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Result: Virginia Amateur Field Trial Association

Location: Ahoskie, Virginia

Post Date: Jan 2, 2025

Submitted By: Gene Hogge

Virginia ADF24

Parke Brinkley Amateur Derby Classic: Mohawk Mill At Dawn with Ellen Winall, Mohawk Mill Lady Justice with Gary Winall, and Mohawk Mill Jet Stream with Rob Maguire. (Back row): Jim Jones (judge), Kimberly Maguire, Barbel Fetkoter, Lee Flanders, and Ashby Morgan.

The Virginia Amateur Field Trial Association held its annual trial over the grounds generously provided by the late field trial hall of fame member, Dr. Aubrey Morgan, near Ahoskie, North Carolina, on November 15-17. It had been a very dry fall with unusually mild weather up until the start of the trial when several inches of rain fell on Thursday night.

Judging the trial were two gentlemen from Virginia's middle peninsula--Jim Jones of Gloucester, Virginia, and Ashby Morgan of Mathews, Virginia. Both are experienced field trialers and judges who gave their attention to each entry. They are to be commended for the pace they set and the decisions they made.

Many thanks go to the folks behind the scenes who made this trial a success. Barbel Fetkoter raises the birds for the trial and manages the early release program. We can always count on strong, excellent flyers. We can also count on being well fed as she prepares breakfast and lunch for all in attendance. Ellen and her husband Gary Winall drove to North Carolina to pick up the quail chicks and put in over eight hours of time on the tractors to make sure the courses were well groomed. They also provided a BBQ dinner on Saturday night in honor of last year's one-hour all-age winner, Mohawk Mill Jacked Up. Skip Brown wore several hats by doing the drawing, driving the dog wagon, and preparing a barbequed chicken dinner on Friday night that was enjoyed by all. J. Parke Brinkley spends a lot of time working on the grounds throughout the year and also filled in picking up dogs after their brace was over. Darrell Miller was the chief bird planter and did his usual great job making sure birds were out each morning and throughout the trial. Lee Flanders provided two steady mounts for judicial use. Gene Hogge was the stakes manager and did a great job, as well as assisting Barbel in feeding the pre-released birds during the season and some bush hog work.

One of the goals of the Virginia Amateur is to have the best possible grounds for a trial, whether it be an all-age, shooting dog, or walking dog contest. Lots of tractor time had the grounds groomed into top condition. The bird situation keeps improving as more early released and wild coveys were pointed in this trial than any other in memory. Even puppies pointed birds.

There have been a number of great dogs that have run in this trial over the club's 100+ year history that are too numerous to mention but include Purina Dog of the Year award winners, multiple champions including at least two National Champions, notably Home Again Mike and A Rambling Rebel. Hopefully, this line of great field trial performers continues with the likes of Mohawk Mill At Dawn, a Pointer female still in her derby year, owned and handled by Gary Winall and scouted by his wife, Ellen. Dawn was entered in three stakes and won all three.

The Parke Brinkley Derby Classic, the one-hour all-age, and the Open Derby were all decisively won by this amazing young dog. Certainly, good things are in her future, and it will be fun to watch her progress.

The Verle Farrow Amateur Puppy Classic is a 30-minute puppy stake that kicks off the trial. The judges felt that this was a quality stake with all winners acquitting themselves well with very aggressive races. Buffalo Junction Jack, a Pointer male handled by Alan Dahl, was consistently forward and showed at good range. Rawlinson's Confident Secret, a Pointer male handled by Worth Lewis, was a very close second with an effort that would have won many other trials. Buffalo Junction Holly, a Pointer female also handled by Alan Dahl, had a very good 30 minutes to take third.

The Parke Brinkley Amateur Derby Classic was a clean sweep for Gary and Ellen Winall's talented group of youngsters. Mohawk Mill At Dawn ran a big 30 minutes with two finished finds. Mohawk Mill Lady Justice impressed as well, standing tall as her bracemate helped the birds get aloft, and Mohawk Mill Jet Stream ran a good race with one good find for third.

The one-hour Amateur All-Age saw the Mohawk Mill contenders continue their winning ways with Mohawk Mill At Dawn, precocious derby, setting a standard that was one of the best performances ever witnessed on these grounds. She ran big, almost too big, and needed some good scouting from Ellen. Pointed an early September released covey after crossing into the piney woods, had a single below the dam in the backfield, and topped it all with a wild covey on the hedge by the hard-surfaced road. She finished far, far to the front. Mohawk Mill King Pen ran well and had multiple finds to take second. Mohawk Mill Hawkeye had a more moderate race with four finds to take third. Closest to the winners was I Dream of Jeannie, a Setter female handled by Kyle Whitfield with multiple finds, a stop-to-flush, and a classy, tail-cracking race.

Mohawk Mill At Dawn was back to claim the Open Derby with another top-notch effort on the ground and on game. Mohawk Mill Lady Justice was second with class on the ground and on game. Dollar's Belle, a Pointer female handled by Gene Hogge, rounded out the placements with one finished find and a more moderate race.

