Notables competing were GSP Hall of Famer John Rabidou and Hall of Famer to be Eldon Hongo.
The trial started with the Open Puppy and a third place finish for Tejas Bandit's Belle. Belle's sire is Caden's Bandit and her dam is a littermate sister to Tejas Windwalking Boy. The next stake was the AGD and things really began to pick up as the aforementioned Boy took second and Tejas Starr (Freckles) took third. We didn't have an All-Age entry, but Belle took fourth in the derby......her fifth placement of the spring. The OGD was run in 90 degree heat with 90% humidity and dogs were fading like cheap tee shirts until the last brace of the day when a hunting dog bitch who wasn't broke steady to wing and shot until age five started and kept going and going and going including a huge move going away to the front at the end.
"That bitch has incredible "bottom" stated one of the judges. The handler was becoming increasingly anxious as placements were announced and those "big string" dogs garnered fourth, third and then second place until the Trial Chairman announced that the bitch "Freckles" had taken first place.
The handler was my brother Wayne and he deserves a lot of credit for the care, training and handling of Freckles, Belle and the rest of our crew.
Freckles will turn seven in a few weeks. She has run in five trial stakes in her career and has four placements including two wins. The only time she didn't place was when I handled her.
Perhaps the best news of all is that on stakeout with the other three was a five month old pup out of Freckles and an All-Age son of Dixieland's Smoking Freedom. Future weekends are looking pretty good too with Belle and Bruiser.Congratulations and thanks, Wayne
