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Result: Masters Open Quail Championship

Location: Albany, Georgia

Post Date: May 1, 2025

Submitted By: Andrew Campbell

Masters Open Quail ChS25

Masters Open Quail Championship (l-r): Luke Eisenhart, Judd Carlton with Rester's Johnny Ringo, Dr. Reuben Richardson, Darron Hendley (judge), Ed Chance (judge), Cody McLean with Touch's Shadow Rider, Mark McLean, and Bruce and Karen Norton.

The 56th running of the Masters Quail Championship was held between March 6-8 on the south side of Albany on the legendary properties of Nilo Plantation and Nonami Plantation. From a field of 33 starters--31 pointers and two setters--the judges, Ed Chance of Albany, Georgia and Darron Hendley of Union Springs, Alabama, awarded the Norman J. Ellis Memorial Trophy to Rester's Johnny Ringo, owned by Cecil and Holly Rester and Dr. Reuben Richardson, and handled by Luke Eisenhart, with Touch's Shadow Rider, owned by Bruce and Karen Norton and Dr. Reuben Richardson. These results alone are remarkable: Johnny Ringo had become one of the very few dogs to win both the Southeastern and the Masters All-Age Championships back-to-back, and Dr. Reuben Richardson may be the only person to have owned both the winner and runner-up at this championship. After last year's low, it was reassuring to see entries rebound slightly and witness sizable galleries of up to 60 riders in both the mornings and afternoons.

During the first morning's run, the news came through that Hall-of-Famer John Rex Gates had passed away, and a moment of silence was held for him and his family between braces. John Rex won the Masters four times with Palariel Stormy Clown (1974), HOF Texas Fight (1976), Tar Hill Ranger (1979), and Librarian's White Cloud (1982), as well as taking runner-up three times with Flush's Dixie Melody (1970), Tradition's Peggy (1972), and Waycross (1975). The Southern Field Trial Club's thoughts remain with his family.

The Southern Field Trial Club is deeply indebted to the Williams Family of Nilo and Mr. Ted Turner of Nonami for their permission to use these two remarkable properties, and to their respective managers, Garret Jones and Ray Pearce, for their studious stewardship. The Club is also deeply grateful to Cody Gregory at Nilo and Cody McLean at Nonami for marshaling and providing horses for this reporter. Thanks, too, go to Flint Equipment in Albany for providing the tractor to tow the gallery wagon, and to Dane Philyaw, Colby Bryant, and the eternal Buster Cobb for chauffeuring it. Last but not least, a heartfelt thanks also goes to Purina for their ongoing support of this event.

The Winners
Rester's Johnny Ringo had run in the sixth brace drawn with Game Star, owned by Dr. Fred and Rita Corder, and handled by Fred, the final brace of the first afternoon over on Nonami. With the previous brace ending early, the two dogs were turned loose almost due south, the breeze coming across their faces from the west. While Johnny Ringo had already begun to demonstrate a more consistently forward pattern, both dogs would be found together at 0:10. They would be standing in the shade of a large live oak, some 10 yards apart, and invisible to each other, the covey rising from the scrubby undergrowth ahead of them. Over the access roads to the barn and the workshed, Johnny Ringo would swing out onto the grassy ridge to the left, Game Star continuing to work more directly ahead of her handler. The call of point would come for Johnny Ringo at 0:21, the dog up high on the open rise looking into a broomsedge block, the birds readily flushed ahead of him, as pretty a move to a find as would be seen all trial. In the meantime, Game Star had moved out to the other side of the course and would be found in a median strip at 0:27, the birds readily ahead of her; as she approached the turn west, Game Star would stop at 0:34 once more some 200 yards west of the sole Nonami water tank with all in order. Having watered his dog in the same tank, Eisenhart would send Johnny Ringo out to the west, where he would come to a stop in a shady bowl at 0:39, the birds finally acquiescing to flush after an extended effort. With Johnny Ringo taking the outside turn and Game Star the inside arc through the turn, both dogs would come together again at 0:43 in an oaky hollow to the north, the birds seen leaving as Corder arrived on scene, both dogs standing tall. Sent on once more, Johnny Ringo would stop in the next shady hollow at 0:47, the dog's nose high into the westerly breeze, the birds at a good distance out ahead of him. While Game Star would continue to work consistently ahead of her handler, Eisenhart would send Johnny Ringo out along the northern edge of woods towards Hardup Road. And with Game Star handling kindly and taking the inside of the turn, Johnny Ringo would power around the turn and push south towards the breakaway, his hour packed with speed, initiative, and a strong, forward race. Touch's Shadow Rider had also run on the first afternoon, albeit in the fourth brace, eagerly watched by two of his owners, Karen and Bruce Norton, braced with Haney's Silver Dollar, handled by Luke Eisenhart.

