30th Futurity and 29th Jerry D. Kilgore Puppy Classic
NBHA 30th Futurity and 29th Jerry D. Kilgore Puppy Classic held its annual event on March 19 � 20 at the Whetstone Creek Conservation Area near Williamsburg, MO. This is the fourth year that this event has been held here in central Missouri. This event is led by Futurity chairman Kevin Western with the help of Tim Penn, Larry Carpenter, Joe Zimmer, and Jim Ogle. This team is engaged throughout the year making plans, promoting the program and encouraging breeders to nominate litters for this event. We are fortunate to have a winning combination of good grounds, good birds, good judges, and of course great breeder support with their nominated litters.
We can�t say enough for the opportunity to host a trial and run dogs on the grounds at the Whetstone Creek Conservation Area. Area Manager Nicky Walker and her team of dedicated workers have continued to improve the area for quail habitat, thus making for some excellent grounds to run dogs on. Their hard work and attention to detail of grooming of the grounds was amazing. Those in attendance would agree that these grounds will allow a dog to naturally hunt the cover and show the good qualities that judges are looking for in their winners. We are very thankful to the Missouri Department of Conservation and Whetstone Creek CA for this opportunity.
National Bird Hunters Association is blessed to have such generous sponsors. Purina Pro Plan provides dog food to the winners as well as samples and hats to all the trial participants. Garmin provided one of their new Garmin Pro 550 to the winner of the Futurity and to the winner of the Puppy Classic. Christie Enterprises provided gift certificates to the winners to purchase items from Christies Saddlery. Gun Dog Supply provided gift certificates for this event. Westerns Smokehouse provided meat sticks to all in attendance. We could not have a successful trial without the support of these great sponsors. Their participation and sponsorship of the NBHA is much appreciated.
Judges for this year�s event was Tony King of Thomson, MO and Dr. John Niebruegge of Kirksville, MO. Tony King got his start competing in the NBHA ranks. King was the NBHA Futurity Director for five years, and competed and won several championships within the NBHA with dogs from his Wild Covey Kennel his most noted winner was Wild Covey Heatwave. King now has transitioned his dogs to the horseback circuit where they have continued to win. King now serves as AFTCA Region 5 trustee for Missouri and he is now the Futurity Director for the Midwest States Shooting Dog Futurity. Dr. John Niebruegge always competed with a nice string of winning pointers and setters in the 1980s and 1990s in both walking and horseback stakes. Niebruegge is a returning judge for this year�s event. We are lucky to have such good judges with credentials and knowledge of field, as their decision was well received.
NBHA Futurity would like to thank all who participated and attended this year�s event. This year we had our biggest attendance and it was nice to see such a positive gathering. We would like to thank all who participated in our daily drawing, this was a big success as we use the funds raised to meet operating cost and to provide the daily noon meals each day. We have had a lot of comments that at noon everyone looks forward to check their numbers to see if they will win some of the donated prizes that will be given out. Futurity now has for the last three years had its Futurity scrap books out on the tables for all to look at. The NBHA Futurity scrap books has every article from all the past NBHA Futurity and Jerry D. Kilgore Puppy Classic a good way to go �back in the day� memories.
Mike Otinger, owner of last year�s Futurity winner Sand Mountain Will, and Jack Glover owner of last year�s Puppy Classic winner Jethro Tull, sponsored the Friday night fish fry which was enjoyed by all. This was our largest attending meal as we had a large gathering to stay for some real good food. NBHA Futurity presented a painted portrait of Sand Mountain Will to the owner of last year�s Futurity winner Mike Otinger. Oscar Whitt the handler for Sand Mountain Will accepted this for Mike as he was unable to attend.
For the litters that were nominated in the 30th NBHA Futurity there was an incentive offer of twelve bags of Purina Pro Plan to be given out at the Futurity Fish fry. Each nomination was a chance to win this award. Winner of the Pro Plan was Gary Malzone of Franklin Lakes, NJ with a litter he nominated by Brown�s Tom Tom ex Indian Creek Riptide.
