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Result: Nebraska Brittany Open All-Age Championship

Location: Raymond, Nebraska

Post Date: Apr 19, 2021

Submitted By: Wesley Felt

The 2021 running of the Nebraska Brittany Open All-Age Championship was held April 19-22 at the Branched Oak Field Trial Area near Raymond, Neb. The Nebraska Championship is hosted by the Nebraska Brittany Club and followed the regional club event held April 16-18.

There are some fine folks we need to mention for their contributions to the success of this Championship. Claudia and Stan Truksa spend many hours planning this event for the Nebraska Brittany Club. Claudia is the event secretary along with dog wagon driver. Marlin Jones, Wesley and Mary Felt, and Tom Maneely helped where needed. Tom planted birds every morning and Marlin helped with the dog wagon. Stan rode every brace as the marshal and Wesley as the reporter. We thank these dedicated folks for their hard work in order to maintain a premier field event in the Brittany world.

The sponsors for the Nebraska Brittany Open All-Age Championship are Nestl Purina and SportDog. Nestl Purina gives both money toward the running of this event and ProPlan products for the winners. Purina is fed to several dogs running in this event as testimony to the quality of feed used in the ProPlan dog products.

Jim Morehouse from SportDog provided a Pro Hunter 2525 training collar to the champion and a Sport Hunter 1825 training collar to the runner-up champion. We thank these sponsors and their continued support of this event among many other major field trial events.

In my 2019 Championship write-up, we discussed when was the first Nebraska Brittany Championship, and determined it was April 2, 1985. I continued to work with American Field to better understand how the Nebraska Brittany Open All-Age Championship got to where we are today. I had planned on explaining the historical information in 2020; however we cancelled the Championship because of the coronavirus. 2020 would have been the 35th anniversary of the Championship if it had been held.

It has been 36 years since the first Championship event. Some highlights of the early Classic and Championships results were interesting. I greatly appreciate the American Field for their time in researching the Field journal for the historical information.

The first four years, 1981-1984, the Nebraska Brittany Club had to prove to The American Field the club could put on an hour stake and be able to maintain a level of participation to be worthy the " Championship" designation. Today, this American Field requirement still holds true.

The first four years the stake was known as the Nebraska Brittany Open All-Age Classic. The first year, 1981, the Classic winner was The Real Thing, handled by Loyd Budd and owned by the Holtoffs. The runner-up was Britthaven Simpatico, handled by Roscoe Staton and owned by Ray Walton. Bill Roussan and Rick Smith judged the inaugural event with sixteen starters.

The 1982 Classic format changed to a 30-minute qualifying and one-hour finals. Twenty-two dogs were entered with twelve selected to run the hour finals. The winner was Moore's Country Sunshine, handled by Al Gorrow and owned by Dan Moore. Runner-up was El Bandito, handler Loyd Budd and owned by Richard Hakes. Bill Roussan and Scott Rennick were the judges.

The 1983 Classic maintained the qualifying round and hour finals. Rick Smith and John Schlicht judged eighteen qualifiers and brought back eight to run the finals. The winner was El Bandito, handler Loyd Budd and owned by Richard Hakes; runner-up was First Place Jake, handler by J. K. Fields and owned by Ron Curtis.

In 1984 the final Classic maintained the thirty-minute qualifier and hour finals. Ken Bird and John Schlicht judged 23 qualifiers with six returning to the final round. The winner was Way Kan Duke II, handler Al Gorrow and owned by Dr. Robert Rankin; runner-up was Jones Bonine Zacharia, handled by Al Gorrow and owned by D. W. Dawson.

In 1985, Nebraska Brittany Club secured approval to run its first Championship. The 1985 Nebraska Brittany Open All-Age Championship was held on April 2. The first Championship judges were Francis Clasen and Dr. David Kincaid. The format was 30-minute qualifier and one-hour finals. The Championship had 24 qualifiers; ten dogs were called back for the finals. The Championship winner was Charlie's Angel, handler Scott Rennick and owned by Bill and Marge Charlesworth. Runner-up champion was Smokey Mountain Charlie, handled by Loyd Budd and owned by Robert Sullivan, Jr.

Hope everyone enjoyed the history of how the Nebraska Brittany Open All-Age Championship began. I am not sure when the format changed to hour braces occurred, as it is currently followed.

The judges for 35th running of the Championship were Matt Harris from Kansas and Cindy Findley from Iowa. These two judges were up to the task of four days of riding to select the true all-age competitors for this Championship. The judges had several dogs to choose from with the all-age range and the handling necessary to be named as the Champion and Runner-up Champion.

The champion named for the 2021 Nebraska Brittany Open All-Age Champion was Arrow's Tequila Rustler, owned by Sandy Becker of Billings, Mont., and handled by Richard Beaver. His sire is Beaver's Straight Arrow and dam is Runner's Tequila Rose.

Nebraska Brittany Championship Winner. From left: Cindy Findley (judge), handler Richard Beaver, Scott Johnson with Arrow's Tequila Rustler, Matt Harris (judge), Wesley Felt and Stan Truksa

The runner-up was Highpoint Spike's Southern Gal, owned and handled by Trey Baer of North Richland Hill, Tex. Her sire is Highpoint Southern Spike and dam is Flatrocks I'm Watching You Dad.

Runner-Up Highpoint Spike's Southern Gal with Owner Trey Baer.

The Championship began on Monday with temperatures in the low 30s and a strong North wind. The second brace in the afternoon was delayed for less than an hour because of the driving snow. Tuesday through Thursday we had similar temperatures for the day, in the 30s, and windy for most of the day.

The grounds were in good shape and the birds were plentiful for those dogs that made it for the hour.

