1975 United States Open Brittany Championship
Ringo De Britt Wins Title; C Killam’s Sergeant Mike, Runner-Up
By David A. Fletcher
Ringo de Britt, 5 1/2-year-old white and orange Brittany male, owned by Paul Hinch of Tulsa, Okla., and handled by Rick Smith, captured the thirteenth running of the United States Open Brittany Championship, staged March 17-20 at Lake Murray State Park, near Ardmore, Okla. Ringo cast aside any aura of the “unlucky thirteen” legend, and battled his way to his first title with a strong, but birdless first series, a truly championship bevy find in the finals, and added a stop to flush. There was not a plethora of game found during this renewal, but the winners emerged with sufficient performance to enhance the stake.
Runner-up was C Killam's Sergeant Mike, six-year-old male, handled bv his fond owner, attorney E. E. “Ike” Zamrzla of Oklahoma City, Okla. Mike was rock steady, if not spectacular in performance and found a bevy of quail in each of his appearances, and his work in the final series around game was memorable. Mike was absent a full seventeen minutes when he followed a deer, and in this reporter’s opinion this had to be a deterring factor. Mike was willing enough to come back when the chase was over, and amazingly he was avid to hunt and find birds, and did just that as time elapsed.
With a paucity of creditable bird work, there was little challenge among the other finalists for titular honors, and the scarcity of game and intolerably warm weather during the finals precluded consideration of any but the eventual winners.
The trial was a smoothly run affair, and the site aids and abets any program undertaken there. Lake Murray Lodge is a spacious and all-accommodating hostelry. Across the lake on the running area, fine bams and kennels provide other excellent facilities. Grounds are spacious, cover is enticing— not too thick, yet there are thick areas which demand careful hunting. In other words, everything is right for the staging of premier bird dog events provided the quail and the weather are in full cooperation. Weather can be a factor. In March a cold wind or a cold rain can put the birds in the thickest places and they are terribly difficult to find and point under these conditions. Conversely, it can be hot and dry; the thermometer can reach into the 80s here in March without too much difficulty, and when the soil is dry the overabundance of sand can cause scenting problems.
This area is used continually for field trials, and the regular course routes bear a heavy traffic. In this writer’s opinion, quail get pushed to the thick places, and to places which the courses do not touch. If the quail are on the farthest edges of the route and in the thickest areas, it seems essential that a dog search extra carefully to find and handle birds. In the short span of years I have been watching major circuit Britts perform, I have noticed a spectacular increase in their running ability. In competition they are making bigger and bigger casts, and they are front running consistently. At Lake Murray there are hundreds of little lake fingers fringed with brush, and if a dog were to look into every one of them slowly enough to stab some quail under difficult scenting, the gallery pace would put him sorely behind in most cases. What the dog does is hunt a sizable portion of the cover, yet not all of it (especially down these little fingers), then he breaks to the front, urged by handler’s singing. Time is not taken to let the dogs reach and probe the secluded cover that is beyond a narrow lane down the center of the course.
The mechanics of the trial were well accomplished by a team of devoted men, Dr. W. T. Young, wore many hats, around the bams, dogwagon, etc. Dr. Young also contributed horses, as did Delmar Smith and others. There were many helping hands with the chores that crop up, such as Joe Epperley and Wayne Oliver. Most of the professionals pitched in also. John and Anne Doak, as ever, were there early and late lending a hand, and they were responsible for providing the noon lunches. The Doaks also give great assistance with the drawing, and paperwork for the event.
Bill Tarrant, gun dog editor of Field and Stream, was in attendance working on an article regarding gun dog horses, and Bill proved to be both knowledgeable about the competition that was unfolding and keenly interested in the type of horses we used to hunt behind dogs in the field.
There were originally three judges scheduled to officiate for this stake. Veteran Eugene Brown of Pontiac, Ill., who has judged this stake on several previous occasions, had some last minute back trouble and was unable to make the trip. Gene was missed by his many friends in the Sooner State. B. Joe McCiary of Oklahoma City, who rode a judicial saddle last season, was also missing. A spinal disc flared up at the final minute.
Judging was left to Charles Royal of Waco, Tex., and your scribe, David A. Fletcher of Morrice, Mich., who served last season with Brown and McCrary. Judge Royal is well known among pointer and setter fans for some of his major-circuit contenders. The stake seemed to eventuate well with just the two officials, and fortunately there was no problem or injury, which at times happens, where a third official is such a great blessing.
New Champion And Others
The initial series produced ten finalists. Of the 26 dogs that started the qualifying round, well over half turned in unusually wide patterns. Many in the gallery remarked this was the best “running” they had seen in years. The final series, plagued by an intolerably hot sun after the first morning hour, did not produce a wealth of top performances. The new champion and runner-up were entirely worthy, and in keeping with past years.
