Result: First Annual South Carolina Amateur Shooting Dog Invitational

Location: Nesmith, South Carolina

Post Date: Apr 10, 2026

Submitted By: Barbara Teare

South Carolina Amateur Shooting Dog Invitational: I Dream of Jeannie with Kyle Whitfield. Prizes courtesy of Purina Pro Plan and Quail Forever.

The 2025-2026 Association of South Carolina Field Trial Clubs' (ASCFTC) season hit a high note with the inaugural running of the South Carolina Amateur Shooting Dog Invitational at storied Little Hobcaw Plantation in Nesmith, South Carolina, on March 6 and 7. The Invitational brought together 12 dogs that earned their way through faithful participation and success in ASCFTC Amateur Shooting Dog stakes throughout the season. A few original qualifiers were unable to attend, and invitations were extended to additional dogs and handlers whose consistent participation supported the Association's trials during the year. This trial was conceived to celebrate dogs and handlers by focusing on fun and fellowship, while rewarding each with the singular opportunity to perform on this historic, privately owned wild bird venue.
At the time of the Invitational, one trial remained on the club's 2026 calendar, with those points going toward next year's event.

This championship stake called for the 12 invited dogs to be paired in one-hour qualifying braces on Friday, with the top four called back to compete for the title on Saturday. North Carolinian Kyle Whitfield's classy black and white setter female, I Dream of Jeannie, was the clear winner, with a well-defined ground race and two good finds to her credit.

Credit is due to ASCFTC President Mac Stidham, whose vision helped bring this trial to life. Conceived to encourage participation while recognizing amateur handlers and their dogs, the event was made possible through his leadership with the help of committee members: Tim Ruff, Rodney Poston, Allen Johnson, Katie Courtney, and Paul Kelly.

Katie Courtney, ASCFTC secretary, deserves special mention for her contribution of time and effort behind the scenes and on-site. In addition to handling her usual administrative and field duties, she assisted this reporter as the "eyes up front," attending the action on horseback while the reporter observed from the dog wagon.

Sponsorship is key to a successful event, and a roster of supporters ensured that all were well fed and that the winner and participants were amply rewarded. The South Carolina Chapter of Quail Forever hosted Thursday night's steak dinner, welcoming handlers and attendees. Names pulled from a bucket determined the running order for Friday's competition, and all 12 dogs were posed with their handlers for a commemorative photo.

Purina Pro Plan was a strong presence, always a stalwart supporter of field trials and bird dogs across the country. Other generous contributors included the Carolina All-Age Derby and Jamboree, Carolina Seed Supply, Kalmbach Feeds/Tribute Equine Nutrition, Jack Haggis Saddles, Southern Pines Land and Timber, Drowning Creek Bird Dogs, and Coach Allen Johnson. A big thank you goes out to all!

Much appreciation and gratitude are owed to the Thompson family for their generosity and hospitality in making Little Hobcaw and its resources available for the trial. The Thompsons are hands-on landowners committed to preserving the historical significance and the rich hunting heritage of Little Hobcaw Plantation, engaging the expertise of Tall Timbers Research Station to bring the bobwhite quail population back to the numbers of the plantation's glory days. Quail habitat across Hobcaw's broad acreage is prime, the layout spectacular. Wild birds were seen throughout this event.

Two longtime, highly qualified bird dog men, George Kimbrell and Tim Ruff, were in the judiciary saddles. Having served the field trial sport at every level, they rode attentively and considered each performance from the perspective of long experience.

The Venue
Little Hobcaw Plantation, located in the rural Nesmith community of Williamsburg County, South Carolina, was established in the 1930s by Camden native and Wall Street financier Bernard Baruch. An influential advisor to Presidents Wilson and Roosevelt, Baruch first leased and later purchased thousands of acres for his private hunting preserve, where he often hosted world leaders for social and political gatherings as well as for shooting sport.
Most famous among those guests was Winston Churchill, a frequent visitor who developed a strong friendship with Baruch and so enjoyed painting during his stays that a cottage with an art studio was built especially for him near the main lodge. His artwork still graces the property.

