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A Mule Trade Got Even

March 6, 2019 | Short Stories | Comments
Truth is often stranger than fiction. This story is absolutely true, according to one participant, Richard Spain, and a witness with no motive to tell it false, The Honorable Elmon T. Gray, friend of both participants. Elmon was a long-serving Virginia State Senator, leader of a family timber company that successfully transitioned to apartments, and perhaps best remembered as a philanthropist. It happened right after World War Two. Read more

Horse and Mule Tradin’ Stories

March 4, 2019 | Other Things, Remembrances | Comments
My friend Jim Heckert, Manager of Cedar Grove Plantation, Clarksville, Virginia, just gave me two really good books, Horse Tradin’ and More Horse Tradin’ by Ben K. Green DVM. The stories in them got me thinking about my heritage. My paternal grandfather, Harry McClanahan Word (1865-1944), was in his first career a successful farmer-livestock dealer, and my father (1897-1954) apprenticed under him. That’s where I got my love of all things agrarian. My grandfather Harry’s life story is filled with cautionary tales, the first being Stick With What You Know. Read more

The Sacrifice

February 23, 2019 | Short Stories | Comments
It was Thursday noon, and the staff of Short Pine Plantation were gathered at the horse barn to plan for the week-end quail hunt. By tradition, shooting guests arrived Thursday afternoon at the Big House for an all-day hunt Friday, followed by a half-day hunt Saturday. (The schedule was repeated for Monday-half-day Tuesday hunts, giving the staff Sunday and Wednesday off). The staff consisted of manager Sam Slade, dog trainer Bill Ray, wagon driver Booty Blevins, long-timers on Short Pine, and a half dozen younger and newer hands whose jobs varied with the need. Read more

A Better Way – Part 2

February 15, 2019 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments
The Option Agreement between Dry River Plantation’s owner and Bill Gaps was signed, the option money was paid and Bill Gaps took possession under the lease. Bud Earp was hired by Bill Gaps as dog man and hunt manager. The Dry River stock, including horses, mules, pointing dogs and retrievers, were also bought by Bill Gaps. Bud Earp moved to a cottage near the kennels and barns and met with the Plantation’s manager to discuss plans for future operations. It was March 1. The prescribed burn was scheduled to begin tomorrow and would keep all hands, including Bud, busy fourteen hours a day for three weeks. Bud was put in charge because the manager, now seventy, knew Bud had sufficient experience and license credentials. Read more

A Better Way – Part I

February 12, 2019 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments
Bud Earp had made an appointment to see Ben at Four on Friday by calling Joanne. Ben knew what he wanted because his dad Walter Earp had come to see Ben a week before to warn him. Since then Ben had been maneuvering. Walter was manager and head dog man on Pinion Pine Plantation outside Thomasville, a quail plantation with a hundred-twenty-year history of Yankee ownership since a Cleveland banker bought it from a Georgia cracker-turpentiner. Walter had come to Ben’s office to warn him of Bud’s intentions. Bud was dead set on striking out on his own as an over-the-road bird dog trainer/field trial handler. Walter wanted Ben to talk Bud out of his dream. The risks were too great, the odds too long, Walter figured, and Ben had to agree. Read more

Tempted Judge

February 8, 2019 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments
Ben Reach did not judge trials much anymore. He was judging now as stand-in for a last-minute no-show. It was an amateur all-age stake. This was the last brace. Performances had been mediocre. But in this brace the two pointers were getting something done. Sinkin’ Creek Sam, handled by Bob Blair of Tallahassee, had scored two good finds at the front and run enough. Melina, a first-year setter handled by Billy Camp, a newcomer to the sport, had scored one and was running a better, wider race than Sam. There were minutes left in this last heat. These would Iikely be judged first and second if they finished under judgment. Read more

Roll In

January 27, 2019 | Prose | Comments
When the boys roll in To Chinquapin In their dually trucks Pulling goose-neck trailers Loaded with long-stepping horses And quick stepping pointers Raring to race for The front where the birds lurk Read more

Solving a Moral Dilemma

January 21, 2019 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments
Jim and Ann White (not their real names) were two of Ben’s oldest clients and friends . When Ann called Joanne for an appointment, Joanne could tell from her voice that she was under great stress. She set the appointment for ten next morning and called Ben on his cell phone to let him know despite the fact she knew he was sitting in a jon boat on a pond with Sam fly casting for bream. “I am worried about Ann White. Set an appointment for you to see her tomorrow here at ten. She said not to tell Jim. Wanted you to know so you and Dr. Sam would not schedule something else.” The something else she feared was another pond fishing date. It was March and they were bedding. Ann arrived fifteen minutes early, driven by Fred Blevins, Mossy Swamp’s butler and all around inside man (bar tender, chauffeur, grocery shopper, guardian of the very old or very young visitors whenever needed—he had been a Pullman Porter in his long ago youth and enjoyed the natural dignity of an ambassador). Read more

25 Years of The Florida Championship, Part 2

January 13, 2019 | Field Trials, Florida Open All-Age Championship | Comments
January’s second week Brings them South to Chinquapin In dually trucks pulling gooseneck trailers Loaded with horses and bird dogs determined Determined to win On this hallowed ground Where quail aplenty are to be found Unless they decide they will not be found That is the mystery They all seek to solve How some days or hours They’re everywhere And others they vanish Into thin air or some say the Read more