2014 NBHA National Open Championship Report
The 2014 National Bird Hunters Association National Open Championship was held March 11 through March 14 in Patrick, South Carolina at the esteemed H. Cooper Black field trial grounds. After a day of qualifying, marked by extreme weather and inspired dog work on championship worthy grounds, there were six dogs and a deserving stand by qualified to run in the championship. When the wind finally lay down and the Carolina sand had settled, Cock N Fire Maggie, handled by Jerry Raynor, had deservingly won the championship and an exciting and memorable field trial championship was concluded.
The NBHA wisely chose the venerable H. Cooper Black field trial area as the grounds for the annual championship. The Cooper Black grounds are a great example of a public and private partnership that would not exist but for the successful cooperation of many persons with vision as well as organizations dedicated to preserving our sport, none more involved than the NBHA. I enjoyed speaking to former NBHA President and current Vice President, John Everett, about his memories of raising volunteers to clear land and the hard work that went along with helping to get the grounds up to its current shape, over a number of difficult and strenuous years. A large part of the Cooper Black story was the many fundraisers and donations made by the NBHA, its members and other private parties to making a championship field trial course a reality in the sandhills section of South Carolina. Those efforts do pay dividends and the reward is the opportunity to conduct quality events with superb accommodations in a classic setting of rolling sandhills and thinned stands of longleaf pines. The course was in excellent condition for a spring championship with the grass and broom straw cut or recently burned to a good height and cover was abundant along the course of tall Carolina pines. The weather was certainly a factor early in the event, starting with a mild 50 degrees on opening day with fairly sunny conditions the morning offering an advantage with better conditions, cooler temperatures and slight moisture, followed by extreme wind in the first afternoon and the following morning with normal weather and mild temperatures the remainder of the running.
The judges selected for the event, Tommy Rice and Arnold Hall, were well received by all participants and highly regarded in the field for their knowledge, focus, and demeanor. All agreed that the better dog would be picked by these able men whose deep regard for the sport was evident by their diligent work in the saddle throughout the event. Always first at the line and calling for dogs, these Judges set a good temp, kept the trial moving forward and advised clearly to all participants their expectations of conduct, from the saddle. Judge Arnold Hall from Morristown, TN, was enjoyable with his good humor along the course and during meals. Tommy Rice is a stoic Judge, from Thomasville, GA, who was keen on dog work throughout the event; he was often the first in the entire gallery to call out a dog who had escaped the sight of the handler. It was clear from their very positive attitudes and demeanor that the Judges were serious about their jobs and were determined to award the best dog the status of champion.
Every great championship has a great team behind the scenes doing the heavy lifting to make it all look easy. In this well run championship event leadership was provided from the top , as current NBHA president Marty Robinson and former, John Everett, were present early on opening morning to meet and make welcome all participants. Marty wrote all participants a genuine letter of welcome and thanked sponsors Garmin, Gun Dog Supply, Purina and Christie�s Enterprises for assisting and generous sponsorship. As soon as trialers entered the clubhouse the hot coffee and an ample supply of snacks, display of trophies, bountiful gifts (including a beautifully crafted trooper saddle), reminded all that we were there to compete for a championship. Thank you again to John Everett who pulled out all the stops with a trailer full of food, snacks and NBHA memorabilia. To travel a long distance and see the time and effort in making you welcome makes the sacrifices we all make feel appreciated.
Cooper Black has many options for a walking trial but for the championship the long course that breaks away across from the entrance and drifts through the piney woods in a circular pattern before re-emerging and crossing into the open field across from the entrance was chosen as the championship course. Most dogs that finished the challenging course were finishing right as the course ended back at the starting area.
The preparations for the trial started weeks in advance but as the day arrived the tasks were given to the right persons as they took their jobs seriously and worked hard to put a great event on. The big John Deere tractor with attached gallery wagon was in constant use and appreciated on every brace throughout the contest. Thank you to Teddy Poston for his years of service as a game warden with DNR and also for his skill and patience driving that tractor. It was a real asset to the trial to be able to watch the action from the well equipped wagon. The bird work was handled by veteran NBHA supporter Scott Turner who did the entire bird placement on day one. Scott had to make a smart choice and leave after the first day as his anniversary was that night! Dedicated and smart was a good way to describe his choice. Also helping with bird duties was John Everett and Tom Green. A big thank you goes out to all the men who helped plant great flying birds along the lengthy course.
THE RUNNING
The opening morning of March 11 looked sunny and clear out the window, but when you opened the doors the wind was noticeable and picked up strength throughout the day. The wind was the defining weather element of the first day. After a short meeting to welcome the participants the dogs were on the line at 8 am sharp ready to qualify for the championship. There were twenty dogs entered in the championship with a call back of six. Fifteen pointers and five setters rounded out the entries.
