Select a larger picture (79KB) 2005 Texas Amateur Brittany Championship Winner TLM Missouri Red and Runner Up J&M Clark's Trademark from left to right:  Linda Milam, Jan Kilpatrick, Gary Smith, Tom Milam, Judge Jack Murphy, Jim Crawford, Mary Crawford, Judge Rosco Staton, and Bud Higginbotham

The Winners:  For the first time in recent years there was a repeat champion.  TLM Missouri Red owned by Tom and Linda Milam was named champion.  Tom handled her to her second championship win.  She ran in the first brace and set the standard with a forward race and four finds.  The runner up was J&M Clark’s Trademark owned by Jim and Mary Crawford.  Jim was in the saddle for Clark.  Clark was in the next to last brace.  He is quick of foot and made several large casts.  He had a large covey find at 14 and suffered a barren stand near a deer feeder at 28.
 

1.		Jayhawkers Tequila With a Twist (Taryn) - Tillson / TLM Missouri Red (Red) - Milam.  Both dogs broke smartly from the line.  They were forward through the first pasture with showy casts.  Gathered at the steel gate, the dogs were sent forward into Gate Four pasture.  Both were on the left in cover and Red crossed the front disappearing into the shinnery near the pond on the left.  Point was called by Milam at 16.  A small covey was flushed with Red displaying perfect manners.  Sent forward Red and Taryn crossed the creek with Red on the right and Taryn on the left.  As the handlers topped the hill, Tillson called point.  When he got to the dog, he discovered that it was Red.  In Milam’s flushing attempt, a hard kick at brush and a loose rock resulted in a prat fall.  Red handled this well remaining high and tight.  Taryn was not returned to judgement.  As the course left this pasture Red had a third find at 43 in the same area as her first.  Her manners were again impeccable.  Entering the Windmill pasture, Red hit the cover on the right and did not show until the course turned right.  She was pointed out crossing the hill on the far side of the meadow.  Across the hill she was making game on the right.  Milam’s effort to move her on failed when she hit a hard point.  She had a covey well located 15 feet away.  As Milam returned to her after flushing and firing, a single popped in her face.  She didn’t flinch but the handler did.  She finished her hour to the front across the second meadow.
2.		Blueridge Major Adventure (Major) - Downing / TJ’s Prairie Blizzard (Blizzard) - Tillson.  Break away was at the mouth of the cut leading to the gate into the Mutton pasture.  The dogs went right into the cover and did not make it to the gate.
3.		Orion’s FloJo - Smith / J&M Ace High Jax (Jack) - Crawford.  Break away was half way down the sindero going to the high line right of way.  Jack was in and out of the cover along the side of the sindero.  FloJo was produced by the scout a couple hundred yards to the right at the juncture of the sindero and the right of away.  Through the North pasture Jack and FloJo made big cast with Jack being more forward of the two.  Back in the Mutton, FloJo scored on a single at 39 and had another find at time in the Cabin pasture.  Jack was industrious but his effort was not rewarded.
4.		Tejas Iron Mike - Graves / TJ’s Thunder - Tillson.  Break away was from the road in front of the Cabin.  Both dogs crossed the valley behind the pond and cast forward.  Mike established point in an oak mott.  Thunder was whoaed to a back.  A nice covey was flushed.  Mike and Thunder are forward with a large cast to the left as we approach the lake.  As we go by the gate headed to camp, both are forward.  As we crest the wooded hill point is called in the shinnery along the left fence line for both dogs.  They are about 100 yards apart with Mike in front.  Tillson crosses the fence in his flushing attempt but no birds are found.  Thunder moves up and backs Mike.  Birds are flushed by Graves and Thunder goes with them.  Mike is taken on and makes a big forward cast toward Four Corners.  He went off the front end and was not returned to judgement.
