Postby Jerry Moll » Sat Oct 27, 2018 5:07 pm
2018 PKC World Hunt "Top Six" Interviews by PKC National Youth Director Amy Thomas
It has been a busy and intense week at the PKC World Championship. Numbers were up to almost record breaking status. With a turn out like this, making the Top Six is one heck of an accomplishment! Now these six hounds and handlers are hoping to make it into the Final Three and of course…try to bring home that World Champion title!
WCH Wipeout 3 Dee
Owned by Crowson/Moreland
Handled by Ryan Crowson
Wipeout 3 Dee is coming into this Top Six with a big advantage and that was being a previous PKC World Champion. 3 Dee won the event in 2014 for Ryan Crowson and Johnnie Moreland after she had been bought as a future replacement for their powerhouse Houchee Mama. Ryan and Johnnie are coming off a big Super Stakes win with another up and coming female of theirs Wipeout KC, who also got in Tuesday night for them. It has been a good run for the two men with their kennel of top-notch females and they are hoping to see if 3 Dee can move forward from this Top Six to put her one step closer to another World Championship title!
Wipeout 3 Dee off of Zeb 3 and Why Not Dena. The two men acquired her at the 2013 Super Stakes. She started things off big for them with the wins that she quickly accumulated. Ryan talked about what it is about 3 Dee that makes her so special, “She has been the same her whole life. She is just consistent with what she tries to do and trees coons when she feels like it. We have just hung on to her and beat around with her and she has been good to us.”
Beyond her World Champion win, Wipeout 3 Dee has won a couple of Pro Hunts. She also has done very well at the Nationals over the years, but has fallen short of winning the whole thing. However, Ryan stated that she has accumulated quite a bit of money there.
Ryan and 3 Dee tried getting in early this week. Ryan talked about how things started off for them, “We hunted Monday and won early, but lost late. Then we hunted Tuesday and lost early. We had good casts, but just got beat. Then I rested her Wednesday to give her a break since she has some age on her being six now. She will turn seven in January.”
That night of rest was a good move for Ryan because Thursday night the two would finally get in with 200 plus points early and 350 plus points late. Ryan described how his casts went, “On the early round, 3 Dee got through the country and treed. The other dogs treed. They had to score all other dogs. Then she got treed again. At that point, all I needed was to have a circle tree. It was a good looking place for a coon, but did not change the outcome. On the late round, 3 Dee treed a coon for 200 points and got way in there and then treed another to win the cast.”
Ryan and 3 Dee were in for Friday night and would have a good night. 3 Dee won early Friday night with 325 plus and went on to win the quarter-finals with 50 plus. Ryan described how Friday night went, “Good. She treed coons off by herself with last strike. She also treed another big circle tree in the early round. In the late round, she got in there and struck for 50 points. 3 Dee got treed while we were shining the other dogs’ tree. Me and the backup judge started to her. She shut up and started trailing again, so I minused her. Finally, she got re-treed deep. She had two coons in that tree. After I turned her loose, she got deep again. She treed before the hunt was out, but I did not call her. I had pretty good casts with good judges, guides, and guys.”
3 Dee has been in this spot before in her PKC career. When asked what he feels 3 Dee will bring to this Heads Up cast, Ryan shared, “I have no idea. It is completely up to her. That is the world I live in with that dog. I turn her loose and wait to see what she does.”
Now the time has come for Ryan and 3 Dee to head out to see what this last and important night will start out with. When asked if there were any people that he want to mention before heading out tonight, Ryan stated, “I am just thankful for the opportunity to be up here. I want to thank my family and kids for sacrificing a lot of time away from me. I also have a good friend Jace Lewis who spends a lot of time with 3 Dee to make sure she is healthy. She has had a lot of tick diseases. Jace is expecting a baby in the next couple weeks and could not come out her with us.”
Riverswamp Spot
Owned by Christy Rabon
Handled by Bruce Rabon
Riverswamp Spot has put Bruce Rabon in the exact spot he had hoped to be in this week, but it was with the help of his hunting buddies. It was Alex Powers who got Spot in Wednesday night and that started their winning streak to get them to this point. Bruce is excited to see what his wild child of a hound will bring to this Heads Up round.
Six year old Riverswamp Spot is out of Little Smoke and Hardwood Justice. Bruce bought him off the Prohound message board three years ago from Mica Marcum. He talked about what it is about the hound that he likes, “Nothing. No really, I like him because he has the coons when I get there. He is also a wild and crazy dog. I like them a little wild.”
