Result: Oil Capital Field Trial Association

Location: Inola, Oklahoma

Post Date: Mar 20, 2021

Submitted By: Barry Moore

March in Northeast Oklahoma usually brings some threat of rain and sometimes mixed with cold winter weather that just keeps hanging on. This year we were blessed with some really beautiful weather.

Cover on our courses was in a perfect state in most areas. One thing you can always count on during the Spring in Oklahoma is the Oil Capital Field Trial Association's trial at the Ingersoll Ranch in Inola, Okla.

As always we want to thank Kay and the Ingersoll Family and Chico and the ranch hands for allowing the Oil Capital Field Trial Association to use their wonderful ranch and for all their gracious support. The beautiful new clubhouse was largely an effort of the Ingersoll family. Every effort we have made to try and increase the involvement of others in field trialing they have supported.

The Oil Capital Field Trial Association implemented a bird release program this past summer/fall trying to emulate what has been done at Camp Robinson and Blue Mountain Field trial areas in Arkansas. There is a big difference in our grounds and theirs in that this ranch is a working cattle ranch.

Bob Barker of Inola, Okla., our club president, applied for a grant from the 20th Century Fund to embark on this new experiment with our club. We have done large releases in the past but it has been a few years ago and we never did it this early in the fall. To complement the effort, club members worked out new courses that would make caring for the birds much easier and would also tend to push birds to the center of the courses as we run trials instead of pushing them off the course.

Along with the early release and course change we implemented a feeding and watering program. Each one-hour course has had sixteen (16) waterers put out, eight (8) at the existing feeders and eight (8) new spots where Bob Barker has been broadcasting feed. Each of the 16 spots got a 25 bird release. The fall trials were a great success with more covey points than this old field trailer has seen in recent years. With no pressure except from a cow or a field trial we hope this program will be a continuing success through the Spring.

Entry numbers remained up this spring after having the biggest fall trial in years. Someone suggested that maybe everyone has been cooped up so long trying to avoid the Covid-19 that they were more than ready to get outside again. We at the Oil Capital Field Trial Association have been doing all we can to create more interest in our trials.

Bob Barker chaired this trial. He was acting like this was his first trial to chair. We were having nothing to do with it. Warren Henderson was out for medical reasons so Mike Griffin and I handled the dog wagon chores.

Our Saturday evening banquet was canceled this year due to the COVID-19 thing. Lynn Oxendine supplied the cigars for around the campfire after the day's running. Box lunches were prepared by Jon Humphrey's better and they were absolutely great. My favorite was the chicken salad on the croissant.

Our judges all did a great job. Their decisions were all well received. Judging the Amateur All-Age, the Amateur All-Age Derby and the Amateur Shooting Dog were Tracy Haines of Broomfield, Colo., and Daniel Bridgewater, Tulsa, Okla. Judging the Amateur Shooting Dog Derby and the Open Derby were Tracy Haines and Barry Moore, Collinsville, Okla. All the judges' decisions were accepted without complaint.

THE WINNERS

In the Amateur All-Age, six entries hit the ground. First place went to Hale's Southern Touch, pointer female owned and handled by Dr. Jeffrey Hale, Russellville, Ark. Touch ran a big race. She was always up front and in charge. She had a perfect find at 37. She had a strong finish and was hunting hard when pickup was called. Second was Griff's Big Ransom, pointer male owned and handled by Mike Griffin, Stilwell, Okla. He ran a great race and was up front at all times. He hunted hard and was rewarded with a big covey find at 43. He, too, finished well. Third was Hale's High Demand, pointer male owned and handled by Dr. Jeffrey Hale. He hunted all the right places and finished well and to the front.

The Amateur All-Age Derby had six entries. First was Open Range Ice Breaker, pointer male owned and handled by Bob Barker. He hunted big to the front and earned this placement by impressing both judges. Second place went to Hale's Southern Touch, pointer female owned and handled by Dr. Jeffrey Hale. Touch ran a very impressive race as well hunting all the right places. Third place went to Rebelator Sam, owned and handled by Lynn Oxendine, Neosho, Mo. Sam did a very good job. He hunted to the front and was using all the country possible.

