BB, was from the same mold – before Buddy came along Nolan considered her the best he'd ever seen – and their sire, Ruff and Ready Zack, traced back to such legendary Brittany champions as Ban-Dee, Perry's Rustic Prince and Pacolet Cheyenne Sam. There's an old saying among dog breeders: "Blood will tell." While it's not as chiseled in stone as a lot of them believe it is (or would like their clients to believe it is), in the case of Buddy and his descendants the evidence suggests you can take it to the bank. Which, in a sense, is exactly what Nolan's been able to do, parlaying the consistent excellence of his dogs into Beeline Brittanys, a full-service breeding/training kennel. Spending each summer and autumn in Lewistown allows him to work on wild birds – a luxury very few pros enjoy in this day and age and one that invariably puts a keener, brighter edge on the dogs lucky enough to get the opportunity.
who's simply one of the damnedest bird-finders I've ever gunned over. On the last afternoon of that trip a couple years ago, a cool breeze fanning the pale grass and the ramparts of the Judith Mountains looming in the middle distance, he put on a show that still makes me shake my head in awe. We didn't see much of him, and when we did he was almost invariably on point. He found so many birds, sharptails and Huns both, that I was afraid Nolan's Astro would overheat and burn a hole in his pocket. It was one of those performances that becomes a benchmark, a standard against which you judge all that follow. It was a privilege to witness it.
Which brings us back to Rusty,
Note: For information on training, puppies, stud service and guided Montana bird hunts, visit www.beelinebrittanys.com.
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