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2006 Amateur Free-For-All Championship

The 2006 running of this celebrated championship was again run on Alva Caine's Tara Hill Plantation with additional acreage offered by Dr. Kenny Bramlett. As usual the courses were all groomed to perfection. Subtle changes in the mowing and planting tend to make the courses just a bit different looking from year to year. The no till planting in the cotton fields sure made the footing better this year when compared to years past. Difficulties, including the timing of harvest and mowing operations conspired to make the Deep South Championships the only field trials of any kind run at Tara Hill this year.

Although entries were down a bit this year the quality of the field was high with the brace sheet showing national and multiple champions at every turn.
Judges for this event were Mike Norris of Furman, Alabama and Joel Paulk of Cumming, Georgia. Mike runs pointers with great success and is in high regard and demand as a judge. His assignments include many well-known championships as well as local trials. Brittany professional trainer Jim Berneathy was also advertised to judge this event but had to withdraw due to equipment problems that made it impossible for him to attend. We were extremely fortunate that Joel Paulk longtime Brittany fancier and judge graciously agreed to fill in for Jim on short notice. These gentlemen diligently went about their duty, naming the winners based on the qualities exhibited by all dogs that most closely matched the advertised standard guideline of The Deep South Brittany Championship Association.
Judges Joel Paluk (L) and Mike Norris (R)
The Deep South Amateur Championship is seeking to name as a champion an individual who exhibits an intense desire to find birds, tempered by a maturity displayed through the proper application of speed, intelligently directed range, bird sense and nose. Responsiveness to his mounted handler is paramount, but he should hunt to the front in an independent manner without continuous direction. He should accurately locate game and indicate its presence by pointing with intensity, lofty style and staunchness. He must maintain this attitude while remaining steady to wing and shot and when afforded the opportunity he should willingly honor a brace-mate on rigid point.

We ask our judges each year to name our champions based on the above standard of performance guideline. In addition to the advertised written standard the following items, among other topics, are highlighted in a letter to our judges prior to the running of the championship ensuring the continuity of our commitment to this type of champion.

1) Please notice that the words All-Age and Shooting Dog are conspicuously missing from our standard or our advertising. The application shown while hunting is more important to us than ranging far and wide just for the sake of running, but we want the dog to hunt well to the front without continuous direction.

2) Style and intensity on point are also very important to us. Dogs that exhibit spectacular ground races, but are loose and uninspiring when indicating game, are of little interest to us.

3) “ Our champion will be named for brilliance of overall performance rather than on the basis of errorless mediocrity”

In a nutshell, if you are a breeder and you see a certain dog has won this championship you will know a few things about him without ever laying eyes on him. The dog runs. The dog handles. The dog looks like a million bucks on point.

This year the strangest thing happened prior to the running of the trial. Bill Gowen of Michigan City, Indiana called out of the blue one night and said he saw that the running of this championship was in honor of R.D. Hinson. Bill said he had fond memories of how fine a gentleman Mr. Hinson was and that he would like to make a donation to the running of the trial. Sure enough three days later a check arrived in the mail. Thanks Bill, for your generous support!

Mr. Pat Lamantia representing Purina and Ms Patty Porter representing Tri-Tronics continued their substantial long time support of this event with products and other necessities that make the running of this trial possible. Please help us in supporting the sponsors that make our sport possible. All you have to do is open a Field and read a few trial reports to find out who is supporting field trials and who isn't.

THE WINNER



The 2006 Deep South Brittany Amateur Championship Champion is Dakota Ally Cat owned by Dr. Ed Palmer of Pike Road, Alabama and Dr. Bo Ackerman of Gainesville, GA. Handled to the win by Bo, Tiger's performance is recalled in the running report. Tiger ran in brace 3. Cooper's Ozark Traveler was named Runner-Up Champion. Owned by Betty and James Doherty of Mobile, AL, Cooper was handled by James. Cooper's performance is recalled in brace 4 below. Half brothers Tiger and Cooper are out of Ch. Blaze Dakota Trucker.

THE RUNNING

Brace 1:
Mr. B's Delta Dude (Borgman)
Maxwell's Hit and Run (Donahue)

Both dogs negotiated the breakaway field nicely but Roy disappeared to the left at about 5 and was never returned to judgment. Dude continued on making some pleasing moves but at around 15 got off to the right of the course and was also lost.

Brace 2:
Rufus (Ackerman)
Diamond Hill Dan (Pollock)

Rufus and Dan were away from Tara Hill boring into a ferocious wind that made handling these big running dogs a definite challenge. Both dogs showed well down the hill and on course. Dan was found standing by his scout near a feeder at about 15. When the Party arrived his manner did not seem to indicate birds were present at this time. Paul sent him on but a short time later noticed that Dan had cut himself somehow and elected to pick him up. Rufus had gained a considerable amount of ground on Dan's portion of the Party and had a find himself before we could catch up. Rufus continued on course, the wind still a factor in his ability to hear his handler, and finished his hour out of sight but returned well in time.