Little Hobcaw features in American literature as well. Renowned author and University of South Carolina professor, Havilah Babcock, visited both Little Hobcaw and Baruch's larger plantation, Hobcaw Barony, where he found inspiration for his classic books.

North Carolina writer Robert Ruark, a world traveler, was also a close friend of Baruch and spent much time at Little Hobcaw, where the two pursued their passions for wing-shooting and whiskey. Between 1946 and 1955, Ruark missed only one hunting season at Little Hobcaw. The Lowcountry background and shooting adventures that Ruark enjoyed at Little Hobcaw featured in his writings, including his best-known work, The Old Man and the Boy, and his regular columns for Field and Stream magazine.

It was a privilege to step in the tracks of such notables as we followed the hunting courses over Little Hobcaw's vast acreage during the trial.

James Sigmon purchased the plantation in 1965 after Baruch's death, adding to the huntable acreage by draining much of the swampland and converting it to productive habitat. An avid quail hunter, Sigmon maintained a kennel of class bird dogs and devoted much effort to propagating wild birds. while devoting other areas of the property to agriculture and timber. After his death in 2013, Little Hobcaw's status was not publicly documented until it came under its current ownership.

The Winner
Coming five years old, setter female I Dream of Jeannie has been a dream of a bird dog for owner Kyle Whitfield of Seven Springs, North Carolina. She is the product of a breeding between Tom Green's female, Shamrock's Miss Grace, and Skip Brown's Hot Blooded, strong genetics reflecting Commander lineage. Her 15 derby wins earned her the 2023 South Carolina Amateur Derby of the Year title, while simultaneously winning the 2023 South Carolina Open Derby of the Year runner-up title. The striking black-and-white long-haired runs fast and forward, handles kindly, and points with a lofty, captivating style, with both all-age and shooting dog wins on her card.

Here she ran in the second brace of the callbacks, when foggy conditions had mostly cleared, and temperatures were rising. She laid down a pleasing ground race, flashing in and out of occasional patchy fog to show out front or swinging ahead on the turns. Her two finds were located and handled with intelligence and class, and one unproductive did not detract. Details of the winning effort are covered in the callback section of this report.

The Qualifying Braces
Heavy fog delayed the start of the trial on Friday and persisted through most of the morning. Early temps in the mid-50s gave way to challenging conditions later as the mercury hovered well into the eighties. Six continuous course braces offered each dog the opportunity to excel, and dedicated groundwork did not disappoint. Though a strong bird population is monitored here by the Tall Timbers study, after a busy hunting season, quail were elusive. Though some coveys were seen flushing wild, and others pinpointed by Tall Timbers telemetry, the hot, dry weather and dusty afternoon further contributed to limited contacts.

Brace 1: Hirollins Gone And Doneit ("Gunner"). Harry Cook had the whistle for Warren Parrott, took this handsome pointer through the country with a good jump and a willing handle, scored a back just after the half, and finished well.
Backcountry Bruiser, with Chris Catanzarite, showed frequently with a forward ground race and a clean find at 23. Several coveys were seen flying wild from the area after the shot for this work. The hat was up again at 37 with a promising pose and a long relocation employed, but no feathers were flown.

Brace 2: I Dream of Jeannie ("Jen"), an engaging little black and white setter female down with Kyle Whitfield, and B K Bonafide Stallion ("Cash") with Harry Cook, hunted varied terrain early at a good shooting dog pace. Visibility was limited in places by fog. Cash got out of pocket early and was brought in on a lead. Nimble-footed and bright, Jen covered her country with snappy style and determination. She stood near the half, but the birds had gone.

Brace 3: Worth Lewis had the sprightly liver-headed pointer female Nomads Redemption ("Karma"), down with Paul Kelly and Erin's Demolition Man ("Chip"). It was notably warmer, partly sunny, and much drier by late morning. Redemption worked both sides of the course in energetic and animated fashion and was not deterred by the heat. Chip kept Kelly moving, as the big pointer was full of ambition and often outran the plan. Neither found birds.

