The Sunflower Open All Age Championship

The Sunflower Open All Age Championship
Kimbell Ranch, Yates Center, Kansas
October 18-21, 1999
Submitted by CW Bud Moore

The 1999 renewal of the Sunflower Open All Age Championship was an outstanding success in the face of much travail. Last summer, Gordon Shaw, 80+ years young had surgery for a cancerous kidney. We were very much worried about his health. Gordon, though, showed up and did his usual stellar job of delivering the dog wagon to all places on time without shaking up the dogs. He also had the coolers full, pop and juice, hot coffee, and donuts on a daily basis. This writer had a little accident in August resulting in a lot of down time and much pain.

The professional handlers in attendance all worked together and with us to make everything run smoothly. Bob Enke came to help and drive the dog wagon. Mike Harris, bad back and all, came with Jim Maxwell to help back marshal and open and close gates. Evert Davis and my wife, Patty, put everything together to make it work. Larry Yeager, a newcomer, brought his motor home, stayed on the grounds, and did anything that someone else was too busy to do. All this and the most beautiful piece of real estate God ever made; wow, another great championship! Thanks again to the Ed Kimbell Family for allowing us the use of part of their gorgeous ranch.

The winner emerged in High Meadow Brushfire, a pointer male owned by Jim Rosenbaum and handled by Butch Winter. Braced with Silver Hawk (Weldon Bennett). They were loosed on the hillside going to the creek on #2 course. Point was called by Winter at 5, one half mile to the front down the right side of the creek. This old covey has been here for the 30 years this writer has been riding this beautiful ranch. The birds came out in waves and Brushfire just got higher and prettier. Both dogs took a northern jaunt as the course went west. Both dogs were back in front as we went into the big open third pasture going to the bowls. There is a big canyon on the north edge that goes west but both dogs decided to go over the ridge south looking for chickens. Silver Hawk didn’t disappoint as he had some work on chickens far to the south at 30. This is a three mile long pasture so it was a long way back to front going for Hawk. Meanwhile, Brushfire was out front going west and was seen going off the ridge to the south as the course turned that way. When we dropped off the ridge, Brushfire was seen far to the south on a hill in the next pasture going to the front. Daugherty, scouting, was a very small dot. Brushfire made it to the far front on his own and finished on a big cast to the front.

Runner-up was Lonesome Dove’s Chip, owned by Robbie Robinson, handled by Andy Daugherty. Loosed on the #3 course, braced with Worsham’s Silver Streak, owned and handled by Joe Worsham. Both dogs went up the big hill going south. Chip was involved with chickens at three, chickens in the air, dog stopped, shot fired. Both dogs over the hill and out front. This is a "big country" hill, as you ride the top you can see for miles and miles. Course goes east for a mile at the south end of the pasture. When we got to the east end, Daugherty was on the ground with the dog, saying birds had pitched down the hill on the fence line. Judge said, "Show’em to me" and Chip did just that with good location and style. Course turned south for a mile, mostly up hill with a big draw going west northwest with a big mott and lake at the end 1/2 mile out. Both dogs circled west and came on to take the east turn through the oak covered hills for the next mile. Not much seen of either dog for the last 20 minutes.

This is a "Prairie Awards" trial for good reasons. The Ed Kimbell holdings are one of the last of the "Big Country" pristine areas type of ranches. No roads, big pastures, with plenty of game. Chickens were seen in every pasture but one. We used 12 big pastures, and saw birds in every one. Chickens and quail in 11 of the 12. A Monday night BBQ dinner was hosted by the club and Purina. A good time had by all and all the food anyone wanted to eat. Last year’s winner, Miller’s White Diamond, hosted a steak cookout on Wednesday evening. Bob and Helen Black, honored guests, delivered the dinner fixings: salad, baked beans, hot bread, and all the brownies you could eat for dessert. Bill Black, dinner organizer, prepared 60 steaks to perfection. Thanks to the Black family the dinner was a great success. You ought to come to the trial just to enjoy the amenities and the beautiful grounds.

The trial started on Monday morning October 18th at 8:00 a.m. Judges were Don Loyd of Olathe, Kansas. Don was in his second stint as judge here. Don owns and campaigns his own dogs, has dogs with Don Palatini, and owns a former German shorthair national champion. Don is in much demand as a judge, and you only have to talk to him once to see why. It’s always a pleasure to ride with Don. Joining Don was Jerry Hicks from Hardin, Kentucky. This was Jerry’s first trial back after a several year absence for business reasons. Welcome back, Jerry.

Black Mountain (Moore) was braced with Barshoe Quickly (Daugherty) in the first brace. The first morning saw the only frost of the trial, and we had a good one to start out with. Both dogs broke away going east at good range. Course goes 3/4 mile east and turns north through low wooded oak hills. Both dogs cutting the terrain nicely through this area. Point called for Black Mountain at 15 but waved off. Both dogs went in the second pasture and were dots on the horizon as course went one mile east. Black Mountain dead ahead hit the wooded draw in the east pasture and hunted hard but no birds. Both dogs were out front as we entered the big north pasture and faded out of sight. Quickly finished ahead, Black Mountain brought in by scout at time.

