ATB

ATB
Welcome to the ATB blog "J & A's Brittanys" where we love to write about, share stories, post videos and pictures featuring our beautiful, well bred Brittany family bird dogs. With their established and recognized hunting heritage our dogs also measure up to the breed standard regarding health, appearance, movement, and temperament. Enjoy the stories of whelping puppies, tips on field training, bragging rights on accomplishments, sharing joys and sorrow, announcements and as the name implies - ALL THINGS BRITTANY! With a love of God, family, friends, and dog we welcome you.

Sunday, May 7, 2017

WILSON - AKC MASTER HUNTER!

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We are so proud to share the news that today, "WILSON" became the first Brittany from our breeding program to earn the coveted title of:

AKC MASTER HUNTER
 CH J&A's Quiet Courage MH, NA 107, Prize 1
Sire: CH J&A's High Caliber Harris Special SH (BULLET)
Dam: J&A's Dreams Come True of Acton JH (TREASURE)
Loved and owned by Pete Sipperly & Kira Lajeunesse


Wilson with Dave, and Master judges
L. Ruffini and M. Moser
Let me tell you all about this incredible dog!  "Wilson" is a handsome, stylish, highly intelligent, incredibly gifted Brittany with strong natural instincts and with an extremely personable temperament.  He is loved and owned by two awesome people who have become very dear friends to us ever since they took him home several years ago.  Pete and Kira recognized Wilson's potential at a very young age. Faithfully and consistently from his youngest months they set Wilson up to succeed.  They believed in him. Within 15 months the stunning Wilson finished his AKC Bench Championship with 3 majors with many wins at Brittany Specialties.  As a pup he earned his first hunting title with a near perfect NA Prize 1 score.  Handled by Kira, he quickly went on to earn his AKC Junior Hunter title, finishing on the same day that his father was testing at the Senior level, handled by his owner Julie! (see inset) Bullet was 'our' very first AKC Senior Hunter. Wilson also came home with an AKC Award of Merit ribbon during the 2015 American Brittany Club Show Specialty show in Maine!

Julie w/Bullet & Kira w/Wilson his son -  2013


WILSON -  AKC SENIOR HUNTER
2015 
Our third generation of close working gundogs, the breeding behind Wilson indicated potential for strong natural hunting ability. He demonstrated the reality of that at an early age. Pete & Kira never took anything for granted and made a commitment to consistent training for this sweet and special boy. It's not easy for anyone to maintain a focus and continually strive for excellence no matter the sacrifice. But from the start, the focus was much more than  'getting the dog on a few birds' in hopes of a successful field event or hunting season. It just doesn't work that way. A hunting dog needs to remain active, stay in shape, and never be taken for granted. Sometimes, even a JH title can seem daunting and doubtful without preparation or an actual hunting background.  Once obtained, the progression from Junior to Senior is like comparing pre-K to a post-secondary curriculum. More so for Master!

Impressively successful, Wilson went on to earn his AKC Senior Hunting title in 2015 handled by Kira and also Dave Molyneux who finished him (pictured). It was said that Wilson's "performance was what one would expect out of a Master Hunter!" (John and I had the honor of watching him test in NY along with two of his daughters Bella and Brooke, and also his father Bullet.) The focused commitment to training continued and another goal was set for Wilson.  Rain or shine, warmth or chill at every opportunity Wilson was in the field either informally or within a structured NAVHDA or AKC training clinic. Pete and Kira continued to appreciate and support the progression of their beloved Brittany and always sharing their journey with John and I.  In the experienced hands of Dave Molyneaux Wilson's training was kicked up a notch. This was not only in preparation of the coveted AKC Master Hunter title, but also in hopes of training for a future NAVHDA UT test.

Dave & Wilson 4th leg
Wilson is a much loved Brittany by all of us. Julie, who co-owns Bullet with John, is just as proud and happy of this special boy.  There's a lot of emotion and sentiment and symbolism here of course. I consider that Jack, who is Bullet's grandsire, was our first junior hunter. Jack's son Bullet, J&A's first show champion and the first senior hunter. And now, Wilson - the first AKC MASTER HUNTER from our program as well as also a bench champion!  His mother Treasure's AKC name includes the phrase "DREAMS COME TRUE".  Indeed they do. (Wilson's half brother "True" was our second AKC Senior Hunter, also a Treasure son!) 


Progression of Ribbons

As always, every good 'gift' is from above.  Thank you, Lord for these blessings.
Not to us, but for Your glory.