The afternoon's conditions were decent with the temperature right around 60 degrees, but the skies were clear and blue, the air dry, and the strong breeze largely coming from the north. Not much was seen of either dog for the first 10 minutes as both appeared to sail out into the rolling woods on the north side of the course. McLean would successfully reconnect with his dog around 0:18 and take him over to the water trough, the Blue Springs headquarters now clearly in sight out to the west. Eisenhart would call point for Silver Dollar at 0:23, the dog down in the hollow parallel with the Blue Springs workshed; although, despite a relocation, this would prove unproductive. For his part, Shadow Rider would make the turn northeast parallel to the River Road and come to a stop at 0:24 in an oaky thicket some 200 yards north of the Blue Springs equipment shed and some 200 yards west of the road, the birds readily in front of him. Sent on, Shadow Rider would be seen pursuing the eastern edge of the long, skinny cover crop field to the right. As the course approached the turn east (roughly parallel to where the old Baptist church had stood) at 0:33, Shadow Rider would be glimpsed once more, still pushing hard out through the patchwork of fields to the northeast. As the course climbed out to the northeast, McLean would excitedly call point for Shadow Rider up on top of the rise at 0:44, and almost immediately afterwards call the flight of birds.

The judges were still under the rise and in no position to have seen the flight; nevertheless, upon arrival, McLean opted to flush in the hopes of a straggler, but to no avail. Silver Dollar had not been seen for some time to this point, and Eisenhart would come in for his tracker at 0:44. As the gallery passed the sinkhole on the right, Shadow Rider would come to another stop in the woody median strip on the left at 0:49, looking into an oaky thicket. The initial flush would prove unsuccessful, the dog relocating around the large thicket, and with another flushing effort, the birds would then flush some 10 yards away to the north, apparently having run off as the dog initially pointed. Across the dirt road, McLean would send Shadow Rider down the left edge of the skinny cover crop field to cut in and disappear roughly halfway down. He would be found standing at 0:56 in the woody median strip, almost exactly parallel to where he had cut in, the birds directly ahead of the mannerly dog. He would finish strong, moving out through the woods to the north. While there had been decent performances to this point, this was the first to clearly signal an all-age performance.

The Running
The first brace brought Miller's Heat Advisory (Carlton) to the line with Woodville's Yukon Cornelius (McLean), the dogs turned loose on impeccable Nilo in cool, blustery conditions. The action would begin at 0:06 in the northwest corner of the first major cover crop field, roughly a half mile north of the breakaway, with Yukon Cornelius pointing and Heat Advisory backing. Sadly, despite three relocation efforts, McLean would be unable to produce birds ahead of his dog. In the meantime, taken on after the first relocation, Heat Advisory would come to a stop of his own at 0:08, some 300 yards further north, the birds readily produced ahead of him. While Heat Advisory's pattern was somewhat less consistent, Yukon Cornelius punched out ahead of him across the next east-west cover crop field to then disappear into the cover at 0:10, where he would be found standing in an oaky thicket, the birds pinned ahead of him. Sent on, he would be seen punching down the long eastern edge of the next field to be found standing once more at 0:21, this time in a stand of younger pines, the birds once more exactly where he indicated. As the course turned east underneath the old and new pecan orchards, Yukon Cornelius would be seen punching out in the low valley and climbing the next rise, still moving strong and purposefully. Three-quarters of a mile later, the course would turn south once more, paralleling one of the major dirt access roads, Heat Advisory gathered up and sent down the wooded median on the inside of the turn to the west, Yukon Cornelius unseen for several minutes and hopefully turning south through the wooded rise to the east. Sadly, as the course turned southwest, and after a final conference with his scout, McLean would concede defeat and come for his tracker at 0:57. For his part, Heat Advisory would finish out to the front after a succession of well-executed moves along the edges of the next series of smaller cover crop fields.

