Result: New England Brittany Championship

Location: East Windsor, Connecticut

Post Date: Nov 13, 2019

Submitted By: Leslie Jane Hunt

Open Championship Winners. From left: Katrin Tazza, judge; Tom Ettinger, Kyle Merrill with Just Call Me Eli, Dick Frawley, judge; Ben Lorenson with I'm Your Man and Fran Gorman.
EAST WINDSOR, CONN. -- The New England Brittany Championship Association held the Open and Amateur Shooting Dog Championships on October 2-3 at the Flaherty Field Trial Area in East Windsor, Conn.

We appreciate the mowing and upkeep of the grounds by the State of Connecticut DEEP, as well as the dedication and hard work of President Dick Frawley.

The Flaherty Field Association acquired a dog wagon which provided an opportunity for people who do not ride horseback to see the dogs run.

We appreciate the support of Nestl Purina for our Championships by providing certificates for Purina Pro Plan 30/20 to the winning and placing dogs.

A new sponsor, Waterdog Supplements, provided gift certificates to the champions.

NEBCA served free lunches every day. Tuesday evening dinner was served by Leslie Jane Hunt in honor of last year's Open Shooting Dog Champion, Big White. Wednesday evening Fran Gorman put on a happy hour/party to honor Gus, the 2018 Amateur Shooting Dog Champion.

Also, thanks go to the committee: Chairman Bob Fleury, Reporter Sarah Conyngham, Bill and Fran Gorman, Rita Poland, Henry Wierzbicki, Tom and Joanne Wood, Mike Tiberii, and Secretary Leslie Jane Hunt. Thank you to Kristina Whitchen and M. J. Haesche for their help.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE!

Ben and Kyle bring the majority of the dogs for the Open Championship. Their truck blew the transmission on the way. Thus we did not start the Championship on Tuesday as planned. However, with the herculean effort of Bobbie Sigmund, with Mo Pollard riding shotgun, driving twelve hours to and from Maine to bring Ben's trailer to Connecticut, we were able to begin on Wednesday. The participants at the Championship chipped in to help cover some of Bobbie's expenses for gas. Bobbie also made the return trip with Ben's trailer, and then a twelve-hour drive home to North Carolina.

Camaraderie at this event was exceptional!

We were fortunate to have four respected judges. Dick Frawley of East Windsor, Conn., and Katrin Tazza of Washington Depot, Conn., judged the Open Championship; and Andrew Campbell of Northfield, Mass., and Brian Breveleri of Belchertown, Mass., judged the Amateur Championship. We thank them for their wisdom, judgment and kind manner.

OPEN SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP

By Sarah Conyngham

The weather gods can be merciful. That occurs when they have stopped laughing about their last bit of mischief.

Such laughing was the case on October 2. On what should have been a cool fall morning, dawn broke at 70 with humidity of 90% and the promise of temperatures arriving at nearly the same number.

The air had a weight of its own. The following day brought the temperatures to their knees by 40 , but the dogs and horses endured the conditions at hand: dry underfoot, little or no water at the expected places, and no breeze to cool their working muscles.

Also thrown into the mix was the pros' arrival time (11:00 p. m.) the night before due to their truck's uncooperative behavior. No one would elect to drive and arrive within hours of running. Certainly not under those conditions.

Just Call Me Eli, owned by Tom Ettinger of Londonderry, Vt., and handled by Kyle Merrill, was named the 2019 New England Brittany Open Shooting Dog Champion.

In the third brace, Just Call Me Eli (Kyle Merrill) and Magnum High Velocity (Gauge/Vince Anderson) broke away at 9:43 a. m. With humidity dropping and temperatures rising, Eli and Gauge attacked the course. At 9:53 they carded a divided nd at the islands, all clean and clear. While both dogs exempli ed high standards, Eli was particularly shiny with excellent ground speed, high head carriage, physical attractiveness and smooth pattern and handling. Tobacco Hill offered an unassociated nd for each dog at 10:05. Gauge's pointing style suggested a mistake which developed into an unproductive but Eli's nd added to his total. In the near maples below the clubhouse, Gauge pointed at 10:10, though the birds did not make themselves available. His run was saved for the next day. At 10:30 Eli stood for a large covey at the end of Dearborn, and at 10:32 he stopped at the culvert on the Dearborn return road halfway to the pines. Before handler could handle, the bird was up, a shot was red, all as it should be. His hour closed with another clean and stylish nd in the cattail draw west of the pines.

Named runner-up was I'm Your Man, owned by Fran Gorman of Ashfield, Conn., and handled Ben Lorenson.

Down in the fourth brace, I'm Your Man (Gus/Lorenson) and Starship Trooper (Tom Bass) broke away at 11:05. Gus hit the course like a house a re, showing quickly on the hill while we were still on the descending chute. In the rst bird work of the brace, Trooper concluded with a stop to ush but used too much pressure on the birds in the islands. He was taken up 11:15. Gus was solid on Tobacco Hill for a stop to ush at 11:23 and swiftly followed with a stylish nd below the clubhouse at 11:31. The remainder of his run impressed onlookers with his encompassing, forward driving search pattern.

