Result: Tennessee Valley Field Trial Club

Location: Lavergne, Tennessee

Post Date: Feb 5, 2026

Submitted By: William Rogers

Amateur Shooting Dog (l-r): Arnold Hall, Ronnie Rogers with Shepherd's Blackbull, Madison McDonald, Fran Miller, Allen Linder with Miller's Upgrading The Ante, Mike Griffin with Fast Money, and Jim Kleve.

We had a great trial in early December, highlighted by an Open and Amateur Purina points Shooting Dog stakes, with four 30-minute stakes that were well received!
The trial lasted five days with good weather and great food! First and foremost, we would like to thank bird planter extraordinaire, Mr. Jimmy Gentry, for supplying birds and putting them out twice each day. Jimmy also headed up the dog wagon and supplied the truck! He had great help supplied by Allen Linder, Arnold Hall, Jim Kleve, and the entertaining Jack Miller. Thank you all; without a good dog wagon, this trial would be impossible! Jimmy also supplied snacks for the dog wagon.

Meals were an event with food cooked by Daphne Rogers, who unfortunately couldn't attend. Dee Stevens stepped up and handled meal duty, and she rode to see her dogs run. She did a great job and added things along with runs to Walmart. Thank you, Dee! Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, along with new manager Colten Snyder, are really making improvements to area 1--the field trial grounds. Keep it up!

A special thanks to Purina and the AFTCA program for providing dog food and gifts. Thanks, Greg Blair! We had seven different judges. A special thanks to Ed Stevens, who judged the hour stakes and a couple of half-hour stakes. I think we got him tired. Fortunately, he also got to run his dogs. Justin Crook judged the amateur stakes and did a great job. Thanks to James Kleve for judging a couple of stakes and to his dad for everything he did, usually before I realized it needed doing; he was doing it. Mr. Kleve, you are an asset to the field trial community! Mike Griffin from Oklahoma judged a stake and was a big help! The hardest worker in field trials ran dogs, scouted, and judged, always a pleasure, Mary Sue, thanks! Ben Weddington ran several dogs and judged a stake; thanks, Ben. If you haven't met Ben, you need to; he is a bright younger face of field trialing!

The amateur stakes were up first, with 22 in Shooting Dog; this Purina Points stake got everything going. Shepherd's Blackbull, a young setter, set the pace with a huge race and three beautiful finds, with the last find way to the front as pickup time approached. Madison McDonald handled Miller's Upgrading The Ante, for Hall of Famer Allen Linder, out of the heart of Fran and Jack Miller's breeding program to four really nice finds and a good forward race. On a day when birds did not cooperate, she handled them well. Third went to Bud Moore's Fast Money. She had a nice race, handling to the front and scoring a find at pickup, where no other dog found a bird. Mr. Moore was unable to attend, but she handled nicely for Ronnie!
Up next, the Amateur Derby brings 11 entries to the line. Millers Chantilly Lace laid down a great race with a couple of really nice finds, easily besting the other entries. Fran Miller handled her expertly for her and Jack. The second-place derby, a littermate to the first-place dog out of Jack and Fran's great sire, and also handled by Fran, did a wonderful half hour to garner her placement. Third place went to recent National Derby Championship winner Lil Elhew Chief Snakefeather. Her owner and handler, Mike Taylor from Sallisaw, Oklahoma, piloted him to a couple of nice finds and a great race. The Amateur Derby was highly competitive, and there were a lot of great young dogs!

The one-hour Open Shooting Dog stake with 16 entries, National Championship qualification, and points on the line was up next. Again, birds were acting funny, but Miller's Flower and Lace put on a bird handling show! She had five well-spaced finds, handled them like a queen, and had a very, very good forward race, handled expertly by Buddy Morrison for Allen Linder. Madison had to leave early as this is her usual dog. She blew the rest of the stake away! Second went to Boatrights Iron Eagle, a setter male handled by James Kleve for owner Terry Boatright. He had a huge race, one find and a back. A beautiful dog running. Third, Miller's Upgrading The Ante had a good first 20 minutes, slow in the middle, and a good final 20 minutes. She is also owned by Allen Linder and handled by Buddy.

Thirty-minute open stakes up next with the All-Age kicking it off. Twelve entries toed the line. Mr. Ben Weddington and his kennel queen, Hytime Dixie, garnered the win on a strong ground effort and a couple of nice finds. Tim and Kris Hammons came from Berea and ran several dogs. Their male is no stranger to the winner's circle. Silver Creek Wild Again ran huge with a couple of finds to push the winner and gained second. Haneys Live Wire put on a true all-age race and then some to lock up third for Ben, giving him two placements in this stake. A special thanks to Mike Griffin for helping judge this stake.

The Open Shooting Dog was up next. Justin Crook, a Missouri pro and good friend to everyone at the trial, ran his owners' dogs to all three placements. Two Seamer, a pointer male owned by Colby Tackett, had a couple of nice finds and excellent ground effort, and gained the top spot. He had a great 30 minutes! Second went to Alabamian Ed Cooley's Bama Rip Tide, a really nice young dog with a huge future ahead of him. Third went to Chelsea's Thunderstruck, a really nice-looking and beautiful on-point young dog coming off an injury, owned by Brad Sadler. Looks like he is ready for more.

The Open Derby was hotly contested, with 11 very young trial dogs competing. High Drive Silver Belle for owner Madison McDonald and handler Buddy Morrison, with great bird work and a nice race, outdistanced the field. She was the obvious winner. Princess Lea IV, a big running Shorthair, put on a show with her ground race, true all-age! She hit all the edges and likely cover for handler Justin Crook and owner Samantha Williams of Kansas. Hackberry's Boone ran a huge race and gained third for owner Mike Griffin. Justin handled this young pointer with worlds of potential.

