Among Other Things Bob Coil Says,
By Larry Lee, BraceBeagling Editor
August 05, 2003

Handler Bob Coil and his traveling companion, Tuffy.

Bob Coil with his Giant Rat Terrier Tuffy sitting on his lap.

Bob Coil posing Phillip's H & N Reno, the winner of the 13" male class at Border.

I talked to Illinois handler Bob Coil over the telephone several times but it was not until about three days before the start of the Border licensed trial that I got to meet him in person. I arrived early at the Border beagle club that morning. My goal was to put the final touches on two bitches Ralph and I had been preparing for the Northern licensed trial circuit. I met Bob as he came through the gate to the club running grounds. He had been out in the field running his dogs getting them ready for the trial that would start on Saturday. I watched him intently throughout the morning as he walk to and fro from the kennels to the running grounds. Each time he had a different dog. He kept up this procedure throughout the morning until well after noon. I could tell he was intent about getting his string of dogs prepared for the upcoming licensed trial. It paid off for Bob as he won the first two male classes at Border.

It wasn’t until Sunday on the last day of the Border trial that I was able to set down with Bob to discuss his life as a beagler and more aptly his profession as a professional handler on the brace beagling circuit and his ideas about our sport of beagling in general.

Of course his trusted pet dog named Tuffy was nearby at all times. Tuffy is a Giant Rat Terrier and travels with Bob all over the country. Bob received Tuffy as a gift over a year ago from Burrel Fortenberry’s daughter. Burrel’s daughter raises Giant Rat Terriers and shows them. Apparently Tuffy had not made it to the show ring but he did find a way into Bob’s heart. The mutual affection between dog and man is very apparent between the two of them.

Bob loves the sport of beagling and says it is the best therapy he has ever had. Regarding this he said, “Put me out in the field and I don’t know that any problems in the world exist.” Bob also says he loves the people he meets in the brace beagling sport. “They are the nicest bunch of people I have ever ran into. They are my beagling family.”

Because of his love of the sport of brace beagling Bob is real concerned about the future of the sport. “One of the biggest problems is that there aren’t many people breeding dogs anymore” He believes people should be real concerned about the fact that no one is breeding dogs like they used to. Regarding this he says, “If people don’t start breeding there won’t be any dogs. The AKC and the age of the beagler won’t matter.” His answer to the problem is “to just breed some dogs.” In fact Bob says his new crusade is to get beaglers to start raising more pups.

Bob has four children and all are girls. Three of them are back home near his hometown of Coulterville, Illinois. However, his oldest daughter lives in Au Train, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula. Bob figured out that when he traveled to Sturgeon Creek Beagle Club near Midland Michigan he would only be about four or five hours drive away from her. So he dropped his dogs off at Sturgeon Creek. Fellow handlers Duane Root and Lloyd and Steve Watson agreeded to take care of them for a couple of days. He then headed up to the upper country to see his daughter and her husband and his grandchildren. Bob said he loved the Michigan Upper Peninsula and the little town his daughter and her family live in and wouldn’t mind living there someday.

Bob’s father always had beagles and bird dogs and he said he was almost raised with them when he was a child. The love of dogs instilled in him by his father when he was a child carried over into his adult years. When he got out of the service he bought two beagles from Charles Taylor that were sired by Echoing Captain. Bob said from the start. “I just liked to watch hounds run even when I wasn’t hunting.”

Bob ran his beagles in East St Louis Illinois behind a drive-in theater. A beagler named Charles Stocker ran his dogs in the same place. One day they ran into each other. Charles suggested that they attend a trial together at Sangamon Beagle Club. Bob said he went just for the experience. Attending the trial got him interested in competition and so he attended a meeting and joined the club.

Within two months he had bought a bitch and entered her at Belclair in a sanction trial and she won the trial. He said, “That was all it took.” Even though the sanction win was the bitches high point she had peaked Bob’s interest in the sport.

The next influential beagler in Bob’s life was Charley Goggins. Bob bought a little male from Charley that turned out to be a field champion.

Bob also has great admiration and respect for Audie Lentz and his wife Marvene. As Bob spoke of the Lentzs you could tell by the tone of his voice how much these people mean to him. He had this to say about Audie. “Audie is the biggest inspiration in my beagling career because he is a very knowledgeable hound man. He and Marvene are two of the nicest people I know. I love them to death. Audie is my idol.”

