Select a larger picture (187KB) 2006 Texas Amateur All Age Brittany Championship 1st Place "Taryn", CH Jayhawker Tequila With A Twist (B) and 3rd Place "Harley", Megabuck's Hell On Wheels (D) from left to right:  Gary Smith, Ed Tillson, Judge Charlie Collier, Judge Jim Wortman, John Cross, Tom Milam

The Winners
 
  1st place: "TARYN", CH JAYHAWKER TEQUILA WITH A TWIST, owned by Ed Tillson and Jessica Carlson and handled by Ed Tillson.
 

Select a larger picture (187KB) 2006 Texas Amateur All Age Brittany Champion CH Jayhawker Tequila With A Twist, "Taryn" with handler Ed Tillson Gary Smith, Judge Charlie Collier, John Cross, Judge Jim Wortman, Tom Milam

Taryn broke away with a lot of enthusiasm and carried it forth throughout the hour.  With a good forward race and excellent ground speed, only coming from behind when the course changed direction on her, Taryn demonstrated the All Age race the judges were looking for.  At 18 she showed good style and manners on a covey find, even though her brace mate failed to back and was collared.  Taryn continued to hunt hard the entire hour going to all the likely places.  She showed plenty of endurance and looked strong at the finish.  Her overall consistent all age performance garnished her the "2006 Texas Amateur All Age Brittany Championship".
 
  2nd place: "CC", COUNTESS CONAC (B), owned by Mike and Sue D'Arcy and handled by Sue D'Arcy.  CC broke away during the heat of the day.  She showed the same kind of speed as the 1st place dog, but not quite the range.  She showed a lot of heart by continuing to run hard despite three blown pads.  This determination was rewarded with a covey find at 51 and a single at 57.  Her style on point was excellent in spite of the pain she had to be feeling.  For her good ground speed, excellent style and her ability to find birds that late in the brace in 80+ degree heat she was declared Runner Up by the judges.
 
  3rd place: "HARLEY", MEGABUCK'S HELL ON WHEELS (D), owned and handled by John Cross.  Harley broke away on course three and immediately went on a mission to find birds.  He hunted hard in the heat and showed pretty good ground speed.  Halfway through his brace a slight change in the wind direction and temperature was noted and Harley took advantage of it.  He kept up his pace and was rewarded with a nice covey find at 59.  All was in order and with only a minute to go Harley broke away with renewed enthusiasm.  A little more forward race and he could have placed higher.
 
  4th place: "JACK", J&M ACE HIGH JAX, owned by Jim and Mary Crawford and handled by Jim Crawford.
 

Select a larger picture (158KB) 2006 Texas Amateur All Age Brittany Championship 4th Place "Jack", DC/AFC J&M Ace High Jax, a male Brittany owned by James R. and Mary G. Crawford and handled by Jim Crawford

Jack ran a nice forward race that required little scouting.  While he lacked the range of the other placing dogs he was always to the front hunting hard.  At 36 point was called but no birds could be located so he was sent on.  At 59 he was finally rewarded with a clean find and all things were in order.  He ran a consistent race the entire hour.
 
 
The Running
 
  Brace 1:  T&W'S DIAMOND JIM (Peace) and J&M ACE HIGH JAX (Crawford).  Jack's race was covered above.  Jim broke away while the temperature was still fairly cool.  He ran hard to the front and showed when he needed to, until the last few minutes of his brace.  He got through a fence and was seen going forward, but was not returned to judgment.
 
  Brace 2:  CHEYENNE JOKER'S STAR-BUCK (Cross) and HI POINT I BELIEVE I CAN FLY (Kilpatrick).  Both dogs ran hard early and handled well.  As the heat began to take its toll, both dogs shortened and required repeated water stops.  They both hunted hard to the end of their hour, but neither had bird contact.
 
  Brace 3:  BLUERIDGE MAJOR ADVENTURE (Kilpatrick) and J&M PETE'S TURNIN' TRIX (Crawford).  Major seeemd oblivious to the heat and took off at a blistering pace.  At 30 he was spotted a good 500 to 600 yards to the front but that was the last he was seen until the brace was well over.  Trixie hunted at closer range, but stayed with her handler the entire hour.  Her efforts were in vain though as she had no bird contact.
 
