The Venue

The championship was held in conjunction with the West Texas Brittany Club Spring Trial.  The location for this challenge is the abundant Nancy Lee Ranch outside of Brownwood, TX.  Nancy Lee is a gracious hostess year in and year out.  She attends the events and enjoys watching good bird dogs put to the test.  The ranch clubhouse made it convenient to warm up and also shelter the fund raiser auction, calcutta, happy hour and placement announcements.  Not only was the cold weather tough on the dogs, but parcels of this land have exposed rock and make it tough on a dogs pads especially over the stretch of one hour.  Cover was at a premium this year, frequently challenging the dogs lucky enough to find birds with the temptation of watching the birds in light cover.

 
Sponsors

The West Texas Brittany Club would like to thank Purina Dog Food for sponsoring this trial and all other trials, that it so generously supports.  Purina's financial support enables clubs to present first class field trials and supports clubs with their programs and awards.  The ProPlan Chicken and Rice Performance Dog Food for all entries was much appreciated.  We would also like to thank those attendees who were gracious enough to participate in our fund raising events.  The Championship is prepared for many years to come.

 
The Judges

The event was honored to have two very prestigious judges, Mr. Jerry Reed and Mr. Joe Coleman.  They both have judged countless trials from the prairies of Canada through the South and have judged quite a few championships.  Both Joe & Jerry have judged the National Open Shooting Dog Championship, Jerry has judged the National Amateur Shooting Dog Championships (horseback & walking) as well as the National Amateur All-Age Invitational Championship, and Joe has judged the National Derby Championship, complemented by many trials that are national championship qualifying events.

 
Contributors

Thanks are due to the Ditters, Williams, and Higginbothams for their club support.  The dog wagon was in fine care with volunteers Linda Milam and Donna Pride, enjoying glimpses of the running.  Lunches and Saturday evening dinner were put together by club members Dennis and Jeanne Williams.  Many commented that the deep-fried turkey Saturday night was the best they have ever had.  Thanks to those who volunteered to bring dishes to pass.  Tom Milam marshaled and provided steady guidance through the 2 continuous 1-hour courses.  For the second season in a row, retired Ron Auten and his wife, from far away Michigan arrived at the trial with a RV and truck in tow.  Ron was put to work judging one of the other events of the weekend.  It was guessed that the Arctic cold came in with the Auten's RV from Michigan.

 
Sidelights

Mr. Rex Tackett came out to the grounds on Friday afternoon to scout for his good friend, Bud Higginbotham who had a dog scheduled to run in the sixth brace.  Accompanying Mr. Tackett was his best friend, Mr. Iva Czechord, and it was Iva who invited the judges and Mrs. Joe E. Coleman to a steak dinner at the Brownwood Country Club Friday evening.  The judges and Mrs. Coleman accepted Iva's generous invitation and they arrived at the country club at or about 8:00 p.m. but were denied entry as their Brown County I.N.S. documents were not in order.  Please note that aliens from outside of Brown County, Texas, are not allowed in the Brownwood Country Club without proper identification and appropriate Intra-Texas Passports.  Iva and Mr. Rex Tackett were already seated with their beautiful brides enjoying large, juicy, prime New York Strip steaks and both Iva and Rex were very apologetic though they said that Brownwood Country Club rules could not be circumvented and that the judges and Mrs. Coleman would have to find another place to eat.  Accordingly, Iva and Rex advised that a reasonable dinner could be purchased forthwith at the local "Grease McBucket" hamburger enterprise.  The moral to this story is that if Mr. Iva Czechord ever invites you to the Brownwood Country Club for dinner, just say no!

 
Weather

Friday morning, March 1, was ideal dog running weather as the temperature was in the low forties with a light, misty rain falling for most of the morning.  The wind was out of the south indicating a warming trend for the afternoon.  The sky cleared in the afternoon and the temperatures climbed into the mid-seventies though conditions remained rather nice due to the presence of a pleasant southerly breeze.  Saturday would not be so nice as a blast of Arctic air came through Texas like a freight train dropping temperatures 65 degrees from Friday's high as we awoke to 11 degrees Saturday morning and a 35 M.P.H wind which would howl out of the north all day.

