Billwas born in 1925, in Atlanta and grew up in the Piedmont and mountains of Georgia. He shot his first quail at age 11 over his Uncle Pat Greer's llewellyn bitch, Kate. He hunted throughout Georgia and the Carolinas in his youth, afoot. He received degrees from Emory ('46) and the University of North Florida (’80). As a newspaperman, he covered crime, politics (redundancy?) and then sports, for wire services and the Atlanta Constitution, until 1957, when he left news papering to become The American Field major circuit chronicler. He wrote an outdoor column for 10 more years for the paper. He ran his first field trial dog in 1949. He has not hunted afoot since 1960 (except for wild turkey). He married college sweetheart Betts in 1946 and lost her to respiratory failure on their wedding anniversary after 57 years, in 2003. They had three sons, Michael, Keith and Victor. The latter succumbed in 1996. Betts and Bill traveled extensively in Europe and around the Mediterranean. They made homes in three of their favorite places on Earth: Hiawassee, GA inside the Chattahoochee National Forest; Jekyll Island, GA, in the tidewater Sea Island chain and in Glen Saint Mary, FL, just a few miles from the middle of the Okefenokee Swamp National Park. Bill owned several winners, his favorite a black pointer, Blue Monday, trained and placed by Colvin Davis. Bill won some amateur all age stakes, including the National Amateur Championship with Mrs. Eleanor Livingston's Kilsyth Sparky. A health crisis moved him out of field trials before 1980, when he took up a career in psychotherapy. He lives now near his two surviving sons in Alpharetta, GA and writes periodically for The American Field and regularly on his own Blog site. Bill was elected to the Field Trial Hall of Fame in 2000 and we are honored to have him as a contributor.
Scott Chaffee
Scott's interest in bird dogs developed through the pheasant hunting he did with his father and brothers while growing up. With great enthusiasm, he soon took on the training and care of the dogs. Always involved in competitive sports, Scott bought his first field trial pup, an English Setter, in 1978 after graduating from college and thus combined his love of competition with his love of bird dogs. He became a professional trainer and handler in 1985. Scott has won over 40 championship placements and several Dog of the Year awards. Dogs he has developed have also won championship titles for their amateur owners. He lives with his wife, Tammy and their daughters, Amber and Shannon in Clare, Michigan where he and Tammy operate Pioneer Kennels.
Mazie Davis Mazie has been involved with field trial dogs for over 30 years, training, handling and scouting for her husband, HOF trainer/handler, Colvin Davis. She started reporting field trials over 20 years ago and has reported most major All-Age events in the United States and Canada, taking some judging assignments through the years as well. Mazie and Colvin operate Davis Kennels and Davis Quail Hunts from their home in Minter, Alabama. Each summer they travel to Broomhill, Manitoba with their string of All-Age dogs. They spend early September organizing and hosting the Manitoba Championship, John S. Gates Memorial Open Derby, and the Pelican Open All-Age Classic, and the Broomhill Open All-Age Classic. She and Chris Mathan founded Strideaway in 2008.
Sherry Ray Ebert Sherry has been training bird dogs for 48 years. Along with HOFer, Harold Ray, she was part of the illustrious Smith Setter team producing 25 champions with a combined 65 championship wins over the course of 32 years. That includes two National Shooting Dog Champions, four Top Shooting Dog awards, and Sherry won the Setter Derby of the Year award herself plus many others as part of the Smith/Ray team. Since then, Sherry has also taken some Irish Setters to championship titles and has helped countless amateur handlers better their skills working and handling their own dogs. She believes helping others is even more rewarding than going out and winning herself. She was a co-founder of the famed Ga-Lina Amateur Field Trial Club and also worked diligently for several years on the AFTCA's 20th Century Fund. Sherry spends her summers in North Dakota training dogs with her husband Kyle and part of the winter in Georgia.
Ryan Frame Ryan Frame came to Earth from the planet Ziemba in the sixth century A.D. and laid dormant for centuries, finally emerging from the pod at the tail end of the Eisenhower administration. There are no bird dogs as such on Ziemba, but rather creatures called “Schlepplinks” (long story, don’t ask) and so Ryan covers bird dog events here on earth for a major newspaper on Ziemba. He began beaming reports back to Ziemba in 1991, but adds, “I don’t know how they will be received on my home planet. Ziemba is pretty far away and, at the speed of light, the reports won’t be arriving there for another 36,000 years.”
