“What was the worst injustice you ever saw committed in field trials?” Sam asked Ben on a rainy Friday afternoon as Ben poured them drams of The Macallan in Ben’s library-conference room. Sam was looking to hear a lively story to end his depression after a tough week with patients.
“That’s easy. It was Bernie Matthys’s banning of Miller’s White Powder and Ferrel Miller from field trials.”
Doc had heard the story before, but this time he wanted the details.
“How exactly did it happen, and why?” Sam asked.
“Well, it’s a long and complicated story. And it makes me mad as hell every time I think about it.”
Ben gathered his thoughts, organized them for how he wanted to tell it.
“It starts with a man, a very complicated man, White Powder’s owner, Ferrel Miller. The most admired, and the most despised and envied, in field trials, for his successes. Also the breeder and developer of more great trial dogs than anyone in the history of the sport. And he did it for one reason and will tell you so, for the money.
“Yes, he made money from bird dogs, was maybe the only person to do so. Most of us just spend money on them. Ferrel came up hard and poor on a farm in West Kentucky, and it taught him to appreciate a dollar.”
Doc nodded and smiled. He knew Ben had spent a fortune on bird dogs over the years.
“Ferrel had pretty much stopped raising puppies. He owned stud dogs and got as stud fees as many pups as he could use in his development program for resale by him or to run in trials himself. For some breedings he got cash stud fees. He kept amateur status so he could enter and handle dogs he owned in amateur or open stakes and keep purses won in the opens.
“He’d owned a dog named Miller’s Silver Bullett (spelled with two ts at the end) that was the all-time top producing sire of field trial winners among pointers and a major winner of championships – 18 – himself. He sired over 600 winners that won 57 Championships.
“Bullett was the sire of White Powder. And White Powder was on the way to topping Bullett’s record as a producing sire. For several years his get were a large percent of entries in the National Championship.
“Bullett also sired Miller’s True Spirit which won 24 Championships (the record) including the National Championship for Ferrel Miller in 2002.
“Then in the summer of 2003 the American Field magazine announced the DNA Requirement. Henceforth the parentage of dogs placing in Championship stakes would have to be verified by DNA samples matched to the registered DNA of the claimed parents. The stated goal was to prevent fraudulent claims of parentage. It also produced a new revenue stream for the Field Dog Stud Book.
“The 2004 National Championship was won by a White Powder son, Miller’s On Line, handled by pro Rick Furney. On Line had been sold by Ferrel Miller to Furney or his owners. A saliva sample was taken from On Line at the trial to verify his registered parentage. The test confirmed White Powder was his sire, but the dam’s claimed parentage was incorrect. (Ferrel Miller did not own the dam).
“The claimed dam’s owner was contacted and he promptly gave the correct dam’s identity, another female he owned. At first the Field refused to give credit to On Line for the win of the National Championship, but when threatened with litigation by On Line’s owners it quickly backed off, and On Line received credit for the win.
“But here’s where Bernie, CEO of the American Field Publishing Company, then owner of the American Field magazine and the Field Dog Stud Book, sanctioning body of open field trials, chose to lower the boom on Ferrel Miller. He decreed that Ferrel be henceforth banned from competing in trials sanctioned by the FDSB and from registering dogs in his ownership or that of his family members. Furthermore, he decreed that Ferrel could not transfer on the FDSB the registered ownership of dogs he owned (including White Powder) to anyone else, and that pups sired by his dogs after the banning date could not be registered. Thus he rendered worthless the most valuable stud dog in the world, White Powder, and every other pointing dog Ferrel owned, and banned Ferrel from handling in trials.
“That in my judgment was the worst injustice ever committed in field trials,” Ben concluded.
“Did Ferrel threaten litigation?” Doc asked.
“No, he chose to accept Bernie’s actions. The ultimate turning of the other cheek.”
“Did that put Ferrel out of the dog business?” Doc asked.
Ben grinned mischievously. “Hell no. He is still developing and selling pointers for field trials, just not registered in his name,” Ben said. “His Kentucky friends call him The King.”
“How old is he?” Doc asked.
“Ninety years old on January 17, 2023, Ben said.
Some men cannot accept another’s superior talents. So they move themselves to a point where they can change the rules. Trialing brings out the best in some men and the worst in others. All trialing organizations suffer from what I call the piss ant syndrome! It’s contagious!
Amen brother he won too much!!
Truly the worst injustice. I heard of Mr Ferrell as bird hunter when I was a very young man, and knew I was going to have one some day. I remember breeding to the best bird dog of his time Miller’s Chief. Ferrell was very nice to this Illinois bird hunter. I still own that line of dog, White Powder was the sire of many dog I hunted and ran. They had all the qualities needed to do the job whether hunting or field trialing. Sad deal for the bird dog industry. However being the type of person Mr Ferrell is he made the BEST of a bad decision. A real GREAT MAN with the knowledge of what a REAL bird dog is. Thanks MR FERRELL!!!
I’m not into field trials, in fact I’ve never been to a field trial but I’ll say this; I’ve owned several bird dogs in my time and all of the best ones have been Miller dogs. I’ll also say this; I’ve had the opportunity to spend 2-3 hours with Ferrel Miller on a couple of different occasions and I don’t think I’ve ever met a nicer guy and I’ve never met anyone who was more willing to help me with my dogs. I didn’t ask for his help, he offered it freely.
Tom, thank you for an honest explanation. If not for Ray Potter (Neumark Megan) and Art Griswald for breeding and for Mr.Ferrell for Silver Bullett, poor young hunters like me would never have the opportunity to hunt the best of bird dog breeding…of course I didn’t get to pick. One pup I bought was a runt female my second female pup had an overbite…be it as may both were outstanding bird dogs…now that I’m 70ish I’m still hunting the same lineage…my 3 year old female is Speed Dial/Happy Jack’s Kate got me another runt because someone passed on her, their mistake. Thanks again for the short story.
Jealousy makes you nasty..
I am running 2x Miller sired (imported semen) bitches here in South Africa. They are absolutely brilliant.
Since the owner of dam in question was forth coming and given that Bernie is no longer the owner of the American Field, why not rectify the injustice.
I had a son of Millers On Line He was killed in a 400 thousand acre fire in South West Kansas. Regestered as Certified Sam as his mother’s sire was Miller’s White Powder and Blue and Gold DNA. He was a great dog and I did draw semen. I always liked Clyde Morton bred dogs and I thank Clyde and Mr. Miller. They are the best of the best.
Bernie Matthys at FDSB did much the same to Alford O. King Sr. around the same timeframe. He was known as the King of Llewellin Setters and credited with saving 13 unique Llewellin Setter bloodlines. Bernie violated FDSB’s own by-laws by not allowing Mr. King an appeal or hearing to prove his innocence, just banned him. Fortunately, Mr. King was able to prove his innocence to the International Progressive Breeders’ Alliance, ‘IPDBA’ Board and registered his dogs with them and continued raising his exceptional Llewellin Setters. In retaliation, Bernie Matthys went on to blacklist IPDBA to this day, including blocking AKC registration. Something needs to be done about these injustices and clear these great men’s names.
I always wondered what the story was with Mr. King. I currently have a female from his lines, bought from O’Neal King, his son. Best dog I’ve ever owned. Great temperament, and a drive and nose that won’t quit. I’m not a field trailer or a breeder, just a grouse hunter in Michigan. I could care less about papers anyway, so not being FDSB eligible means nothing to me. I wanted a good dog, and I got one. End of story. It’s too bad these people were treated so poorly though.