Result: Hobart Ames Memorial Field Trial Club

Location: Grand Junction, Tennessee

Post Date: Feb 11, 2026

Submitted By: Jim Atchison

Open All-Age (front, l-r): Patrick Siebels with Mayfield Storm Messenger, Kyle Graves with Sunset Sam Houston, and Steve Hurdle with Rester's Cajun Justice. (On porch, l-r): Jonathan Burch, Ryan Braddock, Zach Parsons, Chris Weatherly (judge), Matt Backus, Joe Hughes (judge), and Greg Tapp.

The 73rd renewal of the Hobart Ames Memorial Classic was hosted on Ames Plantation by the Ames Amateur Field Trial Association and ran January 12-15. Twenty-nine all-age entries and 17 derbies competed.

Mayfield Storm Messenger, owned by Jake Davis and Scott Mason, won first. Patrick Siebels handled the winner. The winning Derby was Haney's High Dollar, owned by Chris Cagle Sr. and Chris Cagle Jr., and handled by Ike Todd. The second and third place All-Age winners, respectively, were Sunset Sam Houston, owned by Matt and Stacey Brown while handled by Korry Rinehart; and Rester's Cajun Justice, handled by Steve Hurdle for owners Tony and Becky Gibson. Edge's Train Station, owned by Gordy Jones and campaigned by Ike Todd, won second place in the Derby stake. Coldwater Swagger, owned and handled by Gary McKibben, won third.

Purina was the primary sponsor of the Classic. In addition to assisting the club, the handlers of the winners of each stake received bags of Purina Pro Plan: three bags, two bags, and one bag, respectively, for the first-, second, and third-place winners. The Bank of Fayette County, also a long-time sponsor and loyal supporter of field trialing, again helped sponsor the annual Wayne Tate Memorial Steak Dinner, to which all were invited. The Ames Amateur Field Trial Club joined the bank as a co-sponsor. The Club provided lunches each day, served in the Rhea Building. United Co-Op also helped sponsor the Classic with their much-appreciated, generous financial contribution. Prominently placed banners and words of appreciation spoken by Matt Backus acknowledged the contributions of each of the above-listed sponsors.

Matt and Kristin Backus and Chris and Amy Weatherly graciously hosted judge Joe Hughes and reporter Jim Atchison at their homes for wonderful meals and fellowship on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

In addition to those listed above, Joey McAlexander and Chris Weatherly made a contribution that was greatly appreciated by those in the gallery. They provided sausage and biscuits at the end of each of the first brace each morning. Ken Blackman was the dog wagon driver and distributed those warm treats, along with hot coffee and cocoa.
Joe Hughes, from Moulton, Alabama, judged both stakes. Chris Weatherly was the second All-Age judge, and Ryan Braddock was the other Derby judge. Both Weatherly and Braddock hold key management positions and live on Ames Plantation.

The officers and directors of the sponsoring club include: Joey McAlexander, President; Dr. Fred Corder, Vice President; Matt Backus, Secretary-Treasurer; and Directors Chris Weatherly, Jonathan Burch, Larry Huffman, and Kent Walker.

Both the weather and the condition of the courses were excellent. Morning temperatures ranged from 19 to 42 degrees, and the afternoon highs ranged from 36 to 60 degrees. Three of the four days were sunny and light drizzle, which was of no consequence, came on Wednesday. All braces were run on the morning course, which was extraordinarily dry, due to the generally mild and dry winter experienced to date in most of the Mid-South.

ALL-AGE WINNERS
Mayfield Storm Messenger won first place while running as a bye-dog in the 15th (last) brace of the All-Age competition. He had birds, which Patrick Siebels easily flushed at 4 and again at 42. His performance impressed the judges as he ran a very consistent race, was always to the front, and used the country well, showing himself when those opportunities were available. Storm Messenger was biddable for his handler and required minimal scouting. Also, and very importantly, his pose was classic, tight, and beautiful each time he stood pointed. If owners Jake Davis and Scott Mason had witnessed his performance, they would have been pleased, as were the judges.

Sunset Sam Houston won second, handled by Korry Rinehart for owners Matt and Stacey Brown. This winner ran in the fifth brace where he shared a divided find with his bracemate at 2, immediately after breaking away on the second hour course. He then pointed, and a huge covey was flushed at 20 along the western edge of the Morgan field. He could have had a third find at 27 had a peculiar situation not arisen. The situation was that both dogs pointed about 50 yards apart, and both Rinehart and his scout thought the other handler's dog held the superior position, and their dog was taking a back. Movement of the scout's horse caused birds to flush, but everyone who witnessed the incident clearly knew no foul had occurred.

