NBHA

NBHA National Amateur Championship

Near perfect conditions greeted handlers, spectators and field trial committee on a cool December 15 to kick-off the largest Amateur stake the National Bird Hunters Association has to offer, the National Amateur Championship. JL Lester WMA in Cedartown Georgia once again was site of this prestigious Amateur trial. Limited rainfall over the past several months have left the course free from mud and undesirable wet conditions. Temperatures for the duration of the trial offered lows in the upper teens and lower 20�s with highs reaching mid 40�s to low 50�s. Light scattered showers greeted us Saturday morning, providing much needed moisture to enhance hunting conditions.

We were able to secure two very experienced judges in David Steele from Signal Mountain Tennessee and Ron Lambert from Vidalia Georgia. Both have campaigned shooting dogs for several decades and are very familiar with the competition field trials offer, and both possess the ability to separate championship performances, by evaluating all aspects of the game.

I want to take time to thank our field trial committee who again excelled in their responsibilities, making the event flawless. Myself and Terry Amberson acted as trial co-chairmen, organizing and addressing details to keep the trial moving at an acceptable pace. However, this task was not accomplished without the help of Marty Robinson, who greeted arriving parties, provided scouting when needed, made sure coffee was hot and fresh each morning and assisted with lunch clean-up. Oscar Whitt played a major role planting birds each brace, assuring each dog had equal opportunity to point plenty of quail. Stanley McCain provided dog wagon duties which is a much appreciated task, allowing handlers and dogs a ride back to the clubhouse after a lengthy brace. Terry Amberson not only co-chaired the event and helped with just about every duty, he is a master in the kitchen, assuring lunches were hot and served in a timely manner and provided scouting duties when necessary. This group has worked together for several years hosting major Championship trials as efficient and flawless as possible.

We want to give special thanks to Dean Reinke at Purina for all he and Purina do for NBHA. Without hesitation, Purina continues to support NBHA trials year after year, providing the best high performance dog food available. We can�t express enough how valuable Purina is to the NBHA organization. Our other National Sponsors also play a major role in supporting the NBHA in a way second to none; they are Garmin, Gundog Supply, Gun Dog Central and Christy Enterprises. Each of these sponsors provide product or gift certificates for winners and participants of our trials.

We want to thank each participant who entered dogs and supported the NBHA National Amateur Championship. In attendance from Georgia were; Marty Robinson, Stanley McCain, and Bruce Mercer. From Alabama were; Terry Amberson, Bobby Taylor, and Dr Jim Crook. Tennessee was well recognized by; Greg Isenberg, Bobby Phillips, and Ronnie Rogers. Jim Duncan was the sole participant from Kentucky and Lonnie Cantor was the sole participant from North Carolina. Illinois was represented by two top competitors in Brian Casey and Ken Black. This group of distinguished handlers provided for an exciting and super competitive National Championship.




Qualifying Series Highlights - One-Hour Heats
Brace number one drew Crow Creek Sugarbaby with Ken Black handling and Sand Mountain Andy with Stanley McCain handling. Both dogs were off to a good start pushing hard to the front with animated gaits. Sugarbaby scored three or four nice finds with a snappy forward and responsive race. Andy suffered a breach of manners and was picked-up before the bridge crossing. Brace number two drew Peach Twist with Marty Robinson handling and Elhew Money Maker with Greg Isenberg handling. Both dogs were off like rockets and were out of sight, further down course for the first ten to fifteen minutes. Twist settled in first carding 3 nice finds and a reaching race. Money Maker returned a bit less and did not have bird contact under judgement. Brace number three drew Sand Mountain Icy handled by Bruce Mercer and Duncan�s War Chief handled by Jim Duncan. Both dogs were seen at the first bird location and Icy was found pointed which was one of her three finds. Jim called for the tracker around the fifteen minute mark. Icy went on to have a very smooth forward responsive race. Brace number four drew Cantor�s Trixie with Lonnie Cantor handling and Kozican�s Blown Away handled by Bobby Taylor. Trixie and Lonnie seemed to be on the same page as she carded three finds coupled with a nice forward snappy race. Bobby and Blown Away had a breach of manners and ended their bid. After lunch, Cantor�s Sweed handled by Lonnie Cantor again braced with Bobby Taylor, this time with Paint Me Gold. Cantor�s Sweed provided a two find hour and suitable race. Paint Me Gold and Bobby were unable to complete the hour. Brace six paired Rocky Hollow Big time handled by Brian Casey and Bob�s Elhew Jill handled by Bobby Phillips. Both dogs raced to the front with Big scoring two quick finds. On Big�s third find, Jill had a breach of manners and was leashed. Big went on to have a far reaching race and was a little difficult to gather at pick-up. Brace number ten drew Guard�s Two Dollar Bill handled by Ronnie Rogers and Outlaw Jefe handled by Dr. Jim Crook. Jefe had a breach of manners early and was leashed. Dollar Bill carded three or four finds finished forward with a very acceptable race.