 
The Running

J & M Lightning Magnum Max (Crawford) and Tejas Iron Mike (Nakamura) kicked off the championship with Iron Mike showing good heels until 35 when he was ruled out of judgment.  Max left with a good burst of speed and immediately applied himself to the task hunting responsively for Crawford through the first pasture on into the shinnery pasture.  Max had the front to himself and he dug deep into an adjoining pasture at the 120-degree turn by the back fence.  Max was across a fence boundary and it took a few minutes for him to make the big bend and swing nicely back to our front.  On ahead, Max was hunting the forward objectives in good fashion when Crawford lifted his hat at 50.  As we approached, Max was standing on his tip toes well back from a small oak shinnery motte with the wind in his face, his head elevated and his tail positioned high and rigid.  At the approach of the horses, a large West Texas jack rabbit broke into a dead run from in front of Max's stand.  Max retained his staunch demeanor and never so much as blinked, denoting his excellent training.  Handler Crawford scratched his red "Yosemite Sam" beard and made a quick decision to dismount and try for birds.  The birds were right where Max said they were and Max displayed exemplary all-age manners at the flush and shot.  Taken on, Max continued to apply himself in a steady, forward hunting application and finished the hour with plenty of gas left in his tank.

Auten's Jack B Quick (Auten) and Condesa Bigote (Peace) would not get on the board as B Quick was up early due to a breach of manners at 23 while Bigote backed nicely at 23 after B Quick was stopped and then ran out of gas at 35 and struggled to finish the hour.

Blueridge Major Adventure (Downing) and TLM Missouri Red (Milam) made their run for the gold but neither would find birds this day.  Adventure laid down a nice, wide, forward ground effort for the hour only to have a non-productive at 59 where Missouri Red came in to offer a mannerly back.  Red started slow and ran a modest, quartering race until 30 when she began grabbing more ground.  Red finished well but was without birds.

Bar None's Texas Ranger (Mantler) and Pride & Joy's Annie (Pride) wound out the morning's running with Ranger cutting his own throat with a failure to back at just past the halfway mark.  Annie went away quickly and, though not reaching deep, was busy hunting the objectives left to right at a hard-driving pace.  At the 30 minute mark, Annie was not driving as hard as before showing signs that she had slipped her front pads.  This tough little female just gritted her teeth and began to make deeper, more aggressive casts when point was called ahead just outside an oak motte at 35.  Annie had the wind just right and was standing tall & proud well back from the birds when Ranger came around the motte, slipped in front of Annie and stole her point.  Pride put the birds to flight, Annie stood with proud all-age manners and Mantler harnessed Ranger.  Sent on, Annie applied herself well continuing to make deeper, forward casts.  Annie finished well in spite of her injuries.

J & M's Sam's Smokin Sally (Crawford) and Woodsong's Macro Mac (Woodall) started the afternoon running under warm, sunny skies with Crawford electing to pick up Sally at 35 and Woodall following suit at 50, neither handler happy with his charge.  Neither contender had a find during the time on the ground.

Hillsides Sweet Ole Bob (Milam) and Three Toed Mac (Higginbotham) would be the last brace of the day, and a good one it was.  Mac started fast and ran an impressive, far reaching ground race for the entire hour and finished going away with a deep, far-reaching cast.  It was in the mid-seventies and Mac was not slowed by the warm conditions.  Ole Bob started slow, warmed to the task after about 15, made a big, forward all-age cast in an open bottom at about the mid point in the hour and hunted the forward objectives intently.  Milam called point ahead for Bob on the right side of the course at 42 with a nice find going in the record book. Bob stood tall & tight well back away from an oak thicket and all was in order at the flush & shot as Milam put the birds in the air.  Judge Reed advised Milam that there were 17 minutes remaining.  Milam sent Bob on but Bob's finish was short and lateral and Bob did not have much jump left in his step at the call of pick-up.  Had Bob finished stronger, the placements may have been altered.

J & M's Pete's Turning Trix (Crawford) and TLM's Woods Edge Dream (Milam) got the nod to go with the thermometer reading 11 degrees in Brownwood and the wind gusting out of the north at 35 miles per hour.  Neither dog recorded a find in the hour and both had moderate ground races.

Rockin' R Red Hot Chili (Ditter) and Pride & Joy's Butchman (Pride) would run under warming conditions . . .   it must have been at least 15 degrees by the time they were loosed!  At breakaway, Butchman made a big, forward sweep along a distant edge, retraced his steps and was gone at the 8-minute mark.  Chili was an anomaly as she would be rather handy then make a deep, forward cast showing good heels.  Chili was inconsistent on the ground and had some absences though she does show considerable promise.  Chili was credited with mannerly all-age finds at 50 and 53 and she had a nice finish.

Absolute Proof (Sapp) and Flojo (Smith) were contrasts as Proof left for parts unknown at the breakaway not to be seen again in the hour while Flojo ran a very modest ground race for the hour with nice mannerly finds at 35 and 58.  Absolute Proof was not found until the next morning, in good shape, to the answer of everyone's prayers.

Absolute Miracle (Higginbotham) and Kahlua (Nakamura) would put a quick end to the championship running as Kahlua knocked a bird at 6 while handler Higginbotham elected to end Miracle's bid at 10 as he was not happy with Miracle's effort.