Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. It will be a busy one for me - working dogs as usual and hopefully I will get it done early enough to go out and relax shooting my flintlock rifle or fowler.

We have several up and coming young dogs that I will be getting ready for hunting in January - most of them are young but seem to be talented.

Keith - Posting from Under the Live Oaks

Monday, November 23, 2009

Another Solid Weekend for Bootleather Gun Dogs

I just got back from running in La Grange, TX. I entered 6 dogs (5 llewellins and one irish setter) In Open Gun Dog - I ran Whiterock Jackaranda - She had a find at 5 minutes and was very nice looking - I rode up a bird it flew over her head and it was too much for her. She chased like a puppy. OH WELL.

In the Open Derby, I ran Celtiagh Magix Cullen (IS) and Bergs Collin. Cullen had 3 finds and a very nice hard driving race. Collin started slow but picked up well, had 2 finds and a strong race at the end. Cullen was awarded 1st Place. Both my scout and I thought Collin would have gotten a piece of it, but the judges saw it differently. Collin ran the best he has in competition and is putting it altogether well now.

In the Open Puppy - Streeks Lil Maggie ran a strong, hard driving race, to the limits of the country she had to work with. Copelands Dolly Parton ran a nice but immature race and finished well. I thought Maggie might have won it but was awarded 2nd Place - Hey, there is always next week. Dolly was awarded 4th Place.

So Bootleather trained and handled dogs wound up with a First Place, a Second Place and a Fourth Place. Not a bad showing.

Kudos to Georgia Brown - dogs from her breeding program dominated the placements. And special thanks to Molly Brown for scouting my dogs - something the program really needs to continue to succeed.

Keith - Posting from Under the Live Oak Trees

Friday, November 20, 2009

Its field trial season

I just got back from judging the Region 8 Amatuer All Age Championship. We saw some good dogs and I had a great time.

Champion - Resters Pro Line O/H Cecil Rester
Runner Up - Barnhills Jake O/H Jim Michaletz

I stayed on after the championship to run some dogs. I ran Misty Valleys Marvel (Chewy) in the Open Derby and although I was pleased with his performance it was not quite good enough to place.

In the Open All Age Classic (A National Championship Qualifier) I ran Blizzards Bomberstone Diva - She was not performing up to standards and I elected to pick up at 30 min.

This was a major step up for our program - I was running against a who's who of major all age championship quality dogs including at least 7 dogs that were at Ames Plantation in 2009

It was great fun overall.

The previous weekend I ran in the Texas Coastal Brittany Club trial at Wortham, TX. I placed Maggie 1st in the Open Derby and Cullen 3rd in the Open Derby. This was the exact opposite of the last time we ran them. This weekend I am running 6 dogs in a trial at West Point, TX.

So, far it has been a great year for the program.

Keith - Posting from Under the Live Oaks

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This is Celtiagh Magix Cullen - he has had a nice fall season placing in 2 of the 4 trials he has run in this fall. He was also bred to Celtiagh Magix Dot and we should have a bunch of little Cullens and little Dotties running around this spring and I can't wait to get them up to SD in the summer.