Springdale Man Wins Third Straight National Gobbling Title

First posted on 03-11-2010

For the third year in a row, Stephan Richardson’s focus, talent and practice paid off when he won the Gobbling Division at the Wild Turkey Bourbon/NWTF Grand National Turkey Calling Championships in Nashville, Tenn.

The competitions took place during the National Wild Turkey Federation’s 34th annual National Convention and Sport Show, held Feb. 18 to Feb. 21, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.

“I was overwhelmed with joy and relief,” said Richardson. “I started gobbling with a tube call as a tool to hunt turkeys and eventually started competing using a mouth diaphragm, and it’s worked out.”

Every February, callers from all over the nation flock to the NWTF’s National Convention and Sport Show to compete in the championships. This year’s convention had more than $25,000 in cash and prizes going to the top callers in nine divisions.

In the Gobbling Division callers are asked to perform a series of calls that imitate a male wild turkey or gobbler. Callers use the gobble and “spit and drum” calls of a gobbler and sometimes incorporate crow calls, owl calls and more into their routines. A panel of seven expert judges score each call and the slightest mistake can virtually eliminate a caller from contention.

Hailing from Springdale, Richardson uses Hook’s Custom Calls when he competes on stage.

“Winning a title at the Grand National Turkey Calling Championships is like reaching the summit of a mountain. There is no higher place among the turkey calling’s elite,” said George Thornton, NWTF CEO. “The atmosphere in the room during the trophy presentation is electric. Raising the first-place trophy at these contests means that you have beaten the best callers in the world.”

Each year, thousands of outdoor enthusiasts and NWTF supporters rally at the NWTF National Convention and Sport Show. The event features the Grand National Calling Championships, seminars from hunting pros, more than 550 vendor booths, top entertainers at evening functions and more.