A Historic Victory at the 2025 National Amateur Cocker Championship
Of all the competitors at the 2025 National Amateur Cocker Championship, one boy and his dog stood out. Eleven-year-old Eli Sims was the youngest, smallest, and least experienced handler in the 55-entry field. At Eli’s side was FC-AFC Warrener’s Yellow Shafted Flicker (“Lila”), an accomplished cocker owned by Eli’s father, Jonathan Sims of Opelika, Alabama.
“I wanted mostly to have fun,” Eli said, like any 5th grader might. “I was excited and nervous at the same time.”
Unlike any 5th grader—ever—Eli and Lila won the 2025 National Amateur Cocker Championship Stake, a premier gundog field trial championship held November 17–19 near Pinckneyville, Illinois. Eli was the only youth gundog handler and youth field trial competitor in the Pinckneyville, Illinois field trial, handling Lila through five challenging series in the field before completing the water series.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Sims was competing alongside Eli with two more cockers of his own. “I think Eli would have been happy as long as he beat me,” Jonathan said, and laughed. “And he did.”
Both of Jonathan’s entries finished the National’s Cocker Spaniel field trial stake and were among only five that earned Certificates of Merit. As the judges read placements, it became clear Eli and Lila had a chance of winning the Championship.
Time stood still when the judges called Lila’s number and name as winner.
The dream came true.
“It was an emotional moment for my wife and me,” Jonathan Sims said, “and a special moment for Lila and Eli.”
Family Passion & Years of Gundog Field Trial Training
Jonathan explained that he and Eli have been training together “since Eli was a baby. He’s been throwing marks in the field for me since he was four or five. Last year he told me he wanted to handle a dog in a trial. He ran his first Amateur in the Southeast in January and won it! He won a second Amateur in February.”
With Lila in her prime, Jonathan and Allison had a tough decision to make when it came to who would handle the 6-year-old cocker in the 2025 National Amateur. “Lila had qualified for eight nationals—four Open and four Amateur—and finished six. We decided it meant more to us to allow Eli to run Lila in this National Amateur. We knew it would stoke his desire for handling, competing in field trials, and continuing his gundog field training. Eli worked hard all year. He earned it.”
Jonathan said the only advice he gave Eli was to run Lila like he did in training.
“I told him not to overhandle Lila,” Jonathan said. “Eli has one advantage in that he doesn’t worry about all the bad stuff that can happen at a trial. The tough retrieve. The thick cover. The changing conditions.”
Eli’s disadvantage?
“He’s only four feet, eight inches tall and seventy-five pounds,” Jonathan said. “Sometimes in the taller grass and cover and rolling terrain he can’t see Lila, and she can’t see Eli.”
t to worry. The team of Eli and Lila built confidence with each series.
“By the fifth series, it appeared they were almost skipping to the line,” Jonathan said. “That’s how relaxed Eli was and that gave Lila even more confidence.”
FC-AFC Warrener’s Yellow Shafted Flicker: Pedigree of a Champion
Whelped January 3, 2019, and bred by Mike Delaney, NAFC FC AFC, Lila is an English Cocker Spaniel field champion sired by FC Fallen Wings Triple Threat (“Trio”) and out of FC Winridge’s Fire Storm (“Sizzle”).
“Trio is owned by Paul McGagh and Paul was gracious enough to take a chance on selling us a puppy from that litter,” Jonathan says. “We were fortunate to get Lila. She’s a well-rounded dog, very biddable. Lila wants to please you and work with you. And now she’s kind of Eli’s dog. She sleeps with him.”
And now Eli shares his bed with a National Amateur Champion Cocker.
Fueled for Success: Nutrition for Active Gundogs
Lila is fueled by Purina Pro Plan brand Performance 30/20 Chicken and Rice formula, a performance dog food for sporting dogs designed to support nutrition for active gundogs.
“Lila has been on Pro Plan her entire life and obviously that’s worked out very well for her,” Jonathan said.
Earning the High Point Youth Handler Award & Looking Ahead
In addition to becoming the National Amateur Cocker winner and handling Lila to the National Amateur Championship, Eli also earned the High Point Youth Handler Award—a new honor offered annually to the country’s youth handler that accumulated the most points in Open and Amateur stakes combined.
“It was a great 2025 for Eli and Lila,” Jonathan said. “Eli will continue to run dogs and will likely start training his own puppy to run in trials. That’s the goal.”
“Yes sir,” Eli said.