THE RUNNING

Brace No. 1: Georgia's White Lightening (Tracy) and Warbonnett and Campbell's Skye's The Limit (Ben Campbell). White Lightening pointed at 7 and handler could not find the bird and was released and had trouble going forward and was picked up early. Campbell's Skye's The Limit was seen going away at breakaway and was not seen again.

McChesney's All Down the Line (Johnson) ran to likely spots for birds; however, he finished the hour without a bird. Trio's I'm Finn Tastic at Campbell's (Burchett) was hunting forward and at 31 went on point, but manners were not perfect.

In No. 3, Carpe Diem (Lincoln) had bird contact at 6 and chased. Jazz Em Up Arrow (Hastings) was not performing and handler picked him up.

Supernova (Johnson) was hunting the treeline near the dam and went on point at 11; bird and dog went together. High Point Spike's Southern Gal (Baer) had a bird at 3 on the tree row after being released from the wood bridge. She continued to stretch out and cover territory. Hers indeed was an impressive performance as she finished the hour going to the limits. Her performance was enjoyed by the judges and she was awarded the Runner-up Champion of the Nebraska Brittany Open All-Age Championship.

Osage Fork Slick (Burchett) was lost at 20. and J N M Rodeo Romeo (Tillson) had a nice find at 6 with good manners; however, his find at 20 was not and was sent to the dog wagon.

No. 6: C V K's Jungle Land (Tracy) was having trouble finding the front and was picked up at 12. R N H Dark Night (Burchett) was lost early in the hour.

Brace 7: Sigbrit's Not in Kansas Anymore (Johnson) and J J'S Levi The Ironheart (Williams). Sigbrit's Not in Kansas Anymore ran forward for the most part but was not showing enough as handler picked him up before the hour. Levi The Ironheart had a nonproductive early and a good find at 40, but at 55 was not mannerly and was sent to the dog wagon.

Bama Jama Willly's Sassie Sadie (Burchett) was away and gone early as handler requested the retrieval device. Scout Upland Trailblazer (Tillson) was out of pocket early and handler requested the retrieval unit.

Brace 9: Ru Jem's Last Penny (Tracy) had a bird at 12 and 20 and then was seen going back and was a while before returning. She then went forward and had three more finds on the way to finishing the hour. Alamden's under Lock and Key (Tillson) pointed at 20 at a different bush with all in good order. He finished the hour with two more finds at 52 and 58. His performance was enjoyed by the judges and he was awarded fourth place.

Dogwood's Fireball Whiski (Burchett) failed to handle a bird at 56. Prairie Wind Pistol Pete (Tracy) went on point at 22 was relocated with no bird found. He was picked up before the hour.

A N J's Ohio Hellion (Burchett) was not seen for a while and handler requested retrieval device. Troux Grit (Lincoln) was picked up before the hour.

No. 12 was Tequila Scorcher (Tillson) and J W B's Arctic Cat (Tracy). Scorcher was picked up before the hour. Arctic Cat was lost at time.

Rev'n Gunrunner's Tilly (Tillson) was lost before the hour. Pursuit's Broadway Blitz (Burchett) was picked up early.

Arrow's Tequila Rustler (Beaver) and Roustabout All In (Tracy). Tequila Rustler had a bird at 15, 18, 20, 30, and 54. He finished the hour going strong. His performance was enjoyed by the judges and he was awarded the highest honor as champion of the Nebraska Brittany Open All-Age Championship. Roustabout All In pointed at 6 andwent with the flush.

C V K'S Ironman (Tracy) had a back at 23 and was picked up before the hour. Willie Make It (Johnson) had two finds, one at 23 and one at 28. He shortened some at the end.

In No. 16, Sundance Kid's Rule Breaker (F. Campbell) had a bird at 23, 43, 51 and 59. He had a strong finish. Blazin E Z Mac (Tracy) was lost midway through the hour.

She's Outa Control (Johnson) and Sniksoh Hank's Hatch (Burchett). She's Outa Control was picked up before the hour. Sniksoh Hank's Hatch had a bird at 35 in a pile of trees by the fish camp and 59 at the far side line of trees. He finished the hour. His performance was enjoyed by the judges and he was awarded fourth place.

Shilo's Sailing the West Wind (Burchett) and C V K's Spartan King (Tracy). Shilo's Sailing the West Wind was lost at mid-hour. C V K's Spartan King had an unproductive at 16 and bird at 37. He was picked up early.

Cedar Valley Luke (Tracy) and Just Call Me Lucky Ned Pepper (F. Campbell). Cedar Valley Luke backed at 14 and 23 nonproductive and 53 backed and picked up before the hour. Ned Pepper had a bird at 14, 46, and 53. He shortened at the end.

M K'S My Lil Ammo (Johnson) was picked up before the hour. Hoochie Coochie Man (Tillson) was lost after the midpoint of the hour.

Brace No. 21 was Kashmir (Tracy), as a bye. Kashmir had a bird at 30 and 59 and finished the hour.

This concluded the running of the 2021 Nebraska Brittany Open All-Age Championship.

Raymond, Neb., April 19

Judges: Cindy Findley and Matt Harris

NEBRASKA BRITTANY OPEN ALL-AGE CHAMPIONSHIP

[One-Hour Heats] -- 41 Brittanys

Winner--ARROW'S TEQUILA RUSTLER, 1658864, male, by Beaver's Straight Arrow--Runner's Tequila Rose. Sandy Becker, owner; Richard Beaver, handler.

Runner-Up--HIGHPOINT SPIKE'S SOUTHERN GAL, 1665386, female, by High Point Southern Spike--Flatrock's I'm Watching You Dad. Trey Baer, owner and handler.