The Sunflower Open All Age Championship

The 1997 Sunflower Open All Age Championship
Kimbell Ranch, Yates Center, Kansas
October , 1997 to conclusion
Reporter: CW Bud Moore

The 1997 Sunflower Open All-Age Championship was, by anybody's standards, an outstanding success. 33 coveys of quail and 5 coveys of prairie chicken were pointed over the spacious Kimbell and Hurd Ranches north of Yates Center, Kansas.

Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the Ed Kimbell family for the use of these beautiful grounds; by unanimous consensus, the best grounds this side of Canada. When we have birds, we have birds everywhere in every pasture. Thanks, also to the Crumrine family for the use of camp headquarters on their ranch, named after Gene Spires, a longtime friend and hunting companion of MR. Crumrine, who died of cancer some 20 years ago. Gene was an early Brittany trainer and handler who helped develop these grounds.

Thanks, also, to Purina for their support of our trial and sponsoring a hamburger fry on Monday evening. No trial could be as successful as this one without great judges. Kip Linard and Dennis Auping filled the bill. They are knowledgeable, youthful in their diligence, and above all, above reproach. Despite having their truck in the shop all week, family illness, and a crippled horse, they stayed congenial, focused, and were helpful to all who ran. Their winners were well received. They named Bear Creek Bess Champion for Andy Daugherty and Las Animas Patches Runner-up for Butch Winter.

The winners were braced together in the first brace which started the trial off with high anticipation when Bess pointed her first covey at 2 minutes, all in order. The dogs got separated with Patches taking the first draw going straight north at all-age range. Bess went straight down the course northeast between the mots and was found buried deep by the pond at ten with her second covey. Patches regained the front at twenty, Judge and Marshall reporting two outstanding finds down north draw. Both dogs ranged well in the east pasture. Scout found Bess along creek at 30 with her 3rd covey. Both dogs ranged well through the north pasture and finished going back south at finish time at all-age range. This country can be hard on handler and dog alike. In order to win here, a dog has to hunt hard to dig up birds, yet be able to range at extreme range in order to look good going across huge short grass pastures going to the next objective.

This championship could not go on without the help of three special people. Gordon Shaw, the dog wagon driver, lunch fixer, and general do-it-all person, and his side kick, Jim Maxwell, back marshal and gate closer. Jim, Gordon, and the writer have seen every brace of every championship, no mean feat on these huge grounds. Evert Davis, again marshaled and rode hard to keep handlers on course and into bird country, quite an accomplishment when you have 24 thousand acres to choose from for your courses.

Mike Harris of St. Joe, Missouri came, helped, and ran two dogs. Thanks, Mike. Bill Black, again, took charge of hauling much equipment to the grounds and making sure Patty and I had everything we needed to put on this trial. Thanks to Patty Black Moore and the Black family for the hamburger fry sponsored by Purina on Monday night. Chuck Maxson and Don and Linda Beauchamp came Wednesday evening and put on the steak feast sponsored by Andy and Sharlene Daugherty and last year's winner.

Thanks to all the handlers who caused no problems and were helpful to all, professional and amateur alike, to make the trial a fun time.

Every handler turned loose at least one dog that could have won here in year's past. Listed in the order they ran are the dogs that did a super job but fell short this year for one reason or another.

Lehar’s Perfect Tech with one find but lost. See Johnny Run with one find. Barshoe Bogoloosa with one find. Crowbar for 30 minutes was winning it all with 3 finds but shortened. Miller's Silver Ending with a chicken find. Checotah with 2 finds but a little erratic.

The trial started with a big bang as related earlier with the first brace pointing three coveys the first 30 minutes.

The second brace had Tekoa Rising Sun, Jerry Lewis with Lehar’s Perfect Tech, Andy Daugherty. Tech scored at five, all in order, but bracemate got tangled up with the gallery in the creek bottom crossing when rushing to the call of point. Sun never really got straight after that and was picked up at 40. Tech was lost at 30.

Brace 3 saw White Limozeen, Evert Davis with Mosley's Pettit Jean, Butch Winter. Jean was lost early and Sam for Evert Davis retrieved a live, squirting skunk back to scout. Needless to say his nose took a beating and all he could produce was 3 touchy pieces of bird work.

Brace 4 put Jericho Mountain, Jr., Bud Moore with Barshoe Quickly, Andy Daugherty on the course going south after lunch. Both dogs made the lake crossing but Quickly was gone thereafter. Jerry was shown far to the front, and rejoined the front of the judges and handler to hunt the long draw going east. The hour ended with Jerry hunting the mile long puppy course draw, weaving the draw at extreme range and speed. Quickly put in an appearance but went west and was picked up after time.

Brace 5 saw Snapjax's Star Ship, Mike Harris, with See Johnny Run, Jerry Lewis. Johnny had his running shoes on and was shown on several big casts. Star Ship went west and was not back in front till the 20 minute mark. He ran a lot but his pattern was very erratic. Johnny, meantime, was putting down a pretty race and was rewarded with a quail find at 55.

