Monster weekend in Alabama!
1/23/2007 9:40:19 PM
Journal entry for Tuesday, January 23, 2007
I'll be hitting the road for Eufaula tomorrow. We have some meetings planned before the big Lake Eufaula Southern Heritage Hunt and Show kicks off on Friday evening. From all the calls we've received, it appears that the entry will be strong and that translates to more money per cast win to go along with the monster $6000 Nite Hunt added purse and the $1000 added purse on the show. I look forward to seeing you there. It's going to be a good 'un!
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
The AKC Coonhound Events Team is determined to look for ways to work outside the "box" to bring more to the sport of coon hunting than anyone else. We are proud to be the innovators in a sport that can easily lanquish in the sea of tired ideas and business-as-usual attitudes.
A case in point is our desire to move the 2008 AKC World Championship to early 2008, avoiding the traffic jam of events being held in September and October each year. Coon hunters for decades have talked about having a World Hunt when the leaves are off, when a judge can walk up to a tree and say "plus" or "minus" with conviction.
We like the idea of taking the AKC World Hunt to the early part of the year, after the coon seasons and before the spring turkey seasons begin. We like the idea of eliminating the choice that many coon hunters have to make each fall in terms of which "World" they will attend. And, we like the idea of being able to bring a World Hunt to the much neglected southland when the hunting is best, avoiding all the environmental factors that make a September or early October hunt in the deep south, a difficult choice.
I had a great time in Newberry, South Carolina last Saturday where I had the privilege of addressing the general membership meeting of the South Carolina Coon Hunters Association at the invitation of President David McKee.
We discussed the possibility of bringing the AKC World Hunt to South Carolina and after a stimulating Q and A session with the members, it was moved, seconded, and approved that the SC Coon Hunter's Association will begin the search for a proper site and determine the feasibility of a strong guide network for an early-in-the-year AKC World Hunt in the Palmetto State. No, we didn't say the World Hunt is going to be in South Carolina early next year. We said we are looking at the possibilit ty if all the pieces can come together.
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN COON HUNTING AND NASCAR
Today the sports media announced the decision of Brian France of NASCAR to change the setup on the annual "Chase for the Nextel Cup." NASCAR will increase the Chase field to 12 drivers and will offer bonus points to drivers making the Chase that have won races. After 26 races, the top 12 will be determined and each will start the Chase with 5000 points. Drivers will receive 10 bonus points for each win. Remington-sponsored Kasey Kane would have started the Chase in first place this year with 5050 points under the new system considering his year-high 5 wins instead of barely making the cut. Tony Stewart, who missed the Chase in 2006 would have finished fifth.
What's all this got to do with coon hunting?
NASCAR can put the emphasis on the driver that wins the race over all other drivers because it has a level playing field for each race. The teams are competing on the same track, on the same day, under the same rules, the same officials, the same scorers, the same weather conditions, and under the microscope of NASCAR in terms of the set up on the cars. Coon hunting isn't quite like that. That's why AKC devised the "Beat the dogs you draw, that's all" philosophy.
Sure we like to see an overall winner at the big ones like the World Championship, the Black/Gold Gold Medal Events, and the AKC National Championship. But when it comes to beating all the dogs in the average "non-elimination" coon hunt in order to get a required "win" toward a title, or to earn "green stamp" points toward an annual award in a breeder's program, we believe there's no way to insure that everyone is competing on a level field. That's why all the programs we have emphasize the "cast winner." Every coon hunt consists of several "level fields" but never an overall level field where all dogs are competing under the very same conditions. The exception would be the elimination event where all cast winners advance until one winner is standing. To base awards, whether cash, trophies, or titles on a single cast score when all dogs aren’t competing together on the same ground, isn’t fair.
That’s why, when we roll out our new breeder’s program soon, the awards will be based on “beat the dogs you draw” not on beating the whole field, a field that’s not even racing on the same track.
|
