Justin

I bought Justin from Michigan from the Autens when I was fresh out of college. I wanted a best friend that I could campaign as a show dog and run in field trials. Together we learned the ropes of this new level. Justin was an owner handled multi-group and specialty winning top ten show dog that placed in 16 AKC Licensed Gun Dog stakes with three major firsts. Pro trainer Gene Stewart from Pennsylvania had him for not quite three months to break him, otherwise, no one else ever handled him in the field. Not bad for a first champion to narrowly missed being a dual champion. He also had a couple of CDX legs and a couple of Senior Hunter legs.

I have many memories of Justin that will stand out. At the Nationals, judging in conformation had to stop when Justin was in Open Obedience. It seemed that everyone was watching Justin do his routine in his typical hilarious manner, including the breed judge. At the Anthracite Brittany Club Specialty/Field trial weekend one year, Justin was Best of Breed AND placed Saturday and Sunday in the four point Gun Dog stakes, owner handled. Justin won Best of Breed and a Group Two from the Field Trial Dog class at the Northern New England Brittany Club Specialty held at Champlain Valley Kennel Club on the competitive New England Circuit. In fact, several of his eleven Specialty Bests were from the Field Trial Dog class.

I shot my first pheasant over Justin. I rescued many woodchucks, ducks and frogs from him. He liked to try and catch fish and did succeed occasionally.

Jane and Justin

Justin has milk on his chin from cleaning the cereal bowls!

I lived in an old Maine farmhouse for a couple of years that was not far from where I worked. He and Reba would pull me to work on skis for four months of the year. They would be covered in their frozen exhaled breath by the time we got to work. It was a special time.

Justin knew my friends and my friends' dogs from a crowd. He also had his own friends, sometimes independent of my own circle. He was a funny dog. I never wanted anything more than to finish his dual championship. I'll never know if it could have been, but I learned that achieving balance in life is not without cost. I still have dreams about getting that last blue ribbon. It is handed to me, but it is torn, or it is wrinkled. We came close.

Justin was a true gentleman.

See Justin on point.

Justin was a top class show dog.

Oh Very Young

Oh very young, what will you leave us this time? You're only dancing on this Earth for a short time. And though your dreams may toss and turn you now. They will vanish away like your Daddy's best jeans, denim blue, fading up to the sky. And though you want him to last forever you know he never will, you know he never will.

And the patches make the goodbye harder still.

~ Cat Stevens

Justin was noted for his superb side gait and silhouette at the trot. Photo by Michelle Perlmutter

The VHS video below was taken in 1986. I used my digital camera to film off the TV in the year 2000!. (Thanks TeddyEm, for the great idea!) Justin was 13 months old and won his first major under Michelle Billings. I THINK you need Mediaplayer to see these .mpg videos.