The Sunflower Open All Age Championship

The Sunflower Open All Age Championship
Kimbell Ranch
Yates Center, Kansas
October 1995

Prolog

The Sunflower Open All Age Championship for 1995 was at the mercy of Mother Nature, as not one drop of moisture had fallen across these pristine prairie pastures for over 75 days. The winds blew between 15 and 35 miles an hour every day except the last morning.

Barshoe Quickly, a liver and white pointer female handled by Andy Daughtery and owned by Lee West and Faller Kennels, took the worst of conditions and make looking like a champion look easy. She broke away off the Virgil road across a mile of gently rising grass pasture. She was ridden for once before gate crossing to be sent west to the big draw heading south. The draw is one half mile across and a mile long. When next seen she was across the draw rimming the objectives going down the draw south.

After gate crossing, she hunted the draw and woods going west but drew a blank. Through the twin gates she broke northwest and made several 3/8 to 1/2 mile swings across the hills and draws of the big feeder pasture. When taken south through the creek crossing, she disappeared into the hills and woods. At the 55 minute mark she was seen coming from the left way to the front off the top of the last hill. She came to the creek way ahead just at pickup and pointed, where a large covey was put to wing, her style and departure beautiful.

Runner-up went to Murray's Glide, an orange and white setter female belonging to Dr. William Murray and handled by Richie Robertson. She drew the big east pasture course where she had to run for two miles straight into a 35 mile an hour wind. At 17 she was crossing the front when she stopped. She was uncertain but nevertheless stopped. When Richie rode his horse over to her he flushed a chicken. When he dismounted and fired, two more flew. Glide never really could pinpoint the birds in the high and changing winds, so her style was lacking. But she was true to her training. When she started west through the big canyon pasture, she had to be ridden for, to be turned, to keep on course. She finished 1/4 mile ahead down a canyon, a tired but game little female. She had beaten Mother Nature at her own game.

The Sunflower is blessed with wonderful grounds. Some 21,000 acres of the Ed Kimbell Ranch and 11,000 acres of the old Knox/Sheedy Ranch, which the Kimbells manage. We are ever thankful to the Ed Kimbell family for the use of these magnificent grounds. These are probably the biggest and best prairie grounds south of Canada.

A group of hard workers is led by the personable Don Beauchamp, who came to ride one day and to watch his derby fade into the distance with the wind. Chuck Maxson came for three days to ride and help with gates and food. Thanks, Chuck.

Bill and Lisa Black celebrated Lisa's birthday by hosting a delicious hamburger cookout on Monday evening and then returning Wednesday to charcoal steaks for some 38 people. Land owners Ed and Marsha Kimbell and ranch foreman Clint Tracy and his wife, Gail, were in attendance.

But the real stawlworth workers were Gordon Shaw and Jim Maxwell from the Kansas City area. The last two days, these two and myself were the only members present to work. Gordon expertly drove the dog wagon and got lunches every day and many other chores. Jim was everywhere doing every thing, front opening gates to back marshaling and returning to the right place with a judge to start the next brace. He went to Gridley one day to fill the water wagon, among other things. The trial could not have happened without these two and of course, Evert Davis Jr. Evert has worked dogs on the ranch for over 30 years and knows every tree and draw in every pasture. I even think he has all the birds named and located. He was a very good marshall. In addition to great participation by the members in making this championship happen, we had a good summer "work wise" and the new horse pens were greatly appreciated. Many of the trial participants also helped as needed and this was very much appreciated. Two people that stand out are Bob Willmon and Larry "Fuzzy" Smith. Thanks, guys.

The CHAMPIONSHIP

The first brace Monday morning, October 16th, saw Gateways Matador Corky, Gary Pinalto, with Nevada Ice, Richie Robertson. Both handlers had been advised before hand that the birds were holed up in the oak woods atop the large rolling hills that make up this part of Kansas. Both dogs broke away with large swinging casts. Corky hunted the woods hard early on and finished out front in the large north pasture. Ice was lost at 38 to be returned the next day by the rancher located 5 miles away. Chickens flew twice from the last pasture but no dogs involved.

Brace 2 saw Patriot, Gary Pinalto with Black Mountain, Lou Gleber. Both dogs used up all of the mile square break away pasture. When sent west both hunted the large draw like it should be done but couldn't find birds for the wind. Through the west draw and hills, Patriot was lost. Black Mountain hunted the woods, and lost both handler and scout. Owner C. W. Moore took him on when he came out on his own. Sent into the big feeder pasture he showed his heels on several 1/2 mile swings. He was picked up at 55 on a faux pas by his handler. Two batches of chickens seen.