Ringo de Britt has been “coming on,” as they say, since early last fall. He was impressive, yet unplaced last September at Upper New York, where 51 started in the All-Age, and also at the International Brittany Championship. Later, Ringo captured the ABC Chicken Classic in Wisconsin, and in January added the ABC Quail Classic at Waco, Tex., to his list of wins. He turned in two strong hours of hunting here and the quality of his bevy find in the final series was entirely sufficient to elevate him.
C Killam’s Sergeant Mike, runner-up, found quail both times down. He is a strong ground worker, not always way out on the rim, but the type of dog that has a world of experience finding birds, and he goes where the cover takes him. He’s a veteran in terms of his field trial experience, with a record of ten placements, including his win here.
A seventeen-minute absence behind a deer put him out of contention for the top spot. During those seventeen minutes his interest in birds certainly lagged, and his thoughts were of antlered quarry. Mike had a remarkable finish capped with a spectacular bevy find to fight his way back into the contest.
Pizzaz might have tossed a challenge to the winners had she tidied up her ground effort. Her sage hunting turned up one find in the first series and two in the finals; but being in season, her pattern seemed to stall, flounder and there were the frequent loops back that detracted.
The hard luck dog of the finals was Perry’s Rustic Prince. His hunting, plus two solid finds and a stop to flush in the initial series, certainly would have been enough to put him on top had this been a one-series affair. In the finals, an eighteen-minute absence, which appeared to be a deer chase, wore down Prince’s stamina to such an extent he was never in the fray thereafter.
Qualifying Series
Skies were sunny, with a brisk wind coming out of the east at the initial breakaway. Overcast later, temperatures reached into the low 50s.
Ringo de Britt— La Pradalan.— They went away over rocky rise, the latter on point almost before we got started. This point was unproductive. Ringo was putting down a great effort, fast and forward, hunting the cover beautifully as he reached it. Pradalan was not always applying himself on this occasion, logging a somewhat modest effort, yet he rallied for a great closing cast.
Cox’s Maxie Schultz— Dr. Scott’s Tough Enough.— This pair put on a great display of running at a furious pace. Near the half, the latter was seen in the vicinity of fleeing deer and was not shown again under judgment. Schultz hunted brilliantly without game, yet made an honest effort; hunted a wide expanse of cover forwardly, handling with ease.
Colorado Jumping Gypsy— C Killam’s Sergeant Mike.—The former was very attractive both in stature and her way of moving, put down a pretty pattern of hunting but failed to find quail. Mike was a workhorse, not wide on this occasion, but fringed the heavy places, kept forward and found and handled a bevy on marsh edge near time. Gypsy was brought in for a back and both accomplished the work perfectly. These were the first birds we had seen since the initial breakaway.
Hi Spirit Shenandoah— Fluke de Britt.— These ran hugely on perhaps the most open terrain utilized at Lake Murray. It was quite a brace, a spectacle of distant hunting. Then towards time we entered brushy draw where Shan handled a bevy acceptably and Fluke, after a huge cast around horse pasture, came in to handle a separate bevy flawlessly.
Bazooka’s Copper Jacque— Paul’s Goldtone Whiskers.— These went away after the luncheon at 2:18. Neither seemed in a mood to run widely, and much of the hour was spent to the sides at a slowish pace. Both were reaching as time expired, but the hour had been completely birdless.
Dan de Mille’s Gus— Jacolet’s Wandering Star.— Both started well, as the breeze quickened to a substantial wind. Gus logged a great forty minutes, then closed his pattern somewhat and suffered an unproductive at time. Star was extremely fast, not completely full of purpose this time out and she bounced around like a rubber ball at times. Star was also on point as time expired in sparse oak woods, without results.
Copper Creek Bob— Mac Ago Go.— Bob put forth a fine effort in the early going, and shared a point along brushy edge with bracemate. As handlers trod in front to flush, Bob suddenly dropped, and was taken up. Mac hunted creditably, corrected points where rabbits were seen to leave the vicinity on two occasions, but his overall hunting was a trifle lethargic on this occasion.
Well over an inch of rain fell during the night, and the terrain was very soggy at the morning breakaway. The morning was overcast, then after the luncheon the wind came up and skies cleared to a sunny, warmth.
Perry’s Rustic Prince— Pacolet Cheyenne Chip.— The latter gave only a few fleeting glimpses of his hunting prowess and was not seen again during the hour. Rusty set right in with a pattern that was sagely directed. The dog had a single beautifully in front as we rode to find him, entering little peninsula; honored the wild flush of two quail near the tip in heavy cedars, then pointed what must have been stragglers from the initial birds as we came out of the narrow land neck, and again this work was stylishly done with impeccable manners. Rusty was not the biggest ground worker we had seen in the stake, but certainly had one of the most clever patterns with plenty of hard-hunting for the hour.
