Chip & CAren
Married 25 years in 2016
About our journey into and with French Brittany's
We have always had dogs as part of the family. As a kid, My mom bred Old English Sheep Dogs. I vividly remember raising a litter of puppies by myself when my sister was sick in the hospital at UCLA for a year, as my mom was with her.
My dad had some of the first Sharpei's in the country, before they were recognized as a breed in the US.
In 1995 I brought back from Thailand Thai Ridgeback number 31 Pui who was a pregnant female and number 32 Aun was the first black coated female in the country. In 1996 my wife Caren, my dad Merle and his wife Kathy attended the FCI Worlds Dog Show in Budapest and Vienna. Aun took a best of breed and Group 2nd with my wife doing the handling.
I learned the love of the outdoors from my maternal grandfather.
After college my brother introduced me to flyfishing and in 2003 I caught a grand slam in Belize (permit, bonefish and tarpon).
As an adult I fly a desk during the week and love to be in the outdoors on the weekend.
My brother and his college roommate introduced me to quail hunting in Arizona in the early 2000's. My wife's parents both hunt and I met a life long friend Howard Nixon who was a police office in Casa Grande and was blessed enough to get us into some great private land for wild quail hunting.
Now quail hunting in Arizona is some of the best upland hunting in the nation and land access is not a problem. As long as you have A valid Arizona hunting license you have access to 50% of the state, which is federal and state land.
I cut my teeth mostly hunting gambles quail in the desert.
Arizona's also blessed to have some of the best Mearns quail hunting in the country. If you know where to look there a good populations of Scallie quail as well.
So I had to get a bird-dog.
We researched all the breeds. We had family that had GSP's.
We had a three-year-old daughter at home. We decided on smallest pointing breed with such a big heart the French Brittany was the breed for us.
We bought our first French Brittany Lola in 2005 in Topock Arizona.
Unfortunately we quickly learned she had bad hips.
I was suddenly desperate for a hunting partner that fall. An Internet friend of mine Greg Connolly introduce me to Dominique Pozo in Lyon France. Arrangements were made to buy Antar a six month old orange and white French Brittany. I soon found out shipping cost more than what I paid for the dog.
◦ So I used frequent flyer miles and flew to Charles de Gaulle and took the TGV high-speed train to Lyon. Pat and Domonique welcomed me into their home and we spent 2 days hunting in the French Alps and two days in a field trial in Roquefort France.
◦ At first Antar was a total dork. The first time I took him hunting in the desert he stepped on a Cholla Cactus. I went to help him and he flicked in onto my cheek. Luckily I always carry a large comb in my bird vest and with the help of a pocket knife and my nephew we were able to get it off my face.
◦ Antar is now 13 years old and last year had 15 points one day hunting Mearns Quail.
◦ If he had never gotten older than eight I would've never got another hunting dog!
I am blessed to have a loving wife who puts up with me the last 25 years. We have two beautiful daughters Erica who is 14 and Ella 11.
In the fall of 2014 as a family we made our second trip to France and visited Domonique Pozo where we returned home with Jamari (Janmary). As a family we will be in France the summer of 2017 as well.
In 2016 as a family we made our third trip to France and spent the better part of two weeks with Dominique Pozo and family.
In 2016 we moved to Richmond Virginia for work and live on a 14 acre farm "Hunting Springs Farm". We have six French Brittany's. Three of which are French Imports. Two are 13 years old. My oldest daughter Erica likes to train the dogs with me and Caren will go hunting to take photos. I am truly blessed.
My dad had some of the first Sharpei's in the country, before they were recognized as a breed in the US.
In 1995 I brought back from Thailand Thai Ridgeback number 31 Pui who was a pregnant female and number 32 Aun was the first black coated female in the country. In 1996 my wife Caren, my dad Merle and his wife Kathy attended the FCI Worlds Dog Show in Budapest and Vienna. Aun took a best of breed and Group 2nd with my wife doing the handling.
I learned the love of the outdoors from my maternal grandfather.
After college my brother introduced me to flyfishing and in 2003 I caught a grand slam in Belize (permit, bonefish and tarpon).
As an adult I fly a desk during the week and love to be in the outdoors on the weekend.
My brother and his college roommate introduced me to quail hunting in Arizona in the early 2000's. My wife's parents both hunt and I met a life long friend Howard Nixon who was a police office in Casa Grande and was blessed enough to get us into some great private land for wild quail hunting.
Now quail hunting in Arizona is some of the best upland hunting in the nation and land access is not a problem. As long as you have A valid Arizona hunting license you have access to 50% of the state, which is federal and state land.
I cut my teeth mostly hunting gambles quail in the desert.
Arizona's also blessed to have some of the best Mearns quail hunting in the country. If you know where to look there a good populations of Scallie quail as well.
So I had to get a bird-dog.
We researched all the breeds. We had family that had GSP's.
We had a three-year-old daughter at home. We decided on smallest pointing breed with such a big heart the French Brittany was the breed for us.
We bought our first French Brittany Lola in 2005 in Topock Arizona.
Unfortunately we quickly learned she had bad hips.
I was suddenly desperate for a hunting partner that fall. An Internet friend of mine Greg Connolly introduce me to Dominique Pozo in Lyon France. Arrangements were made to buy Antar a six month old orange and white French Brittany. I soon found out shipping cost more than what I paid for the dog.
◦ So I used frequent flyer miles and flew to Charles de Gaulle and took the TGV high-speed train to Lyon. Pat and Domonique welcomed me into their home and we spent 2 days hunting in the French Alps and two days in a field trial in Roquefort France.
◦ At first Antar was a total dork. The first time I took him hunting in the desert he stepped on a Cholla Cactus. I went to help him and he flicked in onto my cheek. Luckily I always carry a large comb in my bird vest and with the help of a pocket knife and my nephew we were able to get it off my face.
◦ Antar is now 13 years old and last year had 15 points one day hunting Mearns Quail.
◦ If he had never gotten older than eight I would've never got another hunting dog!
I am blessed to have a loving wife who puts up with me the last 25 years. We have two beautiful daughters Erica who is 14 and Ella 11.
In the fall of 2014 as a family we made our second trip to France and visited Domonique Pozo where we returned home with Jamari (Janmary). As a family we will be in France the summer of 2017 as well.
In 2016 as a family we made our third trip to France and spent the better part of two weeks with Dominique Pozo and family.
In 2016 we moved to Richmond Virginia for work and live on a 14 acre farm "Hunting Springs Farm". We have six French Brittany's. Three of which are French Imports. Two are 13 years old. My oldest daughter Erica likes to train the dogs with me and Caren will go hunting to take photos. I am truly blessed.
Caren and Antar Mearns Quail hunting in southern Arizona in 2016.
Chip, Lola, Antar and Jamari in Southern Arizona after a long, wonderful day of Mearns Quail hunting with friends.