The second brace saw Nemaha Patch (Pat McInteer) with Mississippi Kid (Billy Wayne Morton) go west to the creek and west toward low oak hills. Point was called at 5 by McInteer. A small covey put out, Patch looking good. Kid had an unproductive at 20 and was picked up at 40. Patch was gone but not up to the big country the last 15 minutes.

It was a blue bird morning, lots of birds seen, but not many pointed. This was to be the theme for the next three days.

The first brace after lunch was Peace Maker (Morton) with Barshoe Esquire (Daugherty). It takes a dog with a lot of handle and the desire to go with you to look good on the #1 course, and Peace Maker looked good. He ran the race with plenty of handle, but just couldn’t point any birds. Esquire was a handful from the start and was lost at 30.

Brace 5 saw San Jacinto Buck (Winter) with Nemaha Dime (McInteer). Both dogs made the creek and started west. Dime took the edges and hunted his way forward while Buck was gone north. At the mile gate Judge Hicks waited while Winter went north. Shortly came the call of point. 3/4 of a mile ride to where the scout was pointing through the fence down hill to Buck. Nothing there, relocation producing nothing. It was a long ride to the front and took its toll on Buck. Neither dog could come up with birds.

Brace 6 with Lonesome Spirit (Daugherty) with McNeil’s Cognac (Morton). Loosed going south up the big hill in the big south pasture, both dogs were a handful. Finally collected on the south end both dogs went east. Neither dog was up to the country the middle 15 minutes, and not much was seen of them the last 20 through the low oak hills. No bird work was seen by the judges.

Tuesday morning was warm and with no wind. The first brace saw King Pin (Morton) with Bernie (Harris). King Pin ran a nice race the first 45 minutes and had chickens at 45, but you sign on for an hour. Bernie felt and ran like a young derby. His was not the race we all expected of him.

Brace 8 had Fine Shine (Winter) with Checotah (Bennett). Both dogs started out wide open down the creek to the north. Checotah was the only one to make the turn west. Checotah had his running shoes on and covered the edges on the south then decided to tour north and take in all the country west. As we dropped off the far west ridge Checotah was seen going far south into the next pasture where he worked the far hill at extreme range. At 55 the scout was seen with his hat in the air. A half mile plus ride brought us to the creek bottom where the dog stood loose. Bennett tapped him and he went 10 feet to the edge of the creek where Bennett put up the covey. Time was up; a prairie all age race and find.

Brace 9 turned 2 females toward home; Shelly Rae (Morton) and Bear Creek Bess (Daugherty). Both were drawn in season; and both were lost by the half hour.

The first brace after lunch turned Palomar (Morton) and Full Force Jack (Daugherty) loose on the first course. Both were big early, full of them selves. Jack had two unproductives and was up at 20. Palomar up shortly after, not suiting handler.

Brace 11 started early as we only had a half mile ride to the starting point of course 2. Silver Hawk (Bennett) and High Meadow Brushfire (Winter) have already been described.

The last brace of the day saw Executive Decision (Morton) and Barshoe Sting (Daugherty). Both drawn in season. Both took turns out front with big swings. Sting had an unproductive in the creek bottom at the east side of the big south pasture. Birds normally use the area but could not be raised today. Neither dog was seen through the low oak hills but were gathered up at 50. Morton rode up birds at 58 looking for the dog. The gallery rode up birds also.

The first brace Wednesday morning saw Lehar’s Main Tech (Morton) with Salem’s Rose (Daugherty). Rose had lost her pads earlier, and started out stiff. Tech was full of himself and was huge for the hour.

Brace 14 was Pongo (Maxwell) with Rebel Warrior (Bennett). Pongo was lost shortly after the creek crossing picked up north west; next seen an hour later on a check cord. Warrior was right the first twenty, but showed his age for a while in a short grass pasture. A find on chickens at 40 put his mind back on business. Point was called at 45 but waved off. Warrior finished the hour out front.

The last brace was Lehar’s Perfect Tech (Morton) with Las Animas Patches (Winter). Both dogs ran enough, although not always out front.

The DERBY

Because this ranch is so large and with this writer in much pain; the derby was run from camp to the Virgil road and back. This gave us a course 1 mile wide, 3 miles long; part of the first hour course. All derbies had the same terrain and bird count. Normally, we run derbies on continuous courses, but not this year.

The winner Rebel Enchor ran in the first brace and set the standard. Rebel Warhawk was second; both handled by Billy Wayne Morton. Bay Ridge Rebel was third for Andy Daugherty. These three were picked from a quality field of 22. No birds were pointed although several times the same birds were ridden up.