NBHA Western Regional Championship
HOSTED BY TBHA, TEJAS FTC & DALLAS POINTER & SETTER FTC
NOVEMBER 18TH & 19TH, 2010
BOYD RANCH, WORTHAM, TEXAS
Congratulations to Ken and Melissa Sauer of KC's Kennels in Cypress, Texas as their Champion KC's Shrimpboot (aka Karl), not KC’s Shrimpboat as seems to appear often. Karl took top honors of the NBHA Western Regional Championship and Runner-Up Champion Robert's Hill Bingo owned by Butch Roberts of Norman, Oklahoma and handled by Tim Wright of Gordon, Texas. The trial hosted by Texas Bird Hunters Association (TBHA) on the Boyd Ranch just south of Wortham, Texas was fortunate enough to get some much needed cooler weather with a light cold front coming in on Thursday making Friday's starting temperature 34 degrees. Our well qualified judges opted to run only the first 5 braces Friday as the temperature rose to 70 degrees by 2 pm. The remaining 2 braces were finished the following day in the cooler temperature.
We have to say a special thanks to the NBHA sponsors. Purina for sponsoring the NBHA and donating quite a bit of Pro Plan to the winners and for the entries more dog food and hats, Tri-Tronics for donating a G3 Junior to the Winner and continuing support of all our Championships, and Christie Enterprises for gift certificates to the winners. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
E. J. Hall was fortunate enough to acquire two judges which started their trialing careers with TBHA walking trials many moons ago. We will not count the number of moons but by listening to their stories around the camp fire it must have been many moons. They are both still running good bird dogs in horseback trials as often as their time and health will allow. Rick Gunnels and Ron Speed of Malakoff, Texas are more than qualified to judge our national events. Thank you Rick and Ron so much for doing the honors for us. Ron Speed made buttermilk pies he baked himself and donated to the lunches and were a great treat. Go figure, ask someone to Judge and they show up and bring gifts. How can we be so blessed? We tried to ask him back every weekend but that might have asking a little too much.
Special thanks to all the trailers who managed to take the time to enter the trial. A special thanks must go out to E. J. and Kim Hall for all the preparation involved for any event; chasing down competent Judges’, and all the hard work of making it a success.
The Running:
1. Lady Victoria (Torri), PF, owned & handled by Keith Forman of Sulphur, Ok. and KC’s Alabama Fibber (Herk), PM, owned & handled by Ken Sauer of Cypress, Tx. Herk was just recently purchased from Ken Tolbert in Alabama. Torri was putting on a Championship run with finds at 6, 10, 13, 21, 27, & 33. When Herk came in to back at the 33 minute find the birds flushed up and Torri went with them. Judge Ron Speed said she would have been hard to beat if she would have finished the brace clean. Herk had a stop to flush at 21 and 36, a feather find at 31, a back at 33, and finds at 50 & 55.
2. Wrightway Cincher Uptight (Gracie), PF, owned by Ty Sparks and handled by Tim Wright of Gordon, TX and Go for Broke (Pride), SM, owned by Bob Caffey and handled by Robert Dardenne of Chouteau, Ok. Pride found birds at 6 and Gracie failed to honor. Pride continued with NP at 14 and finds at 22, 37 and 39 with a fair ground race.
3. KC’s Leer Jett (Jett) PM, a son of the Champion Karl, co-owned by KC's Kennels and Melissa Sauer (if you ask Melissa there’s no “Co” in the word Owned). Jett was handled by Ken Sauer and Carolina Rose (Tina), PF, owned and handled by Keith Forman. Tina moved birds at 5 out. Jet had relocation at 5, two NP's at 6 & 24, stop to flush at 39, and bird finds at 27, 40, 42 and moved with the birds at 59.
4. Mighty Dog (Shorty), PM, owned and handled by Charlie Collier and Robert's Hill Bingo (Bingo) (Runner-Up Ch.), PM, owned by Butch Roberts of Norman, OK and handled by Tim Wright. Shorty's brace was fast and short with birds at 6, 21 and one too many at 23. Bingo had a good ground race with finds at 8, 30, NP at 32 and find at 52.
5. The Valedictorian (Todd), SM, owned by Bob Caffey and handled by Robert Dardenne and Hobb’s Silver Belle (Belle), PF, owned and handled by Keith Forman. Todd backed Belle at 6 then moved on a double find at 13. Belle had clean finds at 6, 26, 43, and 45, double find at 13 and NP at 15 & 50.
6. Honky Tonk Cinch (Cinch), PM, owned by Ty Sparks and handled by Tim Wright and KC’s Shrimpboot (Karl) (Champion), PM, owned and handled by Ken Sauer. Cinch and Karl were head to head as this brace took place until Cinch was lost at 47. Cinch and Karl both had front running ground race and good bird work and Judges Gunnels and Speed said it would have been tough to decide which of these performances would have been Champion and R/U had Cinch been able to stay in tack. Cinch had finds at 9, 15, 18 and 38 and a back at 42. Karl finished with finds at 6, 11, a back at 15, 18, 28, 38, 42 and 52. This brace was one that had you sitting up in the saddle to see which dog was going to show up on point next.
7. Trader’s Sugarknoll Roc (Roc), PM, owned and handled by Keith Forman and bye. Roc had a NP at 8 and another at 10 then was lost.
