The Sunflower Open All Age Championship

1st Annual
Kansas Championship Association Spring Shooting Dog Field Trial
April 6, 2002
Batesville, Kansas
Reported by C. W. Bud Moore

Shooting Dog Winners: From left, Winner,Jocks Black Magic owned and handled by Mark Wasserman and Third, Jocks Last Rock with Gary Gertz. Standing, Judge Dustin Ochs. Not pictured: Second, Nasdaq owned and handled by Henry Taylor.

The Kansas Championship Association,though set up to put on the Sunflower Open All Age Championship, wanted to expand their offerings to the trialers of Kansas, and did so by hosting an open shooting dog stake and accompanying derby.

Like most clubs, ours is short of members but long on workers. Patty Black Moore and Evert Davis Jr. did yeoman’s service and braved rain and hail to make sure everyone attending felt at home, and wanted for nothing. Patty had tailgate lunch, with everything you might want at a trial lunch.

Evert judged the derby to help out when Fred Oxford underwent knee surgery, and had to back out of a judging assignment. Our second judge was Dustin Ochs of Emporia Kansas. Clubs in the area should look to this young man to judge more in the future. He judged the open shooting dog with this writer, and I was amazed at the insight one so young could bring to the game. He trials his own dogs, and bird hunts country around the Yates Center area. His dogs bring impeccable manners and patterns to any trial he attends.

We used the state owned grounds around Lake Fegan in Woodson County, and most in attendance were surprised that the grounds were that nice. Most did not even know they were there, let alone know we could use them to train or trial on. The grounds under the direction of Scott Barlow, are the results of volcanoes that erupted over 100 million years ago. The soil came up from 100 miles in the earth’s core, and is very rich in mineral content. Cows will literally lick the ground for the content of its minerals the results of this past, are the gently rolling hills and creek bottoms that line the area, and gave us the grounds we used. The lake, Fegan, named after the rancher that donated the ground to the state, is the result of damming up one of the creeks, with a 90-foot earthen dam. The lake abounds with Walleye, and other game fish and is crystal clear. Scott was a pleasure to work with in securing the use of the grounds. We hope they let us hold a trial again on the same grounds next year.

Jocks Black Magic owned and handled by Mark Wasserman won the open shooting dog. He ran in the first brace, and set the standard for consistency for the stake. He had one find, and ran a short but out front race. Nasdaq, for Henry Taylor was the exciting dog of the stake, but was interfered with the first 7 minutes of the stake by his brace mate, but then went on the run an out front big race with one find where the judge told him to take his dog out, shoot over him and go on, as the bird was tangled in a bush and could not fly out, only rise and flop to the ground. Jock’s Last Rock, only a derby was third with an out standing piece of bird work.

Derby Winners. Back row from left: Don Beauchamp; Dustin Ochs, judge; C. W. Bud Moore, judge; Evert Davis, Jr., Tom Fife. Front row from left: Richard Steckley with Joshua, Lewis Jacobs with Patriots Titan, Ray Brooks with Broadacres Big Chap.

The Derby placements were all on race, as bird work did not play a part in the decisions. All Three placed derbies ran out front easy handling races, and were a joy to watch.

We would like to thank the judges, and all the participants who made this a fun weekend. Especially, Henry Taylor, 72 years young, for driving down from Kansas City, Don Beauchamp, Wayne Powers, Tom Fife, Dr. Richard Steckley, Gary Gertz, Mark Wasserman, Wes Vickers, Ray Brooks, Lewis Jacobs and others, whom we have failed to mention for making our first shooting dog stake such a success. Especially we would like to thank Eukunuba for sponsoring the trial. Without corporate sponsorship, most local trials would have to raise prices to beyond the reach of the working family man.