Brace 4: It was sunny and climbing into the 80s with a light southwest wind when pointer female Backcountry Pure Gold ("Dee") with Chris Catanzarite ran as a bye. Mac Stidham's Panola Sugar was scratched. The heat was a concern for all, and the afternoon schedule was delayed until 3 p.m. Dee pointed at 9 for an encouraging start, but the stand was unproductive. She hunted on smartly, zipped through the country and handled smoothly, was not daunted by adverse conditions, and was rewarded with a good find near the end of the hour.

Brace 5: Two pointer males went out in the hottest hour of the day, Palmetto's Knight Light ("Ike") with Rodney Poston and Shoulder's Lone Wanderer with Jesse Brown, were going places early. Knight Light had a good find near the half and maintained his composure when Wanderer took liberties. Rodney shot for the departing covey, and Jesse picked up. Knight hunted on in forward fashion, had an unproductive at 48 and a good finish.

Brace 6: Still hot, bright and dusty as the last brace went out into the lowering sun, released at 5:18. Miss Lucille ("Lucy") used a lot of the course for Gary Miller but had no luck finding Mr. Bob. Katie Courtney took her Munson Pond Flo through to hunt likely objectives with a happy style and a dedicated effort, but Flo was in the harness after no birds were raised at either of two nicely styled points.
After an outstanding supper of South Carolina chicken bog and barbecue, callbacks for Saturday's program were announced. I Dream of Jeannie, Backcountry Pure Gold, Nomads Redemption, and Backcountry Bruiser were named to run on Saturday's showplace course. A coin toss was suggested to establish the order of running, and a good laugh was had, but handlers agreed to have all four dogs on the wagon by 7:30 the next morning, ready to run per judges' choice.

The Callbacks
Anticipation was high Saturday morning to see the top four dogs sent out over Little Hobcaw's best grounds, a stunning layout featuring all the elements of prime southern quail country, where changes in elevation often provided panoramic views. As elsewhere on the plantation, mixed timber, bicolor, and partridge pea strips offered edges along the many plowed fields that interspersed open pine woods. Gently rolling ground sloped to lines along swampy hardwood bottoms. Natural objectives were abundant. The cover on this side was thinner, allowing better air flow and improved scenting conditions.

The party left headquarters at 7:30 with the dog wagon and a convoy of horse trailers. Dogs were on the ground shortly afterward. Judges paired Backcountry Pure Gold and Nomads Redemption for the first brace. It was 62 degrees. Fog had thinned to a high, light mist, and heavy dew covered the ground. No wind stirred the pinetops.

Dogs were loosed down a bicolor strip along plowed ground and cut quickly into the woods. We proceeded at a good shooting dog pace with a strong hunting effort by both dogs, but no birds were seen. Dog wagon driver Junior, whose time on the plantation goes back over 30 years to the days of previous owner James Sigmon, noted that we had passed at least three known covey locations in the first 10 minutes. Tall Timbers representative Davis Balser, using radio telemetry, determined that birds had not yet left the roost.

These dogs laid down some big, showy casts in open country, handled kindly and hunted the closer objectives on the run, but found no birds.
Conditions had faired off, and the cover was drier when the winner, I Dream of Jeannie, and Backcountry Bruiser went down at 9:14. There was no detectable wind. Dogs made a big jump going out, taking a bicolor and timber edge that bisected two large fields. Three minutes into the race, the setter scored with a lofty stand, mannerly to wing and shot. Still in the first quarter, dogs were swinging through with some scouting required on the turns. We approached a section of the course under the Tall Timbers study known to be well-populated. Kyle Whitfield had the hat up for Jeannie at 9:28 in brushy cover at a swamp head. Birds were flown to good manners and high style, and the cheerful little setter was sent on.
At 9:34, Bruiser answered the challenge with a classy stand in a bicolor patch. It looked promising, and Chris Catanzarite asked him to relocate when no birds got up, but it was unproductive. A deer jumped out and crossed the adjacent field behind the action.
At 9:46, we sat while handlers collected and watered the dogs. Whitfield called point a few minutes later, the setter's pose well defined at first, but the birds had run or flown undetected, and she was released.
Both dogs applied themselves vigorously through the remainder of the hour in comfortable conditions, not always seen but responding well. Catanzarite called point for Bruiser at 10:02 in bicolor under a sprawling live oak. These birds had vacated the territory, as proven by Bruiser's wide but unproductive attempt to relocate. I Dream of Jeannie was still jumping and hunting at pickup, and her earlier work proved sufficient to secure the championship of this inaugural running.