Hello Dolly Miss Kaer— Brandy’s Ranger— This was an excellent brace. Neither bulled off to the limits, rather they dug in and hunted, turned, crossed and fringed. Amazingly, it seemed impossible to hit the places they had been and not turn up game for the hour.
Majestic Jake—Freck’s Boy Pete.—The latter got in high gear from the first whistle, but contacted a deer and was lost to judgment. Take turned in a rather modest hunting effort. He hit the cover and his efforts were tuned to finding birds, but his casts were somewhat short and pace relatively slow.
Ban Dee— Way Kan Taffy.— The former was bullish from the breakaway. After a couple of goodly swings, Ban Dee was gone, and not returned under judgment. Taffy had a quick and attractive pace and hunted diligently, but did not run to the limits. Taffy did break off a cast occasionally, and her hour was entirely birdless.
Star’s Lucky Thirteen— Goldtone’s Doc.-The former made some attractive moves from the outset, then settled into a modest pattern of hunting with only a few all-age moves for the remainder. Doc displayed a fast gait that carried him to many of the birdy areas on course. He was wide the initial half, then closer to us, and failed to display finished manners around quail near the end of his hour.
Windy Knoll’s Tinker, a bye.-Tinker’s bracemate had come in season after the stake had started. Tinker hunted with good application, yet not overly distant and there were only occasional wide casts during the hour. Tinker did not find game.
Pizzaz, a bye.— Zaz was in season, and it seemed to have some effect on her pattern for there were times when she broke off a cast or looped back to handler. In spite of these flaws, she hunted a very creditable hour with many find casts rounded through likely areas. Zaz handled a single quail with fine composure in the latter stages of the hour.
One-Hour Finals
The final series consumed six hours on Wednesday, March 19. Clear skies and a sunny warmth combined to make it almost intolerably hot during mid-day.
Ringo de Britt— Cox’s Maxie Schultz.— These two made a great start in the morning coolness. The break came at 8:30 and much of the hour we went directly at the blazing sunrise. Both hunted in great fashion in the early going; Shultz perhaps not as wide to finish as he had started. Ringo found quail on a beautiful cast near half, and we rode to find him regally posed in sedge and scrub along lake edge. Smith got the birds up right in front, and Ringo was like a rock as these birds flew. Schultz logged a stop to flush in open sedge grass, then Ringo added a stop to wing of his own. Both endured into the closing minutes hunting the cover with jump and appeal. Near time, almost on end of lake finger, quail began to get up near Schultz and a quick command stopped him.
Colorado Jumping Gypsy— C Killam’s Sergeant Mike.—Down at 9:40, it was beginning to warm up. Mike jumped away quickly and got far in the front where a deer was seen to leave. It was seventeen minutes before Mike was returned to judgment. Gypsy was running a pretty pattern, checking the likely places, not on the rim, but just where she should be, very attractive in motion. Mike logged a few slow moments after returning to the gallery, then picked up steam for the
final quarter-hour. After a stop to flush, Mike was missed by scout along a lake edge, and time expired while they combed the likely spots for him. Gypsy had finished birdless, but her hour had been one of honest hunting beautifully patterned. Ten minutes after time, still under judgment, scout Epperley espied Mike on point near water’s edge on little lake finger perhaps a quarter-mile across a little bay. The ride brought us to low grass fringe of lake edge, and Mike was pointing rigidly a yard from the waves lapping the shore. Handler got the quail up, and the work was accomplished flawlessly.
Hi Spirit Sheanandoah— Fluke de Britt.— It was getting hot. After a good start, it was noticeable that the heat was beginning to take its toll. Both hunted wisely, made all the right moves and finished the hour well, but neither found game.
Perry’s Rustic Prince— Brandy’s Ranger.— These broke away with plenty of heels, ran wide and hard the initial quarter, then Rusty was gone in big woods and it was eighteen minutes before handler showed him in the gallery. Ranger continued with a creditable pattern, although the heat sapped considerable energy toward the close of the hour. Prince was not the same after his long absence, and both were tired and birdless when the end came.
Hello Dolly Miss Kaer— Pizzaz.— These constituted the final brace, and the break came at 2:32. Both were tuned to hunting for birds. Dolly went birdless, and if fault could be found with the hunting, perhaps a little stronger footwork could have abetted her cause, Zaz broke off casts, rolled back at times, but her avid hunting in the interval turned up a nice bevy near water’s edge, a pretty piece of work with perfect manners. Later Zaz stabbed a bevy on a sensational relocation.
