Event: Erin's Battle Cry Wins
Result: U. S. Complete Southeast Open Regional Championship

Location: Hoffman, North Carolina

Post Date: May 9, 2024

Submitted By: David Huffine

U. S. Complete Southeast Regional Championship (l-r): Mark Hughes (scout) with Erin's Battle Cry and David Huffine with Sweet Grass Slim. (Behind): Tony Bingham (handler), John Outlaw (judge), Avery West, Cliff Monroe, Bob Youngs (judge), Gretchen Adsit, Barb Hughes, Jamie Leitch, and John Adsit.

Erin's Battle Cry, a 7-year-old white and liver pointer male, bested a 38-dog field to win the Southeast Open Regional Championship of the U. S. Complete Shooting Dog Association held March 1 at the J. Robert Gordon Field Trial Grounds in Hoffman, North Carolina. The 2024 champion is out of Erin's Redrum and Three Stripe's Jewel. Tony Bingham, veteran pro from Shelby, North Carolina, masterfully handled the champion for owners Dennis and Hope Beauford, Charles Timmerman, and Richard Cooke, showing his handling skill and knowledge of the Hoffman grounds. This was a repeat Championship for Tony, who had also handled the 2023 champion, Smoke Rise Jake.

Runner-up went to Sweet Grass Slim, a 5-year-old setter male, owned and handled by David Huffine. Slim is a veteran of the grounds, having won the U. S. Complete National Championship at Hoffman two years prior. Slim is out of Sterlingworth Jack and Sandland Miracle Maggie.

The Championship took place on the famed Hoffman Field Trial Grounds, which has six continuous courses carved out of longleaf pine and wiregrass in the 63,000-acre Sandhills Gamelands. Trials at Hoffman began in 1954. They were primarily horseback trials until a few years ago when U. S. Complete began holding its National Championship and this Regional Championship on the grounds. The facilities are wonderful with a comfortable clubhouse for lunches and dinners. A multitude of kennels are available for the comfort of traveling dogs over the week, and a barn and numerous corrals are on-site for horses.

In this reporter's opinion, Hoffman is the best test of a dog and walking handler in North Carolina. The handler and dog must be fit to handle the sugar sand and changing elevations of the North Carolina sandhills, and the dogs must be adept bird-finders as there are no daily releases.

The bird populations at Hoffman were quite good this year. Additional early releases prior to the October All-Age Championships and timely supplemental releases significantly enhanced the bird work for this trial. We commend the North Carolina Field Trial Association for its efforts.

The Judges
The Championship was fortunate to have two experienced and capable judges. John Outlaw returned from paternity leave to fill one of the judging saddles. For many years, John judged no less than six trials a year, many of them All-Age or Shooting Dog Championships. Bob Youngs, now of Hoffman, filled the other saddle. Bob has years of experience training, showing, scouting, and judging bird dogs. He has an excellent eye and a wonderful judicial demeanor.

Champions' Summary
The champion ran in the eighth brace on Hoffman's Course 4. His bracemate was Tenacee Rowdy, a handsome pointer male handled by Greg Isenberg. Rowdy was initially perturbed by the soldiers' holding maneuvers on the grounds, but his race and confidence strengthened throughout his brace. He had an unproductive at 36, followed by a very strong finish. The champion, callname "Wink," had a stylish and searing race, showing as appropriate. He had a clean find at 42 that secured his birdwork necessary for the Championship. Mark Hughes scouted Wink.
The runner-up champion was braced with Smoke Rise Hanna, a pointer female handled by Bingham. Both dogs broke away extremely well. Hanna disappeared before the road crossing on Course 4. Tony was pretty sure that he had left her on point. The tracker at 18 confirmed that she was shortly behind the gallery and, indeed, on point. Slim continued at the road crossing and into the long field. He had a nice find on the right side of the long field at 20, producing a nice covey of birds. His second find was after the bunker at the second road crossing, producing a single bird. An unproductive at 40 marred his performance but he finished his hour. Mark Hughes scouted Slim also.

The Running
The Friday morning breakaway for Brace 1 paired Lincoln County Jack (ESM/Bingham) with Miss Money Penny (of James Bond fame), a pointer female handled by Gary Miller. Clouds and 48 degrees promised a good morning for running dogs. Both dogs were a bit short early. Both lengthened some, but the handlers opted to pick them up at 37.

Brace 2 is described in the Champions' Summary.

Rebel's Orange Crush (PF/Tony Bingham) and A Distant Spec (PF/Hughes) broke away on the remainder of Course 4 for Brace 3. Tony's charge had a very long race early but shortened a bit near the end of the brace. She produced one nice find and suffered an unproductive. Mark's dog had two good finds but also suffered an unproductive. She had a modest race and showed laterally at times.

