Misunderstandings destroy understandings, parent-child bonds, sibling affections, business deals. Among the most fragile of business relationships is bird dog field trial handler partnerships, known as ‘helpin’ each other.”
With the wisdom only age brings, Ben and Sam often worked to heal misunderstandings among their acquaintances.
Misunderstandings often arose during pointing dog field trials, an arcane world Ben had long inhabited and Sam viewed from afar through Ben’s eyes and stories with amusement.
Ben had just returned to Albany from Paducah, Kentucky, where he had served as the third judge of the Invitational on Thanksgiving weekend. It was the Friday afternoon after, and Sam had walked over to Ben’s office from his own at 4 PM for their ritual end-of-week meeting.
Joanne had the makings of their libations ready. She greeted Sam with a hug and, her computer hooded against the dust sure to be stirred by the weekend cleaning crew, she scurried off for her hairdresser appointment. Ben was ushering out his last client of the week, a female patient of Sam’s who also embraced the physician on her way out. Ben locked the office door behind her and he and Sam retired to the library-conference room.
Ben poured a dram of The Macallum 12 in each of their insulated plastic glasses, Sam’s bearing a Harvard logo, Ben’s an image of the Georgia bulldog.
“Here is to you,” Ben said and lifted his glass for a first sip. Sam reciprocated, and said, “Tell me something funny or sad that happened at Paducah?”
“A handler partnership almost blew up, but I broke a rule and saved it,” Ben said.
Sam was intrigued, as Ben knew he would be.
“Well, I am glad it was something positive for a change. Tell me about it. And start by explaining a handler partnership.”
“Until the 1980s most pro handlers had an employee-scout. The economics of being a for-the-public handler have always been poor, and to survive handlers figured out they could save money if they scouted for one another and eliminated a scout’s salary and horse expense. Clubs began to let handlers list their entries in both names of a partnership so they would not be drawn to compete in a brace. The new arrangement became known as ‘helpin’ each other.” It’s not a true partnership because each man has his own string of dogs and competes with his partner for placements.”
“Frank Eanes and Bill Farr were helpin’ each other. We called back four for the two-hour finals on Monday. Frank’s Georgia Peach in the first brace, Bill’s Alabama Al in the second.
“The first callback brace dogs were doing a good job at an hour fifty minutes, the other two judges had them even and so did I. The pro handler judge said, ‘Let’s keep ‘em down an extra 15 minutes so we won’t have to call em back to separate winner and runner-up.’ Bad idea, I thought, but the other judge disagreed with me so we called in Frank and his bracemate’s handler and told them. At that time Bill Farr was off looking for Georgia Peach so he did not hear about the extra fifteen minutes.
“Well, as luck would have it, five minutes after the two hours expired Bill Farr rode up with Georgia Peach on his check cord! I realized at once what had happened. Bill had not got word of the extra fifteen minutes and by his watch time was up. He had Peach on the rope to show her to the judges which is a requirement in the two hour final brace. By the rules, if a handler or scout has an entry on a rope before time is up in a brace it is disqualified.
“I was then the lay back judge and the only people there to see Peach on the rope were Frank, Bill and me. By the rules I was required to rule Peach disqualified. But I didn’t. I told Bill about the extra fifteen minutes that had been added to the heat and to turn Peach loose. I also said to Bill and Frank, ‘Don’t you ever tell anyone else about this or I will skin you alive.’
“That saved the Frank and Bill ‘helpin’ each other’ partnership.”
“Who won?” Sam asked as he poured them a divdend of The Macallan.
“Georgia Peach Champion and Alabama Al Runner-Up” Ben said.