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Location: Michigan
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The 16 Grand Nite Qualifiers hunt 90 minutes in Round 1. Cast winners advance to the Final Cast in Round 2 later tonight, where you can follow along with the final cast play-by-play, right here.
As casts return from Round 1, we’ll report in with the results. Those cast breakdowns are noted below.

Grand Nite Champion of Breed are also determined in the Grand 16. In the event of a breed not advancing to the final cast, their order of finish in the cast in Round 1 will determine the breed winner.
In the event of multiple dogs of the same breed in the final cast, their order of placement will determine that breed win.

Breeds not represented in the Grand 16, their winners will be determined by their Friday night score.

It’s been very hot this all week in Richmond, but today a couple rain showers came through mid-day cooling things off a little. At 11:00 pm, the temperature is right at 70 and may cool off another couple degrees by 3 or 4am.

Stay tuned for the Final Cast play x play. Meanwhile, check out the cast breakdowns of Round 1 as follows.

OFFICIAL: 2024 Autumn Oaks Grand 16 Cast Breakdown
August 31, 2024
Location: Richmond, Indiana
2024 Grand 16 Cast Breakdowns
Cast 1
• GRNITECHHOF PR Keegans Buggy Whip, TW, Jerald Keegan, MI, Handled by Garrett Brown, 175+
• GRNITECH(3) PR The Dixie Chic, TW, Ashley Dalton, WV, Handled by Phillip King, 225+ CW
• GRNITECH PR Coon Creek Blue Gypsy, ENG, Shane Hutcheson, Zach Maxey, OH, Handled by Jacob Barton, 125
• GRNITECH PR Indian Creek Loudmouth Hook, ENG, Michael Mitchell, Lee Wade, IN, Handled by Lee Wade, 0
Cast 2
• GRNITECH(2) PR Rock Creek Racket, BLU, Terry Tappy, IN, Handled by Terry Tappy, 150+
• GRNITECH(3) PR June Bugs Joy, TW, Rocky Baskerville, TN, Handled by Lonnie Hubbard, 425+
• WLDNITECH GRNITECH(5) PR Snookis Cookie, TW, Justin Davenport, Stephen Davenport, Shane Groves, IN, Handled by Shane Groves, WD
• GRCH GRNITECH(2) PR Patricks Black River Tex, B&T, Ed Hillenbrand, OH, Handled by Ed Hillenbrand, 625+ CW
Cast 3
• GRNITECH PR Flints Smokin Gun, TW, Eldon Helman, WV, Handled by John Terry, 150+
• GRNITECH PR Shes a Bit Shady, TW, Derek Mills, Dennis Goodman, OH, Handled by Cody Sipe, 350+ CW
• GRNITECH(2) CH PR Big Time Babe, TW, Ryan Baker, KY, Handled by Kyle Baker, 175+
• GRNITECH PR Mallard Roost Ice Man, TW, Jeff Cole, Lucas Barkman, IN, Handled by Lucas Barkman, 125-
Cast 4
• GRNITECH PR It Aint Easy Being Breezy, BLU, Kyle Cline, Cody Summerfield, OH, Handled by Kyle Cline, 75+
• GRNITECH(2) PR Bottomland Galcho, B&T, Chad McCoin, Brad Hile, IN, Handled by Chad McCoin, 225+
• GRNITECH PR Stylish Strike Out, TW, Nichole Caudill, Bryan Williams, KY, Handled by Joe Caudill, 325+ CW
• NATLDC GRNITECH(3) GRCH(3) PR Gilmans Rebels Redneck Roll, B&T, David Gilman, IL, Handled by David Gilman, 300+


Final Cast
• GRNITECH(3) PR The Dixie Chic, TW, Ashley Dalton, WV, Handled by Phillip King
• GRCH GRNITECH(2) PR Patricks Black River Tex, B&T, Ed Hillenbrand, OH, Handled by Ed Hillenbrand
• GRNITECH PR Shes a Bit Shady, TW, Derek Mills, Dennis Goodman, OH, Handled by Cody Sipe
• GRNITECH PR Stylish Strike Out, TW, Nichole Caudill, Bryan Williams, KY, Handled by Joe Caudill

Judge: Mike Ream
Asst: Treah Clifford
Guide: Tyler Stroh, Chet McCreary
In-Field Play Calling: Trevor Wade
Online Reporting: Allen Gingerich

 The cast is on the road, a 15–20-minute ride to their destination. This cast will be hunting 90 minutes under Full Elimination Rules.

 Time in: 2.28am. Dogs are cast! Trevor says he’s seeing hardwoods, corn and a creek. A little muggy but much better than most of the week has been. A slight breeze, very dark, not much to see in terms of the moon right now.

 Minute is up. Dixie struck for 100, close to the cast. In front of them to the south.