The second brace saw Tallokas New Business (Loper) brought to the line with Erin's Bold Ruler (Eisenhart), with owner Claudia McNamee riding in support of her dog. While very little would be seen of New Business in the first 10 minutes or so as the course headed southwest towards the main first road, Bold Ruler could be seen pushing out to the lower swamp edge to the west and moving forward. Both dogs would be successfully gathered up, watered, and sent southward underneath the powerlines. The distant call of point would come at 0:30 for New Business, roughly a quarter mile out to the east, standing in the broomsedge near a prominent live oak, the birds easily flushed ahead of him. With the course following an almost-two mile path south along the Cooleewahee Way, Bold Ruler would initially stop at 0:43, the flight of birds called but unseen to either of the judges, and the dog would be taken on without incident; New Business would also stop shortly thereafter at 0:44, but after a deer burst out of the grass as the party arrived, he too would simply be taken on. As the course angles southeast and then east towards the old, stone Picnic Shed, New Business would swing wide to the south to make the turn and then come to a stop at 0:59 in a stand of adolescent, volunteer pines. Sadly, this would prove non-productive and bring the call of time; Bold Ruler, too, having gone birdless for his hour.

The third brace featured Touch's Breakaway Fred (McLean), with owners Bruce and Karen Norton and Gary Futch riding along in support, alongside Game Heir, owned by Dr. Fred and Rita Corder, and handled by Fred. After the dogs were turned loose to the north, Game Heir would be the first to strike at 0:05, standing off the southeast corner of a dried-out pond, the birds easily flushed ahead of him. With Fred casting wide out to the east, the call of point would filter through the blustery wind at 0:18, the dog standing in the woody median strip between two north-south cover crop fields some quarter mile to the east. Sadly, though, not even a relocation effort could produce birds ahead of the dog. Fred would stop again at 0:26, roughly a mile further down the course, standing in an oaky bottom, but this too would prove fruitless, ending his bid. In the meantime, Game Heir had begun to stretch out in the rolling terrain before the power line crossing, unseen for several minutes but successfully gathered up at the main dirt road crossing as the course began to angle back up to the northwest in the general direction of the John Olin-designed skeet field. After a false alarm at 0:46 south of the skeet field, Game Heir would stop once more at 0:56, although a very brief inspection would reveal a freshly dead rabbit and the dog taken on. Game Heir would make a nice, showy finish, climbing out of a wooded bowl some three-quarters of a mile north of the skeet field.

The fourth brace featuring Touch's Shadow Rider and Haney's Silver Dollar is already covered in the placements.

The fifth brace drew Mayhaw's Georgia Time (Mills), head-to-head with Touch's Lone Dominator (Carlton). With the previous brace going the full duration, they would be turned loose towards the end of the skinny cover crop field heading north, parallel to the Blue Springs Road. Soon after crossing the large east-west cover crop field on top of the first major rise, Carlton would call point at 0:06 for Dominator out in the broomsedge to the west, flushing one covey ahead of the dog, another rising at the shot. Both handlers would successfully turn their dogs to the west and down into the valley below the first, big pivot field, Lone Dominator stopping once more at 0:10, birds seen rising ahead of the mannerly dog, and a final pair rising as the handler went ahead to fire his gun. As the course swung under the pivot field, both dogs would swing across the front, connect with the edge of the next pair of cover crop fields, and move out westbound. Nevertheless, as both dogs approached their handlers roughly parallel with the second of the two pivot fields, the judges excused both dogs at 0:24.

The sixth brace featuring Rester's Johnny Ringo and Game Star is also already covered in the placements.

The seventh brace brought Touch's Gallatin Fire (McLean), with proud owner Alex Rickert along to watch his dog, to the line with Touch's Blue Knight, owned and handled by Woody Watson. While the temperature was several degrees cooler than the previous morning, the sky was still a clear blue, and the breeze had dropped off almost entirely. Both dogs would start out well, both seen pushing out along the edges of the sequence of cover crop fields on the way north. Gallatin Fire would be the first to stop at 0:07, on the western edge of a roughly square cover crop field, a single bird boosted out of the broomsedge. Some 200 yards further north in the hollow of a dried-out seasonal pond, Blue Knight had come to a stop at 0:13, but with this reporter still coming back to the front, the judge reported that after an initial flushing attempt, the handler then remounted to go on, the dog then repointed and a bird was flushed. Blue Knight would be seen pushing up the next long, slender cover crop field before crossing across the narrow neck from west to east. He would then be found standing at 0:21, some 25 yards into the cover, and another single bird put up in front of him. Both dogs would swing around the eastward turn below the pecan orchards, showing nicely along the far, facing slope. At the apex of the turn south, the call of point would come for both dogs at 0:35, standing roughly 150 yards apart, the birds seen leaving ahead of Blue Knight, another covey still balled up in front of Gallatin Fire. Heading south, Gallatin Fire would move down the edge of the wooded median to the right, ducking into the cover roughly two-thirds of the way down the mile-long field. He would be found standing by the scout at 0:45, standing on the slight downslope. An initial flushing and relocation effort would prove fruitless, but taken on, he would repoint barely 100 yards further upwind, and a single bird successfully flushed out ahead of him. Blue Knight had begun to stretch out through the patchwork of fields to the west as the course began its arc to the southwest and at the call of time, a frantic search began to return the dog to judgement, only to have him come in from the west and locate the gallery under his own recognizance. For his part, Gallatin Fire continued to show no lack of quit or initiative right up to time, even if his body had begun to show evidence of his long, successful career.

