A Closer Look at Double Cast Winners to Date

[Amy Kovac-Thomas]

The 2024 Youth Nationals Double Cast Winners

As anyone participating in a major PKC event knows, whether in the regular program or youth program, double cast wins are not easy to come by. You may get that first one and then just fall short of the late round win. These youth handlers were very fortunate to have had all factors fall into place for them to earn their double cast wins at the 2024 PKC Youth Nationals. We are going to take a moment to learn a little more about each of them:

Wednesday Night Double Cast Winners

Clayton Hawkins handling Camo’s Dixie Chopper


Twelve year old Clayton Hawkins from Pickneyville, Illinois did not have too long of a ride to attend the 2024 PKC Youth Nationals. This young man has been handling in PKC events for around a year and a half now. When asked about some of his accomplishments, Clayton stated, “I have not won too many big hunts. I won a lot of $35 event and I placed second in the Illinois State Youth Hunt.”

This is Clayton’s second time to the Youth Nationals. When asked what it is about the event that he enjoys, he shared, “Everyone is just friendly. I enjoy getting to make new friends and it is fun.”

This year, Clayton’s double cast wins were made possible in part by Camo’s Dixie Chopper. When asked why he decided to handle her at the Nationals, Clayton responded, “She does really well at smaller hunts. I just wanted to take her and see what she would do in a bigger hunt like this.”
Clayton’s double cast wins happened on Wednesday, the first night of the event. He described how his casts went, “They both went very good. In the early round, I got Camo struck for 50 points she treed a coon. I won with 175 plus. In the late round, I thought she was just going to run around and not do anything, but she changed that. I got struck her in for 100 points after the other dogs treed an opossum and the strike was reopened. Then she got treed. I won that cast with 225 plus points.”

Clayton and Camo have what is needed to progress on with this event and they achieved that needed double cast win right off the bat. When asked what strengths he feels that he has going forward in his favor for this weekend, he replied, “I have my dad and his friends’ experience that they give me as guidance. After a hunt, they will go over things with me. With Camo, I think her strength is that she does not like to be around other dogs and she goes off in the other direction and get treed.”

Congrats on earning your double cast wins and good luck on your next steps to the title of the 2024 National Youth Champion.

Mallory Bartel handling Neosho River Slim

Fourteen year old Mallory Bartel traveled from Duck River, Tennessee on Wednesday to throw her hat into the ring at the 2024 PKC Youth Nationals. This young lady doubled up her first night with a hound new to her and this gave her a chance to head home and continue to get to know her dog more for the upcoming stages on Saturday.

Mallory has been participating in PKC events since she was around ten years old. On her resume of bigger successes, she is currently in the top standings of the National Youth Leader race. She also got in all the nights that she entered at the Sunshine Jamboree.

This is Mallory’s second time coming to the Youth Nationals. She shared why she enjoys the event so much, “I love seeing all my friends there.”

This year Mallory is handling Neosho River Slim. She talked about how she came to bring him, “The decision to bring Slim was short notice. The other dog that I was hunting was returned to its owner. I was not sure what I was going to hunt. Then one of my dad’s friends told me that I could use Slim. I went and hunted with him two nights and he looked awesome. I brought him to the Nationals and doubled up with him the first night.”

Mallory described how her casts went on Wednesday, “On the early cast, we turned loose and I got 100 strike. Slim then went from 400 yards to .68 away and I was afraid I was not going to hear him. In the last 10 minutes of the hunt, I could finally hear him chopping with every breath. I called him and he had a coon. In the late round, I got first strike and first tree. It was a circle tree. When we turned back loose, Slim got third strike and first tree. One boy took some minus points because his dog moved. Another dog boy treed in the end of the hunt and if he had a coon then he would have won, but his dog moved and he took minus. Slim treed again and had a circle. I could see the coon in the thermal, but could not get it to move.”