 Out for 75 now and Tex for 50 on strikes. They are more SE-ish. And put Tia (Shady) in for 25. All dogs now struck in at the five-minute mark. Not sounding like any track(s) is much to write about. See what happens here.

 Cast remains standing in the same spot they cut loose at 10 minutes ago. Hearing dogs well, sounds like they are working to move out form where they started.

 A couple screaming locates to the SE, at the 12-minute mark, and OUT is called treed for 125!

 The tree is closed, no other calls. Cast is moving in to Out.

 The cast has arrived and Out is handled with 18 minutes used in hunt time. Shining, low lights. The tree he is a couple trees in from the edge of the woods and a cornfield. Couple lights in the tree from several rows out. Pretty thick, she’s on a smaller tree leading into a mess of sorts.

 Ahh… Tex came in to the judge an sits down. He’s minused his strike points. Cast still shining, nothing yet.

 Ahh……here’s Dixie coming in to the cast incurring a penalty for it. A big one – 100 strike points minused. 37 minutes in.

 Circle that tree (Out). Out and Tex are recast with 22 minutes gone.

 Six-minute strike rule being applied now…. On and off, Dixie is keeping it open. Now 26 minutes into the 90-minute hunt.

 Out struck back in for 25, to the SW.

 Out leads the cast with 200 circle. Dixie 100, Tia 25 strikes pending, and Tex is at 25 minus.

 30 minutes on the books now. Dixie is keeping things open with an old-fashioned cornfield race.

 Tia is deep hearing her, albeit faintly, to the SE of the cast. 35 minutes gone now.

 The pitstop is over and Dixie is off again to the NE and struck back in for 25.

 The pitstop is over and Dixie is off again to the NE and struck back in for 25.

 The cast just crossed a creek, Trevor’s Yoder Nylons are still dry on the inside. Still trekking towards Tia. 50 minutes gone now.

 Arriving at Tia’s tree now, with 53 minutes gone.

 Hey, strike Dixie back in for 25. And tree her for 125! She is back to the north of the cast a good stretch. Nothing on Tex or Out. Tia is on a big leafy tree. Still shining it.

 No coon seen on Tia’s tree, circle her up. Moves her to second overall in the cast though at the moment. She is recast right at the one-hour mark of the hunt. 30 minutes to go.

 Whoa folks……. Trevor missed a call while at Tia’s tree. Tex was actually also struck and treed before Dixie. He’s approximately 7-800 yards from the cast and back towards the trucks. They are going to score Tex before they can go to Dixie. By my calculations, Tex could potentially take over the top spot here with a coon.

 I imagine there may be a lot of thoughts circling the minds of all four handlers and possibly a little sense of urgency starting to set in at this point. We’re definitely now in the homestretch.


 Wait a minute…. Here’s Dixie again. She’s minused 25 strike and 125 tree. There’s some discussion that it may have been Out treeing off in the distance, but to be discussed/determined in a bit. They have now arrived at Tex’s tree with 72 minutes gone. They’ll score it and then take a listen.

 Nothing yet on Tex’s tree. They are currently working a hole with a low light and squaller. Strike Tia back in for 25.


 Meanwhile….. Tree Tia for 125! And tree Out for 125! Tia is 383 yards and Out at 360, they say. Nothing on Tex’s tree, circle his points. Dixie is withdrawn. Tex is recast with 9 minutes remaining.

 The cast has arrived at Tia’s tree with merely 5 minutes remaining in the hunt.

 Current state…. Out 200 circle – 150 points pending, Tia 150 circle, 150 points pending, Tex 50 -. Dixie withdrawn.

 Hunt time has expired, with no other calls. Still shining Tia’s tree and then have Out to score on her tree. Hmmmm.

 With only 25 seconds left of shining time, Ed Hillenbrand found Tia’s coon! Have we mentioned Mr. Hillenbrand is 74 years young, out here hunting two rounds with these whippersnappers? The judge ran over and confirmed it, plus Tia! Everyone saw the coon. Wow. Tia takes the lead. But….. Out isn’t out, not yet.

 The cast had a bit of a walk to Out, who was in a different direction from Tia. But they have now arrived and we’ll be declaring a winner in the next several minutes.

 Big leaning tree here… it’s thick. Does Out have one up her sleeve to pull out here at the end? Cody Sipe (handler of Tia) has informed Trevor that he’s prepared for the longest 8 minutes of his life. You can be certain it’s intense for both handlers.

 Using every minute here. Nothing yet.

 Circle Out folks. Heartbreaker, I’m sure for Caudill but he’s won a lot, and this isn’t the first nor will it the last coming ever so close.

In a down-to-the-wire contest, congratulations to all the connections of the 2024 NATIONAL GRAND NITE CHAMPION GRNITECH ‘PR’ SHES A BIT SHADY, TW, owned by Derek Mills, Dennis Goodman, OH, Handled by Cody Sipe. What a hunt!

Last edited by Allen / UKC on 09-01-2024 at 09:30 AM

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