The Smith Setter Celebration
Posted 07/06/2025
It’s tough to beat the warm days and cool nights of Georgia in the Spring. The high heat and humidity, the kind that drives field trailers in droves to the Dakotas, the Rockies, or Canada, hasn’t yet hit. The sounds of songbirds float on the light-variable winds, while the thundering gobbles of Eastern wild turkeys echo through the fields and draws. Bird doggers hear them, but they’re really listening for the ‘poor Bob White’ whistle. Gentleman Bob has been an important part of life on the land off of Ben Hatcher Road for a long time.
Lots of coveys of birds are part of what helps develop championship dogs, both of which is some of what attracted folks from far and wide to this First Annual Smith Celebration held at Smith Setters Plantation. In between the kennel and the paddock were tags on trucks and trailers that ranged from New England to North Dakota, from Texas to Florida, and from all points in between. If Waynesboro, Georgia is the Bird Dog Capital of the World then Smith Setter Plantation very well might be the epicenter.
This horseback shooting dog field trial was a marathon, and it began on March 7, 2025 and ran for over two and a half weeks. I chatted with Doug Ray early one morning while the dew burned off. Doug’s folks are legends, the Hall of Fame handler Harold Ray and his mom, Sherry Ray Ebert, one of the earliest women field trialers, a two-time nominee to the Hall of Fame, and the first woman handler to win an open shooting dog championship. He’s been adding to their legacy with a shine of his own.
“What would Harold be doing if there wasn’t a trial going on?” I asked.
“Burning,” said Doug.
“Starts as soon as hunting season ends?”
“He’s all about getting after it. But to be honest, we thought we’d start at the end of the week. It’ll be a ways out, though, there are 103 registrations. Don’t get me wrong, Dad’s all about the trial, but he’s not pleased that he’s going to start burning when he’d normally be finishing.”
“He’s anxious to get going.”
“Put it this way, if the handlers running in the last brace don’t want their dogs to get hot feet they better pick ‘em up, quick.”
Focus, intensity, and commitment has been a cornerstone of life at Smith Setters Plantation beginning when Elwin and Inez Smith became seasonal residents. After the end of World War II, the Wexford, Pennsylvania couple began competing in cover dog field trials. They experienced a lot of success, and their first champion was Skyrocket Pride’s Hank, a setter dog line bred by Robert Carson from Sam Light’s FTCH Sam L’s Skyrocket. Hank won the 1948 Grouse Futurity and that dog, among others, inspired the Smiths to want to develop a line of smart hunting and smart looking setters. In the early 1960’s they began buying neighboring farms and ultimately amassed over 2000 acres of rolling hills, fields rimmed with oaks and a variety of pines, and creek bottoms that became the Smith Setters Plantation that we know today. In 1964, they hired Harold Ray and his then wife Sherry Ray Ebert, as their private handlers, trainers, and plantation managers to help them achieve their dream. When they weren’t breeding, training or campaigning dogs, Harold was cultivating the land. He began burning long before the practice became as popular as sunburn, and he planted, cut and thinned until there were two 800-acre courses and one 400-acre course that were a masterpiece of quail habitat. They built a kennel, horse barns, paddocks, and sheds to support the emerging operation.
With that kind of focused, intense effort it was no surprise that winning quickly came calling. Harold won his first championship in 1969 with Susan’s Ladybird (Highlander’s Duffy x Skylight’s Susan). His other dogs like Righteous Dan, Duffy’s Moon Maid, Cash Master, Amber among others became well known in the winner’s circle.
But think about it; if you were given the opportunity to create a consistently successful line of English setters, where would you start? To create that line of English setters Harold started with an assessment. He reasoned that champion shooting dogs had longer legs and bodies that provided them with speed, range and power. Those dogs were bold and ran hard with character, style, and stamina. They had a natural drive and were heat tolerant. But something was missing, something that Harold reasoned could be filled by genes from a championship cover dog. Cover dogs were slightly smaller than shooting dogs, with males being between 50-55 pounds and females ranging between 40-45 pounds. Their smaller size made them athletic dogs that were light on their feet, an attribute which kept them from easily tiring. Cover dogs had outstanding noses and bird smarts, and a biddable nature, so what’s not to like?
Harold’s unique way of thinking is represented in the pairing of CH Susan’s Ladybird to Grouse Ridge John, the winner of the 1965 Pennsylvania Grouse Championship. Ray believed that combining a cover dog champion with a shooting dog champion would create an elevated standard. That first lock produced CH Tomoka who went on to sire another six champions and 138 winning setters. Four Smith Setters—CH Tomoka, CH The Performer, CH Destinare, and CH Bonafide--landed in the National Bird Dog Museum’s Field Trial Hall of Fame. Harold’s 80 championships, 67 RUCHs, and over 20 futurity wins made him an easy selection for the Field Trial Hall of Fame, too.
