1974 United States Open Brittany Championship
Jacolet’s Wandering Star Wins Title; Augustus of Rivers, Runner-up
By David A. Fletcher
Performance bordering the spectacular carried Jacolet's Wandering Star, Brittany female, just three years of age, to the title of United States Open Brittany Champion, topping a field of 32 of the nation’s best Britts over the well known courses at Lake Murray State Park near Ardmore, Okla. Star was handled by Rick Smith to her second title for owner Paul D. Hinch of Tulsa, Okla. She sparkled in her initial qualifying hour, came back with great bird work, extremely forward and showy hunting in the final series, to set aside all other contenders. Runner-up was Augustus of Rivers, Brittany male, coming nine years of age, handled by Jim Holman for owner James J. White of Atlanta, Ga. Gus pointed and handled quail superbly in both heats in his bid for the title, overcame the scorching temperature of his qualifying hour and had sufficient if not overwhelming finesse in the finals to gain runner-up position.
The Championship was the main event of the United States Open Brittany Association’s program which got underway Monday, March 18. This was narrowed to eleven callbacks after the one-hour qualifying series. The drawing took place on Sunday evening at the spacous Lake Murray Lodge.
The "Victoire Nationale," John Doak’s monicker for the newly inaugurated one-hour Derby Classic, attracted a field of eighteen, and the running consumed the final day and one-half of the program, consisting of a single series.
An outstanding winner emerged in Senator T J. He is perhaps among the most outstanding young Britts in the nation today if his performance in this stake is any indication. The dog has a full-blown all-age pattern well developed, and his attractiveness in motion is eyearresting to say the least. Senator is owned by Thomas D. Belfield of Commerce, Ga. Runner-up was Way Kan Taffy, owned by Gerald Price, of Concordia, Kan. Taffy, braced with the winner, displayed a pretty way of going and turned in a great exhibition of hunting. There was a great deal of quality in the stake, and details of all performances are carried further in the text.
This was the twelfth running of the Championship, and only twice in the history of the stake have there been larger starting fields. From all reports this was a representative offering of a stake which is growing in stature each year. Many notable dogs of the past have captured this title, from Way Kan Jill, the inaugural winner in 1963 and again in 1966, down through Britt’s Bazooka, Way Kan Mandy, Bazooka’s Brandy, Gringo de Britt, Pacolet Cheyenne Sam, Gundy, Sno-Fun Mack, Ban Dee, et al. The test consists of one-hour heats for both the qualifying series and the finals, and it is somewhat of a gruelling contest.
Added to the program this season was the Derby Classic. Its intention, most surely, is to glorify the Derby Prospect most likely to theoretically win this U. S. Open Brittany Championship.
Most trial folk stayed at beautiful Lake Murray State Lodge, the spacious state-owned facility bordering Lake Murray, and here facilities are luxurious for all. It was here that the drawing took place, presided over by President John Doak and Secretary Dr. C. T. Young, and their many helpers. There were many others which helped make the event come off smoothly. Several contributed horses for officials, namely Delmar Smith, Dr. Young and Gene Brown, and there may have been others whom this scribe missed. Everyone pitched in around the stables with the necessary chores. Marc Appleton and Dr. Young were dog wagon drivers, while the team of John and Anne Doak, Zella Brown and Carol Fletcher served luncheons daily which they brought in from Ardmore, not to mention the coffee and doughnut breaks each morning and afternoon. There were really no club functions as such, save for the drawing, but each evening there were enjoyable moments dining leisurely at the lodge or in neighbouring Ardmore. Judges for the event were Eugene Brown of Pontiac, Ill., B. Joe McCrary of Oklahoma City, Okla., and your scribe, David A. Fletcher of Morrice, Mich. This is a widely experienced trio. Judge Brown has been working with bird dogs since the ’20s, has judged far and wide on every type of game bird and both he and Judge McCrary have presided at national Brittany events on several occasions. Judge Fletcher has previously officiated at the International Brittany Championship on two occasions as well as the Brittany Quail Classic.
New Champion And Others
Jacolet’s Wondering Star is an attractive moving female, blessed with a fluid stride and speed to bum. It is little wonder she catches the eye and appeals to one’s sense of beauty and grace in motion. In addition, the dog takes an edge or swings into a draw and by covering the ground with amazing speed, that objective is soon hunted and the forward cast has taken her well to the forefront. Daughter of a great Britt, multiple champion Pacolet’s Cheyenne Sam, Star has added two premier championships to her amassed placements, the Texas Open Brittany Championship last November, and this her most recent crown. At three years of age this gal seems to have a great career ahead of her.
