U.S. Quail Shooting Dog Futurity History

written by Keith Severin

1965 - 1989

Jay Waggoner was the "father" of the United States Quail Shooting Dog Futurity. He said he got the idea from talking to Bob Wehle at the Orange County trials at Baldwinville, New York, during the period when Bob was organizing what was to become the National Shooting Dog Futurity. At the time, Jay was Secretary of the North Carolina Field Trial Association.

Jay first contacted other active field trialers in the East Coast area and established a Board of Directors consisting of the following:

Cecil Amick
Lonnie F. McCaskill, Jr.
Arthur L. Bean
Dr. W.H. McCall
A. Bracy Bobbitt
Ernest J. Newman
W.C. Brown, Jr.
John Robertson
Jamie G. Burgess
Maurice G. Ramsey
Ralph E. Daniel
W. Steve Richardson
Verle Farrow
A.B. Shore
Hunter Grove
B.L. Tatum
Ray Hardison
Jay Waggoner
Henry A. Latimer
Paul Walker

Each director was asked to contribute twenty-five dollars to establish an operating fund, and then Jay developed a set of nominating and running rules as the result of phone calls, correspondance and meetings with various directors as time permitted.

The nominations and entry requirements were designed to dovetail with the National Shooting Dog Futurity rules inasmuch as the two stakes had the same objectives, and it was anticipated that many dogs would participate in both.

Initially, the name "Southern Quail Shooting Dog Futurity" was proposed for this Futurity. However, to carryout the concept of parallelism between this Futurity and the one being formed in New York, its present name was decided upon.

Nominations were opened for the United States Quail Shooting Dog Futurity for bitches bred on or after 30 October 1962 and the first Futurity was run at Hoffman, North Carolina, in January 1965.

Jay Waggoner serverd as temporary Chairman, in general, from the start in 1962 until November 1965, when Verle Farrow assumed the duties of Secretary-Treasurer of both Shooting Dog Futurities. Jay continued as Chairman until 1968, when he was succeeded by Frank E. Copeland, Jr. Arthur L. Bean continued as Vice-Chairman in 1969. Lonnie F. McCaskill, Jr., became Chairman in 1969 and served that position until 1982, when there was a complete "changing of the guard." Lonnie, Verle and then Vice-Chairman, Dr. Frank B. Hines, Jr., retired. Dwight Smith was elected Chairman; W.A. Poe, Vice-Chairman; and Keith Severin, Secretary-Treasurer.

In acknowledement of their work with the Futurity, Lonnie and Verle were presented with plaques: "LONNIE F. McCASKILL, Jr. With appreciation and sincere thanks for your efforts first as a founding father of the Futurity and then as its Chairman from 1969 to 1982. The United States Quail Shooting Dog Futurity."

The plaque for Verle reads: "Verle Farrow. In recognition of our exceptional dedication as Secretary of the U.S. Quail Shooting Dog Futurity from 1965 to 1982. Through your efforts, the Futurity has distinctly improved the class of shooting dog champions. With Sincere gratitude and best wishes. The Directors of the U.S. Quail Shooting Dog Futurity. February 1982."

In 1987, W.A. Poe became Chairman, Dr. Billy M. McCathern, 1st Vice-Chairman, and Walter Stephenson, 2nd Vice-Chairman.

The singular feature of this Futurity, the one that sets it apart from other futurities and derby stakes, is the requirement that the winning dogs must complete two heats - the initial 30-minute qualifying heat and then the one-hour heat in the final series. The purpose, of this breeders classic, therefore is to breed dogs capable of meeting that requirement in order that they can be developed into top flight horseback field trial shooting dogs, ones capable of winning the National Open Shooting Dog Championship and the Norden Top Shooting Dog Award. As seen in the following summaries of the runnings, breeders have been successful in that regard - several of the "Hoffman Futurities" having gone on to win those honors. Perhaps as the result of the "two-heat requirement," winners of this Futurity have made significant wins in adult stakes relatively early in their careers.

The Sandhill Field Trial Grounds, as they now known, is the only home this Futurity has ever had. Formerly, the Sandhills Wildlife Game Management Area, the grounds are located near Hoffman, North Carolina. Thirty-one miles make up six one-hour courses through the Sandhills covered with open pine woods, blackjack oaks and fields where feed patches of various kinds provide cover and feed. Lyle Morgan is a name associated with the initial layout and management of the area. Effective, new management techniques through the combined efforts of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and North Carolina Field Trial Association have benefitted the quail population in the area in recent years. A clubhouse, horse barn and kennels serve as headquarters for these grounds where the first field trial was run in 1953. Given the standards and the aims of this breeders classic, Hoffman has served the Futurity well.

Certain "fixtures" have evolved over the years at Hoffman. C.H. Burgess is one. He has provided horses for those needing them, the dogwagon and coffee breaks. Hida Mae Burgess, once referred to by Dwight Smith as, "the best of the Burgess team," provided lunches a the clubhouse for many years. W.T. Garner has driven the dogwagon over many, many miles of sandy roads with reliability and safety.

Fixtures of another sort; those going to the winners, are also found. Sterling hat pins depicting flying quail, as rendered by Ed Stern from North Abington, Massachusetts, started going to the breeders and owners of the winners back in 1968. Beginning in 1977, an oil portrait of the winning dog, painted by John T. Donaldson, has gone to that owner. Starting with this Silver Anniversary running, handlers of the winning dogs will be eligible to receive points toward the Quaker Oats Professional Biskit Handler of the Year Award.