Result: Oklahoma Open Championship

Location: Inola, Oklahoma

Post Date: Dec 27, 2019

Submitted By: Barry Moore

Oklahoma Open Championship Winner. In foreground is Stegan Smith with Valiant. Behind, from left: Dan Hensley, Barry Moore, Judge Dickie Sorrell, Randy Anderson, Judge Jim Lawless and Daniel Bridgewater.
INOLA, OKLA. -- Inola, Okla.--When the Inola trials started on October 28, the temperature was 43 and rain was forecast for the next two days.

The "rain" never came for those two days, but it was a very heavy mist and it might as well have been raining. Everyone was wet and those who wore glasses were continually wiping them just to see. As one might expect, though, with the bad and uncomfortable weather came bird work that was better than normal.

Thanks go to the judges, Stan Truksa of Firth, Neb., and Tom King of Thompson, Mo. They were a delight to ride with and never complained.

I served as the head gate getter and field marshal as well as trying to be an acceptable reporter. Just writing in the heavy mist for two days was a big chore but after losing my notebook somewhere between the last and the next-to-the-last gate in the last brace this reporting job really started testing my ability.

Lynn Oxendine helped with gates and field marshalling. Mike Griffin and Warren Henderson served as dog wagon drivers.

Let us never forget the generous ranch owners, Win and Kay Ingersoll, for allowing us to use the McFarlin-Ingersoll Ranch and the Gene Stout Ranch here in Inola, Okla. They are so graceful in allowing us to use this facility. We have a wonderful modern clubhouse and an abundance of horse stalls and dog kennels.

Topping a field of 22 entries in the Open All-Age Stake was Touch's Fire Away, two-year-old white and orange pointer male owned by Greg and Carmen Adams of Norfolk, Va., and handled by Randy Anderson. Fire Away had a single bird find at 25 and a very nice covey find at 36. He was high and tight for both. He ran a great forward race and finished strong out to the front.

Second was Westfall's Black Ace, eight-year-old white and black pointer male owned by Bill Westfall of Liberty, Mo., and handled by Andy Daugherty. Ace had a single bird find at 50. He exhibited perfect manners on his find. He had a great race and was consistently reaching for the front.

Third place went to Miss Stylin Sue, three-year-old white and liver pointer female owned by Dr. Jim Mills and Steve Lightle of Searcy, Ark., and handled by Allen Vincent. Sue had a single bird find at 18. She was perfect on her bird work and was quickly back to the hunt. She hunted hard and ran a very good race. She was out front and finished strong.

There were other dogs that had some very good performances. The judges explained that there were some hard decisions to be made to make sure that the dogs with the very best overall performances were the eventual winners.

S F Mapleleaf, handled by Allen Vincent in the first brace, had two good single bird finds and ran an extreme race. Due to her race, she was not in the eyes of the judges enough to get their nod.

Double Rebel Cowboy, also handled by Allen Vincent, had a single bird find at 36 and a large covey find at 55. His ran a very good race, was always out front and finished strong.

Westfall's True Grit (Daugherty) had a nice single bird find at 55. He too ran a big race way to the front not showing for several minutes at a time. At times there was concern by some gallery members fearing he was lost to the front. He always showed back up ahead where he finished strong.

Lowrider Frank (Vincent) and Miller's Select Call were braced together in the ninth brace. They had a divided find at 46. Both were gone at pickup.

Inola, Okla., October 28

Judges: Stan Truksa and Tony King

INOLA OPEN ALL-AGE [One-Hour Heats] -- 22 Pointers

1st--TOUCH'S FIRE AWAY, 1679602, male, by House's Ring of Fire--Touch's Maswood Anne. Greg & Carmen Adams, owner; Randy Anderson, handler.

2d--WESTFALL'S BLACK ACE, 1641946, male, by Westfall's Black Ice--Black Bama. Bill Westfall, owner; Andy Daugherty, handler.

3d--MISS STYLIN SUE, 1674906, female, by Ransom--Coldwater Snow. Dr. Jim Mills & Steve Lightle, owners; Allen Vincent, handler.

Inola Open Derby

The Derby had fifteen entries. It was won by Westfall's Mandalay, white and black pointer male owned by Bill Westfall and handled by Andy Daugherty. He ran the fourth brace and set the bar high. No others would meet that mark.

Awarded second for the Westfall-Daugherty team was pointer male Westfall's Wheels Up. Third was Raymond's Double Rebel Jess, pointer male owned by William Raymond of Rockdale, Tex.

OPEN DERBY -- 15 Pointers

1st--Westfall's Mandalay, 1682881, pointer male, by Strut Nation--Erin's Amazing Grace. Bill Westfall, owner; Andy Daugherty, handler.

2d--Westfall's Wheels Up, 1680653, pointer male, by Westfall's Black Ace--Westfall's Quick Trip. Bill Westfall, owner; Andy Daugherty, handler.

3d--Raymond's Double Rebel Jess, 1681409, pointer male, by Rivertons Funseek'n Scooter--Deep Creek Willow. William C. Raymond, owners; Randy Anderson, handler.

Inola Open Derby Winners. From left front: Allen Vincent with Westfall's Mandalay, Andy Daugherty with Westfall's Wheels Up and Stegan Smith with Raymond's Double Rebel Jess. Behind: Judge Tony King, Judge Stan Truksa, Randy Anderson and Daniel Bridgewater.

