2012 Mid South Regional Championship
The Alabama Region of the National Bird Hunter's Association was again the host of the NBHA Mid South Championship, the one hour Amateur Shooting Dog stake and the Open Derby. We were very blessed to have a very good draw this year with 22 Open Shooting Dogs competing in the Championship, 12 Amateur Shooting Dogs and 14 Open Derbies (or juveniles as we sometimes call them).
The Open Shooting Do Championship kicked off Friday morning and the last derby brace picked up about thirty minutes before dark Sunday, if we would have had another brace or very much delay we would have been hard pressed to have gotten it done.
Ken Tolbert again, permitted the use of his personal training grounds and his equipment to conduct this event; Ken also purchased the birds and had them at the clubhouse every morning at first light for the bird planters to salt the course before the first brace went to the line. Mr. Charles Aston leaves his home in Tennessee each August, to come south and assist Ken in the dog training operation until late spring and he always uses his mechanical mule as a dog wagon at most all of the field trials, and will not accept any pay for fuel, Mr. Charles campaigns two shooting dogs and two derbies with Ken.
Brud Powell of the Arab Club is always ready to do whatever needs doing. Brud planted birds, scouted for anyone needing help and marshaled, then joined Robert Thomas to judge the Open Derbies. Brud wore several hats and I don't know how the Alabama Region would get along without him. Mike Otinger brought his big new four horse trailer with spacious living quarters, so that the ladies who were cooking and feeding all the folks could have a warm place to prepare and serve lunch each day. Mike also furnished fresh horses for the judges and anything else that needed to be done.
My better half (Pat Whitt) feed everyone homemade cornbread and ham with beans, fried apple and peach pies for lunch Friday and Saturday, Teresa Green (Ken Tolbert's daughter) and wife Pat Tolbert served fresh coconut cake and blueberry cobbler. Tammy (Mike Otinger's) girlfriend and his mom (Francis) cooked homemade chicken and dumplings for Sunday and cornbread muffins. If any one left hungry it was their fault. Terry Amberson had not been involved in the sport for about ten years (he was involved for many years in the Tri-State horseback circuit until his job moved him and he had to quit), well he is retired now and back in the game. He is top horse trainer and scout for Whitt's Kennel and he has a big running derby that he loves to run, and run he will. Terry was another man of many hats, he and Mike furnished and saddled horses for the judges when need, bagged birds and lent his John Deere gator to the cause. His wife Janie and two of their grandsons (Kalep and Luke) rode several braces and helped with lunch. Terry is also secretary of the Alabama Region of NBHA and a great help. Danny Robinson and his two teenage sons (Charley and Jack) rode and watched Uncle Marty's dogs compete; the boys seemed to really enjoy it all.
Our Judges this year was Robert Thomas of Trussville Alabama and Joe Barton from Decatur Georgia both have a lot of field trial experience, both have bird hunted and ran dogs in both the walking trials and horseback events. Brud Powell stepped in to help Robert Thomas judge the derbies, so Joe Barton could compete with his own two derbies. The judges rode long hours in very cold raw weather and they were very attentive and helpful to the handlers and Trial Committee. We really appreciate them very much, their decisions were well received.
We very pleased to have some folks to travel from out of state to compete for the first time in our region. Greg Slone, son Cam and friend Brett Francis came down from Kentucky with their recent RU Champion Sky Dancer Swift Current, to run the Open Championship and Amateur Shooting Dog. Cam rode just about ever brace for two days on his quarter horse; he seemed to love every minute. Bob Fortune came down from Tennessee to watch the Open and compete in the Amateur Shooting Dog and we were glad to see him. From North Carolina came Professional trainer and handler Jerry Raynor with his string and owner Doyle Hardison, they would be joined by Mike Mckinney later to run his dog and John Everett's dogs in the Amateur. Jerry Raynor does a lot of winning, just this past year he won the NBHA and US Complete National Championships with two different dogs. It will be a long time before that record is duplicated. He is a hard man to beat and he works hard at it. Daryl Thomas (no relation to Robert) and girlfriend Chelsea Conroy came up from south Georgia to run in Daryl's first walking dog stake. Daryl is a very nice and personable young man who has grown up as second generation dog trainer and it was evident that he knew his stuff. Chelsea is as good a horse girl as he is a dog trainer, they should have a lot of winning to do in the future.