Altogether 84 entries toed the line; a very successful trial with entries from 12 different states. I want to thank everyone who entered and everybody who ran a dog! It was a great trial!

Lavergne, Tenn., December 5
Judges: Justin Crook and Ed Stevens
AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG [One-Hour Heats] - 16 Pointers, 3 Setters, and 3 Irish Setters
1st-SHEPHERD'S BLACKBULL, F1701279, setter male, by Daphne's Gage-Katyln's Jan. William Rogers, owner and handler.
2d-MILLER'S UPGRADING THE ANTE, F1690200, pointer female, by Miller's Upgraded Version-Erin's Little Rose. Allen R. Linder, owner; Madison McDonald, handler.
3d-FAST MONEY, F1681232, pointer female, by Stash The Cash-Lester's Speed Queen. C. W. & Patty Moore, owners; Ronnie Rogers, handler.

Amateur Derby (l-r): Arnold Hall, Madison McDonald with Millers Chantilly Lace, Fran Miller, Jack Miller, Allen Linder with Miller's Official Version, Mike Taylor with Lil Elhew Chief Snakefeather, and Justin Crook (judge).

AMATEUR DERBY - 9 Pointers, 1 Setter, and 1 Irish Setter
1st-MILLERS CHANTILLY LACE, F1711897, pointer female, by Miller's Upgraded Version-Springline's Sun Shine. Fran & Jack Miller, owners; Fran Miller, handler.
2d-MILLERS OFFICIAL VERSION, F1711894, pointer male, by Miller's Upgraded Version-Springline's Sun Shine. Madison McDonald & Allen Linder, owners; Fran Miller, handler.
3d-LIL ELHEW CHIEF SNAKEFATHER, F1709748, pointer male, by Hackberry's Elhew Chief-Hackberry's Elhew Ashlee. Michial Taylor, owner and handler.

Open Shooting Dog (l-r): Mike Griffin with Two Seamer, Mary Sue Schalk (judge), James Kleve with Bama's Rip Tide, Justin Crook, Jim Kleve with Chelsea's Thunderstruck, and Ben Wedington (judge).

Judges: Mary Sue Schalk and Ben Weddington
OPEN SHOOTING DOG - 12 Pointers
1st-TWO SEAMER, F1688946, pointer male, by Rock Acre Shortstop-Frozen Desert Blizzard. Colby Tackett, owner; Justin Crook, handler.
2d-BAMA'S RIP TIDE, F1692914, pointer male, by Lester's Storm Surge-Lady Lou. Edwin Cooley, owner; Justin Crook, handler.
3d-CHELSEA'S THUNDERSTRUCK, F1697295, pointer male, by Chelsea's Thunder Bolt-Double Wild. Brad Sadler, owner and handler.

Open All-Age (l-r): Mike Griffin (judge), Ben Weddington with Hytime Dixie, James Kleve, Tim Hammons with Silver Creek Wild Again, Kris Hammons, and Mary Sue Schalk with Haneys Live Wire.

Judges: Mike Griffin and James Kleve
OPEN ALL-AGE - 6 Pointers, 2 Setters, 3 Irish Setters, and 1 German Shorthair
1st-HYTIME DIXIE, F1682354, setter female, by Hytest Palladin-Wynona's Bohawk Dixie. Ben Weddington, owner and handler.
2d-SILVER CREEK WILD AGAIN, F1692221, Irish setter male, by Zansett Ricky O'Ryan-S C Miss Behaving. Tim Hammons, owner and handler.
3d-HANEYS LIVER WIRE, F1718923, pointer male, by Sam Houston's Image-Miss Turner Loose. Ben Weddington, owner and handler.

Open Derby (l-r): Ed Stevens, Buddy Morrison with High Drive Silver Belle, Ronnie Rogers (judge), Justin Crook, James Kleve, Mike Griffin with Hackberry's Boone, and Jim Kleve. [Not pictured: Princess Leia IV].

Judges: James Kleve and Ronnie Rogers
OPEN DERBY - 7 Pointers, 1 Setter, 1 Irish Setter, and 2 German Shorthairs
1st-HIGH DRIVE SILVER BELLE, F1714514, pointer female, by Miller's Triple Digit Heat-Windy Hill Shadow Dancer. Madison McDonald, owner; Buddy Morrison, handler.
2d-PRINCESS LEA IV, F1725222, German Shorthair female, by Prince's Rocket Man Buddy-Rice's Ruby Houdini. Samantha Willard, owner; Justin Crook, handler.
3d-HACKBERRY'S BOONE, F1708403, pointer male, by Hackberry's Elhew Chief-Deep Creek Katydid. Brian Kennedy, owner; Justin Crook, handler.

Judges: Ronnie Rogers and Ed Stevens
OPEN SHOOTING DOG - 12 Pointers and 4 Setters
1st-MILLER'S FLOWERS AND LACE, F1696283, pointer female, by Miller's Upgraded Version-Miller's Special Edition. Allen R. Linder, owner; Buddy Morrison, handler.
2d-BOATRIGHTS IRON EAGLE, F1700325, setter male, by Woodville's Yukon Cornelius-Outcast Starbreeze. Terry W. Boatright, owner; James C. Kleve, handler.
3d-MILLER'S UPGRADING THE ANTE, F1690200, pointer female, by Miller's Upgraded Version-Erin's Little Rose. Allen R. Linder, owner; Buddy Morrison, handler.

Open Shooting Dog (l-r): Ronnie Rogers (judge), Allen Linder with Miller's Flowers and Lace, Jimmy Gentry (dog wagon driver), James Kleve with Boatrights Iron Eagle, Jim Kleve, Buddy Morrison with Miller's Upgrading The Ante, and Ed Stevens (judge).