The first brace featured the eventual 2014 NBHA Champion Cock N Fire Maggie, in the first hour this spectacular bird finder had a total of nine finds highlighting an excellent performance with a smooth showy race. Lucky Luke Star, handled by Robert Ecker, was admirable on the ground, a little short through the middle, to earn a well deserved stand by on the call back status. The second brace included a Tarheel Mirage, pointer female, handled by Roger McGuire, who had several finds on the front but was picked up at 45. Robert Ecker�s Cas Tiny, pointer female, had multiple finds with a medium race that was not enough for the Judges to qualify. The third hour included Barton�s Brave Heart, picked up early by Joe Barton. Jerry Raynor�s Palmetto Solid Rock ran a medium race with a lack of bird work to distinguish it to qualify. The fourth hour brace included Field Stone Farm Clyde entered by Robert Ecker, setter male that ran a medium race before the handler and dog were separated. Decoy Lake Amy, pointer female, handled by Larry Wade, had a very slow start until several early finds put her in bird hunter mode but was ultimately picked up around 15. The fifth hour featured Autumns Abbey, pointer female, handled by Robert Ecker, who ran a medium race with a good deal of style but a lack of bird work to accompany. Tarheels Hytest Sue, setter female, earned her qualifying bid with a multiple find performance and a huge far reaching finish. The sixth hour included Hi Rolling Real Deal, pointer male of Robert Ecker, who showed promise but was lost early after breakaway. Hardrayn Pretty Sporty, pointer female, from Jerry Raynor�s kennel, was strong to the front and found standing on birds on multiple occasions to earn her spot. In the seventh hour Jerry Raynor�s pointer female Rocking Kate, the top qualifying dog and 2013 Champion, ran her hour course like it was drawn out to be run, multiple finds all dead to the front with a far reaching finish that extended on to the derby course to earn her call back. Paired in the brace was Oscar Whitt�s Sand Mountain Spirit, a pretty pointer female owned by Mike Ottinger. She ran a hard charging race that was a nice show to earn her call back status. In the eighth hour Joe Barton�s Tattle, pointer male, ran a medium race to the finish against Islander, a setter male of Robert Ecker�s, that also ran a medium race with a good connection between handler and dog but did not finish. In the ninth hour Sand Mountain Andy, pointer male, handled by Stanley McCain, started out strong with big ground coverage but did not finish against the setter female, Fricken CoCo, handled by Robert Ecker, who also showed classy with a strong beginning but did not finish. The last brace with Attitude�s River Kate and Moehills Carolina Ruby ended the qualifying series with a smoke filled race w both dogs earning multiple finds, Ruby to the extreme and Attitudes River Kate going in all the right spots. It was a very busy day that brought challenging weather that grew more difficult through the day but with consistent effort by the Judges and Marshalls to get the dogs to the line, a full ten hours of braces were completed in day one. The end of the day brought the group back into the spacious clubhouse and out of the wind for a fantastic hot meal that was attended by all.
After the meal a raffle was held which seemed to strangely favor both Judges to the point that Judge Tommy Rice gave away his last prize after his numbers kept getting called! A Calcutta was held and the group seemed certain that Rocking Kate, last year�s winner was the dog to beat for 2014. After an enjoyable evening of camaraderie the group turned in with the anticipation of the morning�s event.
The next day the sun came up on a much calmer morning with the wind nearly blown out. I opted to stay in my trailer the previous night and it was extreme wind to the point that I moved horse behind the trailer for a wind block as I was concerned about safety. The pines were whistling as winds gusted up to 40 mph across the sandhills.
After coffee and a quick meeting the six finalist call back dogs were announced. Rocking Kate, Cock N Fire Maggie, Attitudes River Kate, Sand Mountain Spirit, Hardrayn Pretty Sporty, and Tarheel Hytest Sue, with Lucky Luke Star as the stand by call back dog were announced.
It was decided to run Championship immediately that morning and the Derby stakes after lunch. Under excellent conditions after a stirring prayer in the field the first brace broke away promptly at 8 am. This first brace had consistent action and bird work throughout the course. Roger McGuire�s setter Tarheel HyTest Sue did a laudatory job finding birds on four occasions on the course and running with style and spirit the length of the course after getting behind early. The effort and enthusiasm of the run was consistent with the only criticism being stiffness on point. It was a good hard run race with multiple finds and good work between McGuire and his setter. Jerry Raynor�s pointer female Hardrayn Pretty Sporty had a wide running forward race with the only bird work coming at the hour mark knocking a bird otherwise staying to the front.
The second brace matched the two competitors so often in direct competition, Jerry Raynor and Oscar Whitt. This race featured last year�s Champion Rocking Kate handled by Jerry and Sand Mountain Spirit with Oscar. As the chosen favorite, Rocking Kate�s race was highly anticipated, yet unfortunately Kate was lost on breakaway and was picked up around the hour mark. Oscar�s Sand Mountain Spirit started the race with excellent intensity, running big with an early find at the ten minute mark that was absolutely beautiful, head up, standing like a stonewall to wing and shot. The next find was at the thirty minute mark and a final find near the hour mark. The difficult part of the course turned out to be the end where each handler had to get a close grip on his dog to move across the road and back into the large field at the entrance or else their dog would slip back into the original course and become diverted. Whitt�s Sand Mountain Spirit nearly got sidetracked but was handled back onto the course for a successful race that was deserving of the runner up award.
