Event: 2023 Virgil Beasley, Sr. Memorial Amateur Shooting Dog Classic
Result: Old Hickory Field Trial Club In Honor and Memory of Harry Layne

Location: Lavergne, Tennessee

Post Date: Mar 29, 2023

Submitted By: Jeff Blackwell

Virgil Beasley, Sr., Memorial Amateur Shooting Dog Classic Winners (front, from left). One Day Queen Bee with handler Lane Hodges, Nickajack Pathfinder with scout Caroline Leonard, and One Day La Bandita with scout Darcy Hodges. (Back, from left): Tracy Layne and Malachi, Micah, Morgan, and Mason, Bobby DuBose, judge Payton Gunby, Ross Leonard, Judge Kaley Lee, Madi Tilley, Jade Todd, Jeff Blackwell, and Stetson Blackwell.

Harry Layne was an integral member of the Old Hickory Field Trial Club since his son Dereck took the club's reins in 2007. Dereck wanted to honor his mother's (Shirley Beasley Layne) Uncle Virgil, who for a time put on trials as the Old Hickory Field Trial Club and started the Classic in 2008. Harry served as the dog wagon master, money collector, snack and water provider, and, most importantly, the welcome committee. With a smile and handshake, he was always glad to see and talk to everyone that attended the trials. Harry provided a truck and dog wagon for the Old Hickory club and was almost always available for all other horseback clubs at Percy Priest WMA--Southern Circuit, Southern Comfort, Tennessee Valley, Cumberland, and McMinnville--thus earning him Region 6 Sportsman of the Year '20-'21. Harry passed away in August 2022 and is greatly missed by many he touched in the field trial world. This year's running was in honor of him.

Dereck Layne and his wife Tracy were up early and had the clubhouse smelling like home as they cooked sausage and biscuits and made coffee for all to enjoy! January weather in middle Tennessee can be uncertain, but this year was nearly perfect. Partly sunny skies and 35 degrees greeted all on Friday morning, January 20, as I welcomed our judges Kaley Lee, from Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Payton Gunby, from Valdosta, Ga. After thanking our sponsors, Purina Feed (Greg Blair) and Tennessee Farmers Co-op (Lincoln Mosley), introducing club officials, and praying for our blessings and safety, the first brace of derbies was turned loose.

Joe Hughes and his pointer female, The Lovely Lady May, had a stylish find at 18 just before entering the devil's garden and showed well on the ground. Bracemate Shepherd's Blackfoot Jane, Ronnie Roger's female setter, would not cooperate and be up early. Ronnie's day improved as Shepherds Doc Holiday, a male setter, laid down a nice ground race in the second brace but went birdless. His mate, Bryant's Give It A Rip, owned and handled by Kenton Bryant, ripped it a little too far and required the tracking unit to collect him at 15. Buddy Morrison's pointer male High Drive Trouble was trouble, and Ronnie Roger's male setter Shepherd's Blackbull was bullheaded; both dogs got out of pocket, and trackers were requested, thus ending the derby competition. The winner was The Lovely Lady May for Hughes, and second place went to Shepherds Doc Holiday and Rogers.

The Virgil Beasley Classic was underway at 9:50 a.m. in front of the clubhouse. Morrison and Rogers were back in the saddles guiding Miller's Triple Digit Heat and Painted Blackhawk Sadie, respectively. Heat scored finds at 48 in the gas line field, at 19 under the Big Oak, and again at 7 in the Banana Field but was gone at time. Sadie made her first stand at 54 in very nice style, and with Percy Priest Lake in the background, she made a pretty picture. She also pointed in the Gas Line field at 50, near the Carp Pond at 40, and again at 36 down the same fence row on a different bird but suffered an unproductive cutting through to the next field. A stop to flush was recorded at the Big Oak, and Sadie went on to finish the hour doing a nice job.
After lunch, the temperature had warmed to 47 degrees with full sun and a slight breeze coming off the lake. Madison McDonald put down High Drive Avenger but picked him up early as he didn't want to participate on this day. Phil Morgan and Miller's Direct Line had the course to themselves and had bird work at 45 at the Carp Pond, at 37 at the Power Line Turn, and pointed again at 34 at the road crossing, but no bird was found. At 15, Direct Line pointed in a very dense hedge row, and Phil decided the old man had done enough and elected to pick up.

The second brace after lunch kicked off at the S-curve with McDonald and High Drive Bandit versus Thor For President and Rogers. Thor scored first at the end of the S-curve fence row with Bandit backing. His second was after relocation in the woods in the small bean field at 42, then at 37 at the Carp Pond field, at 30 in the Gas Line Field, and his fifth and final with two minutes remaining in the Banana Field. Bandit got separated from the reporter's party but scored two finds, one unproductive, then made a wrong turn, and the tracker was requested.

The day's final pairing saw Scott Little and Warioto's Crazy Daisy and Morrison with Windy Hill Shadow Dancer turned loose at Martin Lane. Both dogs were found standing just past the Zig Zag for a beautiful divided find at 56. Cast down the Big Bean Field, across the Pond Dam, and through the woods, both dogs were again side by side at the end of the Lake Field locked up on birds. As handlers approached, excitement got the best of both dogs as they decided to relocate on their own but got too close, and birds were in the air ending the day at 46.