Augustus of Rivers, the runner-up, gained his laurels with completely honest hunting both times he was put down. The qualifying hour was torrid — perhaps the hottest single hour of competition in the entire trial, but he came through with a pair of finds, handled perfectly. His race was restricted by the heat, but it was level and well directed. In the finals, he again scored on game. After an unproductive where the dog may or may not have pointed a long-tailed brown thrasher which came out of a thorn bush directly in front in the scent cone, Gus had a pretty bevy find, and though his race was not spectacular, it was level, cleverly applied, and he hunted every jump.
There were others in that bear mention here. There were many that, with a slight turn of events, could have rated a callback. Birdless dogs were brought back as well as those with mistakes (not mistakes of a flagrant nature) and many had opinions as to which dogs should have been invited to participate in the final series. The finals, if anything, brought forth better performance individually than that of the qualifying hour. What transpired in the finals seemed to make the callback a justifiable selection. Again there were varying opinions as to the eventual winner. Some were high in hopes for Dan de Mille’s Gus, and the dog did put forth a gutsy performance, but Gus is not the highly attractive showy animal that gets in front and draws your eye. Rather the dog is hard to discern in the cover by his natural coloration, and his habit of getting to the sides, and even behind for period hunting the thick and watery places prohibits showy, forward hunting.
Boy’s Agate, with three well-executed finds, was also the topic of some discussion; great bird dog that he is, he seemed lacking in the overall luster of a championship performance. With creditable bird work, there is no question that the likes of Perry’s Rustic Prince, Ban Dee, Goldtone Doc or Fluke de Britt could have changed the overall result dramatically.
Qualifying Series
Monday dawned bright and clear with the promise of a hot one in the making. A light wind all morning kept conditions tolerable but after the luncheon the fifth and sixth braces were almost unbearably still and scorching.
Rebel Roi de Champs — Big Prairie Frosted Cinder. The latter made some huge flings, especially in the early going, with an extremely fast stride, but was not always in touch or in logical cover. Reb was more workmanlike, always probing likely places, yet failed to reach the consistency. Reb handled a bevy nicely at 48, and at time was winding another from hilltop when bracemate milled through and got them up. Cinder stopped at flush for the shot.
Spartan Town Squire — Greg’s Tiger Britt. — Squire got away strongly with a great deal of eye-appeal. Britt took a few minutes to get going, but by the half was flying. Both modified their great running the final third with Squire turning in an unproductive in a draw. Britt worked into a bevy with the wind at his back, eventually getting up a straggler before pointing.
Jacolet’s Wandering Star — Dan de Mil’s Gus. — A freshening breeze was getting stronger as this pair went away, and the mid-morning heat climbed. Star was extremely fleet, hunting far and wide in a pretty pattern. Star scored at the half where handler had sent her down narrow finger of land along lake, but she could not pinpoint these quail, missed them on relocation, then stopped to flush coming out of the vicinity. Gus was hunting the birdy cover, not on the rim, or always in front, but making some highly commendable flings, and pegged a bevy in blackjacks on lake edge with great posture, manners and appeal. Star finished with great energy, well afield, as she had been throughout the hour. Gus finished hunting creditably yet not as widely earlier.
Hojo’s Jake — Kipp’s Trooper Rochambeau. — No birds were moved during the hour. Jake made some wide flings, but could not continue the reaching pattern. Trooper was bold, a touch independent of his handler, but he carved out some huge sections of the course. Both hunted the cover with clever patterns but conditions seemed to preclude bird work this hour.
Augustus of Rivers — Goldtone Doc. — It was intolerably hot after the luncheon. Neither ran the big slashing type of race we had witnessed earlier in the day, but they hunted hard, got over a great deal of ground and logged a lot of hunting despite the scorching heat. Gus dug up a pair of coveys, handled them superbly and finished well. Doc scored on a single after the half, and continued a fine pattern until time.
Jacolet Blue — Ban Dee. — These also faced intolerable heat, now well in excess of 70°. Blue hunted a pretty pattern, in and out of the edges. Ban Dee wove a big pattern, picking out likely cover and following it beautifully in a forward progression. He scored near half time beyond creek in heavy comer; a lengthy relocation ensued, then the birds were walked up by officials where the dog had originally pointed. Ban Dee added an unproductive along rocky ridge and finished well. Blue pointed as this occurred; a single apparently left unobserved as judge rode to him. Working where
this bird was said to have pitched, a rider got up the lone quail.
Majestic Jake — Ringo de Britt. — Jake had become overheated in the dog wagon box and the dog seemed ill and was withdrawn. Ringo carved out a creditable ground pattern, hunting every jump. The dog pegged a bevy beautifully in little finger of land at lakeside, moved up a step as Smith got down, then found himself in the middle of a scattered bevy and dropped as they boiled out all around him.