Judges were asked to call-back six dogs for the final series and to place two dogs on stand-by incase a Champion and Runner-up were not found in the final six dogs. The six call-back dogs were named in no order and were to be redrawn for the final series. They were; Crow Creek Sugarbaby handled by Ken Black; Cantor�s Trixie handled by Lonnie Cantor; Cantor�s Sweed also handled by Lonnie Cantor; Rocky Hollow Big Time handled by Brian Casey; Guard�s Two Dollar Bill handled by Ronnie Rogers and Sand Mountain Icy handled by Bruce Mercer. Stand-by dogs were; Peach Twist handled by Marty Robinson and Elhew Money Maker handled by Greg Isenberg. The final series was scheduled to start Saturday morning.

Final Championship Series � One Hour
Saturday morning greeted us with cool temperatures and recent rainfall providing much needed moister increasing scenting ability. A light mist continued to fall sporadically throughout the morning.

Brace number one paired Cantor�s Trixie handled by Lonnie Cantor and Rocky Hollow Big Time, handled by Brian Casey. Big had his running shoes on and pushed the limits. He was seen several times in the first twenty minutes but reached far ahead. He returned to point a covey of birds in the corner section of woods before the bridge with all in order. Released, he raced forward and was found pointed in the tabletop field with Trixie backing. All was in order for flush and shot. Both dogs were released and raced far ahead. Big was seen in the long field beyond the gap where he pointed in a mowed strip producing a single bird with all in order. Reaching far ahead on the top of the hill, both dogs were eagerly hunting but could not pin the birds. In the final ten minutes, Big became harder to control and more independent. At pick-up, Brian�s scout went far to the front and found Big pointing in a feed strip. All was in order for flush and shot. Trixie finished the brace without bird work.
Brace number two paired Sand Mountain Icy handled by Bruce Mercer with Guard�s Two Dollar Bill handled by Ronnie Rogers. Both dogs sprinted to the front at the sounds of the whistles. Both dogs were seen far ahead at the first bird location. Upon arriving, Icy was pointed with Dollar Bill backing. Three birds were flushed with all in order for both dogs. Handlers sang to their dogs as they raced forward and out of sight. As we approached the second bird location, Icy was again found pointing in a feed strip. Two birds were flushed as indicated with all in order. Icy was encouraged to race forward and seemed to be handling much smoother today. As we reached the corner of the dove field, Icy was found by her scout, where she was standing in a briar patch near a fallen tree. Dollar Bill was again backing. Birds scattered as Bruce flushed with all in order. After watering, both dogs were directed to the corner woods before the bridge. On her way, Icy swapped ends and slid to a point in the mowed strip. As her handler approached, a single bird flushed and shot was fired with another good piece of bird work. Racing to the corner, Icy again pointed as she entered the wooded area. Upon approach, her handler spotted a freshly killed quail fifteen feet in front and elected to take Icy on. Both dogs raced ahead and were seen next in the long field making game then moving on. Both dogs were handling well, as the handlers allowed more freedom. Dollar Bill made contact with a bird and had a breach of manners discontinuing his bid. Icy was asked to go far ahead and handled like a dream. Fading over the hill with five minutes left, she was next seen reaching the next wooded hilltop and out of sight. Pick-up was called as her handler aggressively called Icy back in. Icy�s scout was sent forward to assist in pick-up. Within a few minutes, Icy soared over the hill back to her handler for pick-up.

Brace number three paired Crow Creek Sugarbaby handled by Ken Black with Cantor�s Sweed handled by Lonnie Cantor. Both dogs raced forward and Sweed was seen pointed at the first bird location. All was well during flush and fire. Sweed scored again at the second bird location finding a pair of quail in a feed strip. Her third find was at the end of the powerline field on a single bird. Sweed was starting to get things done. At the corner of the dove field, Sweed had a breach of manners and ended her bid. Sugarbaby continued with a forward snappy race. Sugarbaby�s first find was around the twenty eight minute mark in the triangle field. All was in order during flush and shot. Racing forward with a classy gait, she buzzed in all the right places from bird location to bird location. She finished her brace with one find and a snappy forward and responsive race.

The judges discussed and quickly decided on Champion and Runner-up. Sand Mountain Icy was named Champion and Crow Creek Sugarbaby was named Runner-up.

Derby Classic
Seven dogs were drawn for the forty-five minute derby classic. It was Premier�s Ultra putting together a fine performance again this season to claim first place. Ultra was found pointed in the first and second bird locations with high head and tail. Ultra raced through the dove field and into the corner woods. She was found pointed at the edge of a feed strip and the bird appeared very close. The handler attempted to flush away from his dog in hopes not to cause a wreck. She indicated the bird was only several inches from where she was standing. The handler elected to take her on and not chance her training progression. Ultra raced forward again and was not seen in the tabletop field, however as we winded along the roadway into the long field, she was found pointed in a feed strip. Birds were flushed with all in order as time ended. Second was Bob�s Elhew Lucy handled for Bobby Phillips and third went to Premier�s Hammer for Bruce Mercer. Lucy and Hammer were braced together in brace number three. Lucy completed the brace with two finds and a forward snappy race. Hammer had one find and was a bit handy with moderate range. Both dogs responded well for handlers, but Lucy seemed to have more natural range than Hammer today.

Submitted By Bruce Mercer

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