night of a major event, especially one of the significance of PKC’s largest breed event. Members have traveled across the nation to hunt, to visit, to see the latest and the greatest prospects in the sport’s most popular breed. They’ve hunted hard for two nights and are beginning to feel its effects. They’re tired but they’re giving it one more shot. Or, in some cases they have had a good run, maybe logging a cast win each night and maybe a final four appearance and they want to put the icing on the cake. There’s a mellowing of the passion to win that each carried on the two previous nights and now its just time to hunt and to visit with old friends and perhaps a new one or two acquired over the three days.
I drew McLeansboro last night and surely enjoyed the hunt and the fellowship of the hunters over there as we waited for dark and the opportunity to try our luck. I had a great time hunting, and riding with Matt Marchant of Hazelhurst, GA, a former National Youth Leader that is now enjoying the benefits of his scholarship money at the University of Georgia. Neither of us won the cast but, as Matt put it, we had a “big old time.” Thanks Matt!
As the last of the casts made the 3 AM deadline back in DuQuoin, the Pup Derby finalists elected to hunt. As I shot the photo, we asked for the call and T. John Treadwell said, “Let’s hunt.” Kevin Turner responded…”for it all!” While the Open Event winners were happy with a split, the pups, with Troy Webb judging, went back for one final round. Here’s the way the Open Event and Pup Derby finished:
Open Event
$2000 Added
167
Split Winners
4th – Sam
Jimmy Herring, owner/handler
$790.00
4th – Rowdy
John Fraley, owner
Brian McPherson, handler
$790.00
4th – Zone
Brad Rattan, owner
Johnny Bloodworth, handler
$790.00
4th – Fancy
Dave Juvers, owner/handler
$790.00
Photo below – The Open Event winners are, left to right, Jimmy Herring with Sam, Clyde Treadwell,Brian McPherson with Rowdy, Johnny Bloodworth with Zone, and Dave Juvers with Fancy.
Pup Derby
$500 Added
67 entries
Winners
1st – Witch
Treadwell or Treadwell, owners
T. John Treadwell, handler
$1138.00
2nd – Maggie
Turner or Lynch, owners
Kevin Turner, handler
$290.00
3rd – Hooch
Phil Griffeth, owner/handler
$145.00
4th – Rat
Ricky Johnson, owner/handler
$87.00
Photo below – Phil Griffeth with Hooch, third; T. John Treadwell with Witch, first; Kevin Turner with Maggie, second; and Ricky Johnson with Rat, fourth.
The Sesser Coon Club, a great bunch of guys by any standards, did a great job with Walker Days once again. Harry Sauerhagen was well prepared and ran the guide network with his usual skill and great attitude. Putting 764 hounds in the timber is no small task. These guys will work!
To each of you that hunted or just came to visit, we thank you. It was a great event and hopefully, you are having a safe, though no doubt weary drive back home.
“All the winners. All the time!”
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