Brace 3 broke away from corrals after coffee and donut break. Country Cousin Ranger, Cliff Boggs with Canadian Jock, Mark Wasserman. Both dogs ran a tug and haul race, but because of the adverse conditions never really showed in front like they should have. Ranger, scouted by personable Brittany pro, Jimmy Johns, was found after time way east of big woods pointing a big covey of birds, but bad location showed how bad the birds were running.

First brace after lunch went south across the big lake dam. Special Medicine, Gary Pinalto with Squires Boogie Woogie, Bob Willmon. Both dogs hunted the long draw going east from lake dam, and Special Medicine was lost, and not found yet. Boogie Woogie was short into the wind, but pointed prettily at 35 way south in the corner. Willmon took his time flushing and then took his dog on. All the "natives" were then on him bad for not immediately running down the draw as that's where those birds usually run.

Brace 5 saw Bear Creek Bess, Andy Daughtery with Ann's Rising Beauty, Richie Robertson. Beauty's owner was riding to watch her gallant effort. Dogs were released along the east creek in the puppy pasture to then turn east and south for two miles. No chickens flown today. Bess was lost at 8 as she had hunted the creek draw on north. Returned at 18 she was hunted hard, but never really went far enough down the draws to be in bird country. Beauty was mostly to the sides, the heavy winds taking their toll.

Brace 6 saw See Jonny Run, Jerry Lewis with Clear Cut, Gary Pinalto. Both dogs broke away from the old Sheedy corrals along the south fence of the big bowl pasture. Both dogs ran big front races going to the right places but no birds were officially seen.

Brace 7 Tuesday morning saw Social Call, Gary Pinalto with Nujac's Rebel, Lou Gleber. Both dogs ran huge independent races mostly out front, hunting the draws and woods when available. Probably one of the better braces race wise. Three batches of chickens were seen or ridden up, but no dog work.

Brace 8 saw Hawkeye, Gary Pinalto with Elhew Aligred Duke, Richie Robertson. Both dogs were ridden for at the first gate crossing, and sent down the big draw. Both made it through the woods and draw through the middle portion. Good hunting, running races but no birds pointed in the windy conditions.

Brace 9 saw Nevada Black Ball, Richie Robertson with Lehars Perfect Tech, Andy Daughtery. Black Ball ran a good hunting race with straight up tail carriage running. Perfect Tech had point called at 30 farther up the hill from where Black Ball had an unproductive. A large sized wild turkey was flushed by handler. At 55 Tech had an unproductive. All in all a very good race.

Brace 10 saw Barshoe Bogaloosa, Andy Daughtery with Slim Fast, Gary Pinalto. Both were scouted at break away as they went east to 1/4 mile draw. When brought back Slim Fast had knocked his pads on gravel road. Bogaloosa taken on, ran a pretty out front race, but no birds seen.

Brace 11 saw Fast Trick, Gary Pinalto, with Murray's Glide. Glide's race has been covered. Fast Trick tried, but into the 35 mile per hour winds couldn't do much.

Brace 12 saw Jed, Lou Gleber with Ragtime Rebel, Gary Pinalto. Both dogs started with large swings to the front through the west pasture along the south horseshoe of creek and trees, Jed began to lengthen his stride. As we began our climb out of creek bottom Jed became a very small dot going up and over the west hills. He reappeared to the front along the 2 mile draw going east. As we rounded the tip of the draw and started west, point was called at a known covey haunt. Flush and relocation revealed nothing. The dog had been there just too long, and those birds had hot footed it for parts unknown. As Gleber watered the dog he showed the judiciary a front leg almost twice normal size. The injury did not keep the dog from finishing far to the front. A game effort producing an exciting hour.

Brace 13 Wednesday morning saw Desert Rambler, Richie Robertson with Sequoyah Padre, Gary Pinalto. Both dogs started well and filled the first two bowls. As we crossed the first grass pasture, both dogs were gone and scouts dispatched. Padre was found in the southeast draw and point was called with scout firing over dog with birds in the air. Padre finished with a good cast across the only road on the ranch to the north.

Brace 14 saw Barshoe Quickly as described earlier with Houses Dot, Gary Pinalto. Dot was in and out the hour with pads gone.

Brace 15 saw Hick's Rising Sun, Richie Robertson with Nemaha Patch, Pat McInteer. Patch had just won the Region 17 Shooting Dog Championship and ran a shooting dog race here. It looked short in this big valley course. Sun ran a pleasing race, not huge but big enough. An unproductive at 30 was all he could tally today.