Brace 3:
Keystones Double Shot (Krause)
Dakota Alley Cat (Ackerman)

Away from the Suttle 40 breakaway, Tiger disappeared right and Shooter drove straight to the front. Both handlers were looking right when the Reporter called point for Shooter, found standing near a feeder to the left of the course. While Krause was attempting to flush Tiger came in from the left and backed with style. This turned out to be a non-productive stand and both dogs were sent on through the next series of fields toward Tara Hill. As we crossed Tara Hill Shooter had a find in some trees halfway down the hill with all in order. Tiger had a short absence on the Hamilton property as we made the right turn onto the Tara Hill field becoming a short distance behind Shooter at this time. Upon returning Tiger began working the tree line to our right at the base of the hill and was lost from view. Bo was looking for Tiger and as the Judge and I were cutting across to regain the front Judge Paulk sighted Tiger standing not far from the last place we had seen him from the top of the hill. Bo returned to handle this find and Tiger stood tall and tight through wing and shot. Tiger took off from this find rocketing to regain the front. As the Parties watching both dogs were briefly reunited Shooter was found standing by his scout after a short absence on the far side of the Tower of Power field with a well-located covey to his credit. As we cantered to regain the front from this find I spied Tiger and his portion of the Party to the left of the course behind the caretakers home with find #2. Tiger's manner on this find was reported to me to be very stylish and well located. Taken on from this find Tiger sailed to the front and was found on point near the road crossing of brace 3 scoring yet another great find to end his hour. Shooter finished his hour to the front as time was called.

Brace 4:
Pistol Pete (Patterson)
Cooper's Ozark Traveler (Doherty)

At the breakaway Pete showed his stuff by taking the left line to the far left tree-line and then turned right and blazed to the front down that edge that is so far away that it is actually on course 3. Kent gathered him up and put him on the right side of course one. Scorching this piece of ground Pete scored a covey find in the “Tower of Power” field with excellent manners. While Pete was exploring the right side of the course Cooper had gone left hunting the saw tooth oak patch that normally holds birds and was found standing on a single by his scout. Cooper's bold manner left no doubt that his find was genuine. Standing high and tight, slowly “smokin' his pipe” as the handler flushed his game. These two finds were apparently being worked simultaneously and as both dogs were sent on they came together just before the new pond below Tara Hill. As the Party approached we found Pete pointing and Cooper backing in a brushy area just off the road. The scene looked like a magazine cover. As judge Norris approached he asked the gallery at large “Well do ya'll think there's any birds here?” This covey was flushed and both dogs handled it like pros. At the Safford road-crossing heading to the Bramlett property Pete ran up the road and over the hill causing Kent some problems returning him to the front. Cooper continued on staying well to the front and running his edges nicely. Crossing behind the Bramlett camp Cooper took the inside cruising over the hill and down the right edge of the course showing well to the front. Pete meanwhile took the outside edge behind the pine mott and was tardy coming around. Both dogs ended their hour still going strong as time was called.

Brace 5:
One N Only (Patterson)
Bill (Ackerman)

Breaking away on course two both dogs moved nicely to the front. Bill slipped away to the right exploring course three but was returned with no trouble. Both dogs made the Safford road crossing and skimmed the edges of the Well Crossing field heading toward Camp No Sleep. As the Party passed through the Camp No Sleep field Kent found Butch standing a covey in the brambles next to a small pond. Butch's manner and poise on point reminded every member of the Gallery Party why he was named the winner of The Deep South Brittany Free-For-All Championship yesterday. Bill went through this field with no contacts and passed into the Bramlett property testing the limits of the course. Butch swooped past regaining the front and made a very nice move down the tree line behind the Bramlett camp showing to the front some quarter mile from where he was seen last. Bill was still very wide and mostly unseen as we passed through this area but reappeared in time to point the reliable covey near the Bramlett main gate. Time was called shortly after this find with both dogs in sight to the front.

Brace 6:
Just Call Me Roy (Patterson)
Hi Proof Whizki (Doherty)

Roy and Whiz broke away through the Suttle 40 and both showed well running the extreme edges of the multiple fields that make up this portion of the course. Roy had a nice find along the creek that runs North and South at the base of Tara Hill. Sent on he continued showing well to the front and actually running course one backwards when he pointed, then relocated himself on a spooky covey that left him. Roy was collard and Whiz showed up at about this time and pointed where the covey had been. The handler called him off of this point and sent him on to the front. Shortly thereafter Whiz just stopped running and the handler elected to pick him up.

Brace 7:
Johnny (Luisi)
Chancey Jackpot Lotto (Williams)

Chance broke away down the Safford road edge disappearing to the left. His scout found him standing on a single bird within 50 feet of where we last saw him. Vic sent him on to the front but he never made it. When we regrouped with the other Party Johnny had been missing basically since break away. Neither dog was returned to judgement in time.

Brace 8:
Early Times (Ackerman)
Clyde's Micro Breeze (Pollock)

These two dogs hunted hard but ran a basically uneventful hour.

RESULTS

2006 Deep South Brittany Amateur Championship Champion is Dakota Ally Cat

Winner
Dakota Alley Cat (Ackerman)
o./h. Bo Ackerman
co-owned by Dr. Ed Palmer


Runner-Up
Cooper's Ozark Traveler
o./h. James Doherty



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