Bruce has been successful with Spot since owning him. Some of Spot’s bigger accomplishments before his performance getting to him tonight include winning the Cedar Grove Pro Hunt and getting in the Top Sixteen of South Carolina the last three years. Spot has also been in several Final Fours all throughout the time that Bruce has owned him.
Bruce and Alex arrived to Salem, Illinois last Friday to get settled in before trying their luck at the beginning of the week. Bruce talked about how things started off for them this week, “On Monday, Spot had 200 minus on a persimmon, so I withdrew. On Tuesday, I was still mad at him, so Patrick Cribb hunted him. Spot looked good early, but just got beat.”
It would be Alex Power who would get him in on Wednesday night. Bruce talked about how he and Alex met each other, “Alex used to date my daughter. He started hunting with me and has been for a couple years. Mine and his relationship has gone on past theirs. He mostly pleasure hunted with me and this is his first major event.”
Spot got in Wednesday night with 200 plus points early and 200 plus again late with Alex handling. Alex talked about how things went for him and Spot that night, “Early Wednesday, Spot looked really good. He struck for 100 points and treed for 100 points with a coon. He was treed again at the end of the hunt but I did not need to tree. On the late round, Spot had 200 on a coon by himself. He also had a coon at the end of the hunt for the insurance.”
Bruce would get over his frustration with Spot and take on the role of handler again Friday night. However, he knows that having that double cast win was what allowed him this chance. He stated, “Alex and I have done this one together.”
Spot went on to win early Friday night with 125 plus and then went on to win the quarter-finals with 200 plus. Bruce talked about how the night went, “In the early round, Spot had one in the ground for 200. Then Posted Land Bone got treed and he had a coon. In the last five minutes, Spot got treed and I had 125 points on a coon with the circle to win the cast. It was right down to the wire on that round. On the late round, we cut the dogs loose and Spot struck for 100 points. The dogs were working in front of us and two got treed, but took minus. Spot got way, way deep in there and I got the cast to tighten up some. I was wanting to hear him and trying to get him heard to get him treed. Finally we heard him and I treed him. When we got to him, he had a coon. We walked the hunt out going back to the dog who were in the opposite direction. That cast was pretty cut and dry since the other dogs never got treed again.”
Now Spot is getting ready to head out on the Heads Up cast. When asked what he feels Spot will bring to this round, Bruce said, “I think he is going to be really strong. He is not tired and will be ready to compete when I turn him off the leash. I brought him up her two years ago on a hurt leg and he did well. I always knew he had a big win in him, but he is so crazy that I could not figure out how to get it out of him. After three years, I think we finally figured it out.”
Before Bruce heads out tonight to see if he and Spot can move into the Final Three, he did want to mention some people for their support. Bruce said, “I want to thank Alex because he did the hard work and got both of my dogs through the early and late round. He got Bell’s River Running Moe in the Top 21. I had not won a cast all week until Alex got them in. I also want to thank my wife for putting up with me.”
Full Throttle Melt Down
Owned by Pete Olivia
Handled by Nickey Hale
The pairing of Full Throttle Melt Down with Nickey Hale was a smart move on his new owner Pete Olivia’s part. Melt Down came up for sale this year and this was probably one of the biggest shockers to PKC hunters. Everyone wondered who would end up with this big money winning hound and who would be his new handler. This trip to the World Championship was the big debut of Melt Down with his new owner/handler combo and obviously it has been a successful one.
Part of the appeal of buying Melt Down is that he is off of Jiggs, that Nickey is a co-owners on. Nickey talked about why it was that they jumped at the opportunity to buy him, “I was a fan of his when Dustin was hunting him and was always pulling for him. When something is out of your stuff, you want to see them do well. God put us in this spot to do this and it all worked out. When Down came up for sale, I called and talked to them for a while and got a price worked up. Then I asked Pete if he wanted in on the deal and he wanted to give it a try. Pete and I have been partners on dogs now for around eight years when we started out with Jiggs. I sold Pete a couple dogs when I first met him and handled for him before that. It has been a good partnership. Pete is one of the best you will meet. He does not go to the hunts much, but does enjoy it. The main interest we have in Down is that he is out of Jiggs and he has won over $200,000. There were three or four others who would have bought him if we had not. It was pretty neat that we got him though. We bought Jiggs when he was about six and around the same age that Down is now. I like hunting old dogs. It seems like everyone wants young dogs, but I like hunting the older dogs.”
Nickey knew that he was coming into the deal with some strikes against him and he talked about this “We bought him thinking he could not have pups and not knowing if he would hunt for someone else. I hunt totally different than most. I am no dog trainer; I just hunt them for what they are. Down has taken to me and rides up in the seat with me. I think he has a different disposition and is totally at ease. I will just be letting his natural ability go and there will be no dog training going on.”
