In the hearts of true all-age pointing dog devotees, nothing is so important as a talented derby. A derby is a two-year-old.
What defined a talented derby: potential for greatness as an all-age, or adult, competitor. And greatness in pointing dogs involved many talents. But the one always recognized: excitement, the ability to produce it.
Devotees always recognize it, though not always able to define it in words. But when they ride silent and alert, watching, with only the clomp of hooves and the muted rattle of bit chains audible, you know the dog is producing it.
This derby, as do all, grew from a puppy. Its owner from weaning, the 16-year-old son of a handler, had been given it by a customer of his father. Pup, now derby, had been inseparable from its owner ever since. He had experienced two summers on the prairie now, and it was Christmas. He would compete in the Continental Derby Championship in three weeks, scouted by his owner, handled by his owner’s father.
Riding in the gallery would be the man who had given the pup, now derby, to his owner. The derby’s parents were both now dead, victims of an unidentified deadly virus that had invaded his home kennel.
The Continental Derby Championship, recognized as the premier derby stake, the last and only wild bird derby championship on quail, ran at Livingston Place in North Florida, the third week each January. Birds were abundant there this year.
The derby won the Championship convincingly. What would be the derby’s future?
After the derby was announced Champion, the man who had given him to the handler’s son invited the handler and scout to a celebratory supper at his plantation just north of Livingston Place. After the delicious meal of Grouper caught in the nearby Gulf, they were served pecan pie with vanilla ice cream. Then the host got down to business.
“Bobby, John, I’ve got a proposition for you. I’ll buy Jimmy (the derby’s name) from Bobby by paying Bobby’s tuition to Community College for two years and if and when he successfully completes those two years then for two years at any Georgia college or university he chooses and gets admitted to. When he earns a bachelor’s degree I’ll add $2,000 cash. And for every championship Jimmy wins I’ll add $500 cash. John, I’ll put Jimmy in your string. Is that a deal, boys?”
Bobby and John were in tears before the offer was complete. “Yes, sir!” son and father answered in unison as soon as the offer was completed.
By the time Bobby completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Georgia, Jimmy had won five more Open All-Age Championships under John’s whistle. Bobby had scouted for three of these. The owner had ridden front for them all.