Ardmore, Okla., March 19
Judges: David A. Fletcher and Charles Royal
UNITED STATES OPEN BRITTANY CHAMPIONSHIP
[One-Hour Qualifying Heats; One-Hour Finals]—26 Brittany Spaniels
Winner— RINGO DE BRITT, 899195, male, by Gringo De Britt—Cynee De Ville Pekato. Paul Hinch, owner; Rick Smith, handler.
Runner-Up—C KILLAM'S SERGEANT MIKE, 874294, male, by W Hume’s Mike—Holliday Reggie. E. E. Zamrzla, owner and handler.
VICTOIRE NATIONALE DERBY CLASSIC
As it was last season when this stake launched, it was hot, dry, and quail were scarce. In comparison, this second edition was a bit of a ho-hum affair. Senator TJ, winner last season, kicked this event off a year ago in a fashion not likely to be seen too often. Again, there was little if any significant bird work to act as a basis for placements, and class and quality of hunting were the criteria.
It seemed the dogs with great potential to be all-age Brittany contenders in the years to come tried to hide most of their qualities. There were the brilliant moments, then before another great move could take place a variety of things would happen...loss of interest, fussing slowing of the progression, etc.
Hi Flyer, the winner, was attractive and busy, almost obsessed with hunting, and he made some fine casts. His was not the full-bloomed, all-age race the complete hour, to be sure, but he was adequate in every department to be a logical winner. Owned by Stanley Stapinski of Glenisle, Pa., Fiver is in the string of Marc Appleton, and boasts puppy placements in Michigan and Oklahoma events.
Marc also piloted the runner-up, Hi Spirit’s Darrell’s Pisthoff. Spirit had a likable effort, which at times assumed all-age proportions, but again the dog was not always hitting it widely. Spirit logged one unproductive. Perhaps the birds were gone, because quail had used this area regularly. Dicie Speck of Roxbury, Conn., is the dog’s proud owner.
The Running
Weather Thursday was sunny; crisp and cool at the morning break, but uncomfortably warm after mid-day.
Shooting Star— Flint’s Lucky Sandy.— The break came at 8:15 and both were soon in full stride. Star was full of purpose and ran a goodly pattern almost the full hour, near quail on two occasions, yet seemingly did not catch the scent trail. Sandy was attractively gaited, made a pass or two at field larks, got behind slightly in the latter portion, and was also in the vicinity of quail without awareness on one occasion.
Son D’s Jinny Ginger— Hi Spirit Darrell’s Pisthoff.— The former was fast, attractive afoot and made some commendable all-age casts, earlv. Later the pattern had its erratic moments, and the running was not always on the distant side. The latter put down a hunting pattern that swung to the course and fringed the available cover. It was level, if not spectacular, yet at times the flow of running halted and some immaturity shone through. Spirit logged an unproductive near the close.
Way Kan Frittsie— Hi Flyer.— Flyer was swift of foot, and there were moments when the dogs casts bordered on the spectacular. He was not always on the far edges, but his hunting was purposeful and well directed. Frittsie showed excellent purpose, hunting avidly at medium range, and his ability to handle and keep on course attracted. Neither found game during the hour.
Doc Holliday IV— Wentworth’s Rowdy O’Dee.— These two went away at 11:57 into the blazing heat of the mid-day sun. Doc was a powerful ground worker and made some truly big, intelligent swings. He was perhaps the best potential all-age in the stake, but detracted with repeated spasms of pottering, at the end of truly great casts. Rowdy was on the lethargic side this time out. He was purposeful, looked for game, but the slow search did not enhance his performance.
Tall Oaks Bandolero— Sandhills Ginger Snap.—Originally drawn in the same brace, these had to be run separately when Ginger came in season belatedly. Bandolero seemingly gave way to the heat. His effort was slowly conducted, his casts gave only an occassional hint of potential all-age, and after correcting one stand, the dog added a Derby type contact on quail to end the hour. Ginger rolled out at times to great lengths, but her work was very slowly done and she was entirely birdless for the hour.
Allair’s Chocolate Ripple— Captain Dandy’s O’ Dee.— Of the two, Dandy had greater eye appeal running. Both had moments of great hunting but there were erratic intervals mixed in, stopping to fuss or bumping larks. Ripple logged an unproductive, while Dandy was birdless for the hour.
VICTOIRE NATIONALE DERBY CLASSIC
[One-Hour Heats]—12 Brittany Spaniels
Winner—HI FLYER, unreg., male, by Lecar’s White Smoke—Lady O’Dee. Stanley Stapinski, owner; Marc Appleton, handler.
Runner-Up—HI SPIRIT DARRELL'S PISTHOFF, unreg., male, by Hi Spirit Bazooka's Pistol—Royal Britt's Decision. Dicie Speck, owner; Marc Appleton, handler.