Since he was writing reports for the Ziemba Courier Dispatch anyway, and because he didn’t know any better at the time, he agreed to do some American Field reports. He also works with dogs at a kennel in Clearfield, PA, wrote some other articles for sporting dog magazines, and has, in addition, spent much of the last 10 years studying syntax, word origins and linguistics in an effort to prove that there is indeed a difference between the terms “unproductive” and “nonproductive,” a difference which he can conceptualize but cannot yet express in language.
According to past and present employers, he also still has a tendency to lay dormant for long periods of time even during working hours.
Larry Garner
Originally from Arkansas, Larry has been involved with bird dogs since about 1966 when he started bird hunting. Not long after, he got involved in walking trials, then spent many years competing with Oklahoma type Shooting dogs. He now owns and occasonally breeds All Age dogs. He is proud to have bred the 2006 American Field Quail Futurity winner — a dog who has since competed in the National Championship. While residing in Oklahoma for eight years, he had the good fortune of living a mile from Delmar and Tom Smith under whose tutalage his understanding of dog training advanced greatly. Now living in Texas, Larry spends six weeks each summer in North Dakota and six weeks each winter in Georgia training his dogs. He has judged both Shooting Dog and All-Age championships including the National Shooting Dog Championship and Shooting Dog Invitational twice. He most cherishes the opportunities he has had to spend time visiting with and training with many of the country’s leading trainers.
Gavin Goldblatt
Gavin owns, trains and handles both GSPs and Pointers, in both Hunt Point Retrieve trials and Pointing Championship Trials. The former can roughly be equated to US Shoot to Retrieve trials, the latter to All-Age trials. He has frequently acted as a Field Steward and a learner judge at both of these different type of trials. He lives in Cape Town, and is a member of the Western Cape Field Trial Club and the Border Field Trial Club.
Steve Groy
Steve began hunting over bird dogs in 1962 during the pheasant hay-day in the southern half of Pennsylvania. He started training his own dogs in 1978 and competing in quail trials the following year. In the early 80's, his interests shifted to wild bird — grouse and woodcock — trials. He became a professional trainer in the mid 90's putting championship titles on dogs in all three regions of the cover dog circuit. He lives in Muncy, Pennsylvania with his wife, Rita who is also involved in the rearing of their occasional litter of English setters.
Dale Hernden
Hailing from Michigan, Dale has been involved in field trials since 1974 when he bought his first dog. He co-founded the Ruffed Grouse Field Trial Club in 1975 and was the founding chairman of the National Amateur Grouse Championship in 1978. He was a director of the Beaverton Grouse Dog Club, of the Grand National Grouse Championship and, for 10 years, secretary of the Grouse & Woodcock Invitational Championship.
He then moved to the horseback game, had dogs with a professional handler and competed in amateur championships, spending time in the southern part of the country annually attending the National Free-For-All and National Derby Championships. He served as Secretary of the Michigan Open Shooting Dog Championship for five years and briefly as a director of the Bird Dog Foundation.
In the last few years he has turned more towards grouse hunting and fly fishing although he continues to have dogs on both the grouse and shooting dog circuits. He has judged numerous amateur and open championships including the National Amateur Grouse, Grand National Grouse, Grouse and Woodcock Invitational, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania Championships as well as the Grouse Futurity and Puppy Classic in the woods, as well as a number of horseback championships including Region 4 and 13 Shooting Dog and All-Age Championships and most recently the Empire Championship.
Jerry Kolter Jerry has been hunting birds with pointing dogs since 1975. He has about 23 years of dog training, judging and upland bird guiding experience. He bred, owned, trained and handled dogs who have won at the highest level of field trial competition, including many dog-of-the-year awards and national championships. His understanding of dog behavior, handling ability and proven training techniques are nationally known and respected. Jerry and his wife, Betsy, operate Northwoods Bird Dogs in Sandstone, Minnesota.