The Champion
Neely's New York …pointer female owned by Regis Linn and capably handled by Daryl Thomas ran in the forth brace on the first day. Conditions had been bad, cold and windy, scenting conditions were very poor and only one dog had gone the hour to finish (Sand Mountain Spirit) got around, but she seemed to have a hard time locating her first finds and had a stop to flush, as we said before scenting was not good , but she got better on her last find and ran a classy race but the wind did give her a problem the first twenty minutes. In the fourth brace New York ran right before lunch and she had two nice finds within the first ten minutes and she stayed to the front and on the edges searching at a good pace, handling like she was on a string. She didn't run to the extreme, but put down a nice shooting dog race and had another nice find in the little field and looked good on her finds. After leaving the Little Field she went to the front and was seen taking the right edge looking good, and from where we were did not see her go up the hill, when gallery and judges got closer they could see here on point and Daryl started toward her and the quail left before handler got there and judge informed Daryl that bird had left, New York never lost her pretty pose until handler shot and collared her. She finished at a good pace, a real good job for dog and handler.
The Runner-Up
Going For Broke, pointer male owned by Marty Robinson of Bremen Georgia and handled by Oscar Whitt ran in the ninth brace on Saturday. His call name Buddy is a big white pointer male, that looks good a going. Buddy left breakaway in a hurry and was seen going through the standing corn strip heading up the long edge and out of sight. Handler went walking and singing (some folks call it hollering) after the crest of the long hill was reached and there was no sign of Buddy until we come to the turn and there stood Buddy. He had been there at least eight minutes and looked as if the bird had walked off. As we got closer he turned his head as if to say "it over this way" handler flushed in that direction and bird took wing. Handler held on to him until he started down tractor road through woods to little field and blew his whistle and let him roll. After the tractor road open up to the field, no sign of Buddy, again its walking, looking, and singing, as we made it half way around the field, Terry Amberson riding in the gallery saw him and informed handler that he was straight ahead pointed. Buddy was standing in the corn stubble looking like a white statue, bird flushed and dog watered and sent on. Buddy went to the edge a carried it out of sight. As we came around little field the he stood again pointing toward the wooded edge, a really good piece of work, birds were flushed and handler heeled dog up the road and sent him toward the edge, dog hunting and running he started up hill and handler got his attention and whistled him on he took long edge up hill out of sight, after we crested hill he was seen hunting hard on right edge - time called, good job for the dog.
Amateur Shooting Dog (1 hour)
Robert Thomas and Joe Barton judging: The Winners and others - Pinnacle's Elhew Dream last year's Open and Amateur Derby of the year was the winner of the Amateur Shooting Dog stake. Bill Garner was tied up with his business and Terry Amberson had to step in to handle his dogs in the Amateur. Dream her call name did a really good job for a first year shooting dog. On her first find her brace mate went by her and took the bird out, with Dream standing as all this transpired. Dream went on to have a very nice race and three perfect finds to win first place. Attitude's River Kate, call name Star did a classy job with five finds and would have got the nod for first but she had a absent period and had the bit in her teeth and was a handful, she has won a lot and will win some more. Star is owned and handled by Marty Robinson. Santee Running Ranger did a good job for his owner and Handler Mike Mckinney of York S.C. he had four finds and ran a nice snappy race.
Open Derby
Brud Powell stepped in to help Robert Thomas judge the stake so Joe Barton could run his two derbies. Winners and others - Palmetto’s Solid Rock owned by Rodney Poston of Pamplico S.C and handled by Jerry Raynor, did a real nice job to get first place. He was fast and classy and had three really nice finds, he ran hard with a beautiful way of going and pretty as gets pointed and had shooting dog manners. He is a good one and should have a bright future. Dominator did a good job, considering he is a puppy aged and still wet behind his ears. He belongs to Marty Robinson of Bremen Georgia and was handled by Whitt. He had five finds and a jumping hard hunting race; he also is the right kind. Cracker Jack A owned by Charles Aston and Handled by Ken Tolbert has been very consistent this season winning second place in the Open Derby in the Southeastern Championship and second in the North Central and now the Mid-South. He is very classy running and high and tight pointing. He had four nice finds and was classy running.
We are glad everyone came and if we left anyone out please look over us. Let me say we really are thankful for our sponsors, Purina for the caps and dog food (Champion gets 450 pounds and RU gets 250 pounds) and all the support they give the NBHA. Tri-Tronics gives the Champion a G-3 electronic collar and Gundog Supply provides gift certificates that really are easy to redeem for equipment. Christie Enterprises furnish Gift certificates that are awesome.
Oscar Whitt
Alabama Region
