I just got back from the drawing for this year’s National Championship for Field Trialing Bird Dogs at Ames Plantation.

I’ll have a full story examining all of the braces in Monday’s paper. But for now I wanted to go ahead and tell you how the first day will shape up.

Barring weather delays, BB’s Pike, owned by Bill Bruce of Hopkinsville, Ky., will run in the first brace Monday morning with South’s Late Night, owned by David G. Dickey of Augusta, Ga.

The second brace, which is scheduled for Monday afternoon, features one local dog and a former national champion.

Shell Creek Coin, the 2006 national title winner owned by David O’Connor of Flint, Tex., will run with Whippoorwill Wild Agin, owned by J.D. Huffman of Michigan City, Miss., and Terry Terlep of Boston, Ga.

That second brace is likely to draw a big gallery on horseback.

For the complete list of braces, visit the Ames Plantation web site.