The Amateur Shooting Dog Stake was an Amateur Invitational Points Stake and had an eleven-dog entry. First was Bromance, pointer male owned and handled by Jon Humphrey, Claremore, Okla. He had a very good race and hunted hard. At 45 his effort paid off with a nice find of a 20-bird covey. He continued to hunt hard for the reminder of the brace. Second was Double Rebel Cowboy, pointer male owned and handled by Lynn Oxendine. Cowboy had a very good hard and fast race and stayed in front hunting to the end. Third was Erin's Alibi, pointer male, owned and handled by John VanHorn, Jr., Dardenelle, Ark. He hunted hard and was appropriately rewarded.

The Amateur Shooting Dog Derby had eleven entries. First place went to Hale's Smooth Touch, pointer female owned and handled by Dr. Jeff Hale. She ran a big race. She was always up front and in charge. She had a strong finish and was hunting hard when pickup was called. Second was Touch's Steely Dan, pointer male owned and handled by John VanHorn. Dan ran a great race and was up front at all times. He hunted hard and was never out of touch. Third was Stylish Tried'N True Girl, pointer female owned and handled by Tom Curtsinger, Collinsville, Okla. Girl hunted all the right place and finished strong and to the front.

The Open Derby had six entries. Good Business Decision, pointer male owned and handled by Ray Roberts, Grove, Okla., hunted big to the front and earned this placement by impressing both judges. Second went to Open Range Ice Breaker, pointer female owned and handled by Bob Barker. She ran a very impressive race as well hunting all the right places. Third was Rebalator Sam, owned and handled by Lynn Oxendine. Sam did a very good job. He hunted to the front and was using all the country possible.

The scenting conditions were better sometimes than others. There were several large covey finds by dogs and some flushed by the gallery. It was enough to say that the bird program is really working and all the way into the Spring. We will work that much harder for the fall trial after all the coveys we saw.

Inola, Okla., March 20

Judges: Daniel Bridgewater and Tracy Haines

AMATEUR ALL-AGE -- 5 Pointers and 1 Setter

1st--HALE'S SOUTHERN TOUCH, 1644260, pointer female, by Whippoorwill War Dance--Whippoorwill G M A. Dr. Jeffrey Hale, owner and handler.

2d--GRIFF'S BIG RANSOM, 1667466, pointer male, by Ransom--Coldwater Snow. Mike Griffin, owner and handler.

3d--HALE'S HIGH DEMAND, 1689124, pointer male, by Miller Unfinished Business--Tennessee Coldwater Gal. Dr. Jeffrey Hale, owner and handler.

AMATEUR DERBY -- 6 Pointers

1st--OPEN RANGE ICE BREAKER, 1689449, female, by Westfall's Black Ice--Westfall's Cutter. Bob Barker, owner and handler.

2d--HALE'S SMOOTH TOUCH, 1693424, female, by Touch's Smooth Rider--Touch's White Radiance. Dr. Jeffrey Hale, owner and handler.

3d--REBELATOR SAM, 1691941, male, by Lightning Rod--Long Legend Sandy. Lynn Oxendine, owner and handler.

AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG -- 10 Pointers and 1 Setter

1st--BROMANCE, 1668193, pointer male, by Tallokas Lane Change--Osceola Patty Cake. Jon Humphrey, owner and handler.

2d--DOUBLE REBEL COWBOY, 1673791, pointer male, by Frontline Butch--Double Rebel Mayhem. Lynn Oxendine, owner and handler.

3d--ERIN'S ALIBI, 1687197, pointer male, by Frontline Butch--Double Rebel Mayhem. Lynn Oxendine, owner and handler.

Judges: Tracy Haines and Barry Moore

AMATEUR DERBY -- 10 Pointers and 1 Setter

1st--HALE'S SMOOTH TOUCH, 1693424, pointer female, by Touch's Smooth Rider--Touch's White Radiance. Dr. Jeffrey Hale, owner and handler.

2d--TOUCH'S STEELY DAN, 1694320, pointer male, by Touch's Smooth Rider--Touch's White Assault. John Van Horn, owner and handler.

3d--STYLISH TRIED'N TRUE GIRL, 1691211, pointer female, by Dunn's Tried'n True--K F Prairie Storm. Tom Curtsinger, owner and handler.

OPEN DERBY -- 6 Pointers

1st--GOOD BUSINESS DECISION, 1691930, male, by Miller Unfinished Business--Tennessee Coldwater Gal. Ray Roberts, owner and handler.

2d--OPEN RANGE ICE BREAKER, 1689449, female, by Westfall's Black Ice--Westfall's Cutter. Bob Barker, owner and handler.

3d--REBELATOR SAM, 1691941, male, by Lightning Rod--Long Legend Sandy. Lynn Oxendine, owner and handler.