Brace 16 after lunch saw Angel Fist, Gary Pinalto with Tioga, Richie Robertson. Pinalto bad luck with this course continued as Fist was in the harness by 30. Tioga ran a good race and had an unproductive at pick up at a known covey spot.

Brace 17 saw Barshoe Bandit, Pat McInteer with Red Willow, Richie Robertson. Bandit started off with a bang as he pointed going through creek gap on break away. Birds were flushed and shot covey out quickly. These were the birds that had run off from Tioga. Bandit laid out a scorching race with the handler riding far to the front to try and keep contact. As we left the 2 mile pasture McInteer whoaed the dog to let the judges catch up. On release McInteer sent the dog down the long draw toward the pond where he was rewarded with his second find. The only dog in the stake to go this far or find these birds. Upon release it was evident that the dog had completely knocked his pads as he was leaving blood every step. His last fifteen minutes were restricted and this dimmed an other wise very bright picture. Red Willow was having problems and did not run a pretty race at all.

Brace 18 saw Pacesetters Loadstone, Richie Robertson with Borrowed Money, Gary Pinalto. Loadstone ran a big, big race to the point of being huge, mostly across the prairies while the draws and objectives were mostly ignored. Borrowed Money raced with his bracemate some, hunted some, and was picked up at 50.

Brace 19, Thursday morning saw Revelation, Gary Pinalto with Den's Smoked Hickory, Andy Daughtery. Both raced out of sight on the break away and were gone too long. Revelation showed up ahead finally while Hickory showed up at camp after lunch.

Brace 20 saw Lehars Wild Tech, Andy Daughtery with Country, Gary Pinalto. Larry "Fuzzy" Smith was riding to see his Country. Both dogs ran big to start but Country grabbed the big draw edge and looked like money in the bank. Tech got behind and never recovered. Going through the hill draw past the creek we rode up a covey of birds. As the gallery was shooting these out of the air, Smith called point and flight of a single bird for Country to the front on far hill. No birds were seen officially and nothing could be flushed. Country finished the hour strong and to the front.

After coffee and donuts, Landruns Bullet Proof, Richie Robertson, and Miller's Silver Ending, David Grubb were turned loose. Silver Ending was booted to protect his feet and was gaited like a booted dog. He still ran a strong all age race. Bullet Proof pointed at 30 and upon relocation a single flushed in front of the dog. He ran an in and out hour for Robertson.

After a lunch break the last brace of Tekoa Rising Star, Richie Robertson and Texas Maverick, Gary Pinalto were released. Both dogs ran good races but no birds meant the carried dogs weren't moved.

The conditions led to many unproductives and knocked pads. Most dogs just couldn't beat Mother Nature. But then those are the challenges of prairie all age competition.

The DERBY

The derby was hotly contested as two females tore the front end out of the prairie courses ignoring the gale force winds and other adverse conditions. The nod for first went to Jill, a large-made white and orange female belonging to Larry "Fuzzy" Smith and handled by Andy Daughtery. She started slow and was seen a lot the first ten minutes. After the lake dam crossing she hooked on to her bracemate, a very fast female named "Too" handled by Lou Gleber, and made three big casts in a row. At time she had just been brought back to the front by her owner.

Second went to Mica Mountain, a diminutive black and white speedster owned by C. W. "Bud" Moore and handled by Lou Gleber. She started south west in the big bowl pasture with a half mile cast. She checked in with handler after her initial cast and then went down the south fence line three eighths of a mile where she broke off and crossed the front to the twin woods by the pond. When next seen she was ranging widely going north into the wind up the large hills to the north west. At 20 she was brought out of the wooded two mile draw to be sent east one half mile to the next pond. She finished going away out the front door. All in all a good hunting-running race.

Third went to "Bud" a liver and white male belonging to Gary Smith and handled by Lou Gleber. Bud ran on the same course as the winner and ran a big, big prairie derby race, but had to be scouted on several occasions, probably the difference in the placements.

Others that ran good races were Snapjax's Starship, Mike Harris, braced with the second place dog. He was lost at 25 when he put the gale force winds to his back and disappeared over the hill. Bob Willmon's Jack's Clean Sweep started slow but looked good through the last pasture and draw.

Several of the derbies were lost due to the windy and adverse conditions, and some just would not run into the wind. Every derby course had a mile into the wind, three miles across the winds and a mile with the wind at their backs.