On Saturday, Mallory will be returning to Paducah to see how things continue for her and Slim. When asked what she feels that they have going in their favor moving forward, she shared, “Slim has a loud mouth so I do not have trouble hearing him. I know him and am good at calling him so that is a win-win. He also has not missed so far in the time I have hunted him.”

Though Mallory has not been handling Slim for very long, he has made her feel very confident in her ability to call him and also secure in his ability to have a coon when she does. He got her in the first night and now she is hoping that he continues doing his part so she can do her part as a handler to win big and be crowned the 2024 PKC National Champion.

Abbi Drennan handling Guess’ Hard Knockin Hank

Our last double cast winner from Wednesday night is Abbi Drennan from Fredonia, Kentucky. Her write up is pending at this time and will be updated when finished.

Thursday Night Double Cast Winners

Evan Ross handling Blue Collar Thousand $ Trip

Seventeen year old Evan Ross from Como, Mississippi is no stranger to the Youth Nationals. This young man started handling in PKC events about three years ago and he has attended the Youth Nationals since the first year it was held. Last year, Evan placed second and was the Reserve Youth National Champion. This year, he is hoping to up the ante and be the 2024 National Youth Champion.

In the time that he has been handling in PKC, Evan has been quite successful. He shared some of his bigger successes outside of placing second at this event last year, “I got in the Final Four of several Pro Classics and I won the Youth Handler Showdown.”

Evan has been very diligent in his support of the Youth Nationals and has participated it in it the past three years. He described what it is about the event that he likes, “I like the hunting up there and the people. It really is just an overall great event for the youth!”

This event also played a part in the hound that Evan is handling this year. He talked about why he decided to bring Blue Collar Thousand $ Trip with him, “I just recently purchased him last Monday and have only hunted him five times. However, I hunted with him at this hunt last year and he beat me in one cast and should have beat me in the other, but his handler made a bad call. I have been following Trip since then and he seems to win wherever he goes. When he came up for sale, I jumped on it and Jay Tidwell and I partnered up on him. With what I have hunted him, so far I like his style. He is good about having his coons.”

Evan shared how his casts went for him to get him here at the double cast win spot, “In the early round, he struck for 75 points and treed a coon for 125 points. Then I got leash locked for 25 minutes of hunt. In the late round, I struck him for 100 points and he got about a half mile away and made a circle tree. It was the only tree made on the cast.”

Evan has come close to being the overall winner of this event and he is hoping that he can pull it off this year. When asked what strengths he feel that him and Trip have as they proceed to the next stage, Evan stated, “I think what we have going in our favor is that Trip has his coons and he moves good. I also think that my experience as a handler and that this is not my first time in this event, is helpful.”

Every year Evan has given the Youth Nationals his time and effort. Last year, he came very close to winning it all, and this year, he is hoping that he will walk away with that overall win. He and Trip have made it past the first stage and we wish him good luck with each and every cast ahead!

Joshua Ashley handling Topper’s Tipper

Thirteen year old Joshua Ashley is a Kentucky native. He lives in Upton and coming to Paducah to try to keep the championship title in his home state is definitely his goal. This young man hunts every night and he is hoping that all that time in the woods will bring his goal into a reality.

Joshua has been hunting in PKC for about a year and a half now. In that time, he just recently won the Trader Inc. Challenge and has earned about $6,000 in a year. He added, “I think that is pretty good.”

This is not Joshua’s first time to the Nationals. He came to the event for the first time last year and is happy to have the opportunity to return. He talked about his experience with this major youth event, “Last year, I think doubled up on the same night. This is a good hunt and it pays good.”

The hound that has helped Joshua earn his double cast wins is Topper’s Tipper. Joshua talked about why he brought Tipper to handle at this year’s Youth Nationals, “My good buddy Tony Roe asked me if I would like to handle Tipper and I said, ‘Yes!’ I like the way she operates a lot.”
When asked how his casts went, he shared, “In the early and late round, my casts went good. I drew some nice dogs late, but Tipper and I got lucky.”

