Some Luck

The year was 1953. They were on the prairie in Manitoba at July’s end, camped twenty miles apart.

Jim Chambers was there with a string of puppies, derbies and all-ages for his employer Sid Simon, one of America’s wealthiest men. He had come up from Union Springs by train while his hands had hauled the dogs up in a two-ton truck. The horses they used stayed in Canada year-round. They belonged to Simon but were lent by him, when not in use for dog training, to Canadian farmer-ranchers who in exchange for boarding them, used them under saddle or to pull wagons, slays, cultivators, plows, harrows, mowing machines, rakes, whatever. It was a good deal for all.

Bill Lane was there as a for-the-public trainer-handler with a short string of trial prospects and a few foot hunting prospects for bird hunters. With him was his long time scout Booty Blevins and a couple of local boys, sons of Canadian farmer-ranchers. Bill rented local horses, and they were a rough bunch but he and Booty made do with them.

A plantation-owner customer of Bill from Georgia had promised to send a dozen wagon string prospects to him for summer training but backed out on the deal after Bill and Booty were already in Manitoba. The economics of their summer training trip were not going to work out. Bill racked his brain for a solution. But it was Booty who came up with a scheme that might save their bacon.

Bill had in his string a coming derby with which he had won the Dixie Puppy Classic. Bill had bred and raised him and still owned him. Many wanted to own him. At Booty’s suggestion, Bill went to Jim with this proposition.

“I’ll grant him (Mr. Simon) an option to buy him for $1,500 after the prairie trials if he will pay my entry fees. Price of option, $1000, to be applied to purchase price if the option is exercised.”

Jim took the deal for his employer and gave Bill $1000 Canadian. Bill had meant $1000 US but took the Canadian. It would just cover his out of pocket until the trials.

With a short string Bill and Booty were able to give their few trial prospects extra attention. When Labor Day arrived and the trials began it showed. They won or placed in every stake they entered, two derby, two all-age. Bill decided to enter his Dixie Puppy winner, eligible thanks to a derby stake win, in the Manitoba Championship. Its name was D Day Survivor, which Bill was.

Jim won the Championship with Simon’s best dog, and Survivor won runner-up. After the trial ended Jim approached Bill with a check, drawn on a US bank Bill was happy to see. It was for $1500 US.

“This is $1000 too much,” Bill said.

“No it’s not,” Jim said.

“When I told Mr. Simon about the option I left out the detail about the cost of the option being applied to the purchase price. By the way, he authorized me to offer you and Booty jobs to manage his shooting string at his plantation when we get home.”

Bill and Booty looked at one another and grinned. The night before Booty had said to Bill, “Wouldn’t it be grand to have a job with a boss like Mr. Simon on a shoot’n place like he’s got at Union Springs.”