For decades, Sherry Ray Ebert, has been a roll model for women field trailers. She handled Her Grace to win the 1987-1988 Setter Derby of the Year award which she followed up with her becoming the first woman to win the Eastern Open Shooting Dog title which was in 1989 with The Performer. Sherry was one of the early women trainers, handlers, breeders, and judges who also scouted 25 champions to 60 titles. Sherry was a founder of the Ga-Lina Amateur Field Trial Club, and helped defeat North Dakota Bill #1499 which would have shuttered summer training for out-of-state trainers. Sherry was twice nominated for induction to the Hall of Fame.
An idea for an event to celebrate the Smith Setter legacy sprouted over a year ago during a conversation about—what else—a dog. Joe Cincotta, the President and Director of the Setter Cub of America, reached out to Doug Ray to see about getting a dog transported from the National Open Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship out east. “One thing led to another, and Doug and I started talking about the current state of field trials, how field trialing has changed over the years, and ways to increase participation,” Cincotta said. “Doug mentioned that back in the day, Smith Setters Plantation regularly held field trials. The next thing I know is that we’re talking about the Smith’s, Harold Ray, and Sherry Ray Ebert’s impact on dogs and our sport. We agreed that The Elwin Smith Amateur Shooting Dog Classic and The Inez Smith Open Shooting Dog Classic should be held at Smith Setters Plantation, that we should honor women in our sport, and that we should have a big event to celebrate it all. A year later, here we are.”
Their planning gathered momentum it spread rapidly. Marty Robinson, the president of the Southern Bird Hunters Association (SBHA) and an event sponsor and marshal is used to hosting and running trials. “But this event was different,” he said. “The idea for a trial that honored and celebrated the past while looking towards the future generated a lot of interest from a lot of different people. Sherry Ray Ebert, Jason Williams, David Huffine, and Ashby Morgan were judges. Margaret Drew was the reporter. Chris Mathan was the photographer, graphic designer, and marketing arm. I was one of the marshals along with Doug Ray, Lea Ray, Aimee Atkins, Anna Cruse, and Brian Sanchez. Joe Cincotta served as the chairman, and Harold Ray was the grand marshal. There were so many other people and companies who supported the event, and we thankfully had so many people pitch in.”
Some folks came to compete, others to run on the legendary Smith Plantation, and those who wanted to escape the cold. Perhaps Doug Ray said it best. “I’m thankful to both of my parents and the Smiths, because the result of their efforts have helped me get to where I am today.” That thought applies to many people, organizations, and companies, too. Being part of something bigger than ourselves always makes us feel good. We feel love, honor, respect, all of which begets Hope and Faith. Don’t despair if you weren’t able to attend the March 2025 event; there’s already talk about next year. To help pass the time, read Margaret Drew’s excellent report on the Strideaway page here. It’ll make you want to save some vacation time around the 2026 dates.
Lots of coveys of birds are part of what helps develop championship dogs, both of which is some of what attracted folks from far and wide to this First Annual Smith Celebration held at Smith Setters Plantation. In between the kennel and the paddock were tags on trucks and trailers that ranged from New England to North Dakota, from Texas to Florida, and from all points in between. If Waynesboro, Georgia is the Bird Dog Capital of the World then Smith Setter Plantation very well might be the epicenter.
This horseback shooting dog field trial was a marathon, and it began on March 7, 2025 and ran for over two and a half weeks. I chatted with Doug Ray early one morning while the dew burned off. Doug’s folks are legends, the Hall of Fame handler Harold Ray and his mom, Sherry Ray Ebert, one of the earliest women field trialers, a two-time nominee to the Hall of Fame, and the first woman handler to win an open shooting dog championship. He’s been adding to their legacy with a shine of his own.
“What would Harold be doing if there wasn’t a trial going on?” I asked.
“Burning,” said Doug.
“Starts as soon as hunting season ends?”
“He’s all about getting after it. But to be honest, we thought we’d start at the end of the week. It’ll be a ways out, though, there are 103 registrations. Don’t get me wrong, Dad’s all about the trial, but he’s not pleased that he’s going to start burning when he’d normally be finishing.”
“He’s anxious to get going.”
“Put it this way, if the handlers running in the last brace don’t want their dogs to get hot feet they better pick ‘em up, quick.”
Focus, intensity, and commitment has been a cornerstone of life at Smith Setters Plantation beginning when Elwin and Inez Smith became seasonal residents. After the end of World War II, the Wexford, Pennsylvania couple began competing in cover dog field trials. They experienced a lot of success, and their first champion was Skyrocket Pride’s Hank, a setter dog line bred by Robert Carson from Sam Light’s FTCH Sam L’s Skyrocket. Hank won the 1948 Grouse Futurity and that dog, among others, inspired the Smiths to want to develop a line of smart hunting and smart looking setters. In the early 1960’s they began buying neighboring farms and ultimately amassed over 2000 acres of rolling hills, fields rimmed with oaks and a variety of pines, and creek bottoms that became the Smith Setters Plantation that we know today. In 1964, they hired Harold Ray and his then wife Sherry Ray Ebert, as their private handlers, trainers, and plantation managers to help them achieve their dream. When they weren’t breeding, training or campaigning dogs, Harold was cultivating the land. He began burning long before the practice became as popular as sunburn, and he planted, cut and thinned until there were two 800-acre courses and one 400-acre course that were a masterpiece of quail habitat. They built a kennel, horse barns, paddocks, and sheds to support the emerging operation.
