1973 United States Open Brittany Championship
By Marc Appleton
The 1973 rendition of the United States Open Brittany Championship was held at the Lake Murray grounds, Ardmore, Okla., on March 19-22. This year’s winner, Ban Dee, owned by W. E. Oliver of Blue Springs, Mo., turned in a sterling all-age performance. During his hour, the orange and white six-year-old ran a beautiful forward race, using terrain and wind to his advantage on all occasions. He officially recorded one find, a back, and was on point at pickup time, but only a rabbit was seen leaving. His handler, Loyd Budd, found him standing near the water’s edge on his firsl find and the birds were flushed from the reeds several feet out in the water.
Runner-up, Boy’s Agate, owned by Marc Appleton of Yukon, Okla., and also handled by Budd, recorded two bevies, one single and a stop to flush in his championship hour; however, Agate didn’t have the range of Bandee.
Two highly respected individuals served in the judicial seats for several gruelling days of rain, cold, and believe it or not 85° heat. Eugene E. (Gene) Brown of Pontiac, Ill., and B. Joe McCrary of Oklahoma City Okla., deserve a great deal of thanks and respect for their excellent judicial work.
Qualifying Series
Shardee’s Radar Rusty—Ban Dee.—Rusty had a nice find on a relocation at thirty, but never really ran the race of which he is capable. Ban Dee, although birdless, ran a very intelligent race. He was exciting to watch and anticipation was high waiting for point to be called, but it was not to be.
Dan De Mille Gus—Star’s Lucky.—Gus had a nice find at forty, with Lucky backing. Lucky had already sat down on a single so was not being considered. Gus continued to do a good job and finished strong.
Mac A Go Go—Brandy’s Bullet.—This brace was the best of the series. Both dogs are fairly small in comparison to many, but each had a tremendous race, running big and with excellent application. At thirty, Bullet and Mac had a divided find, manners perfect. At 45, Bullet began tiring badly but Mac looked like he had just been turned loose. At pickup Bullet was tired but still hitting his objectives and Mac was finishing with great gusto.
Wytonna Buzzer—Jacolet Blue.—Blue started strong and finished very strong with a small sinking spell at forty. Blue was birdless but his race was to prove him worthy of a callback. Buzzer ran a hard charging race but not enough range to be called back, birdless as he was.
Nehl’s Little Bits—Lloyd’s Ruff.—Bits was running widest of the two but was short of purpose and was eventually picked up. Ruff ran a snappy race with good application and finished the hour well but never showed all-age range.
Repo’s Ringos Nugget—Bazooka’s Gundy.—Nugget ran a respectable shooting dog race but not of the all-age standards required. Gundy, the 1971 Champion, set out doing his thing. He was running with snap and always in the right place. At fifteen, he was found standing on a covey. Manner was flawless. He ran a good strong hour, and finished with one find.
The Devil’s Advocate—Mike Bazooka of Texas.—Both dogs ended the hour birdless with Advocate laying down the better of the two races.
Gideon of Richmont—Pacolet Cheyenne Sam.—Gid got wide in a hurry with Sam running with equal
range and better application. At twenty, both dogs were running excellent all-age races when Sam came on point. Rick Smith could not produce game. At forty, Sam again was found standing with Gid backing. After an extended relocation, Rick accepted a non-productive again. By now Gid was tiring badly and Sam was hopelessly out of it.
The second day was again a beautiful day and we started off with two good dogs.
Royal Happy of M J.—Cons’ Maxie Schultz.—Hap ran a snappy, bit race, going birdless, but doing a very fine job. Max ran a good, intelligent race using his country right, but also birdless.
Jacolet Wandering Star—Boy’s Agate.—At five, birds were seen in the air. Star seemingly had knocked them but the judges did not pick her up and we continued on. At fifteen, Star was found on point with Agate backing. Smith was unable to produce game. Both dogs set about their tasks admirably from here out. Agate was rewarded at 45 with a bevy, perfect manners. Star finished the hour with no other contact.
Dan DeMille Jack—Augustus of Rivers.—Jack ran a good race with no contact and handled a little rough at first but soon settled down. Gus was par excellence. He ran a near flawless application race into a very strong wind but not seemingly hampered by it. Both dogs were birdless.
Big Mike Bazooka—Air Cargo de Britt.—Mike just didn’t have the stuff this day. Cargo ran a beautiful all-age race for fifty minutes. He looked absolutely untouchable and then ran out of gas as the day warmed rapidly.
Butler’s Little Bryn—Paul of Leeways Red.—Both dogs looked in the right places with only Paul being rewarded with a perfect find and Bryn backing at twenty. The heat started taking its toll at forty on Bryn and soon after on Paul, but both gamely finished the hour.
Chip Britt Jill— Roni.— Both dogs took off running wide and looking great. Roni tired greatly with the heat at forty, Jill ran her entire hour with extreme range. Both dogs were birdless but Jill had impressed us all.