Copper Creek Bob — Fluke de Britt. — The latter’s owner, D. W. Dawson, was riding as scout. Weather was a complete reversal from Monday, and skies were totally overcast and a coolish wind stirred all day. Temperature hovered in the mid-40s, but the chill factor made it seem worse. Conditions were ideal for dogs to go, and both got away widely. The footwork settled into honest hunting patterns as the hour wore on. Bob logged one unproductive in plum thicket, and as the hour closed both were hunting hard at moderate range.
Char Lee O’Dee — Perry’s Rustic Prince. — The latter turned in perhaps the most outstanding hunting race in the qualifying series — all without bird work. Much of the running was on the rim, yet the dog was without an overabundance of scouting. Char Lee paced and patterned himself on a somewhat smaller scale, yet the appeal of his sustained clever search the full hour, appealed as a heady effort. Neither had birds.
Star’s Lucky Thirteen — Gundy. — The latter, was handled by his owner, Dr. C. T. Young. Both got away quickly. It was soon apparent they had come to hunt, working a succession of birdy places, hard at the task of looking up game. Both handled and worked forwardly the full hour but did not roll to the limits.
Pizzaz— Pacolet Cheyenne Chip. — The former had a swollen foot but went the route despite the affliction. Chip was wide, at times to extremes, with little response to handler, but kept a full head of steam during the hour. Pizzaz was willing to hunt, searched forwardly at respectable range, but did not reach the all-age leveL She stabbed a single in sparse blackjacks along ridge, and added an unproductive late in the hour. Chip was gone from judgment eighteen minutes before pickup — eluded handler and scout, then came to us with a couple of minutes left. Scout Appleton finished the dog in a draw, and as he whoaed her at pickup rode up a bevy — the first birds seen all morning.
Nehl’s Little Bit — Brandy’s Bullet. — These rolled to the edges in fine all-age fashion most of the first half — an exciting spectacle for the gallery. As time went on the patterns featured closer hunting, yet they were entirely respectable. Bit was frequently alongside in the lake-edge cover, occasionally a little cranky about coming front. Bullet logged a pretty find on a single just after the half, added an unproductive in the trial near the close, and was hunting doggedly the final portion moderately afield.
Holiday Buck II — Chip Britt Jill. — The latter, a touch sociable at the outset, soon was going widely. Buck, with a turn of speed from the opening whistle flew the initial quarter. Both had their moments of brilliance, but the hour failed to bring forth any bird work or solid consistency of all-age running and hunting.
Pacolet Cheyenne Sam — Mac A Go Go. — These had plenty of energy at the breakaway. They continued widely to the half when Sam shortened his stride somewhat, and the wide ground coverage abated. Mac, fleet and longer of stride, kept up a torrid pace until time. He logged a dandy find on a bevy at the half on narrow neck of land at lakeside, and as handler whoaed him at pickup the dog was seen on point and birds flushed in front. Sam pointed unproductively at fifty.
Air Cargo de Britt — Sekillem’s Sargeant Mike. — The latter was handled by his owner Ike Zamerla. A trace of blue sky permitted the sun to shine for portions of the initial hour Wednesday. Later the cold front brought dropping temperatures and eventually rain. Cargo started well, quite impressive in the first half, but did not maintain this spectacular hunting. Mike hunted well, at times to the sides hunting slowly, but these tactics paid off with a dandy find at forty. Mike had an unproductive later as did Cargo just at the hour’s close.
Boy’s Agate — W Hume’s Mike. — Both turned in adequate hunting, conducted to birdy areas of the course, but neither filled the terrain with true all-age hunting. Agate had a great find at the half, along high ground of oak ridge, handling a bevy impeccably. Mike went birdless.
One-Hour Finals
Eleven callbacks were announced in mid-course, as skies threatened rain the final series began.
Kipp’s Trooper Rochambeau — Augustus of Rivers. — These went away at 11:25 rain imminent, but as yet not more than a few scattered drops. Both hunted with great appeal, covering the course at times widely, but for the most part at medium range. Beau logged an unproductive after a pretty point under lone oak tree, and after a second in broomstraw near the trail, handler elected to discontinue. Gus pointed along heavy plum thicket at 53, with nothing but a long-tailed brown thrasher seen to leave; then four minutes later stabbed a bevy beautifully along lake edge; a great piece of work.
Jacolet’s Wandering Star — Dan de Mille’s Gus. — Occasional drops of rain settled into a light shower about the half; this was the final brace before luncheon. Both provided some exciting moments. Star had the edge in ground coverage and forwardness of pattern, but both were hunting avidly. Gus scored along lake edge at the quarter-hour with Star offering a close backing posture, seemingly a divided find, but officials had spied Gus make the original point. At 21 Star, working prettily along scrub oak ridge stabbed a bevy with the prettiest of postures and manners. They went on, Gus getting deep in the edges and the brush, and handler had to bring him up crankily several times. Star was still punching wide in the forefront, and finished with a jumping, eager stride.
