Miller's Speed Dial on his championship run at Ames Plantation. 2020 marked the 121st running of the National Championship for Field Trialing Bird Dogs. Photo by J. Evans, courtesy Ames Plantation.

GRAND JUNCTION, TN – The contest that determines the top “pointing dog” in the country has named a new winner.

Miller’s Speed Dial, a male English Pointer earned the title 2020 National Champion of Field Trialing Bird Dogs following a multi-day contest at Ames Plantation in Grand, Junction, Tennessee. Miller’s Speed Dial is owned and handled by Gary Lester of Gracie, Kentucky.

The National Championship of Field Trialing Bird Dogs tests the hunting skills, strength and endurance of an elite group of canines, who are judged on how well they run an expansive course and how many coveys of quail they find. A total of 36 dogs qualified to compete in the 2020 contest.

This is the first win for Miller’s Speed Dial, although his sire, Miller’s Dialing In, was named National Champion in 2015. This marks the fifth National Championship for Lester as a handler.

The 121st running of the National Championship began February 10 and ended February 21. Dogs ran the championship course in pairs, with a total of two braces each day. This schedule continued daily (excluding Sunday) until all braces were complete. Championship officials say the 2020 contest was notable for harsh weather conditions.

For more information on the 2020 National Championship, including photos, videos and a brief summary of each brace, visit amesplantation.org. The website also offers more information on the prestigious history of The National Championship, which has been held at Ames since 1915.

Ames Plantation is privately owned and operated by Successor Trustees of the Hobart Ames Foundation through the Will of the late Julia Colony Ames. The plantation’s 18,400 acres of land are made available to University of Tennessee AgResearch as one of 10 UT AgResearch and Education centers located across Tennessee.