Result: Region 17 Brittany Amateur All-Age Championship

Location: Eureka, Kansas

Post Date: Jul 7, 2022

Submitted By: Terry Gowin

Region 17 Brittany Amateur All-Age Championship. From left: Judge Bruce Bryant, Mike Poehler with Arrow's Tequila Rustler, Richard Beaver, Matt Harris, Judge Ken Sanderson, Robbie Myers with El Grande, Scott Johnson, Brittany Myers, Terry Gowin.

Twenty-two dogs came to the line for this year's running, with judges Bruce Bryant and Ken Sanderson in the saddle to adjudicate their performances. We thank them for their time and their attention to each performance. Many members of the Southern Kansas Brittany Club were on hand to make the running of this event possible - Herb Rea, Terry Gowin, Matt Harris, Trasa Fowler, Nathan Hopper, Rick Wheeler, and Scott Johnson worked hard all week to keep things rolling along; we thank them all for their efforts!

We could not begin to have a competition of this quality, without the generous hospitality of our hosts, Mary Lynn and Bill Oliver. Their beautiful ranch is a combination of wide open fields, wooded draws and rocky mesas, presenting challenging courses for the dogs to search for game under challenging atmospheric conditions. Blowing winds and varied humidity, made finding and pointing game difficult and caused the birds to be jumpy at times. Multiple covey finds on released and wild quail provided regular excitement as handlers went to flush for their charges.

These events would not be possible without the support of our sponsor Purina for providing their Sport Formula Dog Food for each placing dog as well as continued financial support to make this sport that we love possible. We are truly grateful to this fine company for their continued support of our events.

This year's winner was Arrow's Tequila Rustler, handled by Richard Beaver. Rusty ran in the 3rd brace carding one spectacular find. He laid down a smooth, forward run with an efficient and pleasing flow to his pattern. /His punch to the front into the wind caught the judges' eyes as did his most memorable move; a big forward sweep of the Hay Meadow Bowl along the entire base of the Mesa towards the High Post Gate area, then dropping down into a wooded draw taking it deep to the south and found standing at 50 on a find where few others had ventured, which sealed the Championship.

Runner-up honors went to El Grande, handled by Robby Myer. Truman broke away into a stout wind yet stayed forward and running well despite the conditions. He made a western reaching move to drop into the Windmill Canyon section, then ran the fence line of the Hay Meadow area to card a baren stand at 23 in some scrub nearing the pond. Moving on, Truman worked the draw area past the High Post Gate with a pleasing flow and pattern, hunting hard the rest of the brace to stand at 50 mins. past the fence corner in a deep draw of the Eastern Bowl as we headed towards camp. His hour expired near the weekend breakaway location.

A Montana Silversmith Trophy Buckle was presented to the handlers of our champion and runner-up.
Third place was awarded to B&T's Sonndance Kid Rock, handled by Trasa Fowler. Rocky broke away into a strong headwind which messed with his pattern early. His pattern grew and improved approaching the Windmill Canyon area, through the Flat Rock Crossing. He was standing for his 1st find at 24 with nice style and intensity, prior to the crossing above the Watershed. He worked nicely for the remainder of his hour, carding a stop to flush at 48 and his final find coming in a deep draw of the Bowl Section nearest camp at 53. with time expiring approaching the weekend break away.
Fourth place went to Just Call Me Lucky Ned Pepper, handled by Frank Campbell. Ned was running hard early with a nice application that was mostly forward. As noted by the judges, he was pushed through the section after the Flat Rock Crossing to the entrance of the Hay Meadow Bowl, then worked nicely there to stand his 1st find at 31. Ned carded his 2nd at 38 near the exit toward the High Post Gate, working the field below nicely. Ned had a stop to flush at 48 at the entrance to the Bowl Section nearest camp, slowing some towards the end of the hour.

THE RUNNING

Sassy (Robbie Myers) and B B (Nick Blasi). Sassy was fun to watch and had 4 evenly spaced finds with nice range and pattern throughout her hour; she displayed solid bird work. Had she not slowed some towards the end, she'd have most likely changed up the placements. BB had a nice, forward run that flowed well with eye catching moves, carding solid finds at 13 and 29. A third find at 30 requiring a relocation was the undoing to her solid bid.

