Event: Virgil Beasley Sr. Memorial Amateur Shooting Dog Classic
Result: Old Hickory Field Trial Club

Location: Lavergne, Tennessee

Post Date: Feb 12, 2026

Submitted By: Reporter Jeff Blackwell

Virgil Beasley Sr. Memorial Amateur Shooting Dog Classic (l-r): Dereck Layne (judge), Bryant's Give It A Rip and Kenton Bryant, Buddy Morrison, Miller's Triple Digit Heat with Madison McDonald, Morgan's Yellow Ledbetter with Phil Morgan, and Jeff Blackwell (judge).

Do you want the good news or the bad news? For the past dozen or more years that I've reported the VBC, it seems I've started my report with a weather report. This year will be no different, which brings me to the good news: we missed Winter Storm Fern by one week. Our run was on Saturday, January 17, one week before Fern blew in snow and ice that crippled a large portion of the Nashville, Tennessee, area. Ice and near-zero temperatures left thousands without power, and at this writing, I do not have information on the damage at Poole Knobs WMA, where our trial is held in LaVergne, Tennessee. This brings me to the bad news.

What used to be three very full days of running is now down to 11 shooting dogs and four derbies--one day running. We made the best of it, though, and appreciated those who participated and certainly enjoyed the fellowship with each one. Advertised judges Ruthann Epp and Chip Pendergrass, to no fault of their own, could not participate due to the National Derby Championship and National Free-For-All Championship, which they host, being delayed a couple of days by bad weather. Club officials, President Dereck Layne and I, took on the judging duties.

The second brace of derbies produced the winner and runner-up. Kenton Bryant's female, Bryant's Princess Kate, had a beautiful find at the 15-minute mark and was backed by bracemate Windy Hill Triple Digit, Buddy Morrison's male pointer. Triple Digit took the front and the win with stylish finds at 24 and again at 29 at the Carp Pond.

The fifth brace of the Virgil Beasley Sr. Memorial Amateur Shooting Dog Classic produced the runner-up and third-place dogs. Going head-to-head, Miller's Triple Digit Heat and Buddy Morrison bested Morgan's Yellow Ledbetter and handler Phil Morgan. Heat had finds at 40, 34, 7, and 4. Ledbetter scored twice and backed Heat on his last find. Winner Bryant's Give It A Rip, a setter male, competed as a bye-dog in the sixth and final brace for Kenton Bryant. Rip put down a big forward race while stylishly pointing game at 43 across Martin Lane, at 25 at the end of the Big Field, and at 16 buried in thick cover by the lake before the Knob. Rip was standing again at 5 by the Carp Pond, but the handler said the bird left before the judges could arrive, and he took Rip on as time expired on the 2026 VBC.

The Old Hickory Field Trial Club would like to thank our long-time sponsors Purina Feeds and Greg Blair for providing winners with dog food and prizes, along with Tennessee Farmer's Co-op, which provided our barbecue lunch. There is no financial way to make a trial work without these sponsors' help. Thank you, thank you!

LaVergne, Tenn., January 17
Judges: Jeff Blackwell and Dereck Layne
VIRGIL BEASLEY SR. MEMORIAL AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG CLASSIC [One-Hour Heats] - 7 Pointers and 4 Setters
1st-BRYANT'S GIVE IT A RIP, F1701553, setter male, by Erin's Wild Atlantic Way-Cline's Live Oak. Kenton Bryant, owner and handler.
2d-MILLER'S TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT, F1685675, pointer male, by Just Irresistible-Miller's Bring The Heat. Allen R. Linder, owner; Buddy Morrison, handler.
3d-MORGAN'S YELLOW LEDBETTER, F1702178, pointer male, by Lester's Storm Surge-R W Susie Q. Phil Morgan, owner and handler.

AMATEUR DERBY - 3 Pointers and 1 Setter
1st-WINDY HILL TRIPLE DIGIT, F1714511, pointer male, by Miller's Triple Digit Heat-Windy Hill Shadow Dancer. Carl S. Morrison Jr., owner and handler.
2d-BRYANT'S PRINCESS KATE, F1719742, pointer female, by Miller's Blindsider-Silver W Thunderbolt's Boom. Jill Bryant, owner and handler.

Amateur Derby (l-r): Judge Dereck Layne (judge), Windy Hill Triple Digit with Buddy Morrison, Madison McDonald, Bryant's Princess Kate, with Kenton Bryant, and Jeff Blackwell (judge).