Blog

Worst Mistake

October 3, 2024 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments
Ben Reach and Sam Nixon MD were settled in Ben’s library-conference room at 4 PM on a Friday with drams of The Macallan 12 in plastic mugs and splits of club soda to dilute it on the table before them. Both were glad the work week was over — it had been a tough one. Sam had to tell a patient her cancer had returned. Ben had to tell a grandfather his favorite grandson had failed out of the grandfather’s Alma Mater.  Ben mentioned the bird dog trainers, field trial and hunting plantation types, were just back from summer training on northern prairies. He and Sam were invited to a dove shoot on Mossy Swamp Plantation tomorrow.  “What was the worst screw-up you saw field trial judges make in your years of doing that?” Read more

The Great Field Trial Dog Snatch Caper

September 17, 2024 | Non-fiction | Comments
This is a field trial story worthy of Sherlock Holmes, or Laurel and Hardy, but that could have been tragic. It’s the story of the theft of a handler’s entire string of entries at a field trial held at Amelia, Virginia in the early 1980s, a time of strong competition among accomplished east coast pro and amateur handlers... Read more

A Few of Means

September 11, 2024 | Poetry | Comments
A few men and women of means Kept all-age field trials alive Through depressions recessions and wars Helped by trainers in love with the game Since 1874 Read more

“Helpin’ Each Other”

September 4, 2024 | Booty Blevins, Short Stories | Comments
It was 1957, in the era before “Helpin’ Each Other,” when pro bird dog handlers scouted for one another out of economic necessity. It was in the era when pro handlers traveled in stake-bed trucks instead of dually pickup trucks pulling goose neck trailers, and in the era when scouts were mostly black men employed year around as assistant trainers by the white handler they scouted for. Those scouts were a band of brothers, low paid but loving their work and the dogs they scouted and helped train.  Read more

Old Handler’s Prayer

August 26, 2024 | Poetry | Comments
Oh, please give me a puppy Can cast to the rim Of the biggest pasture  In South Alabama  Oh, please give me a derby  Will go to the limits  Of its hearing  Then come back alookin’ for me Read more

Smells We Don’t Forget

August 20, 2024 | Poetry | Comments
There are smells from childhood We remember into old age A favorite of mine is from age six When I sat on my father’s lap Behind Maud and Bird Our team of Belgian mares  Read more

Holes and Rules

August 13, 2024 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments
“Every dog has got a hole, and his handler has to hide it,” was a truism in the world of bird dog field trials.  This led to an experiment at the Deep South Open All-Age Championship, initiated by John Steed, owner of Fat Pine Plantation, venue of the Championship. Steed issued bodycams to each of the six mounted marshals he sponsored to ride throughout the Championship. Before the first breakaway, he met privately with the marshals. Read more

Some Happy News

August 1, 2024 | Announcement | Comments
I just learned that Hunter Gates had last year joined the staff at Chinquapin Farm as head dog trainer, successor to Ray Warren who has retired. Hunter last week described it to me in an email as “the best decision of my life, I love it there.” He emailed from summer training camp in South Dakota.  Read more