There is not a lot of training that needs to go on with a hound like Down and his winning record. Nickey talked about what it is about what he likes about him, “Down is a coon treer who hunts good and hard. He is an automatic strike dog. People like to talk about mouthy dogs, but with a 90 minute hunt, that helps. Down has a big heart and he trees coons.”
Nickey had reserved his spot from Monday through Thursday, but work kept him from getting up to Salem, Illinois until Wednesday night. Nickey was pleased with Down’s performance, but they just got beat. However, Nickey and Melt Down would get in Thursday night. In the early round they had 500 plus points. Then late they won with 75 plus points. Nickey talked about how these rounds went, “In the early round, Down treed two coons by himself before anything else did anything. I drew good dogs and people. He just did what he did. He treed three coons and backed on one at the end. In the late round, he pretty much did the same thing and looked good too. He treed a coon for 175 plus and their dogs made a circle. When we cut back loose, they all took minus after Down treed a coon. At the end, I took a little minus trying to protect our strike and took 25 minus. We split up and spread out. He went back by them and got minused 75 points, but they could not beat me. I did not know anything about the minus. Judas and I were going to Down and Babe and did not realize Down was not there. Down had made a big circle when he took that minus. I had 150 plus and the hunt ran out. Judas made a flub call and said, ‘Let’s go, I cannot beat you.’ We left and got up to the road and then found out about the minus. That tree could have won for Babe and she is a coon treer, so she probably had one. That was my break right there.”
The two went on to win early Friday with 325 plus and then went on to win the quarter-finals with 400 plus. Nickey talked about how the early round went, “Down looked really good. I had 325 plus within 40 minutes of hunt and all, but one dog, had taken minus. After my second coon, the dogs were treed and he did cover on a coon late. I just got deleted on that tree. The dogs were leash locked there. They withdrew their two dogs after that. We had to walk to where we could hear Chris Saunder’s dog. He had a coon. If he treed a coon another after that at the end of the hunt, he could have won, but neither dog treed before the hunt was out. In the late round, Down looked really good. I drew Coy Sullivan with W CH Thousand Dollar Bill, Heath and Brian’s Johnson’s Living Large dog and Scott Engle with Mojo’s Electric Rodeo. They struck immediately and Down got in for 50 points. All the dogs split and treed. We scored Living Large first and let them go handle the others. Living Large had a slick and Rodeo had a slick. Down had 150 points on a coon. When we got to Bill, he had 200 plus on a coon. We cut loose and I struck for Down 25 points. I heard Down and I treed him. Bill was treed again and I think it was on a tree on the creek bank. Bill started moving down the creek and took minus. We got to Down and he had a coon in a den. After that Down struck again and treed again and I had to tree him. The hunt was about up by the time we got to him and he had another coon.”
That puts Pete Olivia, Nickey Hale and Full Throttle Melt Down into the moment we are at tonight – the Top Six. When asked what he feels Melt Down will bring to this next round, Nickey stated, “I figure what he will do what has always done – strike quick and tree some coons. Hopefully he can get some treed.”
Before heading out, Nickey did have some people he wanted to be sure to mention, “I just want to thank Andy and Dillon Landreth for selling Down to us. I want to thank Pete for buying him. I would like mention Dustin for all he did with Down for four and a half years to make him what he is. Most of all, I want to thank God because nothing would be without Him. All this other stuff is just past-time.”
Wipeout Sundy Best
Owned by Lyons/Craver
Handled by Joey Craver
Wipeout Sundy Best is also one of our PKC Top Six Finalist who has won a major event. In 2016, Sundy Best won the Junior Division of the Breeders’ Showcase. Wipeout Sundy Best is also off of Zeb 3, but this time crossed onto Riverbend Rose. This son of Zeb 3 is named after a band in eastern Kentucky, but is called Tank due to his size as pup. What Joey liked about Tank was that he was just truly an all-natural hound. Tank came out wanting to be independent and did not need any man made help with that
Joey got Tank from Kirk Rietz and Ray Paul in Ohio and raised him as a pup. He initially co-owned Tank with Albert Ballard, but is now moving forward with Clay Lyons after quite an interesting little period of time in Tank’s life. Joey actually sold Tank this past winter to Ashley Guthrie, but bought him back seven days later. It was then that Clay Lyons partnered up with him. When asked what caused him to buy him back so quickly, Joey stated, “Ashley bought the car, but he did not buy the keys to it.”