The Association of South Carolina Field Trial Clubs also extends sincere appreciation to Barbara Teare for traveling to Little Hobcaw to report the inaugural event. Her long dedication to documenting the sport is well known, and we look forward to bringing her out of reporter retirement in the following years. Other notable guests include Mr. Richard Wood, who rode along on the dog wagon with Junior, reminiscing about old times working dogs with Mr. Sigmon, and recalling the championships that were once held on Little Hobcaw.

Plans are already in the works for the second running of the South Carolina Amateur Shooting Dog Invitational. We have a verbal commitment from another beautiful private South Carolina plantation to host the event next year, with details to be announced once everything is finalized. The same qualification criteria will apply -- dogs must participate in at least two Horseback Amateur Shooting Dog stakes hosted by ASCFTC member clubs during the season. We look forward to continuing this tradition and building on the success of this inaugural event.

Participating Dogs, Breeding, and Owners
B K Bonafide Stallion, PM, by Fastforward's B K Gunner-Wiggins Miss Stella. Harry Cook III of Darlington, SC.
Palmetto's Knight Light, PM, by Palmetto's Spy Ranger-Santee River White Light. Rodney Poston of Pamplico, SC.
Munson Pond Flo, PF, by Scape'Ore Rip-Cane Savannah Becca. Katie Courtney of Eutawville, SC.
Backcountry Pure Gold, PF, by Springflow's Backcountry P-Backcountry Tornado. Chris Catanzarite of Scenery Hill, PA.
Hirollins Gone and Doneit, PM, by Fastforward's B K Gunner-Littlewing B K Tia. Warren Parrott of Scranton, SC.
Panola Sugar, PF, by Panola Bacon-Little Miss Bella. Mac Stidham of Rembert, SC.
I Dream of Jeannie, ESF, by Hot Blooded-Shamrocks Miss Grace. Kyle Whitefield of Seven Springs, NC.
Backcountry Bruiser, PM, by Erin's War Creek-Backcountry Tornado. Chris Catanzarite of Scenery Hill, PA.
Miss Lucille, PF, by Quickmarksman's Excalibur-Hirollins Fancy Lady. Gary Miller of Jackson Spring, NC.
Shoulders Lone Wanderer, PM, by Jesse's Cold Shoulder-Pinehill Lucky Lady. Jesse Brown of Tignall, GA.
Erin's Demolition Man, PM, by Erin's Redrum-Erin's Rebel Maiden. Paul Kelly of Bluffton, SC.
Nomads Redemption, PF, by Mohawk Mill Trail Warrior-Steel Valley Wardance. Worth Lewis of Ayden, NC.

Nesmith, S. C., March 6
Judges: George Kimbrell and Tim Ruff
SOUTH CAROLINA AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG INVITATIONAL [One-Hour Heats] - 11 Pointers and 1 Setter
Winner-I DREAM OF JEANNIE, F1699099, setter female, by Hot Blooded-Shamrock's Miss Grace. Kyle Whitfield, owner and handler.

All 12 dogs during Thursday's celebration dinner and drawing.

Tim Ruff (judge), Barbara Teare (reporter), and George Kimbrell (judge).

Junior (dog wagon driver and Little Hobcaw lifelong employee) with Richard Wood.