Sand Mountain Will has Passed
It is with a very sad heart that I am reporting the bad news that SAND MOUNTAIN WILL passed away May 2015. Will was bred by Bruce Mercer of Premier Field Trial Kennels, sired By CH Elhew G. Force and his dam was Premier's Parolee. Will was whelped January 12, 2013. Bobby Fox of Rome Georgia purchased Will as a weanling pup and did a fantastic job of socializing and raising him for which Bobby is well known for with many other pups he has owned. In late April Bobby brought him to our summer puppy program.
From the first time I saw him, I had the opinion that he was something special and he was.
When Mike Otinger came by to visit and see how his pup (Sand Mountain Icy) was progressing, I showed him Will, and he took a liking to him right away. When puppy school was over in June, Mike purchased Will and carried he and Icy home for the rest of the summer where he continued to work with them and socialize them until late August, they were returned to me for more advanced puppy work. Will was an outstanding pup; he had it all conformation, intelligence, solid white body and liver head with a slight blaze. He was very athletic and was very classy and light footed. He was one that you could watch run and hunt all day. He went to his birds with a high head and poise.
Will had an outstanding first season winning NBHA Open Derby of the year 2013-2014, his biggest wins were in January thru March of 2014. Will won the Kentucky Derby Classic (1 hr.), the NBHA Free for All Open Derby, the Mid-South Open Derby and several club trials. This season (2014-2015) Will is winning the NBHA Open Derby Award for a second time. Will was the winner of the 2015 NBHA Futurity, the Southeastern Open Derby and the NBHA National Amateur Derby Classic, with Marty Robinson handling when Mike could not be there. Will also was in the call back for the NBHA National Open Shooting Dog Championship, 32 dogs drawn and 4 called backed, that in itself was a great feat for a Derby.
We had a lot of thrills with him the last two seasons and we were dreaming about his shooting dog Championship he was going to win in the seasons to come. Will had it all, plus a great owner, Mike spared no expenses to see Will go wherever we thought he needed to be.
Will died from blastomycosis and when the Vet called it was like gloom came over me. Mike said it could have been worse, it could have been a family member, and he was right. I will never forget Will until I cross that river myself; I count myself blessed to have had him the last two years.
Oscar Whitt
