Event: Scott Griffin's Pointer, K H Game Train Wins All-Age Southern Pines Celebration
Result: Southern Pines Field Trial Club
Location: Hoffman, North Carolina
Post Date: Apr 15, 2024
Submitted By: Dwight Smith
Ray Joye Amateur All-Age (front, l-r): Rocky River Loaded with Grayson Francis and Betty's Karma with John Atkinson. (Second row): Todd Williams (judge), Larry Cox (judge), Brandon Lynn, and Mac Hilliard. (Third row): Gretchen Adsit, Til Hankley, and John Adsit. (Not pictured): K H Game Train.
The last amateur field trial held on the Robert Gordon Field Trial Grounds near Hoffman, North Carolina, is usually the Southern Pines Celebration, and it was again this 2024 season.
Serious-minded amateur handlers and owners make an effort to attend the Celebration. Not only is the Celebration a good field trial, one of the best in fact, but it is also "party time." It is a time when old friends embrace, knowing it might be a long time before they share a special time in a very special place again. The Robert Gordon Grounds are indeed a special place.
A good entry of 25 amateur all-age contenders and 12 derbies were drawn. The Amateur Shooting Dog stake wasn't run. Representatives from at least 10 states were present to enjoy the goings-on in Richmond County, North Carolina, from March 7-11.
When John Atkinson, Grayson Francis, and Til Hankley organize an event, one can expect it to be well organized and "party time." Atkinson serves as president of the organization, Francis takes care of whatever no one else wants to do, and Hankley drives the dog truck and entertains the ladies.
The 2024 Southern Pines Celebration was well organized. One of the original directors, Ray Joye, passed away recently and was sorely missed. We will have more about that a little later.
The directors named the All-Age stake in his honor.
If one goes to a bird dog field trial, the subject of the availability of quail will surface just as it did at this trial. It is simply enough to say that enough quail were found for a good trial.
Field trials seem to have a few problems, including getting good, qualified judges. The Celebration hit the jackpot by obtaining two very well-qualified gentlemen to serve as judges. Larry Cox and Todd Williams looked like good judges, acted like good judges, and were good judges--couldn't have done better than those two.
A lot of support is needed to put on a field trial. Support for this year and the past five years came from the Richmond County Tourism Authority and Purina. Purina has helped in so many ways it is hard to name them all. Most trials depend on them for dog food and other important aspects of the trial. The Richmond County Tourism Authority Board supports the quail release program at Hoffman; you can't have a quail trial without quail. That's how important Richmond County Tourism Board support is.
Most people agree that the Robert Gordon Grounds are among the best field trial courses in the United States. The grounds are owned and maintained by the North Carolina Wildlife Commission. Lee Crisco is the man on the ground for the Commission at Robert Gordon. He is the right man in the right place at the right time.
If you ever want to feel closer to your maker or to be thankful for what you have instead of worrying about what you don't have, drive to the Hoffman Clubhouse just before daybreak, go into the clubhouse kitchen, get a cup of good coffee and walk through the double front doors and stand on the clubhouse front porch and look to the east. Watch the sun rise and shine on the shining frost or the glistening morning dew as the sun takes the frost or dew away and hear a lonesome Bobwhite call to his covey. That, my friend, might help change your attitude about some things I believe. Ray Joye witnessed that scene many times when at Hoffman.
That was the setting for a very special thing that happened on Saturday evening of the Celebration.
As already mentioned, Ray passed away earlier this year, and he was cremated. On Saturday night, Faye Joye, Ray's wife, and some of her children and grandchildren drove to Hoffman to spread some of Ray's ashes near the front porch of the clubhouse. John Atkinson helped Faye spread the ashes. The front porch was filled with people who thought of Ray's contribution to field trials and were thankful for him. After the release of the ashes, everyone returned inside the clubhouse, and a few remarks were made to describe the life of a man who had meant so much to all of us in the North Carolina trials.
There were not many dry eyes by the time thanks were given for Ray Joye, and the food was served.
Come and share the experience of the Hoffman Clubhouse front porch sometime just before or right after dawn.
After the event, a low country boil dinner, collard greens, and beans were served. Angel Rodgers and Brandon Lynn prepared food for all meals during the three-day event.
THE RUNNING
OPEN DERBY
The first stake of the Southern Pines was the Open Derby. Twelve youthful entries were entered, all carrying the hope of their owner and handlers of becoming outstanding performers in future all-age and shooting dog stakes.
Only one covey of quail was pointed during the Derby stake, and that was by I'm The Lone Ranger.
Ranger was released in front of the clubhouse and, within a few minutes, was on point. Sammy and Nidia Giddens' pointer showed all-age manners around game. Beautifully pointed in the early morning sunrise, he was. His groundwork showed that he has the makings of a future field trial contender. Of course, he was placed first.
Carl Owens' young setter, Woodville's John Lee Walker, was placed second based on his ground effort. He was mature in his selection of where to hunt but couldn't come up with game.