5.		Shambo’s Dark Shadow - Tillson / TLM Rambling Sam - Milam.  This was the first brace after lunch.  Shadow exhibited his bird finding ability by scoring early in the brace on a wild covey.  In the second valley, Sam was crossing the front and disappeared behind an oak mott.  Birds exploded from the back side.  Sam was standing and he was credited with a stop to flush.  Through the steel gate both dogs are out of sight in the shinnery by the pond.  As the handlers went through, Tillson is heard whoaing and calling his dog.  As the judges arrive, Milam is called back from the front.  Sam is across the fence standing.  Shadow is hunting around the pond.  Ed advises that he thinks Sam stopped as Ed was trying to retrieve Shadow.  In the next valley before the creek, Shadow has his second find.  50 yards away, Sam takes a non-productive.  Across the backside of Gate 4 pasture Shadow is found standing tall at the edge of the shinnery on the right.  Sam comes in for a back.  After relocation, a large covey is flushed.  Shadow has a fourth find on the hill before the deer blind.  While both dogs’ application was forward, their range was moderate with Shadow being wider of the two.
6.		Count Sirocco (Roc) - D’Arcy / Apache (Patch) - Maxwell.  Break away is in the second meadow of the Windmill pasture.  The dogs hook up in foot race to the front.  As they enter the sindero, Patch hooks right and is lost.  Roc’s effort is forward.  He makes several nice moves through the North pasture and hunts hard to the Four Corners.  He was not rewarded with birds.
7.		Smarteyes Joker (Jordan) - Tillson / Cheyenne Joker’s Star Buck (Buck) - Cross.  Turned loose at Four Corners into the Cabin pasture, Jordan stabs a covey near the deer blind.  One of the birds flushed right over his head and the temptation was too great.  Buck made some nice moves but was unruly and was lost before we left the pasture.
8.		Pilot Pecoso Prieto (Pec) - Downing / TJ’s Apache (Bandit) - Tillson.  This was the first brace Sunday morning.  The temperature was in the 40s.  It had rained all night and we have to go to the dog wagon due to the wet conditions.  Bandit is seen to the front a couple of times; but failed to show at the steel gate.  Pec runs a good race showing at the appropriate times.  He suffers a non-productive before the creek in Gate Four pasture.  Released, he makes a big cast to the right up the hill and is found standing on bare ground.  During the flushing attempt a twenty-five bird covey lifts fifty yards away.  Pec’s manners were impeccable and he is credited with a find.  A short time later he has another barren stand and his effort is ended.
9.		Hi Point I Believe I Can Fly (Jammer) - Wilder / Maxwell’s Charismatic (Jack) - Maxwell.  We turned loose at the windmill.  The Tracker is out early for Jammer.  Jack makes it through the gate into the Mutton pasture but tires.
10.		Mo-Dan Believer (Buddy) - Cross / J&M Clark’s Trademark (Clark) - Crawford.  We breakaway from the goat shed headed to the North pasture.  These two have their running shoes on and they work their handlers and scouts hard.  Clark has a wild covey find at 14 just before the high line right of way.  He looks great as Crawford flushes the birds.  Buddy scores on the left before we enter the North pasture.  Clark’s forward cast takes him to the crest of the hill west of the gate into the North pasture.  He shows to the front at the gate.  Buddy takes the left hand side and Clark makes a move to the right.  Point is called by Clark’s scout near a deer feeder but no birds can be produced.  As Clark gains the front, Buddy is out of pocket around the pond on the left.  After a good half hour, Buddy remains out of pocket and is not located in time.  Clark makes a big move through the valley as the course turns east.  He hunts both sides of the course in sweeping moves to the front.  Around the three quarter mark, his range moderates.  He finishes to the front past Four Corners in the Cabin pasture.  A fine effort by this young dog.
11.		Make My Day Dude - Tillson / J&M Pete’s Turnin Trix - Crawford.  Breakaway is headed toward the cabin.  Both dogs are erratic in their application in the early part of the brace.  Past the lake Dude is pointing in some cedar.  Trixie points about twenty yards away.  Crawford flushes birds and both handlers fire.  Trixie has a stop to flush on a straggler as she is turned loose.  The dogs are attacking the course up the hill past the gate to camp.  Dude takes the left and Trixie the right.  At the crest of the hill, Trixie has gone off the front end and is not returned to judgement.  Dude shows and makes a huge move to the right that takes him over the next hill and shows at Four Corners.  Through the Camp pasture headed east, Dude hunts the front but does not score again.