With that kind of focused, intense effort it was no surprise that winning quickly came calling. Harold won his first championship in 1969 with Susan’s Ladybird (Highlander’s Duffy x Skylight’s Susan). His other dogs like Righteous Dan, Duffy’s Moon Maid, Cash Master, Amber among others became well known in the winner’s circle.
But think about it; if you were given the opportunity to create a consistently successful line of English setters, where would you start? To create that line of English setters Harold started with an assessment. He reasoned that champion shooting dogs had longer legs and bodies that provided them with speed, range and power. Those dogs were bold and ran hard with character, style, and stamina. They had a natural drive and were heat tolerant. But something was missing, something that Harold reasoned could be filled by genes from a championship cover dog. Cover dogs were slightly smaller than shooting dogs, with males being between 50-55 pounds and females ranging between 40-45 pounds. Their smaller size made them athletic dogs that were light on their feet, an attribute which kept them from easily tiring. Cover dogs had outstanding noses and bird smarts, and a biddable nature, so what’s not to like?
Harold’s unique way of thinking is represented in the pairing of CH Susan’s Ladybird to Grouse Ridge John, the winner of the 1965 Pennsylvania Grouse Championship. Ray believed that combining a cover dog champion with a shooting dog champion would create an elevated standard. That first lock produced CH Tomoka who went on to sire another six champions and 138 winning setters. Four Smith Setters—CH Tomoka, CH The Performer, CH Destinare, and CH Bonafide--landed in the National Bird Dog Museum’s Field Trial Hall of Fame. Harold’s 80 championships, 67 RUCHs, and over 20 futurity wins made him an easy selection for the Field Trial Hall of Fame, too.
For decades, Sherry Ray Ebert, has been a roll model for women field trailers. She handled Her Grace to win the 1987-1988 Setter Derby of the Year award which she followed up with her becoming the first woman to win the Eastern Open Shooting Dog title which was in 1989 with The Performer. Sherry was one of the early women trainers, handlers, breeders, and judges who also scouted 25 champions to 60 titles. Sherry was a founder of the Ga-Lina Amateur Field Trial Club, and helped defeat North Dakota Bill #1499 which would have shuttered summer training for out-of-state trainers. Sherry was twice nominated for induction to the Hall of Fame.
An idea for an event to celebrate the Smith Setter legacy sprouted over a year ago during a conversation about—what else—a dog. Joe Cincotta, the President and Director of the Setter Cub of America, reached out to Doug Ray to see about getting a dog transported from the National Open Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship out east. “One thing led to another, and Doug and I started talking about the current state of field trials, how field trialing has changed over the years, and ways to increase participation,” Cincotta said. “Doug mentioned that back in the day, Smith Setters Plantation regularly held field trials. The next thing I know is that we’re talking about the Smith’s, Harold Ray, and Sherry Ray Ebert’s impact on dogs and our sport. We agreed that The Elwin Smith Amateur Shooting Dog Classic and The Inez Smith Open Shooting Dog Classic should be held at Smith Setters Plantation, that we should honor women in our sport, and that we should have a big event to celebrate it all. A year later, here we are.”
Their planning gathered momentum it spread rapidly. Marty Robinson, the president of the Southern Bird Hunters Association (SBHA) and an event sponsor and marshal is used to hosting and running trials. “But this event was different,” he said. “The idea for a trial that honored and celebrated the past while looking towards the future generated a lot of interest from a lot of different people. Sherry Ray Ebert, Jason Williams, David Huffine, and Ashby Morgan were judges. Margaret Drew was the reporter. Chris Mathan was the photographer, graphic designer, and marketing arm. I was one of the marshals along with Doug Ray, Lea Ray, Aimee Atkins, Anna Cruse, and Brian Sanchez. Joe Cincotta served as the chairman, and Harold Ray was the grand marshal. There were so many other people and companies who supported the event, and we thankfully had so many people pitch in.”
Some folks came to compete, others to run on the legendary Smith Plantation, and those who wanted to escape the cold. Perhaps Doug Ray said it best. “I’m thankful to both of my parents and the Smiths, because the result of their efforts have helped me get to where I am today.” That thought applies to many people, organizations, and companies, too. Being part of something bigger than ourselves always makes us feel good. We feel love, honor, respect, all of which begets Hope and Faith. Don’t despair if you weren’t able to attend the March 2025 event; there’s already talk about next year. To help pass the time, read Margaret Drew’s excellent report on the Strideaway page here. It’ll make you want to save some vacation time around the 2026 dates.
About the Author : Tom Keer
Visit authors website | View more articlesTom Keer owns The Keer Group, an outdoor marketing company which works perfectly with his freelance writing career. He casts his four English setters in Northeast upland coverts and Southern quail fields with fortunate regularity. Hes been lucky to be surrounded by people and dogs that are much smarter than him. Visit him at www.thekeergroup.com or at www.tomkeer.com
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