A good dog and luck is very important when it comes to doing well in the events. There is something else that Joshua thinks is going to be a strength for him and Tipper moving forward and he shared it, “One of our strengths I think is that we get to have a night off!”

The only thing about that is that his brother Kyle Ashley, who earned his double cast wins the same night, also is going to get a day off to rest up. Their father James stated that his two sons are very competitive and you can bet that Joshua is hoping to one up his big brother to seize the title of the 2024 PKC Youth National Champion! Good luck and congratulations on getting this far!

Kyle Ashley handling Greer’s Here Wee Go Emma

Fifteen year old Kyle Ashley from Upton, Kentucky is not only hot on the trail to become the next PKC Youth National Champion, but he is also hoping to bring home bragging rights since his brother Joshua is also pursuing the same achievement. Not only do these competitive brothers have to try to out strategize other youth handlers, but they also have to keep each other on their radars!

Kyle has been hunting in PKC for about a year and a half now. In that time frame, he shared what some of his bigger accomplishments have been, “I have won a couple of Pro Classics. I have won early at several hunts. I also won the Tennessee Youth State Championship.”

This is Kyle’s second time to the Youth Nationals. When asked what it is about the event that keeps him wanting to return, he shared, “We all like this hunt and I guess I would like to win it!”

The hound that Kyle is handling and that helped him earn these double cast wins is Greer’s Here Wee Go Emma. Kyle discussed how he ended up bring her to this year’s event, “My dad talked with Dan Greer and he told me that she was a nice hound. Dan said that I could hunt her for a while and we jumped on the opportunity.”

When asked how the casts went for him and Emma, Kyle responded, “The casts went great. In the late round, Emma was only dog to make a tree and tree a coon.”

Kyle has the same outlook as his brother when it comes to what he feels will be in their favor moving forward at this event. He shared, “My strength going forward I guess is that we get a day off and get to rest.”

Hopefully that day of rest pays off for Kyle because there is a lot of the line in the Ashley family with this event. Kyle has put in his time in the woods to be ready for this event, but so has his brother. However, Kyle is hoping that things will work out in his favor and he will be the Ashley brother who gets crowned the 2024 National Youth Champion! Good luck with that and congratulations on getting your double cast wins!

Ethan King handling Horseshoe’s Marvelous Marv

Seventeen year old Ethan King is from Arab, Alabama, but when it comes to making the four hour drive to Paducah, Ethan is willing to do it…and not just for the Youth Nationals. This young man loves hunting in this area and does not hesitate to participate in an event held here when able.

Ethan has been hunting in PKC for about three years now. He talked about what he has accomplished in that time frame, “I have never had great luck at the Youth Hunts. I do much better at the other events. I have doubled up at the Youth World and I placed second in the National Youth Handler Race.”

Ethan has been participating in the PKC Youth Nationals since the first time it was held three years ago. He shared what it is about this event that he enjoys so much, “I just like the environment in Paducah like I do the one in Salem, Illinois. I hunt here all the time even if it is a four hour drive. It has good people, good guides and good judges. Chris Freiberger really does a good job running this event.”

This year, Ethan brought Horseshoe’s Marvelous Marv to handle at the event. He discussed why he decided to have Marv on the end of his leash when he releases in each cast, “Marv is one of my personal dogs that I run the roads with. He has not been looking too great around home lately, but he has won a little money in PKC, so I brought him. He is a dog that the farther north you take him, the better he looks, so I decided I might as well roll with him.”

Marv did not let Ethan down either. Though the two did not get in on Wednesday, they did earn their double cast wins on Thursday. Ethan described how his casts have gone so far, “On Wednesday, he got 225 on a circle tree. Then the leash lock killed me, so I just withdrew. On Thursday early, this time the leash lock rule helped me a little along with a good break. We cut loose and all the dogs treed in the first 15 minutes. They were all circled up. I had the big end on the strike and tree points and caught a break. It played in my favor. On the late round, right out of the truck, the dogs treed. Marv got treed to the right and had the coon. Catching a bunch of breaks is what it has been for us.”

