997 was named Chairman and President of the West Kentucky Club, where he served until 2017. From tracking Purina Points and issuing invitations to securing judges and attending to their mounts to marshaling and myriad other details, John and his wife Kayeleen, long time Secretary until her untimely death in 2006, led the effort, assisted by Jim Crouse, Chairman of the companion Kentucky Quail Classic, and other Club members serving as marshals.
John’s dedication to the Invitational is perhaps best demonstrated by this anecdote. Until 2006 the Invitational was a wild bird trial. In that year the Club was forced to adopt a quail release program, which has proved quite successful, thanks in no small measure to John’s efforts. Each Thanksgiving he has driven the eight hundred mile round trip to secure healthy birds in Alabama, then spent Friday releasing them strategically in wild bird haunts, assuring entries the chance to find them in naturally birdie places. That and the untold hours he has toiled on this book testify to his love for the trial and the sport. No field trialer of any category will want to be without it. It is available online from LuLu Publishing or on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and through other booksellers in hardback ($49.95), softback ($29.95 ) and e-book ($8.99) versions. It will make the ideal Christmas and judge’s gift.