The contest that determines the top “pointing dog” in the country will begin soon at the historic Ames Plantation in Grand Junction, Tn.
The National Championship of Field Trialing Bird Dogs is a multi-day event that tests the hunting skills, strength and endurance of an elite group of canines who are judged on how well they run and how many coveys of quail they find. A total of 42 dogs qualified to compete in the 2017 contest.
The 118th National Championship for Field Trialing Bird Dogs kicks off Saturday evening when the official drawing for the order of the running will take place.
It’s there that anxious dog owners and handlers will learn what day their dog will compete in this prestigious event. The drawing begins at 7 p.m. at Ames Plantation’s Bryan Hall.
The first day of actual competition will be Monday.
Dogs run the championship course in pairs, with a total of two braces each day. The morning brace will be held at 8 a.m. An afternoon brace will begin at approximately 1:30 p.m. This schedule will continue daily (excluding Sunday) until all braces are complete.
Visitors are welcome to visit Ames Plantation and watch The National in person. Or you can follow the action online at amesplantation.org. A brief summary of each brace, complete with photos, will be on the website at the end of each day’s running. The website also offers more information on the prestigious history of The National Championship.
Ames Plantation is privately owned and operated by Successor Trustees of the Hobart Ames Foundation through the Will of the late Julia Colony Ames. The plantation’s 18,400 acres of land are made available to University of Tennessee AgResearch as one of the 10 Research and Education Centers located across Tennessee.
Officials said, "Through its mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions." More information can be found at ag.tennessee.edu.