Many thanks to Darron Hendley whose many National Shooting Dog Championship catalogs from past years, Tony Gibson and Bernie Matthys of the American Field for other pertinent materials and information used to compile the historic of this important amateur championship still held on the grounds it was founded on, Sedgefield Plantation, Union Springs, Alabama. If anyone has additional information or corrections, please let us know. National Amateur Free-for-All Championship
The June 10, 1967 issue of the American Field held the announcement of the inaugural running of the National Amateur Chicken Championship. With the 2018 – 2019 championship beginning on September 9th and run on the famous Mortlach grounds in Saskatchewan, read about the history of this prestigious event for all-age dogs. National Amateur Chicken Championship
Learn about this prestigious championship on ring-necked pheasant first run in Crooksville, Ohio in 1958 with 21 starters.
National Amateur Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship
Read about this historic championship on the only species of migratory game bird run on in field trials! International Amateur Woodcock Championship
Many thanks to amateur field trialer, reporter Steve Standley for his diligence in uncovering this hard-to-find information that was found in fourissues of the American Field from 1951 and 1952. In time for this year’s running of the National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship and accompanying Amateur Derby Championship, here is the latest National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship history.
Read about the second in the roster of National amateur championship at the time named the “Amateur Pheasant Dog Championship” established 15 years after the first event contested on quail…today’s National Amateur Quail Championship.
Read about Ruffed Grouse and the founding of the National Amateur Grouse Championship and the inaugural running on October 13, 1978.
Read Torben Hansen’s wonderful history of both the National Amateur Chukar (All-Age) and Shooting Dog Championships
Read Frank LaNasa’s history of this prestigious championship run on one of the most difficult to handle wild game birds. National Amateur Prairie Chicken Shooting Dog Championship
“Shanghai Express, white, liver and ticked pointer dog, coming like Lochinvar from out of the West, but for the past year the property of Dr. Frank H. Lahey of Boston, Mass., is the winner of the annual Amateur Championship of the Association of Amateur Field Trial Clubs of America.
The runner-up is a white, black, tan and ticked setter dog, Sport’s Peerless, owned by Louis M. Bobbitt of Winston-Salem, N.C. Both dogs were handled by their owners and that makes the victory even more distinctive. Thirty-three dogs were originally drawn to run in the stake, but owing to last minute withdrawals thirty-one actually competed. Nevertheless, it is a new record and attests the popularity of this rapidly growing amateur movement in field trials, which has indeed spread over the country like wild fire.”
Reporter A. F. Hochwalt, February 17, 1934 edition of the American Field