Blog

Memories of the Free-For-All

January 17, 2025 | National Free-For-All Championship, Remembrances | Comments

It was my privilege to report the National Free-For-All Championship at Sedgefields, Safford, Alabama a few years just before its discontinuance as a three-hour stake. It was unique, and its loss was a blow to the sport. First run in 1916 by the National Field Trial Club, it was first won by John Proctor (HOF 1954), which had won the National Championship the week before after a two-hour second series. Read more

Remembering the Florida

This week marks the third anniversary of the last Florida Open All-Age Championship, conducted the second week of January at Chinquapin Farm through 2022. Started as the Suwannee River Open All-Age in 1969, becoming a Championship ten years later in 1979, the trial stood for excellence, attracting the top all-age handlers and owners throughout its history. Key to its success was the dedication and generosity of its sponsor, Edward L. (“Ted”) Baker. Read more

Handler’s Prayer For One More Cast

January 9, 2025 | Florida Open All-Age Championship, Poetry | Comments

Oh, I long for one more entry To ride behind of a crisp morning When we gather on the pipeline For the prayer for a safe ride Yes, I long to swing up on Monty My old handling horse I swapped for When my buddy lacked gas money And I’d just won the Derby Read more

Parke C. Brinkley and Virginia Field Trials

December 31, 2024 | Parke C. Brinkley, Virginia Field Trials | Comments

I also want to congratulate the Association of Virginia Field Trial Clubs for the contribution that it has made to bird dogs and field trials in Virginia since its organization in 1958. It has never been stronger nor has it had more influence than it has today under the leadership of Gene Hogg and Rogers Huff. Read more

Their Last Brace as Partners

December 28, 2024 | Poetry | Comments

They drew if fair And they drew it square The second course In the morning The one you want If you got enough dog And a scout Well-mounted and sharp-eyed Read more

Once Upon a Time

December 18, 2024 | Field Trial Recollections | Comments

Once upon a time, about 1990, a young man from Albany, Georgia, had a great job. He was dog trainer and hunt manager on one of the south’s largest Yankee Quail Plantations. His father was manager of the plantation, his brother the manager of its pecan orchards and other agricultural operations. He had won two years in a row the Yankee Trial, the Owner’s Trial of the Georgia-Florida Field Trial Club, composed of the multimillionaire owners of the quail plantations between Albany and Tallahassee. The Club has since 1916 sponsored each President’s Day (except in war years) a one-day trial for wagon dogs from the plantations. Read more

A New Grouse Hunter

December 9, 2024 | Grouse Hunting, Short Stories | Comments

Sam Scales had just sold his AI Startup to a consortium of Private Equity firms for $1 Billion (his share) and embraced a new-to-him sport: Ruffed Grouse Hunting. He brought to it the same intensity he had to the Startup. He was a math genius with a photographic memory and a control freak, traits that did not equip him for easy companionship. But one trip into Maine abandoned-farm country, where he saw one grouse rise and fall to the shot of his host, hooked him. Read more

A Misunderstanding

November 29, 2024 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments

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 Read more

My Thanksgiving

November 27, 2024 | Ferrel Miller, Poetry | Comments

This Thanksgiving I give thanks For the opportunities To watch great all-age dogs Looking back on those years I give thanks for the chances God gave me to write up The best dogs of those days Read more

Rosco and Meg

November 22, 2024 | Poetry | Comments

Rosco said he’d scout for me No one else would, so I said thanks He led Meg out and cut her loose She grabbed an edge and took it, out of sight Rosco swung up on his ugly mare Reined her into woods on right Next thing I know Meg popped out on the left Took that edge forward, happy, fast, to my delight Read more