9-11 Creates a New Career For Jerry & Joan Neeley
By Larry Lee, BraceBeagling Editor
July 20, 2002

Handlers, Jerry and Joan Neeley with their little dog. The picture was taken recently at Border Beagle Club in Michigan.

In case you haven’t noticed there are some “new kids on the block.” These new kids are professional handlers, Jerry and Joan Neeley and they have every intention of remaining permanent fixtures in the tough business of handling brace trial beagles. As most beaglers know handling is not an easy business. It entails many weeks at a time away from home, many hours in the hot sun and heat, and many long rides over the highways of America spent traveling from club to club.

These obstacles don’t seem to faze the Neeleys because they feel and believe that “God has placed them where they should be.” Besides, handling is something Jerry has always wanted to do.

Jerry had always wanted to be a professional handler and the catastrophe of the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City clarified the thought in his mind that fateful day. After 9-11 Jerry said he decided it was time to do what he always wanted to do. “I decided to become a professional brace trial handler because you are only promised today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.”

He checked it out with Joan and she agreed. He mentioned to his mother that he wished to sell his two fruit markets. She spread the word. Two days later a man came into his market offering to buy him out. Jerry named a price. A couple of days later the man returned and handed Jerry a cashier’s check for the amount that Jerry had asked for. That completed the deal and Jerry was free to do what he always wanted to do-handle brace trial beagles.

Jerry said he backed his truck up to the door and within hours had his personal belongings loaded and he was on his way to a new life and a new profession.

Buddy McElroy offered Jerry the dog box he had used when he was a professional handler and good friend, Glen Hamrick gave him ten dog leads. He and Joan bought water buckets and feed pans and they were ready for business.

However, there was one big problem—they didn’t have any dogs to handle. Their initial solution to that problem was to handle their own dogs. Jerry, said, “we were really big time handlers.”

So they loaded up eight of their own hounds and headed for their first licensed trial at White River Valley. It was there that they picked up their first hounds to handle professionally. Mike Floyd gave them two 13-inch females and Russ Arend gave them a 13-inch and a 15-inch male.

Mike also gave them two dogs, Thunderwood Alex and Cody’s Dr. Duke, so they could make some money for early support. It wasn’t long before they were off to their second licensed trial at Shelbyville. It was at Shelbyville that they earned their first licensed places as handlers. They put the second win on Thunderwood Alex and got a third with Russ Arend’s dog, Myer’s Easy Al.

At the next trial they attended they finished their first field champion as handlers. In a pouring down rain, Billy’s Little Tuba finished for his championship.

Altogether, Jerry and Joan have finished 12 champions for their customers since joining the brace beagling circuit about ten months ago. The last champion they finished was Briarwood Billy II at a trial they attended at Border Beagle Club in Michigan. Billy needed four points to finish. He was back fifth in second series and was moved directly to the top after a fine run. Jerry and Joan were all smiles late that afternoon after calling Billy’s owner to report that he had a new field champion.

Jerry started beagling back in 1968. Like most beaglers Jerry said he had always had gun dogs around the farm. That same year he met four men who were influential in getting him started as a beagler. The four men were Frank Walker, A. J. Townley and Ernest and Forest King. He met these men at a farm near Harrison, Tennessee where they were attending a field trial. For Jerry’s high school graduation these men gave Jerry his first field trial beagle. He was a 15-inch male and this got him started in beagling.

At the first opportunity Jerry entered the male in an all-age all trophy trial and received an NBQ. Jerry said, “I was so proud my dog won a trophy that I shed tears.” Jerry remembers that the trophy had an angel on top of it rather than a beagle.

Jerry and Joan have finished five champions of their own. The last one to finish was Root’s Canadian Ike who they have standing at stud and who, by the way, is producing some very good pups. A Root's Canadian Ike female, belonging to Ed White of Michigan, recently won the 13 inch class at Border Beagle Club. Another Ike called Boaz Ike was back second in the 15 inch male class. That dog has been in the high brace three times. The first dog they finished was named True Line Victor.

Jerry named two prominent beaglers who have helped him very much with his handling career. They are Jim Burton and Glen Hamrick. Jerry said that through the years he has helped Glen Hamrick handle dogs, especially during local two-day trials. Jerry said, “I have learned very much from these two men.”

Jerry and Joan met shortly after Jerry graduated from high school in 1968. His family had moved to a farm near Harrison, Tennessee and Joan lived on a farm up the road and worked for Jerry’s father on his farm from time to time. They dated for a year and a half and then got married. Joan said, “My father called it a whirlwind courtship.”

They have two children who are both married. Oldest son Jonathan is married to Stacy and younger son James is married to Tonya. Jerry and Joan have one grandson named Adrian. Jerry said, “Adrian is Pawpa’s love and Mamma’s angel.” Jerry carries three pictures of Adrian that he willingly shows to anyone showing an interest.

Jerry considered taking up handling shortly after he and Joan got married but Joan was attending beauty school so that made a handling venture impossible at that time. .

Jerry and Joan handle all classes and are currently working the Michigan circuit where they will be until early October. After that they will head for Kentucky and White River Beagle Club where it all started. From there they will work their way south.

When asked what he likes about handling Jerry said, “I like the dogs. They all have different personalities and are just like people.” Jerry also enjoys seeing different parts of the country and being around good people. “There are good people every where but nobody like beaglers following their little dogs.”

Joan says she has fallen in love with the little beagles. She also likes seeing the country and meeting the people, Joan says, “Beaglers are like a family, a big family. I like setting around at might helping them catch up on what is going on in the other parts of the country we have just come from.”

Regarding the handling business Jerry said, “If Joan and I can help any body we will be tickled to death. We handle with love.”

9-11 changed Jerry and Joan’s life forever and also gave beaglers from all parts of the country an opportunity to meet these fine people. It also gave beaglers another option for getting their hounds to the trials.

If you would like to contact Jerry and Joan about handling a dog call them at (256) 638-6137. You can contact them on their “Hot Line” cell phone at (256) 996-1371. They promise to take good care of your hounds, because like it was mentioned previously. “They handle with love.”