Oklahoma Open Championship

The fifty-third renewal of the Oklahoma Open Championship was held once again on the grand prairie of the beautiful McFarlin-Ingersoll Ranch near Inola and following the Inola Open stakes.

Weather conditions for this Championship were much better than the conditions for the Inola All-Age, but as the weather conditions for human comfort improved, the conditions for finding birds worsened.

For a second year in a row Valiant, six-year-old white ad liver pointer male owned by Jay McKenzie of Eureka, Kan., and handled by Oklahoma's own Randy Anderson, took the coveted championship title home.

Valiant had one really good find at 8. He had a good all-age race to the front, as the year before, easy handling and pleasing to the eye. Due to the extreme conditions and lack of bird work no runner-up was named.

Following on the heels of the Inola Open stakes, as in years past, this year's festivities began with a banquet. The banquet included a wonderful steak dinner at the clubhouse the night before the running.

Graciously hosted by Jay McKenzie, the owner of last year's winner. It was enjoyed by all. The prior days of the Inola stakes were very productive and all were looking forward to the good weather that was forecast.

The predicted warmer weather came as forecast by weather professionals on local stations. Both days started with very cool temperatures around the freezing mark, warming into the mid-40s on the first day and the mid-50s on the next day.

After the prior three days of little sun and heavy drizzle, the weather itself could only be described as a really nice two days running.

The somber part of this report is that bird work was at an absolute premium. Only one dog of the 21-dog entry had bird work. There was a report that for some reason the released birds did not fare well in their transportation to the ranch and were succumbing to the conditions of the weather.

The judges were Jim Lawless of Sparta, Ill., and Dickie Sorrell of Hubbard, Tex. Both gentlemen rode attentively in their assignment and truly looked for a dog worthy of the title of champion. They gave each of the dogs the opportunity to win, rather than looking for reasons to eliminate them.

Mike Griffin was chairman of the stake and chief dog wagon driver. He was assisted in the dog wagon driving by Warren Henderson.

Lynn Oxendine and I were the gate getters and field marshals.

THE WINNER AND OTHERS

The sixth brace of the first day featured Valiant (Anderson) and Westfall's Black Thunder (Daugherty). The temperature was 45 and sunny. The wind was approximately 9 mph and out of the west-northwest.

The dogs were released just after going through the Arkansas gate at the far end of the Ingersoll Ranch. Valiant's find came in the open pasture just before getting to the Walnut pasture gate, a single bird find at 8.

Anderson flushed vigorously, fired his gun and all was in order. Valiant's manners were perfect. Anderson's flushing efforts should have earned him an award on this find as well.

Both dogs continued on the course until Daugherty picked up at 30. Anderson continued with Valiant for the remainder of the hour which concluded just west of the barn in the south pasture. Valiant finished out front still hunting hard.

Double Rebel Cowboy (Vincent) ran a very good race and was out front pleasing his owner Lynn Oxendine who was assisting with the chores of the trial. Cowboy had an unproductive at 42 and was picked up at 44. Miller's Justified (Anderson) ran a big race out front. He was present at 42 and scored a back. He continued from there and completed the hour out front.

Westfall's Black Ace (Daugherty) had a great forward race and finished out front. He raised some eyebrows with his performance. Terry's Third Chance started well but at 25 was not pleasing Anderson and was picked up.

Miss Stylin Sue started off fine but failed to please Vincent and was picked up at 33. Miller's Hot Rod (Anderson) had a good race. He got hung up a little at one time but got back to the front and finished well.

Touch's Black Out (Anderson) started well. He had an unproductive at 20, and continued hunting to the front. Anderson called point again at 59 but once again the bird had left. He was picked up. Westfall's River Ice ran a good forward race but was just not pleasing Daugherty and was picked up at 30.

S F Mapleleaf (Vincent) started her brace big to the front. She completed the hour as strong as she started and was out front the entire brace. Touch's Fire Away started well but was not pleasing Anderson at 37 and was picked up.

Lowrider Frank (Vincent) had a big, strong, forward race and was pleasing his handler. He had an unproductive at 55 and was picked up. Miller's Select Call (Anderson) ran a very good strong race to the front. He finished like he started.

Lester's Jazz Man (Anderson) ran a good up front race. He had an unproductive at 42, then was lost at pickup. Justifier started well but was not pleasing Vincent at 25 and was picked up.

Touch's Spaceman started out well but was not pleasing Anderson and was picked up at 40. Westfall's Castaway seemed to start out just fine but was not pleasing Daugherty and he too was picked up at 30.

Westfall's Dream Chaser (Daugherty) had a good race going and was picked up at 30. Greypointe Luminoso had an abbreviated effort when Vincent picked him up at 15.

Westfall's True Grit (Daugherty), as a bye, had a very good race, out front and hunting hard. He was just not pleasing his handler and was picked up at 40.

Inola, Okla., October 31

Judges: Jim Lawless and Dickie Sorrell

OKLAHOMA OPEN ALL-AGE CHAMPIONSHIP

[One-Hour Heats] -- 21 Pointers

Winner--VALIANT, 1649524, pointer male by Miller's Happy Jack--Tina's Tear Drop. Jay McKenzie, owner; Randy Anderson, handler.

Runner-Up --Withheld.

Inola Open All-Age Winners. From left front: Stegan Smith with Touch's Fire Away, Andy Daugherty with Westfall's Black Ace and Allen Vincent with Miss Stylin Sue. Behind: Judge Tony King, Randy Anderson and Judge Stan Truksa.