THE RUNNING

Sigbrit's Not a Trace of Rust (Rusty/Kyle Merrill) and Kip's Bay Dark N' Stormy Miss Maddie (John Kipp) broke the still air to begin the Championship at 7:13 a. m. Both dogs were found standing at the islands past the pond at 7:36. John Kipp ushed while Rusty backed. The birds ew and the dogs were given their due credits. At 8:05, after an honest search without the bene t of bird work and its attendant rest for the dogs, Rusty followed a quail in the islands near the end of the Derby course and was up. Maddie had to be glad her brace was over at 8:12.

No. 2 began at 8:25 a. m. Palmetto Pointe's Autumn's Blazing Star (Autie/Bass) and Shailorville's Gunner (Lorenson) threw dirt in their wake and were standing among the islands at 8:35. Gunner had his rst bird well located and Autie honored effortlessly. The same seasoned scene was repeated at the top of Tobacco Hill at 8:45. At 9:04 handler picked up Autie at Dearborn. At 9:17 Gunner followed suit.

Braces No. 3 and No. 4 were reported.

After lunch Piney Run Three Sheets To The Wind (Jib/Merrill) and Rusty Nail of Coos (Tom Wood) hit the dusty trail at 1:07 p. m. At the islands Tom ushed for Rusty while Jib backed at 1:20, all in order. This time cover past the large culvert on the back stretch held birds. Rusty again pointed at 1:31 as Jib backed. Tom moved into the rose thicket, so did the birds, and so did Rusty, by a step or two and was up. At 1:45 Jib was up without any infraction.

Waypoint Chancey Big White Cooper (Merrill) and Kahlua Tiberii (Kalli/Mike Tiberii) heard the whistle at 1:58 and moved out. Big White with raw power and Kalli with light and smooth athleticism. At 2:23 the dogs found birds below the clubhouse, each with a stylish, clean nd. At the end of Dearborn Kalli succumbed to the covey's temptation at 2:40. Big White continued to the cattails below and west of the pines to score at 2:47. The conclusion of his race saw no reduction in his willingness to apply himself to the course.

M and M's Grouse Gunning Gracie (Merrill) ew over the ground at 3:26, notching a clean nd in the pines where no dog had stopped at 3:32. Her bid ended in the islands at 3:39.

Stoneridge Cali (Merrill) and Shailorville's Tucker (Lorenson) closed out this stake, away at 3:59. At 4:08 Cali pointed in the islands but seemed unsure. Tucker came in for a back. After a thorough relocation, Cali pinned her birds and a shot was red, a clean nd logged in. At 4:19 Cali had a second nd at the bottom of Tobacco Hill before the uphill grade. Birds went out, shot red, all was good. Both dogs were found at 4:29 at the islands below the clubhouse. Tucker's nd ended in an unproductive, while Cali's nd was successful. In spite of this, the handler elected to pick up Cali. Tucker worked for an additional 30 minutes before being picked up.

East Windsor, Conn., October 2

Judges: Dick Frawley and Katrin Tazza

NEW ENGLAND BRITTANY OPEN SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP

[One-Hour Heats] -- 15 Brittanys

Winner--JUST CALL ME ELI, 1676372, male, by Just Call Me Roy--One Off Champagne Charlee. Tom Ettinger, owner; Kyle Merrill, handler.

Runner-Up--I'M YOUR MAN, 1650667, male, by Spanish Corral's Sundance Kid--Sam's Sandbank Rose. Frances Gorman, owner; Ben Lorenson, handler.

AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP

The Amateur Shooting Dog Championship ran 13 dogs on October 3. Multiple winner Magnum High Velocity (Gauge), owned and handled by Vincent Anderson of Erie, Pa., was named the 2019 New England Brittany Amateur Shooting Dog Champion, adding further laurels to an already impressive resume.

Gauge had a consistent forward run and pointed six coveys with minimal handling.

Runner-up was Hit's Miss Bee Havin, owned and handled by Judy Kiracofe of Farmingdale, N. J., and scouted by Ralph Kiracofe. Bee had three nice finds with a snappy forward run.

Pressing the winners was Starship Trooper, Brittany male owned by Tom and Tiffany Bass of Fort Myers, Fla., handled by Tom and scouted by Tiffany. Trooper had a good run with a covey find on the Dearborn property. He was the only dog that found birds there.

The New England Brittany Championship Association appreciates the support of the owners, handlers, and their dogs. Without you there would be no championship.

Judges: Brian Breveleri and Andrew Campbell

NEW ENGLAND BRITTANY AMATEUR SHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] -- 13 Brittanys

Winner--MAGNUM HIGH VELOCITY, 1669433, male, by High Hopes Tiger Jac--Dot's Original Spice. Vincent Anderson, owner and handler.

Runner-Up--HIT'S MISS BEE HAVIN, 1647212, female, by Hits For Pete's Sake--Marjo's Irish Legend. Judy & Ralph Kiracofe, owners; Judy Kiracofe, handler.