Copper Creek Bob—C Killam’s Sergeant Mike.—Bob ran good race after an erratic breakaway. He was hunting the cover with the great sense ot a bird-tinder, using up the open country when available. Mike broke away well but soon had to be scouted. He ran erraticly until finally settling down and hunting. At 25, Mike was found on point with a wad of birds perfectly located. Bob was backing when we finally reached the dogs. At 45, the heat took its toll on these dogs also and both faded, but finished.
Albion’s Black Magic—S’no Fun Mack.—Blackie ran a flashy race with good range but his application was noticeably different. Just the opposite, Mack, a smooth running dog, hunted his country quite ably but not flashily.
Goldtone’s Duke—Zollars Zipper.—Both dogs are strong running, all-age going dogs and they showed it this day. Zipper was gone on deer at fifteen and was not found in time. Duke took a tree line that took him out for a while but after some good scouting he came around. Duke continued running to the extremes, but finished one of the best hours run birdless.
Ringo De Britt—The Little Joker.—Holman called point at ten for Joker, but the birds were in the air before he dismounted. He went in and tried to flush but to no avail. Ringo ran the hour birdless but with a tremendous all-age effort. Again we were all impressed.
Baron Britches, a bye.—Britches ran his hour very snappy, at first doing a good job. At forty, he pointed and a covey was flushed in front, manners flawless. At fifty, he tired some, but finished the hour with nice casts.
One-Hour Finals
The final series started the afternoon of the third day. Twelve dogs were called back to show their stuff for another hour.
Dan De Mille Gus—Mac A Go Go.—Gus showed overpowering strength, reaching into the woods with great determination to find a bevy. Mac was running a snappy race but was consistently going to objectives that Gus had already been through. At forty, Gus was making game but never established point. The hour ended momentary birdiness.
Bazooka’s Gundy—Brandy’s Bullet.—Bullet took charge early, running the widest, but Gundy was going to the right spots. At fifteen, Gundy was found by handler on point. His covey was perfectly located and all was in order. Again, at forty, Gundy was seen on point, but before handler got there the running birds proved too much and he bumped several out on self relocation. Bullet continued running an excellent race but could not find the wiley bobs.
Ban Dee—Jacolet Blue.—Both dogs ran excellent all-age race, reaching to the furthest objectives possible and handling with as much ease as an all-age dog can. At twenty, Holman called point for Blue. Before he started to flush Ban Dee, without his handler, came in for a back. Judge Brown asked another handler to take charge of Ban Dee while Holman tried to flush. No birds were found. At thirty, Budd found Ban Dee by the water’s edge on point. Birds came out from all directions when Budd walked in. It was a picturesque find and excellent manners. At pickup, Budd found Ban Dee standing again. A rabbit left the area but no quail. It was time, the day over, and Ban Dee the only dog in contention.
Chip Britt Jill—Royal Happy of M J.—Hap cut her throat on a covey at fifteen, and Loyd picked her up. Jill was running a great all-age race, using her country correctly and displaying independence. At thirty, we brought her through a possible non-productive with no discredit to her. At fifty, Jill pointed again, and after several relocations the handler walked a bird up by accident and Jill was given credit for a stop to flush.
Boy’s Agate—Augustus of Rivers.—Both dogs got out of sight fairly soon. Gus came back from a tree line with a cut foot and Agate came from the side headed to the front. Holman examined Gus and left him down. At fifteen, Budd called point for Agate deep in some briars. Budd flushed and manners were perfect. At 25, Gus was running the widest but Agate came up with a stop to flush along the water edge. At thirty, Agate pointed again and after a relocation found his single, manners were flawless. Gus came out of a draw in hot pursuit of a bob white. Holman immediately picked him up. At 55, Budd again called point for Agate. A running covey was finally pinned after relocation just at the edge of the woods. Budd put the bevy to flight and all was in order.
Goldtone’s Duke—Ringo De Britt.—At seventeen, in the bear trap, Duke was found standing and Ringo backing. Covey was perfectly located and both dogs stayed. The open country was absorbed by the two big running Britts for the next fifteen minutes. At 35, Ringo pointed and Smith flushed a single. Judge Brown had already seen some birds leave and dog was penalized. At 45, Ringo again pointed but went down when a meadowlark left the area. Duke, the 1968 National Champion and 1972 runner-up, and one of the all-time greats, evidently strained his back or leg and was limping for the last several minutes of the hour and was not able to finish as strong as was necessary to reap any rewards from this stake.
Ardmore, Okla., March 19
Judges: Eugene E. Brown and B. Joe McCrary
UNITED STATES OPEN BRITTANY CHAMPIONSHIP
[One-Hour Qualifying Heats; One-Hour Finals]—37 Brittany Spaniels
Winner—BAN DEE, 871713, dog, by Kay Cee Bandit—Princess Ginger VII. W. E. Oliver, owner; Loyd Budd, handler.
Runner-Up—BOY’S AGATE, 809811, dog, by Buddy Boy—Gale’s Susie. Marc Appleton, owner; Loyd Budd, handler.
Ban-Dee