Bob bought Char-Line Katie girl from Audie. Bob says that Katie Girl is one of his favorite hounds. “Without Katie Girl I wouldn’t be where I am today in my breeding program.” Bob is very grateful to Audie and his Hi-Spot kennel. He says that Audie has bread 35 champions and some very famous dogs have come from his kennel including Pearson Creek Man of War. “Audie’s hounds are in great demand.”

Bob also credits Mike Mock and Marty and Wayne Parker for helping him get established in the sport. He says, “these people are good people for our sport of brace beagling.”

A slowed down economy in 1969 that affected the railroad company where Bob worked gave Bob a chance to get started in the handling profession he loves so much. During the winter of 69 he handled on the Southern Circuit. Every year from then on from 69 through 71 he took a three-month vacation so he could do the same thing. Handling was getting in his blood.

Bob decided to buy a tavern in 1971. The business put him out of beagling for a few years. In fact it was seven years all total. Bob became disillusioned with the bar business and sold his business. In 1978 Bob not only sold his tavern but the railroad he had worked many years for went out of business. He was left with nothing to do. But he was not to stay idle for very long.

That same year He and his brother traveled to Panta, Texas where they obtained jobs in the oil industry. Bob worked as a derrick hand on the drilling rigs. “It was hard work but the money was good.” As a derrick hand Bob worked over 100 feet off the ground on a platform high in the air. His job was to control the top of the pipe when it was going in and out of the hole down below. Bob worked at this job for over six years. During this time he was off work with an injury he received while working on his job. One of the heavy pipes with heavy flanges got away from him and pinned his foot against some metal on the platform. The accident smashed Bob’s foot breaking it in 16 different places. He had to have several operations to repair it and still has a plate in it to this day.

Then in 1984 the bottom went out of the oil industry because of a drop in the price of crude. American companies were now buying sweet oil from the countries in the Middle East. Bob says, “Oil rules the world. If you don’t believe it just look around you and see all the products made from petroleum.”

Brink mason would be next in the list of the many occupations Bob has had during his lifetime. During slow times in the oil industry Bob had worked with one of his associates who taught him how to lay bricks. The skill would come in handy now. Bob returned to Illinois and joined the brick mason union. He worked altogether 20 years and retired at the age of 62 in 2002. Bob was now free to do what he always wanted to do—become a full time professional handler on the brace trial beagling circuit. The job has taken him to all parts of the country during the past year and a half.

Bob loves working with the dogs and competing on the tough brace trial beagling circuit. He says, “I don’t mind cleaning up and feeding and doing a little doctoring.”

Bob says he likes, “A flat, straight dog that is able to take advantage of opportunities. I also like them to stay and be patient. My favorite saying is if they can keep their feet still and keep their butt behind them they can track a rabbit.”

Bob also raises that type of dog that he explained the characteristics of. His Char-Line Simone won the Purina Award in the futurities this year. Simone has all the features Bob listed above. Bob says he owes the existence of Simone to his good friend and mentor, Audie Lentz. “I got Simone’s grand mother Katie Girl from Audie. I liked Katie Girl because she had the killer instinct.” I stuck with Audie’s bitchline and it took me only three generations to come up with Simone.”

Bob has high respect for those that judge brace trials. “Ninety-nine % of the judges are just as honest as the day is long. We are paying them for their opinion for that day and that’s good enough for me.” He also thinks the two-judge system is the best shot for brace beagling.

I asked him about having a mentor as being a necessity to being successful in the sport. He had this to say, “Owning and watching good dogs is better than having a good mentor.”

Bob also believes in out crossing his bitches. He feels that in breeding weakens the strain too much. He believes in breeding has caused the demise of many successful breeders.

Bob’s favorite quote comes from his friend Mike Mock. It goes like this. The harder I work the luckier I get. Those words aptly explain what Bob Coil is all about. By the way, remember Bob’s crusade and breed those bitches and raise more pups!

If you care to contact Bob about placing a dog with him his cell phone number is (618) 201-7214. My bet is that you will get your money’s worth.