09/25/2026
He was a legend in many respects. He was inducted in to both the Pointer/Setter Bird Dog Hall of Fame and the Brittany Hall of Fame. He was a recipient of the T. Boone Pickens Lifetime Sportsman’s Award. He was dubbed “King of the Chutes” at the Lazy E Arena. He is known to have spent time with the Queen of England. He was dubbed the “World’s Coolest Man” by Field and Stream. His accolades, recognition, and achievements go on.
To us, he was simply Uncle Delmar. A man of strong character and convictions. The man that insisted on buying our kids battery powered vehicles to roam around the kennel on. He made a point to create a connection with our kids, hugging them every chance he got. He was the man that bought a dear friend a horse to ride and when she and the horse retired from field trials, he asked us if the horse could spend his golden years in our pastures, ensuring old Frosty retired to the same land Delmar grew up roaming. He was a man that would sit with us in the field or at the kennel for hours talking about bird dogs and horses and how they think. He was also the man that slept in a chair in our living room with the TV blaring all night, causing some extra coffee to be required the following morning. These are just some of the memories that will continue to bring Delmar to life in our minds.
“Well, how about that, sports fans” will echo through our minds for years to come. It was one of Delmar’s standby one liners. And he had a bag that was stuffed brim full of them.
When it rains, we will look across the pasture and hear the cadence of his voice exclaiming “That bluestem is about to jump clean through itself.”
And as we run dogs across the field, we will keep in mind “Always give the dog the benefit of doubt.”
Another was “Charge it to the dust and let the rain settle it” when someone wanted to pay him back for some generous deed of his.
The driving forces in Delmar’s life were dogs, horses, and people. Oh how he loved people. He would always say “The best gift you can give a person is your time.” Well, Delmar, thank you for the 100 years worth of time you gave us on this earth. You made the most out of every day and it was a great gift.
We will continue to celebrate your life and try to hang on to the nuggets of wisdom that you left behind.
Delmar Smth
1926 - 2026
