Ike Brown had a derby to sell.
The derby, Fast ‘N Furious, had made a reputation by scoring three firsts in prairie trials.
It was January first now, and Ike decided it was the time to sell F&F. The ideal buyer was a person intent on winning the Continental Derby Championship, set to begin the third Monday of the month.
F&F appeared to be an ideal candidate. And he was, almost. But he had one hole, and a big one. So far, only Ike and his scout, Booty Blevins, knew of the hole.
Ike and Booty had spent their spare time since December first studying on how to sell F&F at a premium price without revealing the hole. Their deal with his owner, their boss Walter Foster, said they could keep all they got above $2,000.
Foster owned Holly Thicket Plantation at Albany, Georgia. He took December off from his business in Silicon Valley to quail hunt on Holly Thicket which bordered the legendary Blue Springs. That’s why Ike and Booty had had December to think about the sale of F&F while guiding daily hunts for their boss. F&F served in their hunting string for the month along with the rest of their trial string. This was the secret of their success in the Spring half of the trial season.
Ike and Booty believed they had figured a way to sell F&F without revealing his hole. The way was to show him only on Holly Thicket. Since Walter Foster was back in Silicon Valley they could offer prospective buyers a half day of quail hunting, including over F&F. Before or after they would show F&F as a trial dog, even let the buyer’s own handler handle him if he chose.
How could Ike and Booty hide the hole on Holly Thicket but not elsewhere? A month of twice-daily hunting heats in December had taught F&F all the hunting courses and covey haunts on the plantation.
F&F’s hole was his hearing. His left ear was weaker than his right. This made it impossible for him to orient himself to his handler on voice alone, an essential skill for a trial dog. In the prairie trials F&F won, Booty had been able to hide the hole. In Piney Woods trials he could not. But on Holly Thicket F&F’s acquired knowledge of the ground and the game and his memory of both would compensate for the flaw in his hearing. Plus Booty would hide his Garmin receiver in his boot and if F&F got off course he should be able to compensate.
Ike had used his email list to select and rank the prospects to buy F&F, based on their histories of buying trial winners. He chose for first chance Fred Eanes, a relative newcomer to trials who had in the last two years bought two All-Age Champions. Their prices were rumored to have been $35,000, but of course no one ever knew what the real number in a dog sale except buyer and seller.
Fred Eanes’ handler was Wally Perkins of Alabama. Wally was 35 and had been raised on a quail plantation managed by his father. He had first gone north to the prairie to help train dogs at age twelve in the company of the dog trainer for the plantation his father managed. He had gone every summer since. For the last ten years he’d worked for himself as a for-the-public-over-the-road All-Age handler. It was an insecure job but for a few men like Wally a calling. Fred Eanes was so far the best owner Wally had ever had.
Fred and Wally of course knew of Fast & Furious by reputation, though Wally had not been at any of the trials F&F won. They appeared at Holly Thicket on January 2 in Wally’s dually-gooseneck rig with four horses prepared to hunt in the morning and try out F&F in the afternoon.
Birds were still plentiful on Holly Thicket. By eleven Fred had his limit, half of the bird’s shot over F&Fs points. Ike could tell Fred was salivating to own F&F, for a wagon dog on his plantation if not for a trial dog. Wally had simply ridden and watched through the morning’s hunt.
Ike offered to take everyone to lunch in Albany. Fred accepted, but Wally declined, saying he had some puppy buying business to attend to. They agreed to meet at Holly Thicket at 2:30 to run F&F as a trial dog.
So far no asking price had been set for F&F. While they were tacking up, Fred asked Ike for a price. “Fifty Thousand Dollars,” Ike said, “but the offer is open only until F&F is picked up.”
“How long are we going to run him,” Fred asked
“As long as you like,” Ike said.
Those were the words Wally had hoped to hear.
“You handle the first ten minutes, then I’ll handle,” Wally said.
F&F was wide and smooth for nine minutes, then scored a find which he handled to perfection. “I’ll handle now. But first call Booty in, put his Garmin in your saddle bag,” Wally said.
Ike used his cell phone to call Booty and tell him to bring in his Garmin. When he arrived, Wally said, “The one in his boot too.”
Booty released F&F and Wally commenced to handle. In a half mile Ike said, “Our property line is just ahead. Course to the right.”
But Wally kept riding straight ahead at the property line, on to Blue Springs Plantation.
During the lunch break Wally had called its dog man, an old friend, and secured permission to run F&F there.
In thirty minutes on Blue Springs Wally had figured out F&Fs hole.
Wally conferred with Fred Eanes privately a few minutes, then yelled, “Booty, pick him up.”
Back at the Holly Thicket kennels and barn, Fred Eanes thanked Ike and Booty for the hunt and tryout and he and Wally left without F&F.
As soon as their truck was out of sight, Ike was emailing the second prospect on his list of prospects to buy F&F. Wally had promised Ike not to tell others of F&Fs hole. It would be in his and Fred Eanes’ interest if someone else bought and campaigned F&F because they now knew he could not win a big one thanks to the hole.