The eighth brace drew Game Surge, owned by Dr. Fred and Rita Corder, and handled by Fred, to the line alongside Miller's Blindsider (Daniels), with his owner Nick Berrong riding along in support. Both dogs would break away nicely, and for the first eight or nine minutes, as the course headed southwest and approached the main dirt road crossing towards the skeet field, little would be seen of them out front. Both handlers would reconnect with their dogs soon after the road crossing and send them off to the south. In the show of sportsmanship and camaraderie that seems to characterize the Southern trials, the opposing scout would call point for Game Surge at 0:15, standing in a shady, oaky thicket some 200 yards out to the east, the birds readily flushed ahead of him. For his part, Blindsider would be found at 0:20, looking into a mass of downed branches from a large live oak, just off the northeast corner of a small, square cover crop field, the birds seen leaving by the judge as he arrived. Nevertheless, soon after both dogs had passed under the power lines, with the dried-out Big Richardson Pond out to the left, and an eye on what was already in their books, the judges would excuse both dogs at 0:31.

The ninth brace saw Touch's Malcolm Story (McLean), with owner Alex Rickert riding along to watch his dog, brought to the line with Erin's Perfect Storm. The brace would be short and bittersweet, as the course pushed south, both dogs appearing to move well down through the rolling terrain of the Cooleewahee Way. As the course began its curve to the east towards the old, stone Picnic Shed, Perfect Storm would be found at 0:12, standing in a shaded, oaky thicket, but after the relocation effort also proved nonproductive, Eisenhart would elect to pick up his dog. On top of the rise after the course had passed the picnic shed, McLean would come in for his tracker at 0:21.

The 10th brace featured Woodville's Long Hard Ride (McLean) alongside Erin's War Eagle (Eisenhart), with owners Bill Bruchey and Claudia McNamee riding in support of their dog. Sent off down parallel to the Wildfair Road, War Eagle would be first to stop at 0:05, standing in the shady southwest corner of a cover crop field, although neither flushing nor relocation efforts could produce birds. While McLean had managed to reconnect with his spirited charge, War Eagle had in the meantime continued his same eastward trajectory and would come to a stop at 0:11 in a broomsedge block roughly 100 yards north of the road, standing head high looking up into the southeasterly breeze, a large covey directly ahead of him. As the temperature began to climb through the 60s, McLean had gathered up Long Hard Ride and taken him to the perennial watering hole down towards the road, while War Eagle had crossed the course and begun to move down through the middle of the course. The call of point would come for War Eagle once more at 0:16, now standing in an oaky thicket in the shade of a prominent live oak, although sadly, once more, neither flushing nor relocation efforts could produce birds, ending his bid. While Long Hard Ride had needed some managing along the way, he had tackled the course enthusiastically through the turn north past the Blue Springs workshed. Nevertheless, after a brief conversation with the judges, McLean would pick up his dog soon after making the turn at 0:31.

The 11th brace drew Haney's Last Call (Daniels), with one of his owners, Nick Berrong, riding to watch his dog, along with TS Coletrain (Phillips). Both dogs would break away in spirited fashion out to the north, and, after being brought in for water at 0:13, Coletrain would be seen making the pretty, clockwise swing around the upper shoulder to the east, while Last Call could be seen punching out directly towards the Blue Springs Road. As the gallery swung up and around past the prominent sinkhole, Last Call would be sighted at 0:11, standing in the woody median strip to the left, head high and looking back into the southerly breeze, his birds pinned directly ahead of him. Coletrain would then be found at 0:13, some 300 yards further north in the same woody strip, another covey successfully boosted skyward ahead of him, too. Nevertheless as the course wound up towards the red dirt road crossing, Last Call would be seen breaking hard out to the west, never to return, leaving Daniels to come for his tracker at 0:31. Crossing the road, Phillips would shortly also come to the same conclusion, that his dog had punched out into the woods and lost contact, asking for his tracker at 0:33.