Tank is back with Joey and the two of them are once again back to their winning team. When asked what it is about Tank that he likes, Joey replied, “I love Tank. He is the total package. We do not have enough time to write about all the things I love about him.”
Tank not only won his division at the Breeders’ Showcase, but he has won a few Pro Hunts, been in the Top Six of the Nationals, and finished in Top Five of the Pro Race the past two years. Now this week will be added to Tank’s accomplishments. Tank got in on Monday night with a score of 125 early and 275 plus late giving him a chance to rest up.
Joey talked about how things went for him at the start of the week, “On Monday, things went smoothly and we had an awesome cast with Kenny Mason, Tom Froese, and Justin Butts. Tank pulled that one off; he really only got a chance to make one tree. It held up and we pulled it off. In the late round, I had a very good cast. Eddie Simmons was the only one I knew in it. Tank treed two coons and looked very good in that cast. I do not remember the judge’s name, but he was one of the best I have had.”
Joey was able to rest Tank up until Friday night and Nick and Tank would start off strong. They went on to win early Friday night with 325 plus and then went on to win the quarter-finals with 125 plus. Joey described how the night went, “Early I had John Granberry with Fannie, Danion Lyvers with Squall, and Brandon Whitley with Downgrade. I had 175 out the gate and had a coon in a den that only looked once. Squall treed a coon then Fannie treed a coon. Downgrade treed deep and I treed Tank a mile through the country. Downgrade had his coon and I had one too. I beat him on the tie breaker with more circle. Last night in the late round went great. Topper had 150 points on a coon. We went to Tank and he had a huge oak and we could not find it. Topper re-treed and took a minus on that. Tank came treed with 20 minutes or so left and had a coon. Nothing else happened after that.”
When asked what he thinks Tank is going to bring to this Head’s Up cast, Joey said, “Tank is going to bring his all tonight; he is going to be ready to go. We have worked are tails off to get here. I have made the semi-finals of this hunt twice and man I want to be in this final cast bad.”
Before heading out to see if he and Tank can get to that last and much desired round, Joey wanted to mention some people, “I want to thank Clay Lyons for going back in on me with Tank without him we would not be here. I want to thank Albert Ballard my right hand man for putting in the long all-nighters with me even though he does not own him with me now. He has had a rough patch these past couple months and a World Champion win would sure make him feel better. I also want to thank Chris Saunders, Leonard Young, and Chris Allen; we have had a heck of a week and an awesome time.”
Johnson Creek All Bizz Iz
Owned and Handled by Nicholas Imel
Last year, Johnson Creek All Bizz Iz walked away as the Walker Day Champion. Nick knows that Iz comes from a long line of coon hounds that have the potential to find themselves in the position they are tonight. Iz and her older sister Imel’s Johnson Creek Abby, are both off of Nick’s stud All Grand Track Rat. Nick also owns Abby and Iz’s dam Imel’s Smokin’ Little Babe. Nick has raised up his coon hounds and he knows them inside and out. However, Iz has had a rough patch since her Walker Day Championship win, but it has not reflected in her performance this week. Her heart and drive has been spotlighted.
Nick sold Iz as a pup and bought her back when she was around a year old. She needed some fine tuning, but she started off treeing coons right off the bat for Nick after he got her back. He knew she was one that was going to make her name known and that she has! Nick talked about some of Iz’s bigger accomplishments, “She has gotten into some $200 and $500 added hunts. I also got in at the Pro Open at Wyatt and won $1,500 that night. Iz has qualified for the Nationals and the truck hunt. She also won the Indiana State Race and the Walker Breed Championship.
Nick talked about what it is that he likes about Iz, “She is a good strike dog that hunts hard. The main thing is that she has coons when she treed. She has a lot of heart.”
After her Walker Championship win, Nick raised a litter of pups off of Iz that he has kept one out of. After that though, Iz had a major health set back. Nick talked about it, “She got bit by a coon and got coon dog paralysis and that took about three months for her to get over. Luckily, she made a full recovery.”
Iz was ready to roll when Nick got her to Salem this week. She got in Monday night with 500 plus points early and 275 plus late. Nick talked about how those casts went, “She looked really good. Early, she was ready to go. She even had another after the cast was over that I did not need to tree on. She was moving around good, operating, and treeing coons. Late, it was the same thing and she was operating again. She came out of the box ready.”
Between Monday and Friday, since Nick had Iz in, he hunted his buddy’s dog River, but did not do any good. Then he went back home and got Abby and hunted her Thursday after taking off and resting Wednesday. That would be an interesting cast and Nick Talked about it, “We won early, but got beat late on a tie breaker. Mark Maginn’s dog treed on a combine and found the coon on the engine of it. I figured it would be like a cat and hide up in there and that we would not find it, but we did.”
