2007 Quail Unlimited National Dog of the Year Competition Held in Missouri, National Champion Awarded

Fairview, Missouri--(March 29, 2007)—  “At Quail Unlimited we are always exploring the passion of our sport and all of its elements. None can be more focused, more enjoyable or more fun than that of our relationship with our dogs as they work for the joy of the hunt and simply to please us. That passion and pure joy could not be better represented than the totally successful Quail Unlimited National Dog of The Year fund raising event held at the 4-B’s Hunting Resort in Fairview, MO March 22^nd to the 25^th”said Craig Alderman, Director of Marketing for QU. The field of 63 dogs in the pointing division assembled a group of enthusiasts from New Mexico, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Texas, and many states in between. “This is a very fair platform, a great venue, not based on someone’s opinion of a dog, but on the performance of the dog in the field” stated Andy Anderson who traveled over 900 miles to compete in the Nationals with his dog “Hoss”. “What I found too, the competitors are not clickish, we are having a great time together, this whole thing is a lot of fun, the best I have ever seen and Quail Unlimited is to be congratulated for creating the opportunity for us” Anderson Emphasized.

The assembled dogs and their handlers, competing for cash and prizes, showed the excitement as anticipation of the 2007 QU National championships got underway. “We are trying a new venue, a new way for dog owners and their dogs to enjoy the hunting environment using the National Upland Classic Series format, sanctioned by the National Kennel Club, and be graded on how, as a team, they perform together in the field” stated Hal Brown, trial chairman. “The series puts all dogs on an equal footing, each dog is guaranteed two, 20 minute runs on three birds each. The dog and handler are graded during those runs and awarded points for the dog’s behavior, point, retrieval and the harvest. The run is also timed and the faster the dog can find, point and retrieve the birds, the added points can make the difference” said Brown. The top 15 dogs will then compete in the final run for the Championship.

When all the points were added, the winner was “Lucy”, a nine year old setter handled and owned by Steve Mobley, of Aurora, Missouri. “This is a wonderful venue, the fun and camaraderie made the competition that much more interesting and the challenge is the same for all competitors so it is truly up to you and your dog and how you perform. Winning this is the best compliment I can give to Lucy, she performed the best today and I was lucky enough to keep up with her enthusiasm” said an elated Mobley on Lucy being crowned the 2007 National Champion. “Not only will we be back, but we will tell everyone we know because of Quail Unlimited, the great venue and the great people here that made us feel welcomed, this is the place to be if you have a pointing dog” emphasized Mobley.

“For Quail Unlimited, to be able to raise funds for the restoration of the wild quail and provide such a great, well attended venue, is the best combination we can imagine. I did not talk to anyone who did not have a great time, in fact we may have to include a new venue or two at the banquet, story telling and ghost stories, the tales were hilarious and truly represented a great time for all” concluded Alderman.

The next championship will include the flushing as well as pointing dogs and is being planned for this fall.

Quail Unlimited (QU) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the restoration of habitat for wild quail.  Its almost 300 chapters nationwide raise local project dollars for on-the-ground projects, including private and public land management with banquets, auctions, sporting clay events and more. QU has a highly trained staff of biologists, state and regional directors and dedicated members that work with private landowners and state and federal agencies to restore quail populations.  In 2005, Quail Unlimited chapters and partners invested over $2.2 million dollars in quail habitat improvements. For more information on QU, the Wildlife EXPO and membership go to the website at www.qu.org .