2005 Mississippi State Championship

Lula, MS – The Mississippi bottoms around Lula, Mississippi were more suited to fishing than coonhunting, but the hounds still found some business to do. Two casts scored on seven coon, one scored on five and the other four making twenty-three coon for the first round. One cast had to go back and hunt an additional 42 minutes after a panel ruled in favor of a dog that had been unjustly scratched. The other three cast winners agreed to hold the finals Saturday night in order to allow time to finish the first cast. Saturday night the weather dropped, wind gusts up to 38 miles per hour and the temp down to 21 degrees. The cast winner’s final score was 100 minus although two coons were scored. On two trees the dogs were treed next door to the coon. Dogs were obviously wind treeing the coon and were on the wrong tree. Dogs finished as:


1st – Cowboy
Roger Johnson, Owner
Jarvis Umphers, Handler

2nd – Judy
Lee Weatherford, Owner
Rochelle McGee, Handler

Snag
Massengill/Taylor, Owner
Benny Taylor, Handler

Rider
Umphers/Granberry, Owner
John Granberry, Handler

Dickey Deaton did an outstanding job judging and Jeff Byrd guided the cast during difficult to impossible conditions.

Friday Night Open Event:
Sixteen entries

Judge and Guide: Wesley Willard

1st – Lacey
Wood/Wallace, Owner
Justin Wallace, Handler

2nd – Jenny Rat
Billy Joe Ladner, Owner/Handler

3rd – Braveheart
Jerry McCullar, Owner/Handler

4th – Moon
J. C. Ellis, Owner
Jim Burden, Handler

Friday Night Pup Derby
Thirteen Entries

Judge and Guide: Randy Smith

1st – Smackdown
Vogel/Deaton, Owner
Gene Driggers, Handler

2nd - Money
J. C. Ellis, Owner
Bill Morris, Handler

3rd – Outlaw
Thomas Roland, Owner
Rod Emery, Handler

4th – Hickory
Blanton/Roland, Owner
Brad Mitchell, Handler

Saturday Night Open Event
Eleven Entries Split

Lacey, Wood/Wallace/Johnson, Owner
Justin Wallace, Handler

Hooker
Jason Miller, Owner
Lynn Johnson, Handler

Buck
Dewey Jones, Owner
Levon Jones, Handler

Saturday Night Pup Derby
Twelve Entries Split

Rusty
Warren/Warren, Owner
Marty Warren, Handler

Live Wire
Pickle/Hopkins, Owner
David Pickle, Handler

Wendy
Clark/Moser, Owner
Jeremy Moser, Handler

Report submitted by: Jarvis Umphers