Twenty years ago in 1996, the City of Union Springs and the Tourism Council of Bullock County dedicated a life-size bronze statue to honor to the eleven people honored by the Bird Dog Field Trial Hall of Fame. Fittingly, the statue sculpted by Bob Wehleby is of an English Pointer, and in particular, the great National Champion Pointer, Elhew’s Snakefoot.
Honoring the people (and dogs) who excelled in the field trial sport began in the late 1930’s by people who knew exactly how much time goes into training such a dog.
Union Springs is known as the “Bird Dog Field Trial Capital of the World.” Bird dog competitions, commonly known as Field Trials, both professional and amateur, date back to the early 1920s in Bullock County. What originally began as two buildings cobbled together is now over 30,000 square feet, with multiple wings, a library, and a wildlife heritage center to preserve history and help with education into the future. A Retriever Field Trial Hall of Fame, initiated in 1992, is located in the museum’s newest wing, dedicated in February 2004 as the National Retriever Museum.
Given that we’re facing a Monday morning, we thought we’d cheer you up with an oldie, but a goodie.