Imported at the same time as Lucy in 1991, Brit at 7 weeks came to find her home in Natchez , Mississippi with Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Person. Trained by Paul, she was entered in the 1993 Colorado Puppy Stakes and came in third in a stake of three dogs. Her redemption was that she was pregnant at the time with what would become three field trial champions! Notwithstanding this slow start, she would become the 4^th Field Trial Champion of the new millennium.

Brit was a very beautiful bitch with a liver and white harlequin face. She was medium height and weight and almost perfectly proportioned. A much lighter footed dog when questing for game, she displayed a very showy style that was attractive to the eye when hunted.  She had a very good mouth and flush.

A memorable event was the third series of the 1996 Colorado Field Trial. Brit was very intent as she covered the ground and I assume the scenting was good.  Running full bore across the field at dusk she banged head long into an upright arm of a downed tree that threw her back several feet. This had the sound of thumping a ripe watermelon and I thought she must have been injured. She stood on the ground and shook her head for about two seconds and then resumed quartering for game. She was not to win that day, but I think she displayed the “big heart,” which is often applied to describe Cocker desire.

Brit was to have a total of two litters. Of those litters, a total of four dogs would be trained and entered into field trials. The first litter produced NFC Freckles, FC Rocky and FC Ruby. The second litter produced FC Natchez.

There was some idle talk that early Cockers must have been “Cheap Champions.”  I would assume this includes Brit. It is therefore, interesting to consider the results of her progeny. Of the twelve placements in the first three Cocker Nationals, Brit was either the Mother or the Grandmother of six of the placing dogs (or 50% of the total placements awarded).  In the 1998 NCC, Freckles (first litter) placed 2^nd and Rocky (first litter) placed 4^th.  In the second NCC held in 2000 (they were held every other year until 2002) Freckles came in 1^st and granddaughter Zoe came in 4^th. Also her grandson, Speck, was awarded the Gun’s Award. In the third National in 2002, she is the grandmother to Sydney who placed 2^nd and Zoe who took 4^th place.

In 2003, her son FC Rocky took the Gun’s Award in the Canadian Springer National Championship.  In 2004 her grandson FC Hoover took the Gun’s Award at the same National. They were the only Cockers running against over 80 Springer Spaniels. In 2005, her grandson Storm won the Canadian Springer National Championship, the first Cocker ever to win against a field comprised of 86 Springers and 2 Cockers. 

In March 2006, her grandson FC/AFC Monty, age 9, became the first Cocker Amateur Champion winning the first two Amateur stakes ever held back to back.

While we can talk about her mark on subsequent generations, we must also state she could be quirky. She was not a doting mother. Not one to ingratiate herself, she was aloof. But, memory is that she was very easy to train and an easy dog to be around. She was not prone to bark or run off. In 1998 she retired to the front veranda porch of the Person’s home in Natchez, Mississippi. She died quietly in 2003. 

Freckles, Natchez & Brit in North Dakota

Vitals                                                               

Date of Birth: September 14, 1991                                             

Sex: Female

Sire: Swallow Law Snipe

Dam:  Nancarrow Figurine

Breeder:  Headley Millington

Owner:  Art and Cheryl Person

Championed: March 10, 1995, Idaho

Breedings:  Bred 2 times to Maesydderwen Griffin

Mother of 4 Field Trial Champions:

NFC/FC Darag Caol Shraid Marshen (Freckles)

FC Griffin’s Pride Rocky (Rocky)

FC Ruby Rubster Warrener (Ruby)

FC Oak Alley Snowy Egret (Natchez)

Grandmother to 8 Field Trial Champions:

FC Oak Alley Kestrel (Speck)

FC Raintree Off the Deepend (Splash)

FC Oak Alley Peregrine (Spot)

FC Raintree Warrener’s Zoe (Zoe)

FC/AFC Warrener’s Golden Plover (Monty)

FC/CFC Warrener’s Yellowhammer (Sydney)

FC Oahe Sentinel (Hoover)

FC Shelmar’s Goin’ Jessie (Jessie)