Futurity 30 minute Qualifier
NBHA Futurity 1st brace started on Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. Royal Rocks Lotta Hardcash, PM �Cash� (Roper) was braced with Milomix Bee, SF �Bee� (Wright) Cash put down an even, nice forward application with broke finds at 18 and 29, Cash showed he had a good nose with good style. Bee did a nice job but not as fluid throughout her thirty minutes. Bee had finds at 14, 18, and 29 but showed some uncertainty on 14 and 18.
2nd brace, Indian Creek Bocephus, PM �Bo� (Malzone) with Tallapoosa River Kate, PF �Kate� (Whitt) Both dogs had their moments, Kate was gone the first 9 minutes, Bo had an unproductive at 20 with Kate backing, they both finished their thirty minutes.
3rd brace had Carpenter�s Maze Runner, SF �Macy� (Carpenter) with Hainline�s Silver Star, PF �Star� (Hainline). Star started slow but had a very strong finish, she had a find at 14 and another at 17, both finds her manners were good. Macy a classy moving setter had bird work at 14 and at 20 though she was not as polished on her bird work as her brace mate was, Macy finished well.
4th brace was Pack�in A Punch, PM �Punch� (Whitt) was braced with Penrosa Benoxen, SM �Ben� (Penn) Both of these dogs hunted well and applied themselves nicely. Punch hunted the cover well as he had a nice find at 8 with good manners. Ben made some nice cast and had a good race with a nice find at 17 with everything being in order. Both dogs were strong on the ground finishing to the front.
5th brace was Kozican�s Blown Away, SM �Tanner� (Taylor) with Outlaw Jefe, PM �Boss� (Crook). Both dogs had a nice break away to the front. Boss had a long absent and could not come up with any bird work today. Tanner did a nice job as he had a good forward race and he carded two nice broke finds to go along with a good finish.
6th brace had Pure Confidence, PM (Malzone) running by himself, Pure Confidence had a solid 30 minutes with a find at 11 and another find at the end of time in the bean field all was good and this completed the qualifying round.
One Hour Finals
The one-hour finals were announce at the noon break and would commence to run on Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. Pairings are as follows; Royal Rocks Lotta Hardcash (Roper) with Kozican�s Blown Away (Taylor); Hainline�s Sliver Star (Hainline) with Pack�in A Punch (Whitt); Milomix Bee (Wright) with Penrosa Benoxen (Penn)
Named as standbys were Carpenters Maze Runner (Carpenter) with Pure Confidence (Malzone).
NBHA 30th Futurity winner emerged from the second brace of the one hour call back series as the weather conditions had improved Hainline�s Silver Star, PF owned by Jeff Hainline of Bellevue, IL. (Hainline) �Star� was big and strong from the start she settled in and applied herself nicely to the course. Star had an unproductive stand at 39. She then went on and had a nice find at the Island of Trees at 43 and another at 51 in the corner field across the interior road. Both her finds were crisp and in order for flush and shot. She finished to the front earning the top spot. Brace mate Pack�in A Punch, PM (Whitt) was wild off the breakaway and never regained the front as Whitt requested the Tracker.
With a delay in the morning start due to a covering of snow the 1st brace had the Runner-up Royal Rocks Lotta Hardcash, PM owned by Mike Roper of Oregon, WI. (Roper) �Cash� started out very slow and never really fired until the last 15 minutes. He showed a shorter, quartering application with his finds coming late in the brace 50, 57 and 59. He did have an unproductive at 31 where he was relocated and was unable to produce birds. Cash�s performance in wet and cold conditions rewarded him with the second spot. Kozican�s Blown Away, SM (Taylor) �Tanner� was up early as it caught a bird in self-defense that had been flushed by his handler that flew back towards him, a very unlucky break.
3rd brace captured the 3rd place Futurity as Penrosa Benoxen, SM owned by Tim Penn of Edina, MO. (Penn) �Ben� was gone early but he did return in time to settle in to provide a good effort. Ben�s application was consistent as he had a stand at 46 with no birds being produced. He went on to have two mannerly finds at 55 and 59 with all in order. Milomix Bee, SF (Wright) had a nice break away and was handling nicely to the front �Bee� had a breach of manners at 17 that ended her bid.
Standby dogs were called up to run as Pure Confidence, PM owned by Tim Cavanaugh and Peter LaBella of East Hampton, CT. (Malzone) took 4th place. Pure Confidence had a find at 38 and another find at 50 in a grassy area behind the ranger station. His race was forward and consistent. Carpenters Maize Runner, SF (Carpenter) �Macy� is flashy and quick on her feet but today she was unable to finish the hour as she was up at 45.
