Fred Dileo

Since his tragic death
At 46 in 2007
I have been working
To tell his story

I have bare facts
From the written records
Memories too of what I witnessed
Many stories others told me

Now I hope to gain your help
Those who knew him watched him work
To climb the ladder to the top
Dog by dog trial by trial

Please share your memories
As I post the records of his dogs
Respond below by comment all can see
Or message me for privacy

The goal of this is a book
To tell the story of Fred’s life
Brief accounts with many photos
Author’s royalties for Taylor

We begin with Texas Hummer
Whelped February 1, 1982
By Andy’s Stuff ex Bruton’s Susie
She by White Knight’s Button

He debuted spring of 84
At the Vidalia Club’s trial
Placed first in Open All-Age and Open Derby
If you were there or heard about it
Please tell us what you remember of it

If you wish to respond privately message me
Your confidences and privacy will be respected
As requested—thank you for your time and interest

He got his start
With a pointer pup
Texas Hummer
By Andy’s Stuff outa Bruton’s Susie
She a daughter of
White Knight’s Button

Fred’s first winner
Whelped February 1, 1982
Fred’s first owner J M Simpson
Backed the derby

In the spring of 84
Hummer debuted
At Vidalia Georgia
Won two firsts

First Open Derby
First Open All-Age
At barely age two
Gave Fred his field trial start

Then in the fall of 86
Hummer came Runner-Up
In the Texas Open Championship
Fred’s first Championship placement

Next in January 87
Hummer won runner-up
In the Florida Championship
Caught the attention of two future owners

Tom Kennard and Ted Baker
Liked what they saw
In the dog and its handler
Though he smiled very little

Meanwhile Fred had no truck
No trailer
No horse
Worked for a Georgia commercial quail hunting operation

Texas Hummer
Got bred to
Fiddler’s Junebug
By Fred and J L Sanders

From that litter
Came Chacoan Hummer
Owned by Nick and Sue Palumbo
Fred’s first major winner

Won runner-up in the Georgia Derby in 89
Then the breakthrough for Fred
The Continental All-Age Championship
In January 1990

That set Fred
On his way
As a full fledged member
Of the piney woods handler’s guild

They could call him a Yankee
And they always would
But he’d won the major
That mattered in the piney woods

Hummer’d go on to win
The U S Open
The Masters Quail
And Runner-Up in

The All-America Prairie
International Pheasant
All-America Prairie again and the Southwestern
Sixteen wins proved Chacoan Hummer and Fred belonged

Meanwhile on March 18, 1989
Morning Thunder whelped Double Rebel Buck
Sired by Mike Furcolow’s Greenbrier Buckboard
Buck would make Fred the New Rebel Man

Heir to Fred Arant
And the others who
Put their faith in
The tall dogs with liver at the base of their tails

Eight Derby wins
Then as a first year 92-93 he won
The Lee County All-Age, the Southland
And the Continental Open All-Age Championships

In 94 spring and fall
Two firsts in hour all-ages
Frank Reilly and Raymond Rucker
Spring 95 Florida Open Championship and Frank Reily again

Fall of 95 Runner-Up Mid America Prairie
Then in January 96 the Florida Championship again back to back
Four championships plus two runner ups
Eighteen big wins in five years proved Buck was great and Fred on top

But Buck’s and Fred’s greatest race was not a win
Instead a duel in the 94 National Championship
With Brush Country Specter and Ed Husser
Two great Champions two self-tortured handlers

For three hours they traded blows
Sweeping casts to limb finds
Poetry in motion by true all-age dogs
Specter won the National but neither dog lost

Buck’s gifts to Fred
Did not end there
His genes carried on
Through son Double Rebel Sonny

Buck’s gifts to Fred
Included another
That would change Fred’s life
Forever

In April 92 Fred took Buck to New Jersey
Where he placed in the English Setter Club’s All-Age Classic
Just before that Fred took his string to Dr. Hunter Wilłcox
For checkups as was his custom

There Fred met a lady veterinarian
And at first sight vowed she’d be his wife
That lady was Patricia
And for two years he bided his time

Then in April 94 Fred was back
Buck won the Frank Reily All-Age Classic
With Patricia in the gallery at his invitation
They married that November in Georgia

Their honeymoon was a field trial in Ohio
Cold wet and dismal
But they hardly noticed
For three years they lived as before

Fred on the road with the dogs
Patricia working in New Jersey
Meeting somewhere monthly
Meanwhile daughter Taylor joined them

When Taylor turned one
Patricia moved with Taylor to Climax
Where Fred had lived in a single wide
For Patricia it was quite some adjustment

But adjust she did
To a new veterinary practice
And the life of South Georgia
Where accents were not the only difference

Always hard working Fred worked harder
Developing new dogs
And new owners who recognized his skills
And his dedication

And like all in his craft
Finding ways to earn cash
With private hunts
While he plied the circuit

….more to come