Fayette County Amateur Field Trial January 15-17 near Dancyville, Tennessee By Jim Atchison The first use of a new clubhouse, the restored use of historic field trial grounds, and memories of a deceased friend were all part of the successful running of the Fayette County Amateur Field Trial Club’s annual Amateur Trial, held January 15-17 near Dancyville, Tennessee. The three-day event was drawn to capacity, with 12 Shooting Dogs, 18 All-Age entries, and 12 Derbies entered for the running Acquisition by Blake Kukar of another two hundred acres of land, used decades ago for NBHA walking trials and for the running of the Quail Futurity, tied together other farms he already owned. His and the land of adjoining neighbors Dempsey Williams, Ed McClanahan, Allen and Bill Currie, and Craig Massey created a venue with three great one-hour courses. Dempsey Williams mapped the courses so that each one-hour brace left from and returned to the clubhouse. Each course was at least eight miles in length, and some of the courses proved to be more than needed. Having courses that are too long is a wonderful luxury in this era of land becoming more and more scarce! Having enough land upon which to conduct trials is becoming increasing difficult for many field trial clubs. The pre-release of birds coupled with wild birds on the properties enabled lots of game to be found on each course. A modest four-room house already on the land provided the start for the new Fayette County Clubhouse. Kukar remodeled the house and created adequate open space to accommodate the needs and comfort of large numbers of field trialers. Weather caused some inconvenience during the trial. Thawing of frozen ground after the recent extended cold weather period, coupled with rain during two days of the trial, presented some challenges. However, the determination of those attending ensured that everything went as scheduled. Lots of people helped Blake Kukar and Dempsey Williams make the trial a success. They include: Fayette County Deputy Sheriff Moses Allen, who provided safe road crossings for the dogs and galleries. Ken Blackman assisted with safe road crossings. Jo Williams made good lunches available each day. Blake Kukar’s mom, Linda Godwin from Atlanta, his sister, Laura Godwin from Nashville, Marsha Schlessinger, Natrilla Mace and others helped Mrs. Williams. A neighbor, Nolan Autin, cooked a great gumbo to accompany the dinner on Saturday night. Keith Wright, John Vanada, Randy Downs, Cleveland Turpin and others worked tirelessly putting out birds, marshalling, and many other jobs. David Oakleaf is a young and rising country music talent from Nashville who composes, plays and sings. On Saturday night, following dinner at the club house, he, John Vanada, and Blair Simpson entertained the group with hours of good music in an unforgettable concert experience. Oakleaf’s brilliant ability to compose on the spot was evidenced by his performance of a song he called “Norma Jean Saw A UFO.” The delightful song told of the experience of a colorful woman who lives in the community sighting a UFO and reporting her observation to Blake Kukar. Another highlight of the weekend at Dancyville for field trialers was being served a huge lunch on Saturday by the ladies at Dancyville School. The ladies at Dancyville have made tremendous efforts to save and restore the school for use as a Community Center.