The winning brace at the national

[gspman]

Touch’s White Out (Sam)

The winning brace

By Brad Harter

Touch’s White Out, better known by his fans as Sam, may be one of the youngest dogs to win the National Championship in recent years. A first year all-age dog, Sam qualified for the 2011 National by winning The Carroll County All-age a year ago while still a derby. He followed that win with his second qualifying title coming in March of last year when he won the All American Derby Championship. Sam was runner-up in the Georgia Derby Championship last year and also won the Fitch Farm Derby trial along with numerous other derby placements.

Sam was bred by Gary Lester and was originally registered as Lester’s White Out. Since his puppy days he was in the capable hands of Gary Lester and Ike Todd. Last spring Sam was sold to Tommy Leisfield who sent him north for summer training with Rick Furney. When Tommy decided to sell Sam in Oct. of this last year, Ike and Keith Wright jumped at the chance to Get Sam back in their string. In early November they began to prepare him for the National Championship. The last two months were spent in South Georgia and west Tennessee getting Sam into as many birds as possible and creating that biddable relationship that is so crucial to winning at Ames.

Ike knew that the key would be to have Sam’s mind right, if he was to win the National. Ike had played a key role two years ago when he and Gary Lester had honed Lester’s Snowatch for his winning bid in the National and Ike knew the key would be to get Sam handling kindly with his focus on finding birds for the entire three hours.

Sam had been drawn to run the first Saturday morning. For the first five days of the trial the weather had been unseasonably warm with higher than normal humidity. Sam received his first big break when weather conditions moderated becoming almost perfect for finding birds. Saturday dawned cloudy, overcast and the temperatures were only in the mid-fifties and they were not expected to rise as the morning wore on. Humidity which had been high all week had dropped to a comfortable 43%.

When Ike turned Sam loose, he rimmed the first big field and then looked to Ike for direction. That was the moment that Ike knew he had the connection he would need for the next three hours. The morning course makes a hard turn to the left and many handlers won’t risk sending their dogs to the right for fear of losing them. Ike took that risk and sent Sam towards the cutover pine hill. Sam’s brace mate, Strut, took the lower side of the hill and pointed a covey not ten minutes into the brace. Sam made a bigger swing on the hill disappearing over the top. Ike rode the front displaying full confidence in his young dog. When we crossed the first road Sam was up front making that first difficult swing look easy. Ike knew that his cards were starting to fall in place but Sam started to favor a foot and came to Ike for help. Ike dismounted and found Sam had run a cotton stub clear into his foot which Ike quickly removed. Within seconds Sam pushed any pain aside and continued with bold, strong cast to the front still staying in touch with his handler. After crossing Turner Road, Sam made one of his biggest casts forward which carried him to the far side of the big Turner crop field. A white speck on the horizon, Sam swung into the wind and established point with Strut backing him from more than 50 yards away. Sam’s birds were perfectly located, his style and manners at the flush were perfection. Turned loose Sam took the front once more with a big swing toward the Turner Pines. Crossing the pond Dam Sam threw his head into the wind spinning to the right and locking into point for his second find. Ike quickly flushed a single bird 20 feet in front of his stylish dog. Sam’s connection to Ike was becoming obvious to anyone that understands a bird dog.

Ike was riding the front and staying right in front of the judges. Sam was seen to take the far left side of the course when we entered the Mary Scott loop. Ike was off to the side looking for him and when he appeared to the front Keith Wright, Sam’s co-owner took over handling. Far to the front Sam disappeared from view where Dr. Rick Carlisle spotted him pointed in heavy cover. Ike was back in charge at this point and he flushed a big covey far in front of his stylish dog putting number on three in the books.

Crossing the road once again, the course makes a difficult swing through the locust turn but Sam continued to pop up out front showing an uncanny sense to know where Ike was and which way the course was heading. By this point Sam had settled into a stride which could carry him for the grueling three hours. Crossing Turner Road once again Sam made a big swing around the Morgan Swamp and headed for National Championship Drive. Ike called point when Sam was just a speck far to the front. Birds began to lift and a sleeper single was spotted leaving as the judges rode to the stylish dog for his fourth find in less than two hours.

Across the road Sam was taking in big bites of country to the right side of the course. Ike rode over to where he could watch and soon spotted Sam on point on a distant edge before the Keegan ditch crossing. It was a big covey of birds, once again perfectly located for this stylish young dog. Sam was on a mission and keyed into finding birds.

As we entered the Edward Clark Field north near the location of the old bird pens during Mr. Ames era, Sam once again crossed the front going to the left. Something caught his attention and he once more threw his head into the wind swinging back to the right. Within seconds he slammed into point with his sixth covey perfectly located 30 feet in front of him.

From this part of the course on there are few turns. Sam took each field rimming the edges and ducking into cover when the opportunity presented itself. When we crossed the last road heading towards the Morgan Swamp Ike called Sam to him giving him a drink of water and a quick shot of honey. Sam took the right edge of the swamp going to the far end more than 400 yards away. As time was called Sam was just a speck and then he was gone. Ike rode around the corner to find Sam once again on point. All three judges rode to the find and watched as Ike once again flushed for the perfectly mannered dog. It was not a find that would count officially, but it was still icing on the cake for all that had witnessed this incredible performance by a young dog and his 28 year old handler, both making their first appearance in a National Championship.