A heavy rain prevailed the remainder of the day, and after a lengthy wait at the stables for conditions to improve, the balance of the day’s running was cancelled. Thursday dawned clear, cold, and windy with the mercury lodged at 27°. Conditions were much more favorable than had been the expectation after a night of rain, sleet, and plunging temperatures.
Ban Dee — Char Lee O’Dee. — Brisk weather seemed to the liking of the former, for he was in a running mood. Handling was another thing, however, and the dog was scouted several times. Char Lee hunted hard, with great knowledge of where to look, as only this veteran can, but he did not fill the course. His pattern was ideally charted, and his level of hunting was sustained the full hour. Char Lee logged an unproductive near time. Despite some pretty hunting late in the hour, Ban Dee finished without game contact.
Goldtone Doc — Fluke de Britt. — These were released at 9:53, and the chill of the morning was still in evidence. They had come to hunt, and both wasted little time getting down to a determined search. Nary a feather was stirred during the hour; certainly not the fault of this pair, for they had looked in every bit of cover on the course.
Perry’s Rustic Prince — Boy’s Agate. — As he had done in the qualifying hour, Prince proved himself a brilliant ground worker. The dog made some spectacular moves, put in a birdless hour, and was out of judgment at the end. In contrast, Agate was a bit lethargic, hunted his cover well, but did not make a wide search. He was taken to the extreme tip of a “land finger” by handler, pointed a bevy less than a yard from the water, manners exemplary. Later, closely ahead under canopy of scrub oak, Agate handled a bevy decently, and at time added a third find, this time a picture of leaning intensity, where scout had found him after time had elapsed.
Mac A Go Go, a bye. With the stage to himself, Mac logged some great running. At times him casts were on the rim, yet there were closer moments also. In the early going, Mac stopped to flush of a bevy as he came up little hollow in heavy scrub oak. It was as close to a tie situation as one could witness, and this bevy got out quickly as the dog skidded to a stop; all entirely creditable under the circumstances. Later, along hilltop, Mac pointed, but after a long relocation the affair was abandoned as an unproductive. Mac finished the hour with steam left in his stride without further incident.
Ardmore, Okla., March 18
Judges: Eugene Brown, David A. Fletcher and B. Joe McCrary
UNITED STATES OPEN BRITTANY CHAMPIONSHIP
[One-Hour Qualifying Heats; One-Hour Finals]—32 Brittany Spaniels
Winner— JACOLET'S WANDERING STAR, 982257, female, by Pacolet Cheyenne Sam—Jocko’s Fordot. P. D. Hinch, owner; Rick Smith, handler.
Runner-Up— AUGUSTUS OF RIVERS, 809003. male, by Powell’s Willie Bee—Lady of Highbrook. J. J. White, owner; Jim Holman, handler.
Jacolet's Wandering Star
VICTOIRE NATIONALE DERBY CLASSIC
This was a fine stake, full of promising youngsters, and the winning performances were especially outstanding. It seems unwarranted to go into a complete brace-by-brace account for there was not an abundance of decent bird work, in fact the bird work witnessed was mostly of the puppyish variety, and the placements were made on the basis of class performance.
Winner, and to put it mildly, outstanding is hardly the word, was Senator T J. He won this stake “hard”, as the saying goes. Here is a young dog with all the credentials to make a great one. His ground effort is already up there with the seasoned all-age dogs. It may be a touch less mature, but it certainly is fullbloomed. This dog is attractive, fast, heady about where he goes, and the hour heat didn’t seem long enough. Coming out of the birdy state of Georgia, Senator was not campaigned as a puppy. His first start came in December last, and his six placements have come in the past ten weeks.
Way Kan Taffy, runner-up and braced with the winner, had a ground pattern considerably less, but in itself was a pretty hour of hunting. Taffy has style, grace and an eager jump in hunting. Lyle Johnson has her tuned for the hour route, and there was little hint of weariness at the close.
Others with creditable performances include Casey O and Trader Vic de Britt. The starting field also had, in order of appearance, Tyoga’s Mac, Sharky Fiesty O’Dee, Way Kan Mac, Pat, Jacques Tinker Belle, Al’s Jet Dude, Cinnabar Ami Roc de’Edwards, Desert’s Butterfly Britt, Ambrose’s Budweiser, Flint’s White Ranger, K B’s Dakota Ranger, Edward’s Sam of Grouse Hollow, Jax Miss Mandy and Edwards Legionnaire.
VICTOIRE NATIONALE DERBY CLASSIC
[One-Hour Heats]—18 Brittany Spaniels
Winner—SENATOR T J, unreg., male, by Clancy Freckles—Pohick’s Muchacha. T. D. Belfield. owner; Terry Cleary,handler.
Runner-Up—WAY KAN TAFFY, unreg.. female, by Rusty O’Dee—Big Prairie Jill. Gerald Price, owner; Lyle Johnson, handler.