Miller's Special Upgrade (PF/Hughes) and Jake The Joker, a smallish but explosive pointer male owned and handled by Jimmy Crandall, drew Brace 4 on Course 5. Both dogs locked into a huge early race. This reporter was scouting Jake, so reports on Mark's dog are primarily hearsay. She was behind a bit, heading into the main road crossing, heading to Course 6, and had a nice find after the crossing. Jake continued to scorch the earth, producing a nice find at 25. His handle was a bit testy, and the handler, scout, and judge spent time trying to move him back on course. Jimmy called for the tracker at 48, only to find that his dog had regained the front and was ahead of Mark and the gallery.

Brace 5 commenced on Friday afternoon on Course 1 with T's American Outlaw (ESM/Bingham) facing Miller's Hopped Up Version (PF/Hughes). Tony's dog disappeared early, and he called for the tracker at 30. Mark's dog had a nice find at 5 but hit the road and was unseen. Mark was appropriately protective of his dog and called for the tracker at 25. She was found on point significantly to the front. Birds were seen but not flushed.

Crow Creek Redbud (PF/Bingham) and Suemac's Sashay (PF/Hughes) were paired in Brace 6. Both dogs were standing at the same location as Hopped Up Version was found pointing in the prior brace. Birds were flushed with all in order. Redbud had an unproductive at 24, followed shortly thereafter with a find at 28. She ran a nice, stylish race. Mark's dog had a shorter race and produced no additional birds in her hour.

Available time and ground resulted in Brace 7 being run on Course 3. Lincoln County Buddyboy (PM/Bingham) looked exceptional on the breakaway. He had a nice find at 7, followed by another find in the road at 15. At 25, he was pointed again and moved due possibly to an active bracemate, resulting in a pickup. Sweet Grass Skeeter (SM/Huffine) started erratically. He had an unproductive at 15. At 25, he had a failure to back and was under birds, blessedly ending his day.

Brace 8 is described in the Champions' Summary.

Double Deuce Zeke (PM/Hughes) and Cook's Back In Black, a strikingly athletic pointer male handled by Harry Cook III, broke away at approximately 9:30 for the ninth brace. Zeke had an attractive and aggressive race and produced a nice find at time. Harry's dog was a handful this day, and he ultimately called for the tracker at 45.

2021 Champion Ringo's Sweet Heart (PF/Bingham) was paired with Wayward Flyin Tomato (ESM/Hughes) in Brace 10. Heart made a huge move at breakaway and was rarely or never seen thereafter. Tony called for the tracker at 20. Mark's dog had a modest race, handling well, but produced no birds. Mark elected to pick the dog up at 50.

Brace 11 broke away at about 1:30 in a sunny 65 degrees. Tenacee Franklin (PM/Isenberg) and Mohawk Mill Night Hawk (PM/Bingham) had an early divided find at 6. Greg's dog showed a nice Hoffman shooting dog race and finished his hour. Night Hawk showed his breeding with an all-age race and finished his hour. Neither dog had any additional bird contact.

Recently crowned U. S. Complete National Champion Smoke Rise Jake (PM/Bingham) and Harry Cook's Dominator's Kid Rock (PM) were exceptional physical specimens released at about 3:00 for Brace 12. Jake showed his Hoffman bird-finding aptitude with a nice find at 19. Both dogs were found standing in heavy cover to the right side of the road at 50. Movement was seen by the judges. Birds were flushed. There was another divided find at 55.

Brace 13 broke away on Course 3 with Doodle Ridge Elroy (PM/Hughes) matched against Sweet Grass Skipper (ESM/Huffine). Mark's dog had a modest and methodical race that produced no birds. Skipper had a more erratic race. He had a find at 48, but his handler realized he wasn't beating what had gone before and picked him up shortly thereafter.

Moderate morning fog greeted the handlers for Brace 14. After judge and handler discussions, they elected to proceed and broke away at 8:12 on Course 4. Tony Bingham's Smoke Rise Bull (PM) had a find at 20 and another at 29. However, his race was short in the fog, and Tony elected to leash him. Harry Cook's dog, B K Bonafide Stallion (PM), is a fine-looking specimen. He broke away well and was looking good until he moved on a bird after a stop to flush at 23.

Fog was lifting, and a beautiful morning appeared by the 9:00 start time for Brace 15. Mark Hughes handled Miss Lady W (PF) for our good friends Margaret and Earl Drew. Earl had surgery on his arm/shoulder and likely defied physician's orders to come see his dog run. Lady had a beautiful find on the right side of Course 4 before the pond. She continued with a nice race until 55 when she was under birds and gave chase. Her bracemate, Hirollins All American, a setter male owned and handled by Warren Parrott, had a find at 13 but moved with the birds after the flush.