Things have turned in favor of Ethan and Marv at this point and they know they are headed for the next big step in this event. When asked what were the strengths he felt that they had moving forward, Ethan shared, “I have got a seasoned, veteran dog. His strong point is that he has been in spots like this before; it is not his first rodeo. I have also been here and in a lot of hunts. I am going to try not to make the mistakes others who have not been in this spot before might make.”

Ethan is hoping that experience is going to work in his and Marv’s favor. Paducah is a spot that Ethan truly enjoys hunting at and he is hoping that his love for Kentucky is going to grow even more by winning the 2024 Youth National Championship! Congratulations on doubling up and we wish you the best of luck in your endeavor!


TJ McCulley Jr. handling Horseshoe’s Just Oreo

There are not too many people who can forget fourteen year old T.J McCulley when they meet him at an event. T.J has travelled from Somerville, Tennessee to Paducah, Kentucky for the third time to participate in this year’s Youth Nationals. T.J was not sure if he was going to be able to make it when the hound he was handling came down with ehrlichia. T.J has built a pretty big support system through his involvement in his sport and that would help make him attending possible.

In the time that T.J has been competing in PKC, not only has he made friends, but he has made a nice resume of wins. T.J made it into the quarter finals and semi-finals of the PKC Youth World. He has also placed in multiple $300 and $400 Pro Classics. The PKC Youth Nationals is one of his favorites though.

T.J talked about what makes this event one at the top of his favorites list, “Everyone does such a good job to make it a great event. The state donates the building for it and they do not have to do that. Chris and Shane really help everyone out. Steve does a very good job of running it and has good guides and judges in place. It is just a good event overall.”

With having his dog put on the disabled list, T.J shared how he and Oreo got lined up together, “When my dog got sick, I had to come up with another dog. I got to thinking about who I could talk to about handling one of theirs. My buddy hunts for Horseshoe Kennels and he hooked me up. I was told I could hunt Oreo and got her about two weeks ago to start hunting. She has done well so far and I hope to keep it going.”

T.J did not get in the first night, but he and Oreo made it in on Thursday night. T.J described how his casts went since participating in the Youth Nationals, “We came here Wednesday. On that first night, our cast went about 20 minutes from club. I got Oreo struck for 50 points and then me and another boy’s dogs treed together. I got 75 circle points on a den. Then Oreo treed a coon during the hunt, but a boy had me beat on the tie breaker. On the early round on Thursday night, we went about 50 minutes from the clubhouse to Hardin, Kentucky. We had a great judge who took his time and did things as he should. I stuck Oreo for 100 points right out of the truck. Everything piled up and got treed. I just laid back and took 50 points on that tree. I recut. Then as we were scoring another dog, I heard mine treed. I called her and she had a coon and I won. In the late round, we did not go far from the club. When we got out of the trucks all the dogs were barking. Mine usually does not bark much on the ground. We cut loose and I struck her right over the minute. Then she shut up and the six was working. Another dog got treed and broke the six. Then Oreo got treed. I caught a lucky break by squalling the coon out of a hole with seven minutes into shine time.”

T.J and Oreo get a chance to take a break one night, but they will be back at it and hoping for the best when Saturday rolls around. T.J shared what he feels they have going in their favor for the next step of this event, “Oreo is really good to have a coon when she trees. She does not say much on the ground. If she barks, you better strike her. She can also tree coons that other dogs do not know are there. I feel if I do my job and she does hers then we will do good.”

T.J’s love for the sport and the friends he has made in it are the reason that he is here now sitting on two cast wins. He is hoping that Oreo will come through again for him on Saturday night and bring in that big win. As he said, if they both do their jobs then he will be returning to Tennessee as the 2024 PKC Youth National Champion.