Great Lakes Beagle Club Turkey Trail

by George Pirman
Tired of running your Beagles at Field Trials just for another trophy that will set there gathering dust?  How about some real prizes, TURKEYS!   Great Lakes Beagle Club held their annual Jim Barr TURKEY TRIAL on December 4^th, 1999 with a great turn out of Hunting Beagles to show their ability and the weather man helped out by keeping away the in-coming rain.  Ten (10) nice size birds were given away all dressed-out an frozen.  No need to remove their head, clean them out, and skin them like is required with rabbit hunting.  This time we just bring home the meat ready for the oven and a great meal.

Twenty six (26) little hounds in the 13-inch class and fifteen (15) big hounds in the 15-inch class for a total entry of forty one (41) Hunting Beagles which is a very good entry for any club fun trial, any day.  The hounds were run in the AKC Small Pack Option format in packs of five except for the last pack in the 13-inch class, which had six hounds.  All 1^st series packs were fired over as only Hunting Beagles place at the Great Lakes Beagle Club.  After running all the packs in 1^st series we broke for a tremendous lunch of, you guessed it, turkey dinner.  We had all the fixing of baked turkey, turkey dressing, turkey gravy, corn, and dinner rolls.  What a great meal put on by Dolores Collins and all her kitchen helpers.  We then had several nice prizes given away at our lunch club raffle and I want to thank every one that supports the club raffles for this is additional income for our rabbit feeding program.

After lunch the judges called for twelve (12) 13-inch hounds to return to the field running in two packs of six.  Some great hound running was witness in this second series as many of these hounds had earlier placed in AKC Licensed SPO Trials or were already AKC Field Champions.  It didn’t matter were the rabbit took us, though the cattails, though the briers, or on the bare dirt and gravel road, the hounds were locked onto the scent trail.  Some outstanding check work was done and both second series packs could drive the rabbit back to the hunter in quick time.  The field judges were doing all they could to stay within sight of the hounds and catch up at the short checks.  The 13-inch judges took a well needed break as the 15-inch winners pack of eight (8) hounds was all measured up and ready for their turn in the field.  This outstanding winners pack of 15-inch Hunting Beagles was also made-up of some very experienced hounds that have placed in many AKC Licensed SPO Field Trials and one pack member was an AKC Field Champion.  A nice big rabbit was jumped in short order but must have been a little old as it could not stay in front of the hounds and it met it’s end.  Another rabbit was soon found and gave us a great chase.  The younger judges were able to stay closer to the chase and see every move the hounds were making in trying to stay on the rabbit’s trial.  After 30 minutes of steady running some hounds were removed and the chase just got better.  Another 30 minutes of running and “FIELD TRIAL” was called in the 15-class.

The 13-inch judges were rested-up and had their seven (7) hound winners pack all measured, collared, and ready to go and go they did.  In about three minutes a new rabbit was found and a chase was on.  There is no music like Beagle Music and this winners pack of 13-inch hounds gave us sounds of Beagle Heaven as many of the handlers just stood on the top of one of the many little hills on this great running grounds and just listened to the music of the hounds.  The judges again had their work cutout for them to stay with this pack as checks were few and far between.  The cottontail rabbit laid all his tricks, even running the bare dirt and gravel road, but the little Beagle hounds just keep coming as the scenting conditions were very good and these were some outstanding rabbit hounds that were breed to run rabbit.  The field judges had to do their job in removing some hounds for small faults but the race just got better. Soon the judges were down to four hounds running the rabbit and decided, since they themselves were half dead from eating all that turkey, to call “FIELD TRIAL” and see if the handlers and roving marshal could catch up to the hounds.

We want to thank the Canadian Beaglers that came over the bridge to support our event with some outstanding Hunting Beagles.  A big THANK YOU to Jeff from Canada to fill in as our Roving Marshal.  This young boy has a great future in front of him as a field judge and handler.  We want to thank our field judges in the 15-inch class, John Hansen from Emmit MI and Chuck Randel from Canada.  Both of these young judges did a very good job will soon be judging AKC and Canadian Licensed Field Trials.  Our field judges for the 13-inch class were both very experienced judges and Great Lakes Beagle Club is very fortunate to have them available to judge these events, Lee Beebe and Ron Gutchak.  A Big Thank You to all four field judges.

So remember the Great Lakes Beagle Club ‘TURKEY TRIAL’ when you get tried of dusting off the those trophies and get tried of paying the big dollar for a meal just bring your best Hunting Beagle to Otisville, MI and eat well for the Holidays.

GREAT LAKES BEAGLE CLUB TURKEY TRIAL – SMALL PACK OPTION FIELD TRIAL RESULTS

DATE: Saturday December 4^th, 1999

15-inch Combined Class

JUDGED BY: John Hansen and Chuck Randel

1^st: Name of hound: LOVELESS HUSTLING BAD CHICO

Sire: Fd Ch Vanline Big Train

Dam: Shorts Busy B.

Owner: John Satterwhite

Breeder: Mark & Jeri Galand

2^nd Name of hound: TOWERLINE BENJAMIN II

Sire: Hills Lake Big Brew

Dam: Towerline Barbara Jo

Owner: Sam Collins

Breeder: Sam Collins

3^rd  Name of hound: FD CH HAGAN’S MISS BOSSIE

Sire: Fd Ch Shorts Line Boss

Dam: Fd Ch Hagan’s Little Yapper

Owner: Holly Wolfe

Breeder: Jimmy Hagan

4^th  Name of hound: SHANES LITTLE JAKE

Sire: Flat Lands Shane

Dam: Samantha I Am

Owner: Kenneth A. Louwenaar

Breeder: Charles Steven Deleeuw

5^th  Name of hound: Choptalk Zag Zig Zag

Sire: Fd Ch Pond Creek Blackie

Dam: Choptalk Zig Zag Zig

Owner: Holly Wolfe

Breeder: Greg Vallanding Ham

GREAT LAKES BEAGLE CLUB TURKEY TRIAL – SMALL PACK OPTION FIELD TRIAL RESULTS

 DATE: Saturday December 4^th, 1999

13-inch Class Combined

JUDGED BY: Lee Beebe and Ron Gutchak

1^st: Name of hound: BROWNS L.A. TINY SPEED LIMIT

Sire: Fd Ch Stillwater Tiny Bull

Dam: Browns L.A. Cande Class Act

Owner: John Satterwhite

Breeder: Gary Brown

2^nd Name of hound: FD CH ROOP’S HOO DOO STORMY

Sire: Hoo Doo’s Scattman

Dam: Carolina Laura II

Owner: George Pirman

Breeder: David Teems

3^rd  Name of hound: RUNNING FEVER GATOR MAN

Sire: Flat Lands Slone

Dam: Running Fever Blue Girl

Owner: Richard L. Andrews

Breeder: Richard L. Andrews

4^th  Name of hound: BROWN HOUSE LITTLE M-N-M

Sire: Rapid Run Lil Rump Shaker

Dam: Ray’s Copper Pennie

Owner: John Satterwhite

Breeder: Keith J. Reno

5^th  Name of hound: POKER’S LITTLE BOWSER

Sire: Browns L.A. Tiny Speed Limit

Dam: Glens Josie

Owner: John Satterwhite

Breeder: Glen Massie