Frank LaNasa An avid birdhunter for over 38 years, Frank became involved in field trials some 20 years ago. He and his wife Jean, have worked as a team breeding, developing and trialing birddogs mostly in the Midwest. Having served as secretaries and presidents of various birddog clubs and hosting trials for the past 20 years, Frank currently serves as president of the Minnesota Federation of Field Trial Clubs and AFTCA Trustee for Region 19. Frank’s and Jean’s dogs have won open and amateur championships on the Grouse Dog, Shooting Dog and All-Age circuits. Also Frank continues to help out, when his schedule allows, in judging capacities in all three of these trial circuits throughout the country.
Joe McCarl
Joe has over 23 years experience training pointing dogs in his native Pennsylvania to Texas and the North Dakota and Manitoba prairies. He entered his first trial in 1986 and became a professional in 2004. He has been very successful on the grouse trial circuit, winning several major grouse championships including the National Amateur Grouse Championship, the Grand National Grouse Championship twice and the Grouse and Woodcock Invitational Championship with his 7 x Champion Hard Driving Bev. He has judged walking and horseback stakes throughout the middle Atlantic states including the 2009 Lakes States Grouse Championship. He has also judged the 2007 Amateur Shooting Dog Championship in Stoughton, Saskatchewan and the prestigious GA-Lina in 2008. Joe’s Hard Driving Kennels is located in Guys Mills, PA.
Chris Mathan
Chris has been involved in field trials as an amateur trainer/handler of pointers for the past 12 years and has been training and competing with different breeds of dogs since 1989. She is also an avid grouse and upland bird hunter. Through her professional life as a designer and photographer specializing in the shooting sport industry, she has had many opportunities to meet and work with knowledgable and respected participants in the field trial world all over the United States. Her particular interest is in wild bird dogs whether they compete on the grouse or all-age cicuits. She operates the design and marketing firm, The Sportsman’s Cabinet, currently in Maine, and along with Mazie Davis founded Strideaway in 2008.
Craig Peters Craig owns American Field registered Keystone Setters Kennel. He is an amateur grouse dog hobbiest who competes in cover dog, walking and the occasional horseback trial with his English setters. He is also an avid grouse, woodcock and upland bird hunter. He keeps only 2–4 dogs in his kennel, breeds the occasional litter—always seeking the next champion. Originally from Lancaster, PA, Craig started hunting as a 9-year-old acting as the dog beating the brush with a homemade billy club so that his uncle could shoot the pheasants and rabbits that existed the other side. From there, he graduated to chasing pheasants and eventually was introduced to Penn’s Woods and ruffed grouse, quickly becomming enthralled in hunting them with English setters. While at Penn State, Craig got his first dog and began to participate in field trials with the first grouse championship (the PA) for the kennel coming in 1999. Since then, he has had two more Keystone dogs become champions as well as other champions produced from the kennel.
Fred Rayl Fred Rayl began his career with bird dogs as a youngster along with his brother Eddie. Sons of Hall of Famer, William F. (Bill) Rayl, they could not have had a better mentor and teacher. To this day, Fred acknowledges the significance of his father’s positive influence, in terms of bird dog training/breeding and work ethic on his own long and successful career. After graduating from high school, Fred followed in his father’s footsteps and began working with him. In 1980 Bill won the National Championship with the great Builder’s Addition with Fred scouting. Just two years later, Fred handled Heritage’s Premonition to that illustrious title with his dad this time scouting. After serving in the military, brother Eddie also became a professional bird dog trainer and handler, running Shooting Dogs. The Rayl name is indelibly connected to the names of many great field trial bird dogs...many which are in the Field Trial Hall of Fame: Builder’s Addition, Evolution, Fiddler, Fiddler’s Pride, Little Diamond and Nell’s Rambling On. Fred trained and handled countless dogs to all-age championship wins in the south and on the prairies during his long career as a professional handler. Today Fred runs a successful business from his home in Sylvester, Georgia training bird dogs for amateurs and bird hunters alike. In the summers, he travels to his camp in South Dakota to train. Ever willing to answer questions on bird dog training and field trials, Fred can be reached by email or by phone at 478-972-1764.
Kim Sampson
Kim grew up riding horses with her friends and tagging along behind a father who had a passion for hunting upland birds over pointing dogs. Through those early experiences, she developed a life-long love for everything outdoors, especially if it included a dog. Kim attended her first field trial in 2001, but the hook wasn’t firmly set until 2003 when she acquired a fiery pointer puppy and started competing in AF/AFTCA open and amateur events. As much as she loves field trials, nothing can surpass the enjoyment she finds hunting the wily chukar partridge with her dogs in the rugged hills of the West. Kim lives in Utah with her very supportive husband and children.
