From 1995 through 2022
I lived a magic second life
A life apart from reality
A life in bird dog field trials
It was an accidental life
A life not planned on purpose
It came about when Ted Baker asked me
To report the Florida at Chinquapin
I had never reported
A field trial before
But after reporting that one
I was asked to report more
And because I enjoyed it
I accepted invitations and reported far and wide
Starting with The Invitational at Paducah (ten years straight)
And the Continental Open All-Age Championship
and Derby at Dixie (now Livingston Place)
The Free-For-All and National Derby at Sedgefields West
And the Amateur Free-For-All at Sedgefields Union Springs
The Oklahoma at McCall-Ingersall Tulsa
The North Dakota Classics at Columbus
The National Amateur Pheasant at Kildeer Plains
Where Miller’s White Powder as a first year reigned
Under the whistle of The King
Only to be banned unjustly — both of them
The Kentucky All-Age at Berea
The Alabama Open Shooting Dog at Sehoy
The Southeastern All-Age at Chickasaw and Abigail
Then the Lee County at Leesburg with the Morelands and Luke Weaver
The Montgomery at Letahotchee with Mr. Hoyt Henley
Where Prather Robinson and brother-in-law Chesley Harris
Trained Champions so many years ago
For 27 years, between age 56 and 83
I reported field trials continuously
And enjoyed it enormously
Enjoyed the people and the dogs
The horses and the lands
The traditions and the pagentry
And escaped the boredom of reality
And wrote about it — some truth, some fiction, some pure fantasy
From 1995 through 2022
I spent every second week of January
At the Big House at Chinquapin
Watching All-Age dogs with friends
No more fun than that exists
For a guy who loves bird dogs
And buddies similarly addicted
Thank you, Ted Baker, for your gift
Of asking me to report your field trial in 1995 and after
It was the best that ever was but is no more
Because you have gone to your reward
Thank you, Ted Baker, from all us guys and gals
Who, like you, love all-age dogs and running and watching them