Monday, May 1, 2017

Thinking of Timber - The Best of ATB

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Best of All Things Brittany (from the ARCHIVES)


J & A's Timberdoodle of Acton
January 1, 2005 - May 2, 2007
Sire: AFC/FC Coos Rylee
Dam: Ruby Mountain of Coos

Some things are not fair.  Being a 2 year old Brittany struck down with a rare form of cancer that takes your vibrant fun loving life away from you is one of them.  Spending almost 5 months down south doing nothing but work birds all winter long, to return home only to die within a matter of weeks is not fair.  Being a fully finished gundog and ready to be seriously campaigned on the spring field trial circuit only have a heart attack on the operating table once the dreaded cancer had been discovered - only too late for the spine and all the tissue surrounding it was destroyed.  To go from soaring on the wind, running for all you are worth to greet the one who loved you most - jumping up into her arms, knocking her over, and giving dog kisses because you were so happy to see her... to just a couple of weeks later, barely being able to hobble over to her - although that's just what you wanted to do...

So many times after losing Timber I thought of 'me' how sad I was how unfair it was that such a great Brittany was taken from me.  But as I reflect tonight, I am sad for him again.  Timber would be 5 and a half now if he were still here.  But he's not and all that is left is the memory.  May 2 makes the 3rd anniversary of his passing. And I think of him every day even though we have other Brittanys in our life... most significantly his son Scooby.

There's a song that makes me think of Timberdoodle; it's "Fields of Gold".  For me that says it all and every time I hear it, no matter where I am I cry.  And I've seen John shed tears too.  Timber was the first Brittany I ever trained myself on birds.  I learned about whoa posts, check cords, planted birds, Bill Tarrant and Delmar Smith, Chukar, Hungarians, launchers, backing, and all the technical terms and tools we take for granted in training a bird dog.  I saw what it was like for a Brittany to get turned onto birds, I was there to see my Timber transition from a playful puppy into a serious hunter - within just a few minutes.  That moment gave me chills and I'll never forget it.  We had some kind of Brittany in Timberdoodle.

So as I have relived the timeframe of March 25th marking the date he came home from training - and approach May 2 - the day he died... I have kept the memories just below the surface.  But here we are.  And the date is only days away.  I'll be busy.  John will too.  But the day will not pass unnoticed. 

Timbers cremains were scattered here and there and at Timbers' fields of gold just down the road the night before his pups went to leave to go to their new homes.  The pups romped, the wind blew, and we scattered his ashes.  It was not for Timber to be locked up tight, kept in a jar or a keepsake box on a shelf. 

One of the funniest memories I have of Timber I love to recall.  We were down in the fields and I was walking along the road, knowing he was off to the edge where he loved to run.  He was a fast running far reaching Brittany and I never ever tried to take that out of him.  He was too young and had such a zest for life.  The grass in the field was high, so I was never exactly sure where he was and every once in awhile I'd sing for him so he'd know where I was or I'd blow a couple of times on my whistle for him to come around.  It was just such a beautiful place to work with a dog and truthfully I have only been able to go there a very few times since he died.  It was a field of gold.  Well this one day I was walking up in the higher field and happened to look down and saw a whole flock of turkeys take flight suddenly.  I hadn't even know there were any turkeys there.  They were not flying very high at all and it reminded me of seeing ducks do something similar just above the water while I was canoing at Moosehead Lake years ago.  It just was odd. But suddenly there is Timberdoodle, leaping with his ears flapping in the wind, up and down, up and down oh my gosh it was so funny!!!  He was in hot pursuit of those turkeys and it was like he was trying to jump right up into the sky and catch one but of course he couldn't.  Of course this was not what I wanted in a gundog but I just was laughing so hard as the scene unfolded.... Eventually he figured out that I was laughing at him and he turned away from the game and bounced across the field over to where I was and we sat back in that grass together and shared a bottle of water together.  The worst thing I could have done was let him chase those turkeys but the experience didn't hurt him any.  And it sure left me with a wonderful memory to share this night as I think long and hard about the doodley boy. 

Sometimes I just feel like I've let Timber down.  I had such good intentions to work with Scooby at the same pace that I did with his father. He has the same potential and ability.  I see how well Timbers father continues to do nationally, he's at the top for shooting dogs, is an American Field Champion (AFC) always placing in the top.  And we've used Rylee in our program here and probably will again.  Scooby has all of that in his genes.  And it's up to me to help bring it out. Scoob doesn't hold it against me though, he's quite a happy boy and he knows how deeply I love him and what he means to me. 

Timberdoodle, I miss you tonight.  I really really do.  As the 3rd anniversary of your passing approaches, I will think on the happy times we had together.  In hindsight, I'm thankful you got to spend your last 5 months of your life running in fields, training daily on live birds.  But there was not a night that did not go by that I didn't miss you here while you were down south.  And there is not a day that goes by that I don't miss you now since you left to go to the rainbow bridge. I love you my friend, and I do believe there will be a day we'll be together once more Timber....  I am positive. As I leave for a new adventure with ATB, there is a liver and white Brittany figurine that hangs in the motor home... it has angels on it.  Someone gave that to me shortly after Timber died... thanks for listening, didn't meant to be sad but I know some of you have lost your friends too in the past and totally understand.  Take care and God Bless... John, Ann, and All Things Brittany

Originally Published April 27, 2010