Result: Alabama Open All-Age Championship and Open Derby Classic

Location: Blue Mountain, Mississippi

Post Date: Mar 6, 2025

Submitted By: Tessa Hughes

Alabama Open All-Age Championship (l-r): Robert "Lefty" Henry, Randy Anderson, Bridget Ledington, Brad Kennedy, Late Hit with Tom Shenker, Joe Hughes, Brian Spear, Carolyn Page, Kent Walker, Game Surge with Korry Rinehart, Rita Corder, Tessa Hughes, Greg Bain, and Jack Griffin.

This year's Alabama Open All-Age Championship and Open Derby Classic were run at the stakes' traditional location on the beautiful Hell Creek Wildlife Management grounds in Blue Mountain, Mississippi, from February 1-4, 2025. The Championship drew 27 dogs--26 Pointers and one Setter. We were grateful for the support of the numerous owners and handlers who traveled from several different states to support our trial. Judges for this year's Championship and Derby were Brian Spear of Lowndesboro, Alabama, and Kent Walker of Collierville, Tennessee. They both gave every dog their full attention and rode tirelessly and with good cheer, despite the unseasonably warm and very muddy conditions. We are grateful to our dog wagon driver, Jack Griffin, and the people who served us hot lunches and dinner every day, Melissa Bain and Carolyn Page. We are especially appreciative of our sponsor, Sportsman's Pride Dog Food, and everything Sportsman's Pride does to make our trial a success.

This year's champion was a dog that has been on a hot streak lately, winning the Hobart Ames Memorial Open All-Age and subsequently the National Open Shooting Dog Championship as well, the beautiful, big running Pointer male, Late Hit, campaigned by Tom Shenker of Hurtsboro, Alabama, and owned by Chris Campbell of Shreveport, Louisiana. Late Hit wowed us all with a strong forward race after drawing the third hour of the grounds. Even though he ran on a hot day, the heat did not stop him from putting down a tremendous ground race. It is worth noting that when Tom was putting Late Hit in the harness at the end of the brace, the dog looked as fresh as he did when turned loose, clearly not at all tired. He scored five tremendous finds in his hour to secure the championship, with one in the Bear Trap field, three coming through the pines toward Hell Creek, and one stunning find on the other side of the grounds heading back toward the clubhouse. He made it all look so easy as he cruised around those huge crop fields on the backside of Hell Creek with style, tremendous stamina, and speed.

The 2025 runner-up champion was Dr. Fred Corder's beautiful Pointer male, Game Surge. Game Surge also pulled the third hour at Hell Creek, and he showed us he was no slouch, either, by also setting a hot pace through the countryside. Game Surge has a remarkable way of pointing that makes him a hard dog to beat. When he points, his head is absolutely vertical, and so is his tail. He does not lose this style until Dr. Corder releases him after the flush and the shot. It makes him a breathtakingly classy dog. Game Surge swept around the fields on both sides of the big third hour course to take the runner-up trophy. Game Surge's first find was in the pines, and his second find was after we crossed the creek and headed back toward the clubhouse, but before we reached the creek again.

Blue Mountain, Miss., February 25
Judges: Brian Spear and Kent Walker
ALABAMA OPEN ALL-AGE CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 26 Pointers and 1 Setter
Winner-LATE HIT, F1687601, pointer male, by Miller's Blindsider-Abigail Lil. Christopher Campbell, owner; Tom Shenker, handler.
Runner-Up-GAME SURGE, F1700091, pointer male, by Lester's Storm Surge-Game Maggie. Dr. Fred Corder, owner and handler.

Alabama Open Derby Classic
Eighteen dogs--17 Pointers and one setter--competed in the prestigious one-hour Open Derby Classic held following the conclusion of the Alabama Open All-Age Championship. Mayfield Storm Front, a beautiful Pointer handled by Pat Siebels, stepped in to take the first-place trophy, having one very impressive find and a strong, consistent forward race in his hour. Intensive Aint She Purty, a classy Pointer female handled by Larry Huffman, took the second-place honors with one stylish find. Aint She Purty hunted hard and to the front during her brace and showed no flaws. Our third-place dog was Miller's Triple Crown, handled by Korry Rinehart. Triple Crown moved through the countryside with ease and showed a great deal of ambition and drive in his one-hour race. Crown had a classy find and very nice manners, too.

Alabama Open Derby (l-r): Pat Siebels with Mayfield Storm Front, Kent Walker, Piper Huffman, Larry Huffman, Nick Thompson with Intensive Aint She Purty, Korry Rinehart, Kyle Graves with Miller's Triple Crown, Brian Spear, Brad Kennedy, and Jack Griffin.

OPEN DERBY [One-Hour Heats] - 17 Pointers and 1 Setter
1st-MAYFIELD STORM FRONT, F1718209, pointer male, by Lester's Front Porch-Bryson's Dialing Jo. Scott Mason & Jake Davis, owners; Pat Siebels, handler.
2d-INTENSIVE AINT SHE PURTY, F1711592, pointer female, by Texas Cool-Hey Suga Suga. Steve Auxier, owner; Larry Huffman, handler.
3d-MILLER'S TRIPLE CROWN, F1718206, pointer male, by Lester's Front Porch-Bryson's Dialing Jo. Al Bryson, owner; Korry Rinehart, handler.

James R. Page Memorial All-Age Trophy Carolyn Page and Tom Shenker with the 2025 Alabama Open All-Age Champion Late Hit and the James R. Page Memorial Open All-Age Trophy.