ATB: Pip - Pip - Pipppp-ORAY !



Wow.  It keeps getting better.  Seriously.  Watched Bullet (Chrissy/Jack) become our first AKC show champion in June at the Maine Chickadee Classic dog show. Saw 14 month old Thistle (Pippin/Chevy) win a 4 pt major also at the Central Maine Brittany Club Supported Entry at the same show. You know I took July off and then went on vacation at Julie's camp with Moll-moll.  While away, Hemi (Pippin/Chevy) wins 1st place Derby and True (Treasure/Gibson) wins the club championship at Northern New England Brittany Club with John handling. On Saturday, Hemi won his class of 2 on Saturday at the Northern New England Brittany Club Specialty (then class of 1 on Sunday) .  On Sunday at the Wachusett Kennel Club and NNEBC Supported Entry - 4 month old pups Wilson and Bolt (Treasure/Bullet)  debut in the new AKC 4-6 mth Beginner Puppy class. I watched Wilson place 3rd in a class of 4, as brother Bolt wins Best of Breed and a Sporting Group 2 Beginning Puppy. And then...

And then! OH MY HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY DAY!  I saw Pippin win 1st place in Open Bitch on Saturday at the Northern New England Brittany Club Specialty from a nice class of 3.  She won that same class on Sunday (NNEBC Supported Entry), went on to receive Winners Bitch, and Best of Winners for - DRUM ROLL HERE - A 3 Point MAJOR win!!!! I'm walking on air.

I sat far away from the ring when Pippin was shown for a variety of very good reasons. She is after all  a Brittany that is first and foremost a hunting dog with a great nose and superb hearing.  She has been in full coat for a couple of months now and looks absolutely luxurious.  This is not always the case as  anyone who shows a bitch knows the reality of being in coat or out of coat due to their heat cycles. Pippins coat is a very deep, deep orange with a luxurious texture and slight waves.  It has been in what I consider top show coat for a few weeks now.  I could not wait for her to be shown again.  Her movement is impeccable, very synchronized - some have said they've never seen such precise timing in any dogs gait. When Pippin is on - you know it.

On Sunday I watched as the judge pointed to Pippin in the Open Bitches class and the ringside Pippin fan club stifled their applause for the time being.  We were all bursting at the seams when she won the Winners Bitch class. Then halfway through the Best of Breed judging  I could feel my heart pounding as the judge really took her time going over all the beautiful finished champions, and Winners Dog and Winners Bitch.  In order for Pippin to win a major she needed to win the Best of Winners award as there was no major in bitches. There was a 3 pt major in dogs.  I believed in Pippin, the skill of her handler to present her well, and of course God's timing.


I watched as the judge awarded Best of Breed to a handsome and finished male known as "Beckett" out of Triumphant Kennels.  Then I watched the judge point to Pippin and her handler, Joyce Coccia who is also Pip's new best friend.  By this point though I really was not sure that Pip had been awarded Best of Winners.  Fact of the matter is, I still have a hard time following the judging procedure at that level and often have to ask what just happened!  I looked across the two rings at Julie who was nodding her face up and down among other friends there.  Shania and Cindy both ran over to me and told me she had won the major!!! I didn't believe it though, I really couldn't believe it, it was too good to be true at that moment, and I really didn't want to react until I knew for sure.

Making my way through the other exhibitors who had just left the ring with their Brittanys I heard words of congratulations and was hugged by a few exhibitors.  My eyes were filled with tears and I kept saying, are you sure??? Did she really win the major??? Rounding the corner I was surrounded with hugs and words of congrats yet still I was not certain!! I walked over to where Joyce and Pippin were leaving the ring and asked someone there - did they get the major?  And then in Joyce's hands I saw the blue and white ribbon with Best of Winners along with the beautiful large purple rosette saying Winners. She did it!!! Pippin won the 3 point major!!!!  Joyce brought Pippin over to me where she was so happy and just knew she'd done something very wonderful and special. I couldn't stop hugging her. I also couldn't stop crying I was as happy as Pippin was. Joyce also had a huge grin on her face too!

Oh my sweet and beautiful Pippin, you have been a delight since the day you were born, one little singleton puppy full of so much personality, vim and vigor, love, energy,  impishness, mischievous behavior, and more.  Pippin, a striking Brittany who gives as much affection as she received. She's a little bratty (a lot?!) at times and needs strong leadership to keep her under control and in the field - she is a stylish bird finding machine.  And now - this awesome bundle of joy is just 2 single points away from finishing her AKC conformation title!!  I'm so appreciative to her handler Joyce, who always goes into the ring believing in Pippin no matter what. I love to watch her present Pippin. And I love how much Pippin enjoys being with Joyce. I saw that with Bullet making it easier to decide to send Pippin along with them before Bullet had finished. And it is NEVER easy to make that decision regardless of where you are sending your dog. But I had no doubt where I wanted Pippin to be.

The weekend was awesome. Kira showed Wilson so well!! Congratulations Kira, I'm so very proud of you and thank you for everything.  Hanging out with you the past two days was so enjoyable. And I'm so happy you and Julie had a chance to meet Bolts terrific family.  Julie you did a superb job handling not only my little britches Hemi but also Bolt for the Krinson family. How wonderful for those young boys to experience the joy of seeing their puppy do so well.  The new AKC Beginner Puppy class is just great, and it was fun to share the excitement in the ring with a very special first time breeder and her pups as well. ALL the pups did well especially in consideration of their young and tender age.

The All Things Brittany "family" continues to grow in numbers and also close to each other.  John and I are blessed in so many ways throughout our life.  I can never take things like this weekend for granted. And I really want to be faithful to not only give credit and appreciation to where it is deserved, but most importantly - I ALWAYS want to be sure to simply give the glory, the praise and anything that goes with this to God, the One who truly causes me to believe that ALL things are possible.  He is always in control of our lives, cares about every area within it, knows our hopes and our dreams and wants to give us the desire of our heart.  I believe that it's important to acknowledge His presence in every area of my life- most notably now in the public arena of All Things Brittany.

I'm rambling, I'm tired, I need to catch up on housework, put my things away from the show, edit and upload photos, catch up on email and telephone calls and so much more. For the time being I'm going to simply make up for a little lost time with the rest of the crew who haven't been traveling to or fro.  As always thanks for your support and interest in ATB. Take care and God bless you, John, Ann, and our canine crew