Rester's Cajun Justice won third, drawn as the bottom dog in the second brace. Owned by Tony and Becky Gibson and handled by Steve Hurdle, Cajun Justice found birds at 4 and 21. He ran very strong for most of the hour, stayed on edges well, and listened to Hurdle's guidance. He was pretty, stylish, and very pleasing to watch.

OTHER ALL-AGE CONTENDERS
Brace 1: Como Skyline, handled by Steve Hurdle for Tony and Becky Gibson, and World Class Migraine, owned by John Kumpeter and handled by Patrick Siebels, were loosed at 8 a.m. on Monday with frost on the ground, sun overhead, and temp in the mid-20s. Skyline pointed at 35, but on relocation that extended into the Turner pines, was not able to produce any birds. Both dogs finished the hour, but no birds were found.

Brace 2: Scott Beeler had Beeler's Final Solution, owned by Rick Stallings, braced with the third-place winner. This contender had an unproductive stand at 3, and Beeler asked for his tracker at 27 near Kyles barn at National Championship Road.

Brace 3: Birds were moved six times in this brace. Miller's Triple Threat, owned by Jake Davis and handled by Patrick Siebels, was the top dog while Southern Thunder, owned by Chris Campbell and handled by Tom Shenker, was the bottom. Southern Thunder had finds at 2 and 12, with Triple Threat backing. Triple Threat then had birds at 25, north of National Championship Road, at 31 by a Turner Road crossing, and at 38 and 47 while circling a modified area of the third hour course. Tom Shenker asked for his tracker on the east side of one of the Turner Road crossings.

Brace 4: Rebel Gold, owned and handled by David Williams, was paired with Superstition's Jake, owned by Ric Peterson and handled by Mark Haynes. Rebel Gold pointed, and Williams flushed at 11 before crossing the Buford Ellington Road, but afterward continued northward and never crossed the road. Jake had long absences throughout the hour. He had a find at 56 but was gone again, resulting in Haynes asking for his tracker after the end of the hour.

Brace 5: Lester's Front Porch, owned by John Kumpeter and handled by Patrick Siebels, was braced with the second-place winner. He and the brace mate had a divided find soon after the breakaway, at 2. He then backed his bracemate in the situation at 27, which was described earlier, and finished the hour with no more birds.

Brace 6: Bandit's Hill Avenger was handled by Korry Rinehart with owner Anne Forrester in the gallery. Avenger was lost, and Rinehart got his tracker at 29. The bottom dog in the brace was Rock Acre Yellow Hawk, handled by Mark Haynes for Ric Peterson, who was also in the gallery. Yellowhawk had birds at 27 and 54 and finished the hour easily.
Birds were moved 15 times, under judgment, and the day ended with the sun still shining and the temperature near 50 degrees.

Brace 7: The temperature was about 34 degrees, and the sun shone all day with the thermometer reaching into the low 60s on Tuesday. World Class Mayhem was loosed by Matt Cochran for owner Mick Marietta, while Larry Huffman had Whippoorwill Out Rider, owned by Dale Bush, at the 8 a.m. breakaway. Mayhem had birds once, at 9 before crossing Ellington Road. Outrider found no birds, and both dogs finished the hour.

Brace 8: Larry Huffman had Whippoorwill Vette, owned by Dale Bush, braced with World Class High Def, owned and handled by Patrick Siebels. Huffman flushed birds in front of Vette at 8 and finished the hour with that one find. Siebels asked for his tracker at 12.

Brace 9: Rebel Dreams, owned and handled by David Williams, and C S Snapdragon, owned by Tony and Becky Gibson and handled by Steve Hurdle, were loosed at Rube Scott Road. Snapdragon found birds and Hurdle flushed at 4 near a pile of rip rap along the side of the course. The pair then had a divided find at 28 near Turner Road. Snapdragon finished the hour under judgment, while Williams asked for Rebel Dreams' tracker at 56.

Brace 10: C S Dirty Harry, handled by Hurdle for the Gibsons, was braced with Como Rain, owned by Ric Peterson and handled by Haynes. Hurdle asked for his tracker at 31. Haynes flushed while Como Rain pointed a 49, and the dog and handler finished the hour.

