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July 4, 2021 | Remembrances | Comments
I first watched Robin Gates handle at the Eastern Open Shooting Dog Championship in Virginia in 1976. His dogs hunted beautiful patterns, found game and were fast and stylish and had impeccable manners. And they reacted to his voice as if connected by cellphone, not then in use. I was impressed by how seldom he spoke to them, and how swiftly they obeyed him. He was 20 years old.  Read more

Found Love

June 29, 2021 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments
Ben Reach was not surprised by the call from Ann Cameron. “Ben, I need some personal advice. When could I see you?” “How about four this afternoon?” Ben said. “See you then” Ann said, and hung up. Read more

The Confession (fiction)

June 23, 2021 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments
It had happened in 1965. Forty-Five were entered, forty-one pointers and four setters. After eight had run the first two days, the National Bird Dog Championship was called off for too few birds. This despite the fact Highway Man for Bill Rayl had scored three finds and hunted to the Amesian Standard. The judges’ decision had many followers of the sport furious. Read more

The Master Thief

June 16, 2021 | Short Stories | Comments
Fred Freeze was a genius at training pointing dogs, of a certain sort. Very smart ones, the ones who understood what field trials were all about. Not necessarily the most athletic or naturally talented, but those that could be taught to leverage the talents of a bracemate. And none had been so well suited to Fred Freeze’s methods as Candice, a pointer female who learned tricks from Fred like a circus performer. Read more

Rivals

June 11, 2021 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments
They had been fierce rivals twenty years. Too fierce some said. The rivalry came to a head in the National Amateur Quail Championship run that year on the King Ranch. They had been top amateur handlers for years now, competing all over the country in regional championships with all-age dogs they bred and trained themselves. Like others in the top echelon, the semi-pros Ben Reach called them, they were serious as a heart attack about winning, so much so that many competitors dreaded being braced with them. They were generally good sportsmen, unless your dog was a threat to win; then sportsmanship went out the window, and you best be on the lookout, or so rumor had it. Read more

Luke

June 2, 2021 | Prose, Remembrances | Comments
My friend Luke Weaver died today His best friend Bubba called to say We shared memories of our friend A friend to all who came his way Luke had a gift for friendship And a gift for fun If you were with him you’d be laughing As sure as you were breathing Read more

Lambing Time

May 29, 2021 | Prose, Remembrances | Comments
On our small farm In Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains Lambing time commenced On Christmas Eve The pregnant ewes Were gathered in Our barn with third-cutting alfalfa hay In the manger down the middle Read more

Setter Derby On His String ~ Part One

May 11, 2021 | Prose | Comments
He was dead tired When he reached the one-course grounds Where starting tomorrow He would run The dogs on his string First he removed his two mounts From the trailer he’d pulled From two states away Behind the old pickup Led them to stalls hung them some hay Then he stretched the chain On the ground neath the shed One by one snapped his dogs’ collars To the links in Read more