Brace 6, Tuesday morning, was short lived as neither Rolling Reward, Butch Winter nor Worsham's Silver Streak, Joe Worsham could handle breakaway coveys.

After a short ride up the hill, Brace 7 broke away heading west between the rolling hills covered with oaks and quail. Lehar's Main Tech, Andy Daugherty and Barshoe Ballistic, Pat McInteer handled the first hills just fine and were found pointing and backing over the second hill. Tech in front, all in order. After the twin gate crossing, course went right, Ballistic went left. A covey of chickens stopped him after a quarter mile. Nothing on first flush, a stop to flush on relocation. Tech not handling kindly, Ballistic short but handler riding fast to the front last 20, an unproductive at pickup.

Brace 8 with Fine Shine, Butch Winter along with Snapjax's Golden Boy, Mike Harris. Neither dog doing much first 20. Shine up early. Boy had a chicken right at 20 but could not get untracked to run an all-age race.

Brace 9, after lunch, say Barshoe Esquire, Andy Daugherty with Nemaha Patch, Pat McInteer going south across lake. Both dogs in harness by 35, Patch under birds, Esquire on an unproductive, probably a point on birds to small to fly.

Brace 10. Jim Maxwell had Pongo along with Andy Daugherty and Barshoe Bogoloosa. Bo ran west when the course went east while Pongo was very erratic. Pongo up early. Bo back on course at 25 where point was called. All in order, Bo ran well the next 25, but was gone at pickup and came in from behind.

Last brace Tuesday saw Don Kimbell turn loose his pride and joy, Quick Kash. Lee West had his Barshoe Patron. Kash ran over lots of country but was never quite right and this scribe scouting him, let him get through the south fence where he was gone too long. Patron was in and out and only had an unproductive where he did not look too mature.

Wednesday morning, Kevin Robinson turned loose Crowbar with the intention of winning it all. Bracemate, Rebel Mischief, Weldon Bennett, was gone from the breakaway so Crowbar had it all to himself. His first find was at 10 left of course up north draw. Looked good after a long ride. Second find was at 20 dead ahead on course in heavy cover behind pond. At 30 in the last pasture, Judge spotted the dog 1/4 mile in on creek stopped. We had to ride 1/4 mile up fence to gate and back 1/4 mile to dog. Covey deep in cover and manners were good. The dog shortened the last 20 to keep it from claiming a championship spot in the stake.

Monrovia Prove It, Kevin Robinson with Sawmill Clyde, David Grubb went west toward old corrals through the rolling hills. Clyde was picked up at 12 on birds. Prove It had a chicken find at 10 and a find at 50 on little quail barely able to fly.

After coffee break, Touch's Silver Streak, Kevin Robinson went east with Shameless, Weldon Bennett. Touch was up at 4 while Shameless had point called at 10 along creek crossing. Weldon couldn't get anything to fly and Shameless couldn't relocate but gallery rode up birds when coming through. Shameless was up at 30 on an unproductive so we rode in to lunch.

After a long lunch, David Grubb loosed Miller’s Silver Ending. Mr. Ray Grace riding to watch his pride and joy who didn’t disappoint him. Kevin Robinson had Night Rader who didn’t please his handler and was up early. Silver Ending was laying out and Grubb rode hard to keep him in check. Silver Ending was on far ridge going north when he swapped ends and pointed chickens, very pretty piece of work. Going north, he worked the draw and had an unproductive at pickup.

Brace 16 saw Tradewater True Grit, Kevin Robinson with Checotah, Weldon Bennett. Both dogs ran a lot early. Bennett found Checotah on right side of course at 20 with a covey wadded up under a little tree. Both dogs made the front, and True Grit had a nice find at pond dam on the south end of the course but was shortly thereafter lost. Checotah required a lot of riding to keep him I check and had his second find at 50.

The last brace of the trial saw Touch’s Hoodwink, Kevin Robinson with Miller’s North Star, Dave Grubb. The third afternoon course goes south by southwest about a mile down a ridge, prime chicken country. Both dogs traversed it well to the end and made the road crossing where Hoodwink had a nice find. North Star made the course turn and in quick order had an unproductive and a nice find. This is a nice dog. Hoodwink made the front shortly after North Star’s find and both dogs hunted well till pickup.

The DERBY

The Derby had 18 entries and the three winners stood out above the rest. Three very good winners who were true prairie all-age Derbies. The Derby was a microcosm of the Prairie Derby Awards as the three winners are the leading contenders. King Pin won the hour derby at the Iron Nation trials, while Bozann’s Ican Too and High Meadow Brush Fire won the northern prairie trials for Daugherty and Winter. All three stood out as the dogs to beat. King Pin’s handle at extreme range probably gave him the nod for the blue. Ican Too at one time had 2 handlers and 2 scouts in the same pasture. High Meadow Brush Fire started a little slower but filled the last 25 minutes.