The 12th brace saw Touch's Midnight Rider (McLean) brought to the line with Erin's High Note (Carlton) to be turned loose just slightly north of the usual second course start. While Midnight Rider would appear to punch due north out into the rolling terrain, High Note would swing out to the west, and be found pointed at 0:06, on top of the low rise some 300 yards west, in the southwest corner of a large cover crop field, the birds rising out of the oaky thicket ahead. As the course began to arc around to the west under the rotator fields, McLean would concede that he had lost contact with his dog and come for his tracker at 0:13. For his part, High Note could be seen swinging under the field edge to the north and punch along the boundary between the woods and the field. He would come to a stop at 0:16, almost directly south of the pivot, birds once more successfully flushed out ahead of him. Nevertheless, after a strong start, something was clearly disturbing the dog, and, after watching him eat grass to try and alleviate it, Carlton would elect to pick up his dog at 0:30.

The 13th brace featured Dominator's Southern Bo (Daniels) and Haney's Storm Warning (Eisenhart) and saw them cast loose for the final morning at Nilo, the skies overcast, the air still, and a light drizzle in the air. As the gallery rolled due north, Storm Warning would be seen rimming the eastern edge of the large L-shaped cover crop field before dropping into the woods to the north once more, Southern Bo angling out into the rolling woods to the west. The call of point would come at 0:13 for Bo, the dog located some 300 yards out to the west in an open, broomsedge section. Standing looking up into the variable northerly breeze, an extended flushing effort would lead to a relocation; nevertheless, with a bird rising during the flushing effort, the dog would be excused by the judges. (This would be the same general location that a single bird had confounded Blue Knight the previous morning.) For his part, Storm Warning seemed to have trouble getting in full gear and punching out front, and the judges would excuse him, too, at 0:25.

The 14th brace drew Erin's Copper Colt (Carlton) head-to-head with Haney's All In (McLean), his proud owners Steve and Stacey Croy riding along in support of their dog. As the course turned eastward parallel to the pecan orchards, the call of point would come for both dogs at 0:07. Copper Colt would be found right on the edge of the orchard, self-relocating through ninety degrees in the ephemeral breeze before his handler arrived, the birds successfully pinned in the grassy edge. All In would be found some 150 yards further east and deeper into the woody median, but sadly, neither the flushing effort nor the subsequent relocation effort would prove fruitful. With the southbound turn less than 100 yards further on, All In would be sent out wide to the left while Copper Colt would be sent up the inside of the turn through the piney median to the right. Approaching the neck of the long, north-south field, Copper Colt would turn into the now southeasterly breeze, cross that field, and swing forward through the woods on the left. All In had been absent for some time as the course now swung west, but as the gallery cleared the stand of volunteer pines to the south, McLean would reconnect with his dog and send him across the front of the course to the swampy edge. After a decent start, Copper Colt's pattern would begin to loosen, and Carlton would elect to pick him up at 0:37. All In, for his part, would be found standing just before the red dirt road crossing at 0:44, but after an extended flushing and relocation effort proved unsuccessful, his day would come to a close too.

The 15th brace saw Late Hit (Shenker) alongside Erin's Code of Honor (Eisenhart), the dogs turned loose from the red dirt road accessing the trap and skeet field. The call of point would come quickly for Code of Honor at 0:02, some 200 yards out to the west in an oaky thicket, the birds easily flushed ahead of him. Sent on, he would stay out to the west, and shortly after coming under the powerlines, he would be found looking into the scrubby cover near a large live oak at 0:08. Sadly, despite a thorough relocation effort, this would prove fruitless. In the meantime, Late Hit had been moving boldly out on the eastern side of the course and as the terrain rose slightly above the gallery out to the left, his scout would call point at 0:13. He would be found up on the rise some 300 yards out to the east, the birds readily ahead of him. Coming back to the front, he would make game at 0:16 in the midst of a patchwork of well-managed, broomsedge blocks, taking a few moments to be sure of himself, the reason abundantly obvious soon after. The first batch of birds would be ridden up on the way to the dog, a second flushed directly ahead of him, and a third rising from the side as the shot was fired, the feeding covey scattered across a 30-yard circle all around the dog. While this superb piece of birdwork had been taking place, Eisenhart, for his part, had recognized this was not his dog's best day and had elected to pick up at 0:14. Nevertheless, as the temperature and humidity began to rise tangibly, Late Hit would dig in to the cover along the Cooleewahee Way, such that as the gallery began to approach the turn towards the old, stone picnic shed, he had been noticeably absent for some time. Apparently hung up out to the west along the swamp edge, he would reemerge through the gallery at 0:48 and be excused by the judges shortly thereafter.