Chica (Richard Beaver) and Timber (Rick Hastings). Chica displayed nice range and ground speed moving nicely through the Watershed and Hay Meadow areas, with a back at 27, a find at 36 mins. and stood again at 40 where she succumbed to temptation. Timber's run was one that thoroughly covered the likely places and produced lots of bird work. He carded finds at 16, 27, 42, 46 and 49 with a nice back at 36.

Rusty (Richard Beaver) and Bud (Frank Campbell). Rusty's winning performance is detailed above. Bud ran well, had an attractive way of going and initiated several nice moves over the hour, but he was birdless for his efforts.

K D (Steven Foster) and Hatch (Adam Freeman). This pair broke away greeting each other with enthusiasm due to their recent breeding. Love 'em and leave 'em Hatch then flew to the front with a powerful, far flung run, that explored the boundaries of the course. K D worked well through the flat top field and dropped down into the Windmill Canyon with speed and purpose when a failed stop to flush ended her day at 12 prior to the Flat Rock Crossing. Hatch ran hard, eating up ground and hunting diligently, with no bird for his efforts, a performance worthy of a placement for sure.

Coal (John Perry) and Colt (Vince Anderson). Coal was consistently forward, making many nice moves, hunting hard and searching the likely places throughout his hour with no creditable find for his efforts; a bird probably would have pushed the placing dogs. Colt had some difficulty getting lined out early, then did some nice work into the Windmill Canyon and really stretched in the Hay Meadow Bowl along the base of the Mesa to drop into the next to last draw there. He too finished his hour without a bird for his efforts.

Brace 6a Remi (Rick Hastings) and Dottie (Nick Blasi). Remi took a while to get lined out with her run and application growing over time. She laid down a very nice middle part of the hour, with a find at 19, a back at 53 and a baren stand with relocation coming at 59. Dotti put down a nice run with some big moves reaching forward, using the wind accurately and hunting the right places. She had a nice find with style at 35 a baren stand at 40, a stop to flush at 50 and a final find at 53 with a breach of manners ending her bid there.

Brace 7a Rey (Joanne Perry) and Rascal (Rick Hastings). Rey was wide early and grew in pattern and application with nice moves through the Windmill Canyon. She carried a reaching line past the Watershed area, into the Hay Meadow Bowl along the base of the Mesa there to be found standing at 27 with nice style. After the field below the High Post Gate, the string broke with the Tracker being called for at 57. Rascal put it all together past the Windmill Canyon, growing past the Watershed Area and into the East Bowl after the High Post Gate. He carded finds at 33, 39 and lastly at 51 with a nice back and a stop to flush during the hour.

Rocky (Trasa Fowler) and Bo (Amy Hopper). This pair broke away with purpose into a stiff wind. Rocky's 3rd place run was detail previously. Bo ran hard, fast, and forward during his bid, doing a very nice job from above the Watershed Area, driving into the Bowl of the Hay Meadow section to suffer an infraction on a bird below the Mesa there at 31 mins. to end a promising performance.

Hank (Mike Poehler) and Ned (Frank Campbell). Both dogs broke away hard into a stiff wind. Ned's 4th place performance was detailed previously. Hank reached forward and wide and (according to the judges) stretched to places few went early. He entered the Windmill Canyon far to the West and dropped down and across the Flat Rock Crossing to stand in the trees on the left at 14. Upon the shot, another bird popped into a tree with Hank ending his bid to better see it!

Truman (Robbie Myers) and Arrow (Rick Hastings). Truman's 2nd place performance was detailed previously. Arrow had difficulty with the strong wind effecting his run and pattern. He carded nice finds at 28, 29 and 32 with a baren stand at 40. He did a very nice job in the Windmill Canyon and hunted well along the base of the Mesa of the Hay Meadow Bowl where he carded all his finds.

Annie (Terry Gowin) and Jessie (Harlan Gerardy). This pair broke away into what was likely the stiffest wind of the stake. They did much better upon reaching the Windmill Canyon and worked well from there, past the Flat Rock Crossing to find Annie pointed at 18 with Jessie backing nicely. A breach of manners ended Annie's bid; Jessie moved on into the Hay Meadow Bowl. Below the Mesa and trees there, Jessie was judged under a bird at 24 to end her day early.
Eureka, Kan., March 19
Judges: Bruce Bryant and Ken Sanderson
REGION 17 BRITTANY AMATEUR ALL-AGE CHAMPIONSHIP [One-Hour Heats] - 22 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-EL GRANDE, 1697401, male, by Cowboy Way-Special Hope. Robert R. Myers & Rob Rohner, owners; Robbie Myers, handler.