2025 Field Trial Obituaries

In Memoriam

May 2, 2025

Notices Received In April

Dr. John Webb
April 30, 1926-April 2, 2025
By David A. Fletcher
My thanks to Mary Crawford for sending me notice of the death of my longtime friend, Dr. John Webb of Carrollton, Ga., on April 2. He was 98. John was a great friend, a companion at many trials, and one of the most dedicated men to the Brittany breed and Brittany field trials I have ever known. He was a great leader and president of many organizations, some nationally, and he chaired annual meetings and other functions with great dexterity and expertise. When I got the news of his death from Mary Crawford, I immediately phoned Bernie Matthys, Dale Bush, and Rick and Delmar Smith to give them the sad news. Those were the only personalities left among my friends who had spent time with and knew well the wonderful qualities of Dr. John Webb. My condolences also go out to John's wife, Judy, who shared John's many years with the Brittany field trial group.
Born in Mountain View, Arkansas, John graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine, enlisted in the Army, and served a term in Italy as a company doctor.
John's wife of 62 years, Judy, was also a member of the military. Back home, John served in the Army reserves, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, then completed a Pathology residency at the University of Texas in Galveston, Texas. He next entered private practice in Houston, Texas.
My connection with Dr. John Webb came at Brittany field trials. As I recollect, that came at the U. S. Open Brittany Championship at Ardmore, Oklahoma, and at the International Brittany Championship at Dr. Heap's farms at Watertown, New York, and there may have been others. To tell of his willingness to help Brittany field trials, he came to the U. S. Open Brittany Championship to help as the dog wagon driver.
I grew up hunting pheasants in cattail gullies on the edges of farm fields and Grouse and woodcock in the popple stands and heavier woods cover in my native Ontario. In 1964, I met Delmar Smith at Frobisher, Saskatchewan, where we rode together 14 days at the Border International Chicken Championship. After that marathon trial, on a somewhat yearly basis, gift Brittany puppies arrived for me from Delmar. They developed into really good dogs, and Delmar soon got me loving and owning Britts. Those dogs hunted rather widely in heavy coverts but always handled easily, and I tabbed them good walking hunting dogs. Dr. John grew up in the big open spaces of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas, and he wanted wide-running dogs that would reach way out to the bird-holding cover. The more they reached out, the more Dr. John liked them. There were occasions when I was judge and/or reporter while Dr. John ran one of his dogs. I knew him well enough that I could get on him a bit, and I would, after he ran his dog ride up to him and blurt out, "You are one of the ones that are taking the Britt from a nice going foot gun dog to a Pointer and Setter type horseback all-age." He would reply, "Yes, I am." We would both grin. His handling was ride hard, send the dog to the farthest places on the course, and keep sending him deep. He loved handling a wide dog, and he loved the field trial sport.
A few years later, the Bird Dog Foundation came into existence, and I was appointed to serve on the Board of Directors, as was Dr. John. After a few seasons, I became secretary to the Board, and Dr. John became president. We worked closely together on many situations. As I mentioned earlier, John was a great leader. This was very evident at the BDF annual meeting, where every item of the agenda was brought to the floor, problems solved, and nothing left untouched. He also served as the president of the American Brittany Club and headed several associations related to his medical field of Pathology. He was an extreme patriot. He loved his country, and he loved serving in the armed forces. He told me many tales about his grandfather, who fought in the Civil War, and he honored his grandfather's saddle with a prominent place in his home. At the Bird Dog Foundation annual meeting, Dr. John, as president, addressed the audience, thanking them for their attendance and relating other matters about the Foundation. I was usually next on the agenda, presenting the Life Patron and Patron Memorial plaques and bringing family to the podium for the presentations. Dr. John and I were the small guys on the Board, neither of us approaching 5'6". As I took over the microphone and while he was still beside me, I said, "I'm real glad to take over the mic from you Dr. John, it is one of those rare occasions when I have to raise the mic." Dr. John will go down in Brittany field trial history as one of its most dedicated servants.

Notices Received In March

Shady Hills Zeena
January 11, 2016-February 22, 2025
By Mike Husenits
Three-time Champion Shady Hills Zeena passed away on February 22 from complications caused by a stroke and a battle with inoperable cancer. She had just turned 9 a few weeks prior to her passing. Zeena was owned by Deb Nihart of Prattsburgh, New York, and was trained and handled by Marc Forman and Deb of Shady Hills Kennel throughout her entire competitive career.
Zeena's three championship titles were achieved on wild birds in grouse and woodcock events staged in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York. She won the Lake States Championship in 2021, the New York Grouse Championship, and the Michigan Woodcock Championship, both in 2024. Additionally, Zeena added important wins at the Pennsylvania Grouse Open All-Age and the Hadaway Grouse Classic, plus 15 other placements starting as a puppy in 2016 and continuing consistently through 2024. Zeena was crowned Michigan Cover Dog of the Year for the 2021-2022 season.
Zeena was bred once to champion Double Deuce Zeke and whelped a litter that includes several promising youngsters including Shady Hills Lefty and Shady Hills Zeeva, both owned by Deb Nihart and trained by Marc Forman.
Zeena was whelped on January 11, 2016, from a litter bred by Mike Husenits and Dave and Mark Hughes. Her sire was 14-time champion and National Champion Erin's War Creek, her dam Brave Heart Cassie, a Futurity and multiple-time winner. Deb acquired Zeena as an 8-week-old puppy in March of 2016. Marc Forman and Deb honed her natural qualities into the champion she became. Zeena was always Marc Forman's "go-to" whenever new territory was being explored for grouse. If grouse existed there, Zeena would find them every time. From the same litter as Zeena, several other wild bird champions were developed, namely Duck Hook, A Distant Spec, and Warrior Zeke, all with a combined championship win total of nine, all on wild birds.
A great champion has passed over the Rainbow Bridge, but her proud owner, Deb Nihart, states, "She leaves paw prints of love forever in our hearts."

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