NBHA Futurity Breeder Winners
First place Futurity winner Hainline�s Silver Star, she was sired by Silver Knights Rider ex Fancy Fiddler Girl and was bred by Keith Foreman of Sulphur, OK. Anyone that knows Keith knows that he is very competitive and that he studies pedigrees of his dogs very closely, no surprise that this mating has produced a winner. Second place Royal Rocks Lotta Hardcash, he was sired by Handsome Hairy Hardcash ex Four Rivers Misty and was bred by Boyd and Breana Sutfin of Waupun, WI. Third place Penrosa Benoxen, he was sired by Penrosa Stoneyox ex R L T�s Peggy and was bred by Rich Thornton of Livonia, MO. Fourth place Pure Confidence, he was sired by True Confidence ex Richfield Rose and was bred by Rich Giuliano of Greene, RI.
Jerry D. Kilgore Puppy Classic Winners
With anticipation of having a Futurity winner many nominated litter owners look at running their puppies in the Jerry D. Kilgore Puppy Classic. This Puppy Classic is a 30 minute stake that has a history of former puppies that go on to develop into winning derbies and shooting dogs. Taking first place in the NBHA Jerry D. Kilgore Puppy Classic was Hennan�s Bad Magik, PF �Lucy� is owned by Steve Hennan of Ellsinore, MO and was handled by Justin Crook of Jasper, MO. Lucy ran in the 5th brace, she was the most forward, reaching, well applied potential shooting dog application of this stake. She always stayed to the front end, handled well and finished strong. She was exciting to watch and was very attractive moving, thus making her the obvious winner. Lucy was bred by Dr. John Ruetschi of Cassville, MO. She is by Doc�s Ice Man ex Vic�s Brandy High Attitude.
Second place ran in the 6th brace, RZ Zuzu, SF �Zuzu� is owned Randall Zimmer of Fulton, MO and Joe Zimmer of Chamois, MO and she was handled by Randall Zimmer. Zuzu was very attractive on the ground and she continually improved throughout the brace, having a good forward performance put her next to the winner. RZ Zuzu was bred by Carpenter�s Kennel of Clarksburg, MO. Her pedigree is Foggy Bottom Fritz ex Hytest Horizon.
Third place ran in the 2nd brace, Milomix Spec, SF �Spec� is owned and handled by Dr. Bill Wright of Bellflower, MO. Spec started out short bot got better throughout the brace, she ended up with a good solid performance making some good cast. Spec was bred Dr. Bill Wright of Bellflower, MO. Her pedigree is Shadow Oak Bo ex Milomix Sunny.
Fourth place ran in the 5th brace with the winner, Kozican�s Shinook, SM �Snoot� is owned by Bobby and Mildred Taylor of Winfield, AL and was handled by Bobby Taylor. Snoot was not as strong going as his brace mate who became the winner. Snoot did show some application in his forward search and he never fell to the back or behind, he was a very attractive dog going. Snoot was bred by G. C. Trout of Charleston, MS. His pedigree is Kozican ex Trout Valley Blue Skies.
Others in the field include Premier�s Ultra, for Bruce Mercer handled by Oscar Whitt; Shak�s Star Power, for Bobby and Mildred Taylor; Smoke for Bill Stapleton; Chop and Nikki Sue Ellie, for Jack Glover; Armourdale Floodwater Ace for Ethan Kelly; Carpenter�s Mr. Fritz and Carpenter�s Mr. Palladin for Larry Carpenter; Kenny�s Aces Wild for Charles Kenny; Brannigan�s Last Jett for Dan Bridgewater; Magic Mist Sydni for Joe Dahl; and Milomix Ruby for Dr. Bill Wright.
NBHA National Open Invitational Breeders Championship is now being held prior to the start of the NBHA Futurity. This now opens up the opportunity for breeders of NBHA Futurity nominated litters to receive another monetary award from their litter nominations. Breeders will receive a cash award for dogs that are winners of the NBHA Open Invitational Breeders Championship. Provided they are from a NBHA nominated litter.
In conclusion, nominate your litters!