The 16th brace drew Haney's Easy Money (McLean), with his owners Steve and Stacey Croy, to the line with Nighthawk's Rebel (Swearingen). Turned loose from the regular afternoon breakaway, Rebel would swing out to the left side of the course and disappear, leaving Easy Money to punch directly forward. The call of point would come for Rebel at 0:05, out on the outer rim of the bowl, birds easily flushed ahead of him. Bringing the dog forward, he would stop roughly a half mile further west at 0:08, standing at the head of a long, skinny north-south cover crop field, birds seen rising out of the broomsedge ahead of the mannerly dog by the oncoming judge. He would stay out on the north side of the course and would stop in an oaky thicket at 0:14, birds easily produced ahead of him. In the meantime, Easy Money had slipped away from his handler, prompting McLean to come in for his tracker at 0:19. Still out on the north side of the course and shortly before the final rise before the clear view of the Blue Springs headquarters, Rebel would stop for a fourth time at 0:24, and after another flawless flush, Swearingen would actually take his dog back to the single water tub and soak him down. Sending the dog out to the east towards the River Road, at which point it would disappear, Swearingen would ride the course, calm and collected. After being almost bogged down in birds at the start, the almost-too-long absence was a convincing measure of the dog's commitment and ability to run, especially in the rising temperatures. Gathered up on top of the low rise for water (where Shadow Rider had had birds rise ahead of him unseen by the judges in the fourth brace), he would be sent down the eastern edge of the course past the sinkhole and parallel to the road, a palpable sense that this might be a dog to change the placements. He would be found on point at 0:55 in the woods to the right, roughly 200 yards shy of the dirt road crossing, a single bird flushed ahead of him. Taken on and barely over the dirt road, Rebel would stop again at 0:58, the birds easily flushed ahead of him. Despite being in a hurry-up routine, with Swearinger eager to show a strong finish, Rebel would stop for a final time at 0:59, although after an unsuccessful flushing attempt, a bird would rise during the relocation, bringing a tragic end to the brace.

The 17th brace would bring Southern Thunder (Shenker) to the line with Dominator's Rebel Mark (Daniels), his owners Nick Berrong and Jack and Sarah Schwarz riding in the gallery to watch their dog. Rebel Mark would be the first to stop at 0:05, roughly parallel to the house on the east side of the course, although sadly, all efforts to produce birds would prove unsuccessful. Southern Thunder would be brought in for water as the course approached the large east-west cover crop field crossing, at which point Daniels would spot his dog standing out to the left on the southern edge of the crop field at 0:10; birds would be seen rising ahead of him by the oncoming judge with all in order. As the course began to arc west, Southern Thunder could be seen out to the north burning up country, and it would take some adventurous, erudite scouting to locate him at 0:21 on point deep in a hollow at approximately 3 o'clock on the rotator field dial. The excitement would continue as a deer would then flush and vault the dog before the sizeable covey could be sent airborne ahead of him. During this multi-fauna experience, Rebel Mark would stop at 0:25, but sadly, this would also prove non-productive ending his bid. Roughly a half mile after the turn south towards the golf course, Southern Thunder would come to a stop out on the left side of the course at 0:33, birds seen rising by the judge. On top of the next rise in an oaky thicket at 0:36, out on the right side this time, he would stop once more, the birds readily flushed ahead of him. Barely 300 yards further on, he would stop once more, although neither flushing nor relocation efforts could produce anything. Assessing his own dog's performance in the mounting heat, Shenker would elect to pick up his dog, bringing this year's championship to a close.

Albany, Ga., March 6
Judges: Ed Chance and Darron Hendley
MASTERS OPEN QUAIL CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 32 Pointers and 2 Setters
Winner-RESTER'S JOHNNY RINGO, F1695797, pointer male, by Miller's Blindsider-Rester's Amazing Grace. Cecil Rester & Dr. Reuben Richardson, owners; Luke Eisenhart, handler.
Runner-Up-TOUCH'S SHADOW RIDER, F1697543, pointer male, by Touch's Smooth Rider-Touch's Gold Dance. Bruce & Karen Norton & Dr. Reuben Richardson, owners; Mark McLean, handler.