The final brace paired Jerry Raynor�s Cock N Fire Maggie along with Marty Robinson�s Attitude�s River Kate. The action started off quickly with both dogs handling well and moving out front. At the fifteen minute mark Raynor�s Maggie had a stylish find with an excellent back and good manners exhibited by Robinson�s Attitude River Kate. At the fifteen minute mark, the roles were flipped and now Maggie was backing Kate who had an excellent find away from the trail and across the dirt road. The action continued at a brisk pace and at thirty minutes Maggie had another strong find that was text book with a quick bird flush and immediately back on the course. Just before this Attitude River Kate had a non productive in an open logging deck that was cluttered with debris and caused several start and stops. At the hour mark Maggie had a beautiful covey find that seemed to keep the momentum flowing in the favor of the spirited pointer female. As noted earlier most dogs finished at the beginning of the course but Maggie stood out with a forward race that carried it past the beginning and across the road rimming the cover into the large breakaway field that once again highlighted her strong forward running and classy style which separated her from the group and made her the best choice for the National Open Champion.
The morning concluded with three hard fought braces with great dog work and the usual excellent camaraderie among all parties and with the Championship run it was time for a Championship lunch serving and the announcements of winners.
Speaking of lunch it is necessary to discuss the meals offered at the NBHA. The clubhouse does afford the luxury of having a Kitchen and grills and these were taken advantage of to the max. The cooking was elevated by the infamous Brown brothers who manned a portable BBQ trailer besides the kitchen conveniences to produce deviled eggs, barbecue, ribs, chicken, beans, slaw, rolls, tossed salad, banana pudding and other desserts. The meals were seriously over the top and set the highest possible bar for a Field Trial championship lunch. I cannot emphasize the excitement of meal time when the Browns are at the helm. After the wonderful meal and congratulations made and admiration of the prizes and the beautiful trooper saddle and a picture session, attention turned to the Open Derby Championship.
The Open derby had 16 entries, four setters and twelve pointers. The action got started immediately after lunch as all attendees had enjoyed the championship running that morning. Reluctantly pushing away from the table the dogs were called to the line immediately after lunch and after a competitive race, Tommy Kimrey�s, Kimrey�s Carolina Bell, a pointer female, was named the deserving Open Derby winner. She ran an extremely classy race marked by its big running style and forward pattern that exhibited how well the dog worked with the handler. The Judges noted the speed of Carolina Bell and her agility, light on her feet, tail high and snappy throughout. Despite limited bird work with one early find, the style exhibited on point combined with the powerful forward race and classy running was the determining factor to award Kimrey�s Carolina Bell the Open Derby award. The second place award went to Robert Ecker�s Sandland Miracle Maggie in the sixth brace. With two broke finds that were just right and classy moving throughout the race the difference was the running styles and the terrain. The derby course offered the large field behind the clubhouse as a breakaway and long view of the dogs which favored a bigger running forward dog as visibility was ideal to watch the dogs work for long stretches. Ecker had Maggie in fine form for the event and high expectations will follow this attractive setter female. The third brace allowed Joe Barton to show off an attractive pointer male, Barton�s Double Barrel, against another Robert Ecker Setter, Rockland Ridge McGraw. Barton�s Double Barrel fired both barrels in the race with two good finds, both well handled and broke to wing and shot, with a strong forward race throughout the very competitive Derby stake. Judge Tommy Rice was impressed with the style and �good looks� the pointer sported that earned its third place position in a very close race.
The Championship was not over until the future Champions got a chance to take the field. The Puppy course broke away behind the clubhouse and went over the dam and across the big field before coming back towards the clubhouse area after circling the pond. There were eight puppies in the field with three setters and five pointers. The NBHA Open Puppy trophy was awarded to Dennis Snyder for the outstanding effort made by his pup Stoney�s Run Bo Jingles. Bo Jingles showed excellent potential and poise running a forward race with wide reaches and snappy style rimming the cover and never slowing down stretching out for the gallery and solid throughout. Jerry Raynor�s puppy, Maggie, a setter female, ran a great forward race showing tremendous potential, style and class to earn a second place. The third place named was my puppy Max, a male pointer, and I was very proud of his race even if he did stray off course then make his way back towards camp; he still showed grit and class along with his mischief.
The trial concluded just as afternoon had set and the sky was ablaze with another setting sun over the tall Carolina pines and old friends and new pitched in together to clean up the grounds and prepare for the journeys back to home with warm memories of a successful classic 2014 NBHA National Open Championship event.
Submitted by Tom Hall