William Smith
A friend and co-worker invited William to his first field trial in 1981. He has been involved in field trials ever since. The first trial he attended happened to be held on the Ames Plantation in Grand Junction, Tennessee. Little did he know that the history and significance of Ames would have such an influence in his life. He was later invited to be a member of the Memphis Amateur Field Trial Club, when it was run on the old Como, Mississippi grounds, and the Ames Amateur Field Trial Club, contested over the hallowed grounds of Ames. He was invited by the late Ted Gardner to judge the Border International at Stoughton and that invitation exposed William to the grandeur of the prairies. The prairies quickly became his place of choice to enjoy a true all-age dog. Later he was invited to become a director on the board of the Broomhill Field Trial Club, a position he still enjoys. He feels fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to Manitoba each September to enjoy the people, the prairie, and the purpose of field trials. William has judged approximately 30 all-age championships (amateur and professional) and has also had the privilege of reporting major championships from Canada to the deep south.
Joe Spoo, DVM
Dr. Joe Spoo is a veterinarian of small animal medicine with a special passion for sporting dogs and, more specifically, the gundog breeds. A graduate of the distinguished Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Spoo currently holds licenses to practice in Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota. He is an associate veterinarian at the Tea Veterinary Clinic, manages his website www.gundogdoc.com, and is a veterinary consultant for sporting dog owners and the sporting dog industry. In addition to professional memberships in the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), the SDVMA, and the ACSMA (American Canine Sports Medicine Association), Joe is a member of numerous conservation organizations and a member of the Outdoor Writers' Association of America. Joe is also the founder of www.gundogdoc.com
Shawn K. Wayment, DVM
Shawn knew at the early age of seven that he was afflicted with an obsession for bird dogs and horses; he knew then, that he wanted to become a veterinarian. After bouncing on his head one to many times as a parachuting medic with the 82nd Airborne Division, he decided to go to veterinary school. He realized his dream in 1997 by graduating from Washington State University and went into mixed animal practice. Currently Shawn has a companion animal practice in Castle Rock, Colorado. His special interest is in the veterinary care of sporting dogs and, specifically, in canine anatomy/physiology and reproduction. In the fall, when not in the office, he can be found roaming the uplands of North America chasing his bird dogs. He can be reached anytime via email.
Tom Word
Tom was reared on a sheep farm in Southwest Virginia and treasures his agrarian roots. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 1959 and the University of Richmond’s Law School in 1961. He has since 1961 practiced law in Richmond with the firm McGuireWoods, where he remains of counsel, and since 2006 in partnership with his son Scott as Word & Word PLC, specializing in tax and fiduciary services. He has been an avid upland bird hunter and pointing dog trialer all his adult life and enjoys reporting trials. He also writes fiction and non fiction pieces about bird dogs and trialing, and has published three collections of short stories, None Held Back, A Little Competition and The Ninth Pup (the last available on Amazon.com).
Photo Contributors’ Bios
Shannon Nygard Shannon resides in Bozeman, Montana and has been field trialing her setters and pointers since 2004. She campaigns her dogs in Montana, Idaho, Washington State and Canada in amateur and open Shooting Dog and All Age competitions.
Rowan Stretton Rowan Stretton’s family have been involved in the sport of field trials for three generations and he has been shooting over dogs since he was old enough to use a gun. He is a well regarded wildlife photographer and painter, so in between handling his dogs, he also acts as official photographer for most South African Field Trials. In his spare time Rowan ranches cattle and sheep in the Stormberg Mountains, and he will take those lucky enough to get an invite out for a “McNab”: a chance to hunt a buck and shoot a greywing over pointers in the morning, make a fly from the bucks hairs and the greywing feathers over lunch, and use the fly to catch a trout in the afternoon. You can email Rowan via Gavin Goldblatt.
Dick Wilberforce Dick is a veteran outdoor photographer whose images have graced over 125 magazine covers. These publications include Ducks Unlimited, Quail Unlimited, Wild Bird, Quarterhorse Journal, Wing & Shot and Gun Dog. Dick resides in the town of Canadian, Texas. For information about photo commissions, he can be reached at 806-323-9868 or you can email him.