Mac's Slim Jim, Tim McClurg's youthful pointer, was also placed on his ground effort. He was a fast-moving, tail-popping contender that bears watching in the future after more developing.
Quail were scarce during the stake. According to riders in the gallery, there wasn't much movement of game. That's just the way it is sometimes.
Hoffman, N. C., March 8
Judges: Larry Cox and Todd Williams
OPEN DERBY - 10 Pointers and 2 Setters
1st-I'M THE LONE RANGER, 1703796, pointer male, by Mohawk Mill Trail Warrior-B K Deighton's Jewel. Sammy & Nida Giddens, owners; Sammy Giddens, handler.
2d-WOODVILLE'S JOHN LEE WALKER, 1700533, setter male, by Woodville's Yukon Cornelius-Penmark's Lady Oak Bo. Carl Owens, owner and handler.
3d-MAC'S SLIM JIM, 1700897, pointer male, by Mac's Silver Chief-Mac's Silver Shadow. Tim McClurg, owner and handler.
RAY JOYE AMATEUR ALL-AGE
The Ray Joye Amateur All-Age drew 25 entries and began at the conclusion of the Open Derby. The first day of the trial was a beautiful afternoon in the Tar Heel state. The second day of the trial would be heavy rain and windy, then clearing for a nice day to finish the trial.
K H Game Train, Scott Griffin's pointer, was awarded first place. This reporter missed Train's performance due to going to Carl Lefler's funeral. Carl owned Rocky River Kennels in Concord, North Carolina, and was a successful breeder of pointers. Carl had bred Rocky River Loaded, which placed in this All-Age stake.
Train drew the sixth brace and placed him on the third course. It was reported that Train ran maybe the best race of all the entries that completed the hour.
Riders in the gallery were awed by his strong, forward race and ability to hunt the long edge countryside without much scouting.
Judge Cox relayed that Train had a really good finish--way to the front, still hunting with speed and purpose.
Train seems to be an outstanding bird finder--what old field trialers referred to as "he's a bird dog." His birdwork consisted of two finds. Both finds were singles, maybe because a quail release was done just a few days before the trial, and some had strayed from the covey. Judge Cox was impressed with how hard the Griffin pointer slammed into point on his first find. Both finds were handled with all-age manners and with style and intensity.
Scott Griffin displayed cool handling abilities. He and his scout, Derek Bonner, relaxed, enjoying what they were doing and fully aware of what was going on.
Second-place honors were awarded to Rocky River Loaded, a strong, well-built, nearly all-white pointer handled by Grayson Francis. It is my understanding that Loaded will soon be in Grayson's ownership.
Loaded drew the first course on the last day of the trial. From the get-go, he adapted to the course's crooks and turns and applied his range, selection of objectives, and hunting the country before him. He was especially attractive on the hillside before the big lake and the long edges of the mile-long field.
The former Ray Joye pointer had two well-deserved finds. One find came before the big lake on course one and the other in the hill country below the clubhouse. At time, Francis and his scout, John Atkinson, returned Loaded to the waiting judges.
The performances of Rocky River Loaded and Game Train were very similar and probably caused the judges to spend some time analyzing the two performances.
Betty's Karma set the bar in the third brace. The small white and liver pointer female, which belongs to Darrell Miller and John Atkinson and was handled by Atkinson, has been a consistent performer on the Hoffman Grounds for the past two years.
She drew the sixth course and looked like she was on familiar grounds in the open pines and sage grass countryside. The high cover in some areas did not challenge Karma's as she reached the far edges of pines along the Naked Creek countryside. She is a lot of dog.
Karma had one find, showing all the style, intensity, and manners that could be put into her smallish frame. She has the endurance and range one desires in a field trial performer. She is a first-year all-age and looks like she will be a force to deal with in field trials for a long time.
Several entries had good performances but were not placed. Miller's Last Call, Derek Bonner's pointer male, was under consideration. He had a large race and some birdwork.
In the last brace, the Giddens' setter, I'm A Southern Man, rendered a good effort.
Southern Nation was putting it all together until his second find.
RAY JOYE AMATEUR ALL-AGE [One-Hour Heats] - 21 Pointers and 4 Setters
1st-K H GAME TRAIN, 1681832, pointer male, by Cole Train-Tallgrass Bella. Scott Griffin, owner and handler.
2d-ROCKY RIVER LOADED, 1696572, pointer male, by Broken Halo-Morgan's Mountain Maggie. Ray Joye, owner; Grayson Francis, handler.
3d-BETTY'S KARMA, 1696872, pointer female, by Mohawk Mill Trail Warrior-Steel Valley Wardance. Darrell Miller & Johnny Q. Atkinson, owners; Johnny Atkinson, handler.
Open Derby (front, l-r): I'm the Lone Ranger with Nida Giddens, Woodville's John Lee Walker with Carl Owens, and Mac's Slim Jim with Tim McClurg. (Second row): Parrish Atkinson, Ellen Clements Winall, Bob Youngs, Todd Williams (judge), and Johnny Atkinson.