The Open All-Age was a competitive stake that Mohawk Mill King Pen took control of with solid bird work to go along with a nice ground effort. Lee Flanders piloted his Setter male, Chippokes Cracker Jack, to second with a good ground effort and a big covey at time. Gary Miller's Pointer female, Dominator's Rebel Heiress, won with good bird work to claim third.

Ahoskie, N. C., November 14 - One Course
Judges: Jim Jones and Ashby Morgan
PARKE BRINKLEY AMATEUR DERBY CLASSIC - 12 Pointers
1st-MOHAWK MILL AT DAWN, F1706911, pointer female, by Imagine-Mohawk Mill Dolly. Gary & Ellen Winall, owners; Gary Winall, handler.
2d-MOHAWK MILL LADY JUSTICE, F1706908, pointer female, by Imagine-Mohawk Mill Dolly. Gary & Ellen Winall, owners; Gary Winall, handler.
3d-MOHAWK MILL JET STREAM, F1710281, pointer male, by Cas Slim Speedy Halo-Gigi Broken Halo. Gary & Ellen Winall, owners; Gary Winall, handler.

Virginia AAAF24

Amateur All-Age: Mohawk Mill At Dawn with Gary Winall, Mohawk Mill King Pen with Ellen Winall, and Mohawk Mill Hawkeye with Rob Maguire. (Back row): Jim Jones, Kimberly Maguire, Barbel Fetkoter, Lee Flanders, Ashby Morgan, Ashley Lewis, Worth Lewis, and Kyle Whitfield.

AMATEUR ALL-AGE CLASSIC [One-Hour Heats] - 9 Pointers and 2 Setters
1st-MOHAWK MILL AT DAWN, F1706911, pointer female, by Imagine-Mohawk Mill Dolly. Gary & Ellen Winall, owners; Gary Winall, handler.
2d-MOHAWK MILL KING PEN, F1703198, pointer male, by Mohawk Mill Big Stuff-Mohawk Mill Dolly. Gary Winall, owner and handler.
3d-MOHAWK MILL HAWKEYE, F1703193, pointer male, by Mohawk Mill Knight Hawk-Full Effect. Gary Winall, owner and handler.

Virginia ODF24

Open Derby: Mohawk Mill At Dawn with Gary Winall, Mohawk Mill Lady Justice with Ellen Winall, and Dollar's Belle with Gene Hogge. (Back row): Jim Jones, Barbel Fetkoter, Ashby Morgan, and Lee Flanders.

OPEN DERBY - 6 Pointers
1st-MOHAWK MILL AT DAWN, F1706911, pointer female, by Imagine-Mohawk Mill Dolly. Gary & Ellen Winall, owners; Gary Winall, handler.
2d-MOHAWK MILL LADY JUSTICE, F1706908, pointer female, by Imagine-Mohawk Mill Dolly. Gary & Ellen Winall, owners; Gary Winall, handler.
3d-DOLLAR'S BELLE, F1710219, pointer female, by Haney's Silver Dollar-New Hope May. Gene Hogge, owner and handler.

Virginia OAAF24

Open All-Age: Gary Winall, Mohawk Mill King Pen with Ellen Winall, Chippokes Cracker Jack with Lee Flanders, and Dominator's Rebel Heiress with Gary Miller. (Back row): Jim Jones, Barbel Fetkoter, Ashby Morgan, and Gene Hogge.

OPEN ALL-AGE - 6 Pointers
1st-MOHAWK MILL KING PEN, F1703198, pointer male, by Mohawk Mill Big Stuff-Mohawk Mill Dolly. Gary Winall, owner and handler.
2d-CHIPPOKES CRACKER JACK, F1691321, setter male, by Skyview New Edition-Grid Iron's Sorrell's Penny. Lee S. Flanders, owner and handler.
3d-DOMINATOR'S REBEL HEIRESS, F1705982, pointer female, by Dominator's Rebel Heir-Erin's Pearl Agin. Gary Miller, owner and handler.

VERLE FARROW AMATEUR PUPPY CLASSIC - 9 Pointers
1st-BUFFALO JUNCTION JACK, F1714959, pointer male, by Crouse's Pond River Gus-Buffalo Junction Holler Point. Alan Dahl, owner and handler.
2d-RAWLINSON'S CONFIDENT SECRET, F1716235, pointer male, by Confident Nation-Rawlinson's Big Secret. Worth Lewis, owner and handler.
3d-BUFFALO JUNCTION HOLLY, F1714947, pointer female, by Crouse's Pond River Gus-Buffalo Junction Holler Point. Alan Dahl, owner and handler.

Virginia APF24

Amateur Puppy: Buffalo Junction Jack with Gene Hogge, Rawlinson's Confident Secret with Worth Lewis, and Buffalo Junction Holly with Alan Dahl. (Back row): Jim Jones (judge), Barbel Fetkoter, and Ashby Morgan (judge).