Truly great dogs know how to adjust their range and hunt the cover as it unfolds in front of them. Louie is one of those dogs. In the tight grounds of the east, he closes up and hunts close. In the chuckar hills of WA he showed what he is truly made of and covered the hills as an all age dog!
Here is what the reporter for the 2010 Nationals (Sunnyside WA) had to say about Louie's performance:
"Louie had a stylish find at 11 minutes in the sage to the right just past the first water barrel. At 13 minutes, he had a second find along the fence at the upper end of the canyon and continued his all age forward race throughout the 45 minute stake. "
If you are interested in a puppy from Louie, go here
Louie and the 2010 GWPCA Nationals
3rd in the National Championship
3rd in the National Amateur Championship!
The National Championships were run in Sunnyside WA in early October. The course was tough, high desert with very little cover for birds. It was warm and dry and for a dog from the east coast... a challenge. No tree lines, no obvious objectives, it was a learning experience for both dog and handler.
But what a place to watch dogs work!
In the Amateur, Louie had 6 finds, all handled with style and perfection. I believe he had the most birdwork of any dog in the stake and coupled with all those finds, Louie ran the course with power and strength. He finished his 45 minutes strong and to the front.
In the Open Championship, Louie ran a true All Age race, finished the course strong and to the front. His birdwork was perfect, high tail and head. The scenting conditions on that morning were tough and many dogs unfortunately went birdless. After lunch, a front moved in and conditions improved dramatically with most of the dogs running then having multiple finds. Ahhh, field trials, when you are braced can mean everything.
We were very proud of Louie's performances in the 2010 Championships!
Congratulations to Louie's daughter (Louie x FC Jerelin's Justa Stacked Deck)
Justa Gotta Keep the Faith
winner of the 2010 GWPCA Puppy Classic
"Faith" is owned by Cindy Heiller, CA.
Louie had a tremendous 2010 spring season.
In February, I received a phone call from Jim West and Rhonda Haukoos, professional gun dog trainers from Iowa, asking me if I would consider sending Louie out to him so he could run him in the AKC Gun Dog Championships.
I had to think about this for a bit, but not for long. Jim trained and handled the 2009 GWPCA National Champion, NFC/FC Brillow's Wild West Show- "Miss Kitty", and has has great success with his all age hour Champion GSP's. The idea that Jim thought enough of Louie to want to run him was all I needed to hear.
To say Louie and Jim hit it off is an understatement. Louie didn't go out and just become one of the kennel dogs, he moved into Jim and Rhonda's home, sleeps on their couch, plays with their grandaughter, and is one of the family. Jim made sure to bond with him, and become his buddy.
To say they bonded is an understatement! Week in and week out I would get phone calls from Jim telling me about Louies training, asking me questions about his personality, and just about every time I could hear a smile in Jim's voice. He really seemed to like him, really, really like him.
Louie and Jim planning their strategy
Louie with his sister Stella backing and Jim coming in to flush
Jim and Louie became a team, they believed in each other and trusted each other- and to prove that, here is how they did this spring...............
Louie's placements Spring of 2010
4/8/10 GSP Club of Colorado- OGD- 2nd 15 starters
4/9/10 GSP Club of Colorado- OLGD- 4th- 15 starters
4/23/10 GSP of Eastern Iowa- 1st- OGD (ret)- 31 starters This finished his Dual Championship!!!
4/24/10 GSP of Eastern Iowa- 3rd OLGD - 38 starters
In just two trials Louie had defeated 89 dogs and finished his DC, what more could we ask for?
Well...... the next event for Jim and Louie was the 2010 AKC 1 hour Gun Dog Championship in Fort Robinson, Nebraska. 100 dogs entered, with 96 starting. Louie had never run in a hour stake, we thought he could do it, but you never know till you turn em loose. Could he pull it off?
You betcha he could! And when the dust settled, he was named Runner Up!!!!!!!!! My little puppy, my boy that follows me around like my shadow, a dog that made the cut for BOB at the 2009 National Specialty show (Judge Tom Bradley), pretty much started and broke by me.... finished up 2nd and defeated some of the finest gun dogs in the country!!!!
Louie is the 1st GWP to place in the 1 hour Championship!
That's Katie Tazza holding Louie, Jim in the back holding both the Blue and Red ribbons. Jim's dog Joker was named the winner! Judges were Stan Truksa & John Malone
Not bad for a SHOW DOG!!!!!!!!!
No, he is a Dual Champion, purposely bred to be both both mentally and physically able to do a job. Hopefully the naysayers will finally give him his due. In 4 weeks, he has defeated 184 dogs of all breeds, from the priaries to the woodlands, to the high desert.
As Jim says.... "He's the real deal!"
Here is the write up on Louie's brace- reporter Bonnie Hidalgo
Brace 18: Barben’s Ella Enchanted (Ray Dohse) and NAFC/DC Ariel’s Justa Gotta Go Now (Jim West) Louie's owner, Bernee Brawn was mounted to witness his appealing performance. Ella started the action with a classy find at 6. She stood with excellent style, only turning to mark flight. A very pretty find came at 15 for Louie, just past the cross fence. Another nice find at 21 for Louie near the corner of the lake was reached after some bold forward moves. Beyond the creek crossings Louie went up the rise on the left and had a classy, intense find at 42 on the hillside. Louie finished wide and strong after crossing the hills and dropping into the bottom below the pine ridge. This wirehair was consistently forward at a fast pace for the hour, searching the course intelligently.
Good Boy Louis James!!!!!! Good Boy!
My thanks and gratitude to everyone who helped Louie gain this level of performance, I just wish Fran could have been here to see it all.
Dave & Vicki Lachance for taking him out to the west and introducing him to that type of terrian.
And of course to Jim West and Rhonda Haukoos, WildWest and Brillow kennels for believing in him and being good friends.
