Walker and Smith win Junior Super Stakes

Aurora, KY - A lot of wannabe authors have begun their tales with, "It was a dark and stormy night." Add m e to the list. In weather conditions that try men's souls, the Junior Super Stakes Championship was decided tonight somewhere near Murray, Kentucky. Tornado warnings and rain "so hard against the truck that I couldn't hear the radio calls coming from the cast," according to Purina's Harold Kirkes, made the cast a real challenge for the handlers and officials alike.

Death Wish, a pup bought recently from Ryan Crowson of Oklahoma is a littermate to the Witch Doctor pup hunted by T. John Treadwell. She did what she had to do on a bad night tonight, scoring first and first on the only coon treed on the cast. For the other two hounds in the cast, the weather took its toll.

Buck Creek Lill, handled by Don Dunlap went out first on a 15-minute violation. The Gentle Ben dog, owned by PKC's Larry Meeks and handled by Billy Ray Vincent went out next as Vincent withdrew in the last few minutes of the hunt. That opened the road to victory for Death Wish.

The win paid $12,000 in U.S. greenbacks and the 2004 Junior Super Stakes Champion title as well. The title, a first Super Stakes win for Smith can be added to a resume that includes a PKC World Championship, a PKC National Championship, and a Pro-division Champion title among others.

The Harrisburg, Illinois handler's secret may lie in his ability to recognize winners and to persuade his partner, Terry Walker to close the deal on them. He's definitely come up with another great from the great reproducer Rat Attack.

Congratulations to Terry and Ronnie on this terrific win and yes, it came on a dark and extremely stormy Kentucky night.

PHOTO – Left to right are Jewel Smith, Ronnie Smith, Juwana Smith, and Terry Walker with Death Wish, the 2004 Junior Super Stakes Champion.

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