After that interesting night, Nick and Iz would be back at it again. After being able to rest up, Iz went on to win early Friday night with 375 plus. She then went on to win quarter-finals with 325 plus. Nick talked about how those rounds went, “On the early round, she was rested up and ready to go. She had first and first on a coon right out of the truck. Some guys took some minus. Then Iz treed again and had another coon. That wrapped the cast up. She treed again after the hunt and had another coon. She looked good. In the late round, she looked good again. Iz, Premo, and Willie were neck to neck to the end. She treed with Premo at the end and had a coon and that wrapped it up.”
It is hard for Nick to believe how this week has gone after knowing all that Iz had been through. Nick said, “It has been a heck of a reality after that coon dog paralysis. It was bad and she had lost her mouth. I never expected her to come back like this.”
When asked what he thinks Iz will bring to this Head’s Up cast, Nick shared, “Hopefully Iz is going to be ready to go again and goes out and does what she has been doing all week. She has looked really good. I hope she keeps the same momentum that she has had.”
Before he heads out tonight, Nick had some people that he wanted to mention, “I would like to thank Duell Murphy and Bradley Kelly for being down here. I want to say thanks to all my family and friends back home who are rooting for me.”
Jenny Craig
Owned by Childers/Wills
Handled by Jimmy Wills
With a workout like she has had this week, Jenny Craig is definitely keeping up her shape! Now she is heading out to see if she can come out of her next work out in the Top Six of the PKC World Championship with enough wind left to make it to the Final Three!
Jenny Craig is out of Mojo Mason X and K&R Supermouse. Jimmy Wills was looking for a hound that would meet his high standard when he found out about her. Jimmy talked about how he came to own Jenny Craig, “After a week of calling around to find something to suit me to get me excited about hunting, my good friend Tony Bowman called me and told me I might like a female that Frank Johnson had, but he did not think she was for sale. I called Frank and ended up buying Jenny from him. Jenny was everything that they said she was.”
When asked what it was that he liked so much about Jenny Craig, Jimmy replied, “She has a great personality and wants my attention now that she has gotten used to me. She has a lot of heart and goes as hard on the first drop as she does the last drop of the night. Also, I really like her mouth because it is different than everything.”
Jimmy would end up pairing up with Jenny with Cody Childers. The two live close together and the added support has made this moment possible. Jimmy talked about how Cody helped them get to this point, “Jenny needed a ride out to the world and Cody said, ‘I will take her out there ole buddy.’ After he got Herbert Dean in on Monday, we asked him on Tuesday if he would hunt Jenny until I got here on Thursday. He ended up getting her in on Tuesday.”
Jenny has kept Jimmy on his toes lately, Jimmy said, “She has walked me more in that last two weeks than I have walked in the last two years to dogs.”
Cody got in Jenny Craig in for them on Tuesday night with 250 plus early and 150 plus late. Then she had a nice break before having to head back out on Friday night. Jimmy talked about how Jenny did that night, “She went on to win early Friday night with 175 plus. After that round, she went on to win the quarter-finals with 25 plus and was treed 1.3 from us after the cast was over. Jenny struck for 75 about 450 yards and then she blew out and was .87 mi treed with the coon to win. Trooper was treed a mile the other way had a coon. Then Trooper had gotten treed again and had to have a coon to win.He did not have one, but had a circle tree.”
When asked what he feels that Jenny Craig will bring to this Heads Up cast, Jimmy shared, “Hopefully she will keep doing what she has been doing and that is just treeing coons like an ole trade dog. She is probably going to bring a Jenny Craig style weight loss plan and that is a lot of walking.”
Before heading out, Jimmy had some people that he wanted to mention, “First, I would like to thank Cody on getting her in for me. Also, I would like to thank Darrell Sparks for being a great wheelman. I also want to mention Michael Argenbright, better known as “Ouggy”, for helping to keep the dogs in shape. Thanks to Spencer Anderson for hunting these dogs for me and always being honest with me. I want to thank my guys at work for staying there and getting work done while I am out here. Special thanks to my wife and three girls for putting up with me for never being satisfied with a dog and taking care of them while I am gone. Finally, thanks to John Stiles, Darrell Sparks, and Spencer Anderson for staying with me and eating lunch and making me buy.”
Now it is time to see which one of our six handlers will be leading their hound back out late to see if they can win the Final Three and capture the 2018 World Championship title!
Prepare yourself and your hound. Hunt the dog, read the Blue Book, and your Good Book!
