Southern Regional Championship Results
Winners of the 2023 NBHA Southern Regional Championship:
Champion: Indian Creek Bocephus
Owner: Ed Marron
Handler: Garry Malzone Indian Creek Kennels
RU Champion: Meadowwoods Irish Rose
Owner: Darrell Gunby AG Preserve
Handler: Alex Silva
Submitted by: By Ray Brown
GLENWOOD, GA-- The National Bird Hunters Association, Southern Regional Championship began January 27, 2023 hosted by the AG Preserve Field Trial Club in Glenwood, GA. Judicial duties for this year’s event were handled by George Hickox of Pittsburg, PA and Mitch Osborne of Gordon, GA. Both gave their undivided attention to their officiating duties and the decisions were well received. This year’s running attracted another large group of entries with handlers traveling from Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, Florida and Georgia. Thank you to each handler who supported this event!
Landowners and hosts Darrell and Sharon Gunby once again warmly welcomed trialers with superb accommodation and southern hospitality. Their new clubhouse is now completely finished and contains full kitchen facilities, showers, comfortable furnishings along with a large fireplace. Outdoors there is a covered front porch and a large rear deck that is handicapped accessible. Although the weather was relatively mild this year both the indoor fireplace and the outdoor fire pit were gathering points each evening. Excellent meals were prepared on the grounds by the extended Gunby family with jambalaya on Friday and slow cooked pulled pork on Saturday.
Sharon handles all the organizing and administrative duties for the event while Darrell does whatever is needed to ensure the event stays on schedule. He continues to develop and improve his AG Preserve grounds through continued clearing, prescribed burning and selective planting. The area consists mainly of pine timberland that has been thinned to produce a piney woods habitat optimal for quail. Much of the area contains sedge grass and other native cover with feed strips in more open areas. Weather for this year’s event was mild with sunny skies and lows just below freezing with highs in the mid 50’s.
Finally, we are especially grateful to partner with the following sponsors that contribute to the framework that makes each NBHA event stand out. They include Purina Pro Plan, Gun Dog Supply, Garmin, Mule Brand Gear and Apparel, Gundog Central and OnX Hunt.
Championship Stake
This year’s champion Indian Creek Bocephus (Bo) ran in the 4th brace. The liver & white pointer male is owned by Ed Marron, handled by Garry Malzone and scouted by Jillian Stuhr. Bo is a repeat winner on these grounds also capturing the championship spot in 2021. Running in the last morning brace Bo scored his first find well to the front in the cleared woods to right of course, all in order. He continued to put down a powerful forward reaching race throughout the remainder of the hour with one additional find in a feed strip and one unproductive.
The runner up Meadowwood’s Irish Rose came from the 5th brace. The setter female is owned by Darrell Gunby and was handled by Alex Silva and scouted by Payton Gunby. Breaking away just after lunch, Rose scored her first find in sedge grass on right of course. She continued the hour with a moderate shooting dog race, carding three additional finds and one unproductive.
A number of other dogs finished the hour, but this weekend their efforts did not exceed those of the winners.
Open Derby
This year’s derby group was exciting to watch. Travis Patterson traveled from Illinois to take first place with Huber's Artemis Sunshine. Chippewa's Dream Chaser (Zach Erne) captured second and Indian Creek Pineapple (Malzone) placed third.
Thanks again to the participants, landowners and sponsors for making this event possible.
Once again the AG Preserve team in Georgia rolled out the red carpet for all the competitors and reminded everyone what picturesque grounds blended with southern hospitality should look like.
The NBHA is also a proud partner with the following fine sponsors that event after event, contribute to the framework that make each NBHA event stand up and stand out.
Purina Pro Plan
Gun Dog Supply
Garmin
Mule Brand Gear and Apparel
Gundog Central
OnX Hunt
Winners of the 2022-2023 Southern Regional Championship companion stakes:
Open Derby:
🥇Huber's Artemis Sunshine
Travis Patterson (Owner/Handler)
🥈Chippewa's Dream Chaser
Owner: Zach & Andy Erne
Handler: Zach Erne
🥉Indian Creek Pineapple
Owner: Black Meadow Kennels
Handler: Garry Malzone Indian Creek Kennels
Open Puppy:
🥇Huber's Artemis Sunshine
Owner/Handler: Travis Patterson
🥈Sonic Boom Von Uber Haus
Owner/Handler: Travis Patterson
🥉Levi
Owner: Dave Emert
Handler: Zach Erne