Brace 16 matched Mohawk Mill Shake Up (PM/Bingham) with Hirollins B K Bushwacker (PM/Parrott). Tony's dog had an unproductive at 9 after a relocation attempt was unsuccessful. He was standing at 45 but moved during the flush. Warren's dog had a big race early and then settled into a nice Hoffman shooting dog race. Unfortunately, his performance produced no bird contact.

Cliff Monroe ran Twiggy (PF) with Mulberry Fields Molly (PF/Hughes in the 17th brace. After an early unproductive, Twiggy laced up her running shoes, and Cliff reluctantly called for the tracker at 19. Molly had a back on the unproductive. She was under a bird and chased at 30.

Brace 18 broke away on Course 1 at 1:35 with Treasure Chest (PM/Monroe) and Mohawk Mill War Hawk (PM/Bingham). Neither dog was seen much or at all after the release. Tony called for his tracker at 24. Cliff continued across the main road before calling for his tracker. His dog was found beyond the army camp.

The final brace of the Championship was heading to "home" on Course 3. My Way Coal Train (PM/Bingham) and Braggabull (PF/Hughes) had the last chance to change the placements. Tony surmised that his dog was not having a performance that would unseat the leaders and picked up. Mark's dog was carrying a litter of pups, and he decided that 20 minutes was sufficient for his pregnant girl.

Hoffman, N. C., March 1
Judges: John Outlaw and Bob Youngs
U. S. COMPLETE SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 30 Pointers and 8 Setters
Winner-ERIN'S BATTLE CRY, 1675085, pointer male, by Erin's Redrum-Three Stripe's Jewel. Dennis & Hope Beauford, owners; Tony Bingham, handler.
Runner-Up-SWEET GRASS SLIM, 1685332, setter male, by Sterlingworth Jack-Sandland Miracle Maggie. David Huffine, owner and handler.

Paul Walker Open Derby Classic
Nine derbies faced off in the Paul Walker Derby Classic. Smoke Rise Doc (PM/Bingham) was clearly the class of the Derby stake with two finds. He looked great on his birds and on the ground. Second place went to Sweet Grass Scout (ESF/Huffine), who had a nice find and a solid derby race. Third place was awarded to Millers Dusty Version (PF/Hughes). She produced no birdwork but had exceptional style and ground application.

PAUL WALKER OPEN DERBY CLASSIC - 6 Pointers and 3 Setters
1st-SMOKE RISE DOC, 1705372, pointer male, by Quickmarksman's Excalibur-Hirollins Fancy Lady. P. F. Rose, owner; Tony Bingham, handler.
2d-SWEET GRASS SCOUT, 1700663, setter female, by Shag Time Bobo-Black Cloud's Angel. David Huffine, owner and handler.
3d-MILLERS DUSTY VERSION, 1706290, pointer female, by Miller's Upgraded Version-Miller's Special Edition. Mike Husenits, owner; Mark Hughes, handler.

Afterword
The U. S. Complete contingent at Hoffman has established a wonderful team that has worked together to facilitate two championships at the venue in 2024. Tony Bingham is responsible for ground operations, which may include recruiting judges, securing "loaner" horses, buying groceries, and consulting with the trial chairman on "in trial" matters. Margaret Drew shepherds all of us, reminding us of what must be done and what should be done and covering for us when we don't do it exactly right. For several years, our missing "piece" was the hospitality. Gretchen and John Adsit have filled that void, working tirelessly to see that lunches are available in the clubhouse and stretching dinner leftovers to help greatly with our tight budgets. Gretchen recruits Hoffman friends to assist, and their help is essential.
Greg Roberson drives the dog/gallery wagon and is an absolute delight. He is reliable and timely, but he is also engaged in the trials, following each dog and handler attentively.
We give special thanks to Fred Rose, owner of last year's champion, who sponsored the handlers' dinner. The food was delicious, but the dining experience was enhanced by the stories, ribbing, and laughter among old friends and competitors. Fred has had some health issues, and it was great to see his charming smile at the event.
The Cape Fear Field Trial Club thanks the Wildlife Resources Commission and the North Carolina Field Trial Association for making this trial possible. Hoffman has 52 horse stalls, corrals, and numerous kennels, all with running water which makes a multi-day trial easy on the organizers and the competitors.
The Club also thanks Purina for its sponsorship of the Championship. Our trial and many others would not occur without the support of Greg Blair and Purina.
We also offer our condolences to Cliff Monroe, who lost his wonderful young dog Twiggy in a trial-related accident several weeks after this Championship. Twiggy was a delight to watch with her class, range, and animation. We will miss her, and we share in Cliff's loss.

Paul Walker Open Derby Classic (front, l-r): Roger Nole with Smoke Rise Doc, Avery West with Sweet Grass Scout, and Mark Hughes with Miller's Dusty Version. (Behind): Tony Bingham, John Outlaw, David Huffine, Bob Youngs, and Bill Britt.