Brace 11: Neither Bonner's Bulletproof nor Mayfield Storm Front finished the 11th brace. Randy Anderson handled Bulletproof for Dr. Chris Cornman but asked for his tracker at 27. Storm Front, owned by Jake Davis and handled by Siebels, had an unproductive at 19 and found a covey of birds in a strip of soybeans at 40, but soon thereafter the handler asked for his tracker.

Brace 12: Steve Hurdle released C S Code Blue, owned by the Gibsons, while Matt Cochran had World Class Instigator, owned by Mic Marietta, for the last brace of day two. Code Blue found birds at 2 and 22. He also had an unproductive at 24, wherein he was amazingly intense, but in which no birds were moved. Both handlers picked up their dogs before the end of the hour, and the day ended with a total of seven finds for the day.

Brace 13: Game Heir, owned and handled by Dr. Fred Corder, and Pleasant Run Ruby, owned by Paul Rosevear and handled by Larry Huffman, broke away at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Ruby did not successfully cross Buford Ellington Road, and Game Heir had one unproductive at 38.

Brace 14: Late Hit, owned by Chris Campbell and handled by Tom Shenker, and Dr. Corder's Game Surge went next. They had a divided unproductive at 20, and no other action.

Brace 15: Mayfield Storm Messenger won first place in this brace with two finds, as described earlier, raising the total number of game contacts for this All-Age stake to 24.

Grand Junction, Tenn., January 12
Judges: Joe Hughes and Chris Weatherly
OPEN ALL-AGE [One-Hour Heats] - 29 Pointers
1st-MAYFIELD STORM MESSENGER, F1718210, pointer male, by Lester's Front Porch-Bryson's Dialing Jo. Jake Davis & Scott Mason, owners; Pat Siebels, handler.
2d-SUNSET SAM HOUSTON, F1705535, pointer male, by Lester's Storm Surge-Purpleline Sally. Matt & Stacy Brown, owners; Korry Rinehart, handler.
3d-RESTER'S CAJUN JUSTICE, F1691667, pointer male, by Whippoorwill Justified-Rester's Katie Lee. Cecil Rester, owner; Steve Hurdle, handler.

DERBY WINNERS
Haney's High Dollar was the first-place Derby winner, handled by Ike Todd for owners Chris Cagle Sr. and Chris Cagle Jr. High Dollar competed in the first Derby brace and found birds at 9 and 40. He ran a stylish and forward race, showing himself in the right place, impressing the judges, and demonstrating excellent potential for an all-age contender to watch for in the future.
Edge's Train Station, owned by Gordy Jones and handled by Ike Todd, won second place. During his third-brace performance, Ripper found birds at 21 and 39, with an intermittent unproductive at 29. He was very biddable, responded well to Todd's calm and trusting way of handling, and projected a promising future.
Coldwater Swagger won third place for his owner, Gary McKibben, who is a dedicated amateur breeder and competitor from Hernando, Mississippi. This winner backed his bracemate at 40 in the second brace, running an excellent, forward ground race in which he required very little scouting.

If this reporter's count is correct, birds were located 10 times during this Derby stake.

Judges: Ryan Braddock and Joe Hughes
OPEN DERBY CLASSIC [one-Hour Heats] - 17 Pointers
1st-HANEY'S HIGH DOLLAR, F1714646, pointer male, by Haney's Silver Dollar-Pete's Greystone Jill. Chris Cagle, owner; Ike Todd, handler.
2d-EDGE'S TRAIN STATION, F1708718, pointer male, by Haney's Silver Dollar-Bluemound's Charged Up. Gordy Jones, owner; Ike Todd, handler.
3d-COLDWATER SWAGGER, F1717640, pointer male, by Miller's Blindsider-Rebel Belle. Gary McKibben, owner and handler.

CONCLUSION
With appreciation for the continuing generosity of the Trustees of the Hobart Ames Foundation, who permit the use of Ames Plantation, and the planning and execution of the officers and directors of The Ames Amateur Field Trial Association, the 73rd renewal of the Hobart Ames Memorial Classic was a very successful event. Excellent hosts, good grounds, conscientious judges, outstanding dogs, and abundant hospitality came together to produce an event which would certainly please Mr. and Mrs. Ames.

Open Derby (l-r): Scott Beeler with Haney's High Dollar, Ike Todd with Edge's Train Station, and Kyle Graves with Coldwater Swagger. (On porch, l-r): Patrick Siebels, Chris Weatherly, Matt Backus, Joe Hughes (judge), Ken Blackman, and Ryan Braddock (judge).