Dereck and Tracy treated again with sausage, biscuits, and coffee Saturday morning. The 7:30 a.m. start was a chilly 27 degrees, but not a cloud in the sky. Gentry's Gus for Taylor Henley and One Day Lucky Strike for Lane Hodges broke away with much energy. Gus had home-field advantage and knew the bird locations, but Taylor couldn't produce a bird at 53 where Gus said they were, and an unproductive was noted as Strike backed. Strike pointed at 46, and all was in order at the second road crossing. Gus did have birds in the Gas Line Field at 44. Both dogs went out on a limb and shared a find by the lake at 30. Back on course, Gus locked up at the Power Line turn at 25, but Strike didn't honor and was ordered up. Gus had the judges and reporter busy by scoring three more times past the Big Oak at 17, in the Banana Field at 7, and again at 3 on the opposite hedge row for a total of six. Next up was Jade Todd handling DuBose's Super Dog, and Joe Hughes handling J Maple Jester. Jester pointed at 59, not 20 yards from the Martin Lane breakaway, but the bird had vanished. Super Dog found his bird at the end of the same field but failed to stand boldly and was ordered up.

Jester was again standing in the Zig Zag hedgerow, but excitement got the best of him, and the brace was over. Little and Henley put down Warioto's Mia Storm and Gentry's Little Jane, respectively. Jane scored in the lane at Poole's Knob at 57. Both dogs were smelling birds at 33, but neither could hold their feet still, bringing the brace to an end. Bobby DuBose brought DuBose's Wander Bog to the line to run with his littermate, One Day La Bandita and Hodges.
Both dogs were standing at 47 at the end of the Banana Field, but Wander Bog did not stand boldly and was ordered up for breach of manners. Bandita continued solo and had game again at 19 on a pretty piece of work just off the course near the Gas Line Field. She did suffer an unproductive after an extensive flushing attempt near the lake in the same spot as Gentry's Gus did earlier. Bandita pleased the judges with style and a nice ground race as well. With four braces under our belts, it was time to break for lunch. Tennessee Farmers Co-op provided barbeque sandwiches, chips, cookies, and sweet tea. They also donate the Orca cooler for our winner. We appreciate the Co-op's long-time sponsorship!

It's always good to see youth at any trial. This year, we enjoyed having judge Kaley Lee's daughter Madi Tilley ride a few braces and Dereck and Tracy's boys, Mason, Morgan, and Micah, who also rode, and Malachi, the youngest, kept mom entertained at the clubhouse. Troy Headden took over the dog wagon duties and was assisted by Stetson Blackwell on Saturday.

A beautiful sunny 47-degree afternoon brought out a big gallery for the final two pairings of the classic. Hughes blew the whistle over Gal Gadot, and Hodges directed One Day Queen Bee. Gadot scored first at 52 just before the second road crossing. Both dogs were found pointed at 37 at the Big Oak and again at 34 at the Devil's Garden entrance, and divided finds were noted. Gadot had an unproductive at 23 at the end of the Banana Fields, and Bee tallied a back. Bee was first to the birds after crossing Martin Lane at 18, and Gadot moved in to honor but wanted to creep closer, and it was too much for the judge, and Gadot was finished. Bee took advantage of running solo and scored twice more at 15 to the left of the Zig Zag and at 11 at the end of the Big Bean Field. Bee finished the hour strong and to the front at the Knob.
Brace No. 10 saw Nickajack Pathfinder handled by Ross Leonard and DuBose's What A Dog handled by DuBose. As mentioned earlier, Wander Bog and Bandita are littermates, which makes all three Dubose dogs and Hodges dogs enter all six littermates. What a successful breeding! Pathfinder was first to score at 40 near the Zig Zag cut through as What A Dog backed. The same situation at 30 entering the Knob field and a divided find was shared at 24 before the Carp Pond field. Pathfinder pointed shortly after at the Carp Pond field, and What A Dog again backed. What A Dog found game in the Lake Field across the road from the clubhouse, this time Pathfinder backing. Both dogs finished the hour to close out the trial.
LaVergne, Tenn., January 20
Judges: Payton Gunby and Kaley Lee
VIRGIL BEASLEY, SR. MEMORIAL AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG CLASSIC [One-Hour Heats] - 19 Pointers and 1 Setter
1st--ONE DAY QUEEN BEE, 1684579, pointer female, by Heard Hill's Memory Lane-Dubose's Snow White. Lane Hodges, owner and handler.
2d--NICKAJACK PATHFINDER, 1680947, pointer male, by Touch's Smooth Rider-Cocklebur Stripper Candie. Ross Leonard, owner and handler.
3d--ONE DAY LA BANDITA, 1684577, pointer female, by Heard Hill's Memory Lane-Dubose's Snow White. Lane Hodges, owner and handler.

Amateur Derby Winners (front, from left): The Lovely Lady May with handler Joe Hughes and Shepherds Doc Holiday with handler Ronnie Rogers. (Back, from left): Tracy Layne and Malachi, Mason, Morgan, Judge Payton Gunby, Madi Tilley, Judge Kaley Lee, Arnold Hall, and Jeff Blackwell.
AMATEUR DERBY - 2 Pointers and 4 Setters
1st--THE LOVELY LADY MAY, 1702016, pointer female, by Dominator's Rebel Heir-Gal Gadot. Joe Hughes, owner and handler.
2d--SHEPHERDS DOC HOLIDAY, 1699421, setter male, by Daphne's Gage-Smithridge Freckled Annie. William R. Rogers, owner and handler.

Harry Layne