Youth Field Trial Alliance of Southwest Georgia
The Red Hills has a Youth Field Trial Alliance and youth in this area are encouraged to participate and locals are invited to attend and support these youth carrying on the tradition of field trials.
Purpose:
Our primary purpose is to promote, aid and expand the magnificent sport of pointing dog field trials for youth handlers across the United States. The benefits of field trials to youngsters and young adults include promoting physical and mental health and a lifelong love of the outdoors, dogs, horses and upland birds. Involvement in the sport teaches responsibility caring for animals, instills confidence and good sportsmanship, and nurtures an interest in wildlife conservation and involvement in our sporting life.
How We Do It:
We promote youth field trials through public education at game fairs, through magazine stories and other media and hands-on participation. Last November we conducted our 4th youth handler demonstration at Kevin’s Southern Game Fair where youth handlers demonstrated their skills handling field trial bird dogs and walking horses.
FTA helps field trial clubs hosting youth events financially, purchasing ribbons & trophies, paying entry fees, etc. and through promotion, as well as in our attendance helping with judging, marshaling and reporting. In Southwest Georgia and North Florida alone we actively promoted and aided five youth trials this past field trial season:
- Inaugural Nancy Abbott Youth Field Trial (Pinewoods Plantation, Monticello, FL)
- Inaugural Round Pond Youth Classic (Round Pond Plantation, Leesburg, GA)
- Inaugural Southern FTC Youth Field Trial (Nilo Plantation, Albany, GA). Over 100 people were in attendance!
- Inaugural John Abbott YFT (Pinion Point Plantation, Quitman, GA).
- For the 5th time, the Butch Bennett Memorial YFT (Old Meridian Plantation, FL)
Awareness and support for youth field trials is growing every year! Through our multi-pronged approach and thanks to financial contributions from enthusiastic field trial supporters and the sporting community at large, YFTA will continue to have a positive impact on both youth and adult engagement in the field trial sport. Progress does not always come easily or quickly but with this past youth field trial season’s enormous successes, we feel ever motivated. The fun had by the kids and their families at youth trials fuels their passion for this sport which is exactly what we hope for!
Thanks especially to Kevin’s for their generosity and support from our founding in 2019. We value your partnership and are honored to have you part of YFTA’s efforts to help keep this age-old community alive and thriving.
Below is the 2024/2025 schedule.
For More Information:
https://youthfieldtrialalliance.org/ and find us on Facebook at Youth Field Trial Alliance and the Strideaway Group.
