Event: Lester's Top Recruit Earns Top Spot In Shooting Dog
Result: Memphis Amateur Field Trial Club

Location: Blue Mountain, Mississippi

Post Date: Apr 21, 2023

Submitted By: Rachel Russell

Amateur Shooting Dog Winner (from left): David Russell, Lance Servais with Lester's Top Recruit, Brody Byrd, Brian Peterson, Billy Blackwell with granddaughter Anniston Russell, and Gary McKibben. Second and third-place dogs not pictured.

We had a great trial for the Memphis Amateur, starting with the Shooting Dog stake turned loose on Thursday, February 10, at 12:58 p.m. under sunny skies and 58 degrees with Brody Byrd and Gary McKibben in the judges' saddle. Taylor's Simply Southern, owned and handled by Jeremy Taylor, had a find before the first road crossing and followed with a flawless back at the end of the long bottom alongside Hell Creek for his bracemate, Lester's Top Recruit, before finishing the brace at the grain bins.

Lester's Top Recruit, owned and handled by Lance Servais, set the bar high early as he scored his first find at the end of the pines after the first road crossing, followed by a second one at the end of long bottom on the left, a third find in the second field down from the house and a fourth one at the end of the big field just across the mile-long bottom. Lastly, Servais called the flight of birds on the right line across from the pines after crossing the road, but no birds were officially seen, and he took the dog on before finishing at the grain bins.

Cocklebur Breaking Bad, owned and handled by Bubba Spencer, had two finds in brace No. 2, the first just across from the pines after the road crossing on the second course and the second one at the end of the first field just down from the old house. Breaking Bad finished in the long bottom. His bracemate, Cooper's Rebel Buddy, handled by Bryson Cooper, was picked up after a breach of manners at Breaking Bad's first find.

In brace No. 3, Southern Shadows T Rex, handled by Brian Peterson, scored his first find on the right side of the breakaway field and a second find in the second field before going through the pines before he requested the tracker at 45. His bracemate, Bryant's Give It A Rip, handled by Kenton Bryant, had his first and only find at the end of the pines before crossing Hell Creek and finished the hour in Horseshoe Field before the next Hell Creek crossing.

The final brace of the Shooting Dog stake turned loose on Saturday morning, sunny and 40 degrees. Southern Ritz Lane, handled by Lance Servais, had his first find at the end of the pines after the first road crossing and second at the end of the big field before the second road crossing in the cane. He finished the hour alongside his bracemate, Shearjoy's Smooth As Silk, handled by Betty Shearouse, but did not produce any bird work.

The All-Age stake began immediately after the conclusion of the Shooting Dog, under judges Brody Byrd and David Russell, with Misty Morn Masked Man, handled by Joey McAlexander, who scored his first find on one of the edges before the church and a second one immediately after the second road crossing behind the old house. He finished the hour in the mile-long bottom with his bracemate, Imagine, handled by Jim Pendergest.

Phillips Linebacker, handled by Mike Small, took the third course with a find at the end of the second field down from the clubhouse and was unable to produce birds after pointing a second time but showed feathers and continued to finish the hour strong in Horseshoe Field alongside his bracemate, Shearjoy's Landkreuzer, handled by Betty Shearouse.

Nosam Silver Dollar, handled by Mason Ashburn, was turned loose as a bye-dog after lunch on Saturday in brace No. 3 under cloudy skies and 52 degrees. He pointed in the cut before the mile-long bottom at the end of the long bottom alongside Hell Creek. He could not produce live birds but showed a dead bird and continued to finish the hour near the grain bins. Kenton Bryant, who ran Bryant's Give It A Rip in all three stakes, called point for his dog down from the grain bins before going up the hill to the second road crossing and was unable to produce birds but showed feathers and continued to finish the hour in the mile-long bottom. Betty Shearouse requested the tracker at 44 before the second road crossing for his bracemate, Shearjoy's Triple Threat.

The last brace of the day included an unproductive for Nosam's Little Big Town, handled by Mason Ashburn, at the end of the pines before crossing Hell Creek, where birds had previously been found and a divided find between him and his bracemate, Coldwater Paradise, handled by Gary McKibben, at the end of the horseshoe field before crossing Hell Creek to head to the clubhouse.

The last two braces of the All-Age stake turned loose Sunday morning under sunny skies and 37 degrees. Rebel Dreams, handled by David Williams, and Small's White Charger, handled by Mike Small, were in the first brace of the morning. Rebel Survivor, handled by David Williams, was in the final brace of the stake, and all three dogs completed the hour without any bird work.

The Derby stake began shortly before lunch on February 12, judged by professional handlers Brody Byrd and Scott Beeler. There was no bird work, but all three dogs that earned placements showed a strong, forward race that set them apart from their competitors. Thank you to Sportsman's Pride, who generously donated gift cards to the winners, our judges, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which allowed us to run on their beautiful grounds.
Blue Mountain, Miss., February 10
Judges: Brody Byrd and Gary McKibben
AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG [One-Hour Heats] - 6 Pointers and 2 Setters
1st--LESTER'S TOP RECRUIT, 1681841, pointer male, by Lester's Sunny Hill Jo-Rivertons Funseeker Riley. Lance Servais, owner and handler.
2d--COCKLEBUR BREAKING BAD, 1689927, pointer male, by Cocklebur King Tut-Cocklebur Regent Runaway. Bubba, Amy & Colt Spencer, owners; Bubba Spencer, handler.
3d--TAYLOR'S SIMPLY SOUTHERN, 1657191, pointer female, by Miller's Happy Jack-Blue Collar Lady. Jeremy & Tammy Taylor, owners; Jeremy Taylor, handler.
Judges: Brody Byrd and David Russell
AMATEUR ALL-AGE [One-Hour Heats] - 10 Pointers and 3 Setters
1st--PHILLIPS LINEBACKER, 1695679, pointer male, by Phillips Off Line-Phillips Silver Lady. Orrin Ingram & Nathan Phillips, owners; Mike Small, handler.
2d--COLDWATER PARADISE, 1684062, pointer female, by Coldwater Spectre-Coldwater Belle. Gary McKibben, owner and handler.
3d--MISTY MORN MASKED MAN, 1667341, pointer male, by Miller's Dialing In-Mac's Inspiration. Joey McAlexander, owner and handler.

Amateur All-Age Winners (from left): David Russell, Mike Small with Phillips Linebacker, Gary McKibben with Coldwater Paradise, and Brody Byrd. Third place dog not pictured.

Judges: Scott Beeler and Brody Byrd
AMATEUR DERBY - 14 Pointers and 3 Setters
1st--HANEY'S HURRICANE SEEKER, 1698759, pointer male, by Ransom-Haney's North Star. David Russell, owner and handler.
2d--REBEL MAID, 1701830, pointer female, by Dominator's Rebel Heir-Rebel Maiden. David Williams, owner and handler.
3d--RED ALERT LANE, 1700854, pointer male, by Lester's Prime Poison Lane-Southern Ritz Lane. Brian Peterson, owner and handler.

Amateur Derby Winners (from left): Scott Beeler, David Russell with Haney's Hurricane Seeker, Michelle Clark, David Williams with Rebel Maid, Brody Byrd, Lance Servais with Red Alert Lane,
and Brian Peterson.