Result: Region 4 Amateur All-Age Championship

Location: Berea, Kentucky

Post Date: Apr 17, 2024

Submitted By: Jim Pendergest

The Region 4 Amateur All-Age Championship concluded on March 24, with judges Bill Mason and Jennifer McKemie awarding Storm's End championship honors and Imagine the runner-up title over a field of 16 competitors.

The Region 4 Championships are rotated between Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio; in Kentucky, between the Miller Welch Wildlife Management Area and the West Kentucky Wildlife Management Area. This year was the Miller Welch turn in the rotation. Judges Mason and McKemie are from Moundsville, Alabama, and have a wide range of experience in the bird dog world. Bill has recently retired from managing the Forever Wild area in Greensboro, Alabama, which has been host to many trials, including the National Free-For-All Championship and the United States Open Championship. Bill has been successful this year with his excellent derby, Greensboro's Flyover, winning in both the all-age and derby ranks with his young dog. Jennifer has been along to experience all of the trials and tribulations of the field trial game with her father, and we are thankful to both for agreeing to judge this trial.

Many thanks go out to those who helped make this trial happen. Mary Sue Schalk is the secretary of Region 4 and carries the bulk of the workload in seeing that the three championships come off successfully each year, and this one was no different. Amy Pendergest handled dog wagon duties and lunch preparation and served a wonderful lasagna and salad dinner on Saturday night after the running. Tim Hammons, Mike Crouse, and Matt Pendergest assisted with marshaling duties throughout.

Purina and Greg Blair sponsored the Championship like many others, and the champion and runner-up were awarded bags of Purina Sport Pro Plan as an additional reward for their accomplishments. Purina's support is instrumental in continuing to put on first-class trials for the competitors, and we can't thank them enough.

The Winners and Others
Storm's End, owned by Matt Pendergest and Megan Henry, competed in the third brace Saturday morning and put on a bird-finding exhibition. Her finds occurred at 4, 11, 21, 26, 29, 34, and 46. The first was at the conclusion of a big swing across the front in the big bottom from the Old House breakaway. The second came after a brief absence when scout was sent back to search in the last place Pendergest had seen her. On the third, she was found standing to the front at the Drive-In field after a big swing through the Agee bottom. Shortly after, she was located just below the trap range standing. No. 5 occurred just as she caught the front. She was released from this one and made a nice swing to the left front and out of site to be found standing at the Old Barn crossing. She was sent down the Twentieth Century Fund chute, made a swing to the left and around the property line fence, and was subsequently found standing directly in front on No. 7. All of her finds were stylish and mannerly, and her finish was strong.

Imagine ran in the first brace Saturday morning for owner/handler Jim Pendergest. He was away with a nice cast through the Dewey bottom and then across the concrete culvert and to the Round Woods. After casting to the right front, point was called to the front at the Old Barn location with a picturesque stand at 16. Manners were good with birds flying over the top of the dog. The handler was pointing the dog out on good swings through the back part of the course, and after a 10-minute absence, Imagine showed to the front just before the creek crossing. Past the Round Woods, point was called again with similar results to the first stand. Across the blacktop road, he was showing well around the Goose Pond and finished the hour with a strong swing to the front.

Casey Creek Ice Crystal, in the last brace on Saturday, was challenging for a placement with finds at 25, 34, and 41, coupled with a big race, but an unproductive in the last 10 minutes and a spell behind at pickup time derailed her chance.
Crouse's Heart of Dixon was braced with Imagine and impressed with a strong all-age race coupled with one well-handled find at the first gravel road crossing at 17. He completed the hour without further game contact.

In the Amateur Derby stake, Flightline garnered first with a strong ground race and one mannerly find on quail for Matt Pendergest. Mary Sue Schalk handled Crouse's Comeback Kid to second place with three game contacts and a stylish forward ground pattern. Boatrights Iron Eagle took third place honors with a classy, strong ground race. Point was called once, but the dog worked through the scent and finished his heat as strong as he started for owner/handler Terry Boatright.

Berea, Ky., March 23
Judges: Bill Mason and Jennifer McKemie
REGION 4 AMATEUR ALL-AGE CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 10 Pointers, 3 Setters, and 3 Irish Setters
Winner-STORM'S END, 1687221, pointer female, by Dunn's Tried'n True-K F Prairie Storm. Matt Pendergest & Megan Henry, owners; Matt Pendergest, handler.
Runner-Up-IMAGINE, 1693699, pointer male, by Touch's Grey Street-Dialed In. Jim Pendergest, owner and handler.

AMATEUR DERBY - 5 Pointers and 1 Setter
1st-FLIGHTLINE, 1703306, pointer male, by Lester's Storm Surge-Storm's End. Jim & Matt Pendergest, owners; Matt Pendergest, handler.
2d-CROUSE'S COMEBACK KID, 1701214, pointer male, by Crouse's Heart of Dixon-Crouse's Skiptomylu. M. D. Crouse & Mary Sue Schalk, owners; Mary Sue Schalk, handler.
3d-BOATRIGHTS IRON EABLE, 1700325, setter male, by Woodville's Yukon Cornelius-Outcast Starbreeze. Terry Boatright, owner and handler.