  Brace 4:  TEQUILLA'S JOKER LIGHTNING (Peace) and COUNT SIROCCO (D'Arcy).  TJ seemed to feel the heat as he worked in a slow but methodical manner.  He hunted hard and covered all the likely places for birds.  At 42 TJ was found standing.  Birds were flushed during a relocation attempt and TJ was sent on.  He had no further bird work.  Rock handled the heat much better and laid down a fast and forward All Age race.  Unfortunately, his efforts went unrewarded as he finished the hour without bird contact.
 
  Brace 5:  TJ'S PRARIE BLIZZARD (Tillson) and COUNTESS CONAC (D'Arcy).  Blizzard started off with a nice forward race.  He hunted hard, but then the heat began to take its toll.  Ed elected to pick him up at 57.  CC's run was noted above.
 
  Brace 6:  MEGABUCK'S HELL ON WHEELS (Cross) and J&M LIGHTNING'S MAGNUM MAX (Crawford).  Harley's Race was noted above.  Max started out hunting hard, but then started showing signs of a flare-up of an old injury and at 37 Jim picked him up.
 
  Brace 7:  JAYHAWKER TEQUILLA WITH A TWIST (Tillson) and FAST COMPANY (Peace).  Taryn's run was noted above.  Annie began hunting in a thorough manner, but at 18, she was picked up for failure to back.
 
  Brace 8:  DAKOTA LUKE (Mantler) and CHEYENNE LITTLE MEG'A (Cross).  Luke broke away in a true All Age manner, making some big casts and showing good ground speed.  As the hour progressed, he became quite a handful and required extensive scouting.  Meg hunted at a more moderate range, but stayed mostly to the front.  She hunted hard the entire hour, but as time was called neither dog had located birds.
 
  Brace 9:  ORION'S TEXOMA SUPERSPORT (Smith) and J&M CLARK'S TRADEMARK (Crawford).  Sport and Gary both seemed to be under the weather.  Gary could hardly talk and Sport couldn't seem to get untracked.  At 22 Sport did point a covey and all was in order.  At 32 he suffered a non-productive and at 38 Gary elected to head for the house.  Clark was working at a faster pace and covering the grounds pretty good.  At 22 he went on point, not 30 feet from where Sport was pointing a large covey.  No additional birds could be located and he was sent on without being fired over.  General consensus had him winding the same covey as Sport.  At 31, Clark had a non-productive and Jim elected to pick him up.
 
  Brace 10:  TLM RAMBLIN SAM (Milam) and MAKE MY DAY DUDE (Tillson).  Since Gary couldn't speak, Tom decided to suffer through the broken ribs and handle Sam himself.  Unfortunately his efforts were in vain as Sam was picked up for failure to back at 8 minutes.  Dude had a stop to flush at 8 but just couldn't get lined out.  Ed elected to pick him up at 18.
 
  Brace 11:  BAR NONES TEXAS RANGER (Mantler) and TJ'S APACHE (Tillson).  Ranger started the brace hunting hard.  He disappeared for several minutes and was found standing by the scout.  Probably the nicest limb find of the championship went for naught, as the long delay in flushing caused an indiscretion in manners and he was up at 12.  Bandit put down one of the nicer runs of the championship.  He ran hard, he ran fast, he ran big, and he handled nicely.  It was a real shame he ended the hour without birds.
 

1st		--		"Taryn", Ch Jayhawker Tequila With A Twist (B), Handler:  Ed Tillson NFC/DC/AFC Tequila's Joker x Princess Haley II Owners:  Jessica Carlson and Ed Tillson
2nd		--		"CC", Countess Conac, (B), Handler:  Sue D'Arcy FC/AFC Chubasco II x FC/AFC Countess Cognac Owners:  Mike and Sue D'Arcy
3rd		--		"Harley", Megabucks Hell On Wheels (D), Handler:  John Cross AFC Cheyenne Joker's Star-Buck x Cheyenne Little Meg'A Owner:  John Cross
4th		--		"Jack", DC/AFC J&M Ace High Jax (D), Handler:  Jim Crawford FC/AFC Ajax VII x DC/AFC J & M Tex's Hello Dolly Owners:  James R. and Mary G. Crawford