Ive never had much interest in the Super Bowl, that is until this year. To me, unless my beloved Detroit Lions were playing, the Super bowl is a bunch of hype. It never turns out to be what is expected of a meeting between two teams that are the champions of their respective divisions.
This year was different. Tom Brady, was the quarterback of the underdog New England Patriots, and Brady is a graduate of the University of Michigan, of whom I am an ardent fan. I saw Brady play several times when he was in college and so I knew the capabilities of this young man when it comes to leading a football team. I swear that during his college days he could thread the eye of a needle with that old pigskin.
So to me it wasnt any surprise when this young man, with his back against the wall, on the last series of downs, with the score tied, calmly took the Patriots from their own 17 yard line to the St Louis Rams 30 yard line. From there the Patriot field goal kicker split the uprights with the winning three pointer. It is a great thrill to say the least, when someone you believe in, comes through in stellar fashion. Brady did just that.
The same can be said for brace beagling. When the underdog comes through for you and wins a trial it is just great. When you are a young beagler out to win your first trophy its even better.
One time many years ago I saw a young mans hound come through just like the Patriots did in the Super Bowl. Here is how the story goes.
A friend of mine where I work wanted to buy a beagle pup for his son. The mans name was Ralph Thwing and his sons name is James. Ralph, along with his father Lee, were field trialers, but had not been active for several years. Ralph wanted to get his son interested in the sport. He considered brace beagling to be a healthy outlet for a young mans talents.
I hardly ever sold field trial prospects before they were started but this year the Thwings were in luck. That season I had bred several bitches and they all had larger than normal litters and so I had about 28 pups on hand. I lived in the city and there was no way I was going to keep all those pups. So I was ripe to sell a pup. Besides, I wanted to help a father get his son interested in beagling.
James and his father showed up at my kennel one afternoon and James picked out a pup that was out of an old Martins Stub bitch I owned called Green Light Misty. Some of you may remember that Martins Stub was right out of Pearson Creek Stub, one of the greatest prolific producers of all times. I had bred Misty to Field Champion Big Rock Hobo, who was standing at stud in Michigan with a man named J.C. Perry. James promptly named the pup Marie. I can still recall the smile on that young mans face as he loaded Marie in the car and he and his father pulled out the drive way and headed down road.
James started the pup before the summer was over and although Marie never finished, she did turn out to be a pretty fair brace trial hound.
It was about a year and a half later during the fall. Red Ceder Beagle Club was having a sanctioned trial. l called James up and said to him, lets go to a field trial tomorrow. So early the next morning we loaded up and headed out.
The bright early morning sun was at our backs as we headed west on Interstate 69. It was going to be a beautiful Michigan fall day and we were set to enjoy ourselves. Little did we realize to what extend the enjoyment would be.
I was going to judge the trial that day and as the hounds were called for the fifteen-inch class I remember there were about seven or eight braces. Of course, Jamess Marie was one of the hounds.
Time blots out our memories and unless particular runs are outstanding most become non-descript in our minds. First series was like that for me that morning. All I remember is that James had Marie back second high hound in second series. However, setting on top of the heap was a very formidable field champion bitch that belonged to a famous Michigan beagler named Don Helmer. At that time Helmer was one of Michigans finest breeders of brace trial dogs. Don and Roy Crowley were partners for many years and their combined kennel name of Don-Mar may ring a bell for many of you. Don has since past away but Roy is still active running and finishing males and judging licensed trials.
Anyway, as we measured the dogs for second series I began to feel bad for James. The thought ran through my mind, there could be no way in the world that Marie was going to beat one of Don Helmers great field champion bitches. I had witness this bitch finishing at Great Lakes during the first licensed trial in Michigan the previous summer and I knew she was great. I was anticipating a long ride home for James and I with James clutching a red second place ribbon. Don would be driving home with another trophy to add to the collection that nearly lined both sides of the wall of his family room.
Red Ceder Beagle Club is noted for being one of the toughest clubs to run dogs at in the whole state of Michigan. In those days it was even tougher as a large grove of medium high pine trees covered most of the front of the grounds. This was where the high brace in second series was set down.
The first series that day may have been non-descript but the memory of the high brace in second series still resides deep within my mind. Like many of those great runs we all remember that brace is easy to recall, even after all this time.
As I remember, Don Helmers bitch took the front, tracking the rabbit perfectly with Marie coming from the back claiming every track. This perfection continued for a few minutes until the two females came to a bare spot of ground about ten feet or so wide. Don Helmers bitch quickly skirted out. Marie sat down and claimed every track across that bare stuff. I couldnt believe my eyes. What had gotten into that field champion of Don's? Would she flub up again?
Dons bitch got back into the run and shortly the hounds came to another bare spot and I couldnt believe my eyes! Dons bitch did the same thing again. She skirted out leaving out about ten feet of line. Marie sat down, slowly but methodically claiming each and every track, just had she had done the time before. Dons bitch again joined Marie. However, her claim this time signaled clearly to we judges that the brace was over. Marie had thoroughly beaten the great field champion bitch of Don Helmers and it was time to get the pair off the ground. The brace had to be flipped. James had himself a winner.
Not to say the least, James was elated. He had won his first field trial. I can still see him clutching that trophy as we headed east on Interstate 69, with the sun shining in the back window of my old El Camino. Only this time it was glistening off the cherished trophy James was holding.
So, like the underdog Patriots, with the young Michigan quarteback named Brady at the helm, beating the St Louis Rams a couple of weeks ago, Jamess hound named Marie had accomplished the unthinkable. She had defeated Don Helmers great bitch. In the process this made James a very happy young man and moreover a lifetime beagler. Just like the New England Patriots and their quarterback Tom Brady, the underdog came through.