Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/742011
S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S • 89 T he shimmer of frost on the little bluestem and the almost molten glow of the Indiangrass when dawn's light floods the prairies . . . the pageantry of stylish bird dogs ranging ahead and the anticipation of the drama about to unfold when they stack up on point…the heart-pounding thrill of whirring wings and the decisive whump-whump of fine shotguns brought into play . . . the sweet sounds of "Hunt dead!" and "Nice shooting" and the peppery char of gunsmoke spicing the air of a cool November morning . . . the soft, warm weight of that handful of feathers in your hand and that gratifying tension as the game bag swells against the small of your back . . . the bonds of camaraderie established, of friendships forged and renewed, of traditions upheld and even exalted . . . Since 1967 these and many other attractions have brought high-profile sportsmen from all corners of the country and all walks of life—athletics, business, entertainment, politics, the outdoor industry, even the space program—to Enid, in northwestern Oklahoma, for the Grand National Quail Hunt. Conducted on a number of ranches and leases within an 80-mile radius of this city of 50,000, it's one of the oldest and most successful events of its kind. Over the course of two days some 60 shooters vie, both as teams and individuals, for quail hunting supremacy in several categories of competition—although there's nothing more important at stake than bragging rights, a handsome plaque, and the opportunity to be invited to return. This year's hunt was the 50th, and it's hard to scroll through the long, star-studded list of past participants without your jaw going a little slack. Just to drop a few famous names, though, how about the guy who wore number 7 for the New York Yankees and is one of the most revered of Oklahoma's native sons, the legendary Mickey Mantle? Yep, he was there. So was another pretty gundogs by tom davis Here's to tHe next 50 grand national quail Hunts. fair country ballplayer and fellow Oklahoman, a catcher by the name of Bench, along with a guy who caught a few footballs named Largent and a guy who ran them named Csonka. Dave Butz, the mountain-like former defensive lineman for the Washington Redskins, was such an active and enthusiastic participant that in 2012 he was inducted into the Grand National Quail Hunt Hall of Fame! Another GNQH Hall-of-Famer whose name may ring a bell, from the class of 1987, is the fondly remembered Tennessee Ernie Ford. (Apparently it was no accident that one of his biggest hits was "Shotgun Boogie.") Picker-and-grinner Roy Clark is another Hall-of-Famer, class of '94, and the Cherokee Cowboy himself, the great Ray Price, shot at Enid several times. So did Roy Rogers (speaking of cowboys), and Indy 500 winner Al Unser, and eight-time major golf champion Tom Watson, and General Norman Schwarzkopf, and Texas Governor John Connally, who attended that inaugural hunt way back in '67. Grits Gresham, Curt Gowdy, and Ted Trueblood, who need no introduction to Actor Dale Robertson "wields" a gag gun during festivities at the 1974 Grand National Quail Hunt. Watching are (l-r): GNQH then president Tim Crowley, Lew Meibergen, and Harold Groendyke.